Summary
No. 299 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron during the Second World War and was part of No. 38 Group.
| No. 299 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 4 Nov 1943 – 15 Feb 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Special Operations Transport |
| Part of | No. 38 Group RAF[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | No badge authorised[2] |
| Squadron Codes | X9 (Jan 1944 – Feb 1946)[3][4] 5G (Jan 1944 – Feb 1946)[5][6] |
History edit
No. 299 Squadron was formed on 4 November 1943 form 'C' flight of 297 Squadron at RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire as a special operations squadron. It became operational in April 1944 dropping SOE agents. During the Normandy landing the squadron first delivered paratroopers, and then returned to air-tow 16 Airspeed Horsa gliders across the English Channel. The squadron continued operations with resupply drops until 10 June when it returned to SOE duties. In between the SOE duties the squadron air-towed Horsa gliders for the Arnhem landing (Operation Market Garden), and the Rhine crossing (Operation Varsity). It was also involved in supply-dropping to resistance forces in Norway until the end of the war. On 7 October 1945, it lost five of its members in the crash of a Short Stirling IV in Rennes (Brittany).[7] At the end of the Second World War the squadron disbanded at RAF Shepherds Grove, Suffolk on 15 February 1946.[8][9]
Aircraft operated edit
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 1943 | January 1944 | Lockheed Ventura | Mks.I and II |
| January 1944 | February 1946 | Short Stirling | Mk.IV |
| January 1945 | February 1946 | Short Stirling | Mk.V |
Squadron bases edit
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 4 November 1943 | 15 March 1944 | RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire |
| 15 March 1944 | 9 October 1944 | RAF Keevil, Wiltshire |
| 9 October 1944 | 25 January 1945 | RAF Wethersfield, Essex |
| 25 January 1945 | 15 February 1946 | RAF Shepherds Grove, Suffolk |
Commanding officers edit
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 4 November 1943 | 28 December 1943 | W/Cdr. R.W.G. Kitley |
| 28 December 1943 | 19 September 1944 | W/Cdr. P.B.N. Davis, DSO |
| 19 September 1944 | 1 November 1944 | W/Cdr. P.N. Jennings (acting after KIA of W/Cdr. Davis over Arnhem) |
| 1 November 1944 | 31 December 1944 | W/Cdr. C.B.R. Colenso, DFC |
| 31 December 1944 | September 1945 | W/Cdr. P.N. Jennings |
| September 1945 | 15 February 1946 | W/Cdr. R.N. Stidolph |
See also edit
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ Delve 1994, pp. 69–70, 81.
- ^ a b c d Rawlings 1982, p. 197.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 115.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 117.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 48.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 57.
- ^ "Écrasement d'un avion de la R.A.F. le 7 octobre 1945" [RAF plane crash 7 October 1945]. wiki-rennes.fr (in French). [better source needed]
- ^ a b c Halley 1988, p. 354.
- ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 86.
Bibliography edit
- Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
- Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
- Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
External links edit
- 299 squadron page at 38 group site
- 299 squadron at MOD site
- squadron histories for nos. 296–299 squadron at RAFWeb's Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation Archived 18 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine