No.242 Squadron
- Badge
- A moose’s head erased
- Motto
- Toulours prêt - Always ready
- Formed
- 01 August 1918
- Disbanded
- 30 September 1964
No 242 Squadron was originally formed from Nos 408, 409 and 514 Flights at the seaplane station at RAF Newhaven in August 1918 as a coastal reconnaissance unit. It flew anti-submarine patrols until the end of the war and was disbanded at RAF Newhaven on 15 May 1919.
On 30 October 1939 the unit was reformed as a fighter unit, named “Canadian”, at RAF Inverness. In March 1940 it became operational with Hurricanes and operated in France from May until June. The unit was again in action during the Battle of Britain, commanded by Sqdn Ldr Douglas Bader. Throughout 1941 it conducted bomber escort missions and coastal patrols.
In January 1942 the unit moved to Singapore but it was forced to disperse by the Japanese advance. It was reformed on 10 April 1942 and moved to North Africa, where it provided air cover during the Tunisian campaign. In June 1943 it moved to Malta in support of the Sicily landings, moving to Italy in September. It covered the landings in southern France in August 1944 and on 4 November 1944 it was disbanded.
On 15 November 1944 the unit reformed as a long-distance transport squadron. From July 1948 the squadron took part in the Berlin Airlift. It was disbanded on 1 May 1950 but reformed on 1 October 1959 as a Bloodhound surface-to-air missile unit, which eventually disbanded on 30 September 1964.
AIRCRAFT
Short 184 1918 - 1919
Blenheim IF 1939 - 1939
Battle I 1939 - 1940
Hurricane I/IIB 1940 - 1942
Spitfire VB/VC/IX 1942 - 1944
Wellington XVI 1945 - 1945
Stirling I/IV 1945 - 1946
York C1 1945 - 1949
Hastings C1 1949 - 1950
Bloodhound 1 1959 - 1964
Reference Sources
The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force
James J Halley Air Britain (Historians) Ltd 1988
RAF Squadrons
Wg Cdr C G Jefford Airlife 2001
Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
John D R Rawlings Macdonald & Company 1969
Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
John D R Rawlings Jane’s Publishing Company Limited 1982
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