No.320 Squadron
- Badge
- In front of a fountain an orange tree fracted and eradicated
- Motto
- Animo libere dirigimur - We are guided by the mind of liberty
- Formed
- 01 June 1940
- Disbanded
- 02 August 1945
No 320 Squadron was formed at Pembroke Dock on 1 June 1940 as a “Dutch” squadron. It comprised of Fokker T-VIIIW seaplanes and personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service evacuated from Holland after the invasion of their country. Initially the unit flew patrols over the Irish Sea, however due to lack of spares they converted to Ansons and by October began conversion to Hudsons. On 18 January 1941 it absorbed No 321 Squadron and moved to Scotland for patrol duties along the Norwegian coast and anti-shipping operations over the North Sea. The unit moved to East Anglia in April 1942 and began operating over the Dutch coast.
In March 1943 the squadron was transferred to Bomber Command and commenced bombing operations with Mitchells as part of No 2 Group. During August it began day bombing missions with Second Tactical Air Force, attacking targets in France. It moved to Belgium in October 1944 and continued bombing operations until the end of the war. At Achmer, Germany, on 2 August 1945 the squadron was disbanded as an RAF unit and transferred to the control of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
AIRCRAFT
Fokker T-VIIIW 1940 - 1940
Anson I 1940 - 1941
Hudson I/II/III/IV 1941 - 1943
Mitchell II/III 1943 - 1945
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
Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
Phillip J R Moyes Macdonald & Company 1964
Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
John D R Rawlings Macdonald & Company 1969
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