No.253 Squadron
- Badge
- The back of a dexter arm embowed fessewise in mogul armour, the head holding an Indian battle axe in bend.
- Motto
- Come one, come all!
- Formed
- 07 June 1918
- Disbanded
- 02 September 1957
No 253 Squadron was formed at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight as a coastal patrol unit. Two flights of seaplanes operated from Bembridge Harbour whilst two more, equipped with DH 6s, flew from Foreland airfield. The Squadron carried out U-boat spotting tasks until the Armistice and it was disbanded on 5 May 1919.
It was reformed as a fighter squadron on 30 October 1939 and after a short period of ferrying aircraft to squadrons in France, No 253 Squadron (the ‘Hyderabad State’ Squadron) entered the Battle of Britain. Throughout September 1940 it faced two or three heavy attacks a day and it was not until November that things quietened down.
At the start of 1941 No 253 Squadron moved to the Orkneys for air defence duties and convoy patrols. In August 1942 the unit returned south to support the Dieppe raid, flying 35 sorties on 19 August. Preparations were then taken for the invasion of North Africa and the Squadron arrived there a few days after the Allied landings. Convoy patrols in the Mediterranean remained the Squadron’s major role after it moved to Italy in October 1943.
Transferred to Corsica in February 1944, No 253 Squadron’s sorties became more offensive, comprising shipping reconnaissance and bomber escorts. Increasingly active it joined the Balkan Air Force, operating from an advanced landing ground at Vis and attacking the evacuating enemy. Following VE Day, No 253 Squadron remained in Europe and in 1947 took over the remnants of No 225 Squadron, thus acquiring a tactical reconnaissance flight. However, on 16 May the whole Squadron was disbanded at Treviso.
No 253 Squadron reformed at RAF Waterbeach on 16 April 1955 as a night-fighter unit but two years later was disbanded again.
AIRCRAFT
Hamble Baby 1918
Short 184/320 1918 - 1919
DH 6 1918 - 1919
Campania 1918 - 1919
Magister I 1939 - 1940
Battle I 1939 - 1940
Hurricane I/IIB/IIA/IIC 1940 - 1943
Spitfire VC/IX/VB/VIII/IX/XI 1943 - 1947
Venom NF.2A 1955 - 1957
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
Coastal Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
John D R Rawlings Jane’s Publishing 1982
Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
John D R Rawlings Crecy Books 1993
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