No. 145 Squadron RAF
| No. 145 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active |
15 May 1918 – 2 September 1919 10 October 1939 – 19 August 1945 1 March 1952 – 15 October 1957 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force |
| Role | various |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Diu noctuque pugnamus ("We fight by day and night"). |
| Battle honours | Palestine 1916- 1918 - Turks, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain 1940, Fortress Europe, Egypt and Libya, North Africa, El Alamein, El Hamma - Mareth Line, Sicily, Gothic Line, Italy |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | In front of a cross couped, a sword in bend, point downward.The sword represents No 145 Squadron's role, the cross couped the squadron's association with No 14 Squadron. |
| Squadron codes |
SO Allocated Apr 1939 - Oct 1939 SO Oct 1939 - Feb 1942 ZX Apr 1942 - Aug 1945 B Mar 1952 - Apr 1954 |
No. 145 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that operated during World War I, World War II and the Cold War.
History
The Squadron formed on 15 May 1918. Equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 fighters, it supported the final offensives against the Turks in Palestine. The unit disbanded on 2 September 1919.
On 10 October 1939, No. 145 Squadron was reformed, taking delivery of Hurricane fighters in March 1940. It operated over Dunkirk and in the Battle of Britain before re-equipping with Supermarine Spitfires in early 1941. From February 1942, it was based in the Middle East, then in Malta, and finally in northern Italy, before disbanding on 19 August 1945.
American fighter pilot Lance C. Wade, one of the leading Allied Aces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), was a Flight Commander and Squadron Leader of No. 145 Squadron. In spring of 1943 'C' flight of the squadron was the Polish Fighting Team. In March 1943, No. 145 Squadron pilots who came from the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Argentina, Trinidad, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Poland were credited with 20 Axis aircraft destroyed, over one third of the total destroyed by the entire RAF in the MTO for that month.[1] On 19 August 1945, the Squadron disbanded in northern Italy.
No. 145 Squadron was reformed once more, as a fighter-bomber unit in Germany, on 1 March 1952. Initially flying de Havilland Vampires, it converted to de Havilland Venoms in 1954. The squadron was disbanded on 15 October 1957.
The squadron number has been used on three subsequent occasions as a 'Shadow' designation for Operational Conversion Units. From 22 October 1958 to 1 June 1963 it was allocated to the Hawker Hunter equipped No 229 OCU at RAF Chivenor. The same day it was transferred to No 226 OCU at RAF Middleton St George, which was responsible for training English Electric Lightning pilots. No 226 moved to RAF Coltishall in April 1964 and retained the number as a shadow designation until re-numbered 65 Squadron on 1 September 1970.
See also
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
- Flying Officer G.R. Branch EGM of 145 Squadron was killed in action 11 August 1940.
Citations
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 145 Squadron RAF. |
