No. 511 Squadron RAF

No. 511 Squadron was a Royal Air Force transport squadron, active during World War II, the Berlin Airlift and during the sixties and early seventies. It operated, during its three periods of existence, aircraft such as the Douglas Dakota, the Avro York, the Handley Page Hastings and the Bristol Britannia.

No. 511 Squadron RAF
Active14 October 1942 – 7 October 1946
16 October 1946 – 1 September 1958
15 December 1959 – 6 January 1976
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleTransport
Motto(s)Surely and Quickly[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryIn front of a compass card, an eagle volant affrontée, the head lowered to the dexter holding in the claws a chain of five links[2]
This symbolises the squadrons function as a link between the five continents[1]
Squadron CodesBC (unconfirmed)[3][4]

History

Second World War
A 511 Sqn York CI on its way to the Far East at Luqa, Malta, 3 August 1945.

Formed on 14 October 1942, No. 511 Squadron was formed from No. 1425 Flight at RAF Lyneham. The squadron continued the work of the Flight operating regular transport schedules to Gibraltar using the Consolidated Liberators. To extend the route from Gibraltar to Malta the squadron also operated the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle. As the Second World War progressed, no. 511 Squadron expanded its long-range transport role and it was the first squadron to operate the Avro York transport (A transport based on the Avro Lancaster). At first the Liberators and Yorks were operated as separate Flights, but the Liberator Flight became 246 Squadron in 1944. The squadron continued to fly trooping flights, particularly between the United Kingdom and India until the squadron was disbanded on 7 October 1946.

Post-war 1: On Yorks and Hastings
Hastings C.2 of No. 511 Squadron at Manchester Airport in 1952.

Within a few days (16 October 1946) the squadron was formed again as an Avro York operator based at RAF Lyneham. It continued to fly the long-distance routes to India and the Far East until, like a lot of transport squadrons, it became involved in the Berlin Airlift.

The squadron was then re-equipped with the Handley Page Hastings in September 1949 and in 1957 the squadron moved to join other operators of the Hastings at RAF Colerne. A year later the squadron disbanded when it was re-numbered to 36 Squadron on 1 September 1958.

Post-war 2: Comes the Britannia
Bristol Britannia C.1 of 511 Squadron in 1976.

The squadron was formed again at RAF Lyneham on 15 December 1959, as the second squadron to operate the Bristol Britannia on long-range trooping flights. It moved out of RAF Lyneham for RAF Brize Norton in June 1970, as Lyneham became the base for the new Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The squadron was disbanded on 6 January 1976, when it was decided to withdraw the Britannia from service.

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 511 Squadron RAF, data from[2][5][6]
FromToAircraftVersion
October 1942March 1944Consolidated LiberatorMk.I
October 1942July 1944Consolidated LiberatorMk.II
November 1942March 1944Armstrong Whitworth AlbemarleMk.I
December 1942December 1942Handley Page HalifaxMk.II
September 1943July 1944Douglas DakotaMks.I, III
November 1943October 1946Avro YorkMk.I
July 1944December 1944Consolidated LiberatorMk.VII
October 1945April 1946Avro LancastrianC.2
October 1946September 1949Avro YorkC.1
September 1949September 1958Handley Page HastingsC.1
May 1952September 1958Handley Page HastingsC.2
December 1959January 1976Bristol BritanniaC.1 & C.2

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 511 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2][6]
FromToBaseRemark
10 October 19427 October 1946RAF Lyneham, WiltshireDets. at RAF Gibraltar; RCAF Dorval, Canada and RAF Northolt, Middlesex
16 October 19461 May 1957RAF Lyneham, WiltshireDet. at RAF Wunstorf, Germany for Berlin Airlift
1 May 19571 September 1958RAF Colerne, Wiltshire
15 December 195916 June 1970RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire
16 June 19706 January 1976RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 511 Squadron RAF, data from[7]
FromToName
October 1942March 1943W/Cdr. W.J. Pickard
March 1943June 1943W/Cdr. J.N. Glover
June 1943June 1944W/Cdr. C.E. Slee, MVO, AFC
June 1944August 1945W/Cdr. E.W. Whitaker, DFC, AFC
September 1945October 1946W/Cdr. S.W.R. Hughes, OBE
October 1946January 1948W/cdr. R.J. Burrough, DFC
January 1948January 1950S/Ldr. G.H. Smith
January 1950April 1952S/Ldr. M.C.S. Haycroft
April 1952May 1954S/Ldr. Langdon
May 1954June 1956S/Ldr. R.E. Dyson, DFC
June 1956May 1958S/Ldr. G.W. Turner
May 1958September 1958S/Ldr. WL. Green
December 1959W/Cdr. A.W.G. Le Hardy
W/Cdr. J.H. Lewis
June 1972W/Cdr. P.A. Ward
June 1972July 1974W/Cdr. R.J. Hutchings
July 1974January 1976W/Cdr. R.G. Robertson

See also

References

Notes
  1. Rawlings 1982, p. 228.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 394.
  3. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 21.
  4. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 64.
  5. Rawlings 1982, pp. 228–229.
  6. Jefford 2001, p. 96.
  7. Rawlings 1982, p. 229.

Bibliography
  • 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.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing
Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 511 Squadron RAF.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.