This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(February 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

No. 229 Squadron RAF was a squadron of theRoyal Air Force, and is anofficially accredited Battle of Britain Squadron. It becameNo. 603 Squadron RAF in January 1945.

No. 229 Squadron RAF was formed on 20 August 1918 atGreat Yarmouth, made up from Nos 428, 429, 454 and 455 Flights of theRoyal Naval Air Service. It flew a mixture of types includingShort Type 184 andType 320,Sopwith Baby and the closely relatedFairey Hamble Baby, andFairey IIIC, for coastal patrols. It was officially disbanded on 31 December 1919.^[2]

On 6 October 1939, 229 Sqn was reformed atRAF Digby as aFighter squadron and was equipped withBlenheims for a role protecting shipping. The squadron began convoy patrols on 21 December but also carried out night training and radar trials. In March 1940, the squadron was re-equipped withHurricanes and soon after the German invasion of France in May 1940, sent one flight to reinforce the French-based fighter squadrons for eight days during theBattle of France. After flying defensive patrols over the East Coast, No 229 moved toRAF Northolt in September and remained there for the rest of theBattle of Britain.ACM (then Sqn Ldr) Frederick Rosier was a flight commander on the squadron during this time.

In December 1940 the squadron moved to Merseyside and in May 1941 left for the Middle East. The squadron's pilots were embarked inHMS Furious and flown off toMalta where, after refuelling, they moved on to Egypt, two separate detachments being convoyed fifteen days apart by the carrier. On arrival the first detachment was attached toNo. 274 Squadron RAF to cover the evacuation ofCrete and the second detachment was divided betweenNos. 6,208 and213 Squadrons. A flight was transferred fromNo. 274 toNo.73 Squadron on 11 June as the latter's C Flight, and remained detached in Egypt at the end of July. It was September before the squadron began functioning as an independent unit. Fighter sweeps were flown over Libya until the end of March 1942 when the squadron was transferred to Malta to reinforce the islands fighter defences. On 29 April 1942, with its commanding officer, Squadron LeaderRobert Dafforn having been shot down, it ceased to function; its surviving aircraft and pilots was absorbed by other units.

On 3 August 1942, 229 Sqn reformed atRAF Ta Kali,Malta fromNo. 603 Squadron and flewSpitfires in Defence of Malta during the last months of the siege. In January 1943 the island's squadrons took the offensive, flying sweeps over Sicily, and in May 229 Sqn began to operate fighter-bombers. After covering the landings in Sicily, in July 1943, the squadron remained in Malta for defensive duties until January 1944, when it moved to Sicily.

On 1 April 1944, it was withdrawn for transfer to the UK and re-assembled atRAF Hornchurch on 24 April. DuringOperation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy) it was equipped with theSpitfire IX F, operating fromRAF Detling inAir Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), though under the operational control ofRAF Second Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF).^[3] After providing escort missions over the Low countries it re-equipped with Spitfire XVIs in December, and then flew fighter-bomber sweeps until renumberedNo. 603 Squadron RAF on 10 January 1945.

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

Wikimedia Commons has media related toNo. 229 Squadron RAF.

• squadron histories of nos. 226–230 sqn

• Military units and formations established in 1918
• Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• RAF squadrons involved in the Battle of Britain
• 1918 establishments in the United Kingdom

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from March 2025
• Use British English from August 2015
• All Wikipedia articles written in British English
• Articles lacking in-text citations from February 2012
• All articles lacking in-text citations
• Commons category link is on Wikidata