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No. 224 Squadron RAF
Active 1 April 1918 - May 1919
1 February 1937 - 31 October 1966
Country Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force
Size Squadron
Motto(s) Fedele all'amico
(Italian) "Faithful to a friend"

No. 224 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that saw service in both the First and Second World Wars.

History[]

It was formed on 1 April 1918, at Alimini, Italy from part of No. 6 Wing RNAS, equipped with the de Havilland DH.4. In June 1918 it re-equipped with the de Havilland DH.9. The squadron moved to Taranto in December 1918, disbanding there in May 1919.

Bombing up Hudson RAF Leuchars WWII CH 979

Securing bombs in a 224 Squadron Hudson at RAF Leuchars

RAF 224 Squadron Liberator crew RAF St Eval 1944 IWM CH 13725

224 Squadron Liberator crew at RAF St Eval after sinking two U-boats on a single sortie, June 1942

On 1 February 1937, the squadron reformed at Manston, when No. 48 Squadron was renumbered. It then moved to Boscombe Down and was equipped with Avro Ansons for reconnaissance duties. In August 1938 the squadron moved to Leuchars, and from May 1939 began re-equipping with the Lockheed Hudson.

The squadron moved to Limavady in April 1941, and St Eval in December 1941. In February 1942 it returned to Limavady and moved to Tiree in April 1942 where it converted to Consolidated Liberators. In September 1942 the squadron moved; first to Beaulieu, then St Eval in April 1943, and Milltown, Scotland in September 1944. The squadron returned to St Eval in July 1945 where it converted to Avro Lancasters in October 1946. The squadron disbanded on 10 November 1947.

The squadron reformed on 1 March 1948 at Aldergrove, equipped with the Handley Page Halifax. In 1951 it re-equipped with the Avro Shackleton, which it operated from Gibraltar, until disbanding on 31 October 1966.

Aircraft operated[]

Bases used[]

References[]

External links[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at No. 224 Squadron RAF and the edit history here.
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