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No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAF
The heraldic badge of the squadron as it appears on theBattle of Britain Monument in London.
Active	27 Sep 1918–1 Mar 1919 30 Oct 1939–25 Aug 1945 20 Nov 1945–1 Oct 1957 1 Dec 1958–20 Nov 1962
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Part of	RAF Air Command
Nickname	Madras Presidency
Motto	We Defy
Insignia
Squadron Codes	WA (Apr 1939–Sep 1939) PS (Mar 1940–Aug 1945, May 1947–Feb 1952) VA (Nov 1945–May 1947)
Post-1950 squadron roundel

No. 264 Squadron RAF, also known asNo. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, was a squadron of theRoyal Air Force.

No. 264 Squadron was first formed during the First World War, from two formerRoyal Naval Air Service flights, No. 439 and No. 440, on 27 September 1918 atSouda Bay,Crete. It performed anti-submarine patrols withShort 184 floatplanes, over the Aegean Sea. The squadron was disbanded, following the end of the war, on 1 March 1919.

On 30 October 1939 No. 264 Squadron was re-formed atSutton Bridge to bring theBoulton Paul Defiant fighter into service. After a move toMartlesham Heath, operations began in March 1940 when the squadron started convoy patrols. After initial successes, the Luftwaffe soon realised that the Defiant was vulnerable to frontal attack, and the squadron started to have heavy losses of aircraft and crew. At the end of May the squadron was withdrawn from day fighting operations and began to train in the night fighter role. It was called into action again in day fighting at the height of theBattle of Britain in late August, but again suffered losses and returned to night fighting. After a number of moves around England, in May 1942 the squadron moved toRAF Colerne to operate thede Havilland Mosquito II, later trading them in for the later Mark VI. The Mosquitos were operated as night fighters in the west of England, and on day patrols in the Bay of Biscay and western approaches.^[1]

In 1943, after concentrating on night intruder missions, the squadron operated in support ofBomber Command, defending bomber formations against enemy night-fighters. In 1944 it re-equipped with the newer Mosquito XIII and returned to defensive roles. In June it carried out patrols over the Normandy beaches, until returning to night patrols from western England in the western approaches. As the Allied forces advanced in mainland Europe, the squadron became part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force providing night patrols. By the end of the war it was carrying out patrols over Berlin from its airfield atTwente in the Netherlands. It was disbanded at Twente in August 1945.^[1]

The squadron was re-formed again on 20 November 1945 atRAF Church Fenton whenNo. 125 Squadron was renumbered. It operated the de Havilland Mosquito NF30 and NF36 in the night fighter role as part of the peacetime Fighter Command. By 1951 the squadron was posted toRAF Linton-on-Ouse, where that November its Mosquitos were replaced by theGloster Meteor NF11, and in October 1954 by the Meteor NF14. From February 1957 the squadron was based atRAF Middleton St George until 30 September 1957, when it was disbanded after being re-numbered33 Squadron atRAF Leeming.^[2][3]

The squadron was in existence again between 1958 and 1962 atRAF North Coates as the first squadron to operate theBristol Bloodhound I ground-to-air missile.

• 1918–1919Short 184
• 1939–1941Boulton Paul Defiant I
• 1941–1942 Boulton Paul Defiant II
• 1942–1944de Havilland Mosquito II
• 1943–1943 de Havilland Mosquito VI
• 1943–1945 de Havilland Mosquito XIII
• 1945–1946 de Havilland Mosquito NF30
• 1946–1952 de Havilland Mosquito NF36
• 1951–1954Gloster Meteor NF11
• 1954–1957 Gloster Meteor NF14
• 1958–1962Bristol Bloodhound I

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

Media related toNo. 264 Squadron RAF at Wikimedia Commons

• Military units and formations established in 1918
• Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• Royal Air Force night fighter units
• 1918 establishments in the United Kingdom

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