No. 232 Squadron RAF
The squadron's heraldic badge as it appears on theBattle of Britain Monument in London.
Active	20 August 1918 – 5 January 1919 17 July 1940 – 26 February 1942 10 April 1942 – 31 October 1944 15 November 1944 – 6 January 1945 6 January 1945 – 15 August 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto	Strike[1]
Engagements	Battle of Britain
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A dragon-ship under sail, oars in action[2]
Squadron Codes	EF (Jul 1940 - Jul 1941, Apr 1942 - Oct 1944)

No. 232 Squadron of theRoyal Air Force was active in both theFirst andSecond World Wars in a variety of roles, having seen action as an anti-submarine patrol, fighter and transport squadron.

The squadron was formed on 20 August 1918 from No's 333, 334 and 335 Flights atRoyal Naval Air StationRNAS Felixstowe and equipped withFelixstowe F.2 andFelixstowe F.3flying boats. It carried outanti-submarine patrols over theNorth Sea until the end of the war. It disbanded on 5 January 1919 at Felixtowe.

Reformed from 'B' Flight ofNo. 3 Squadron RAF atRAF Sumburgh on 17 July 1940 as aHawker Hurricane unit, it remained inScotland on defensive duties until April 1941, when it was earmarked for theMiddle East. On 10 May its ground echelon was embarked but the aircrew were carrying out ferrying duties, consequently the ground echelon was disembarked and the squadron moved toRAF Ouston, where it continued its defensive role.

In November the squadron finally departed for the Middle East, but on arriving inSouth Africa, it was diverted to theFar East following the Japaneseinvasion of Malaya. Although the ground echelon arrived inSingapore, by the time the air echelon, aboardHMS Indomitable, was within flying off range, there were no airfields left in British hands, so the squadron flew off toJava on 27 January 1942. Both echelons met up again on 2 February atPalembang inSumatra, but a further withdrawal to Java was required following the Japanese invasion of Sumatra. By mid February 1942, the situation regarding serviceability was so grave, that No 232 was merged withNo 242 and its ground crews were evacuated toCeylon. Here they were re-allocated to other units and No 232 ceased to exist on 26 February.

The squadron reformed atRAF Atcham on 10 April 1942 as aSupermarine Spitfire unit becoming operational in May. In August it moved toRAF Debden, from where it flew offensive sweeps overFrance including operations supporting theDieppe Raid, but in September it moved toRAF Turnhouse and began preparing for overseas deployment once again. Leaving the UK in November, the ground echelon arrived inGibraltar, being joined by the aircrew and aircraft in December. It moved toNorth Africa in early December under the command ofArchibald Winskill and immediately began undertaking ground attack and fighter operations in support of1st Army, continuing this task until the end of theNorth African campaign.

In June 1943 the squadron moved toMalta to support theAllied invasion of Sicily before moving onto that island from where it supported the Allied landings on mainland Italy. In September it moved to airfields in Italy, but in December was re-allocated to theLebanon for defensive duties. Re-equipped with Spitfire IXs, it moved toCorsica in April 1944 and took part in the Allied landing on the South Coast of France, remaining in France to support the Allied advance north until October 1944, when it returned toNaples and disbanded on 31 October.

The squadron reformed on 15 November 1944 atRAF Stoney Cross as a transport unit equipped withVickers Wellington XVIs until 6 January 1945 when the aircraft were transferred toNo 242 Squadron and the ground crews were used to form two other units,No. 243 Squadron RAF rear echelon andNo. 1315 Flight RAF. However, the squadron was not disbanded and it immediately received new aircraft, in the form ofConsolidated Liberators, and crews. These were taken toIndia in February where it immediately began carrying out transport flights throughoutSouth-East Asia. In July someDouglas Skymaster Is were received and these were used to fly a Ceylon-Australia service until February 1946, when the Skymasters were returned to the UK, but the service was then resumed in March, the Skymasters having been replaced byAvro Lancastrians. The squadron finally disbanded on 15 August 1946 atPoona, its routes being taken over by civilian airlines in the meantime.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toNo. 232 Squadron RAF.

• 232 Squadron Official history
• History of No.'s 231–235 Squadrons at RAF Web

• Military units and formations established in 1918
• Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• Battle of Britain
• 1918 establishments in the United Kingdom
• Military units and formations in Mandatory Palestine in World War II
• Military units and formations in British Malaya in World War II

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