| No. 62 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 8 August 1916 – 31 July 1919 3 May 1937 – 15 March 1946 1 Sept 1946 – 10 August 1947 8 Dec 1947 – 1 June 1949 1 Feb 1960 – 31 January 1963 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Mottos | Latin:Insperato ("Unexpectedly")[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Badge | A meteor |
| Squadron Codes | 62 May 1937 – Nov 1938 JO Nov 1938 – Sep 1939 PT Sep 1939 – Feb 1942 |
No. 62 Squadron of theRoyal Air Force was originally established as aRoyal Flying Corps squadron in 1916 and operated the Bristol F2B fighter in France during the last year of theFirst World War. After the war the squadron was disbanded and it was re-established in 1937 as part of the buildup of the RAF in the late 1930s. During theSecond World War the Squadron was deployed to the Far East, operating the Bristol Blenheim from Singapore and Malaya. In 1942 No. 62 Squadron was re-equipped with the Lockheed Hudson and it moved to Sumatra, then Burma and then India. After the close of World War II the squadron disbanded for the second time. It was briefly re-established from 1946 to 1947 as a Dakota squadron and operated out of Burma and India. It final incarnation was as a Bristol Bloodhound missile unit in the early 1960s.
No. 62 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was established atFilton,Gloucestershire on 8 August 1916 from elements of No. 7 Training Squadron.[2] The unit receivedBristol F2B fighter aircraft in May 1917 and was deployed toFrance in January 1918 with operations commencing from the aerodrome atSerny in early 1918.[3] The squadron operated as fighter-reconnaissance unit until disbanding on 31 July 1919.[4]
The first victory for the squadron was credited on 21 February 1918 nearArmentières,Nord, France.[3] Nicknamed "The Cheery 62s," the unit had its first encounter withManfred von Richthofen's Circus on 12 March 1918, resulting in at least two aviators killed, four captured, and one wounded.[3] No. 62 Squadron was one of the last two Bristol F.2 Fighter squadrons to serve at theWestern Front, the other beingNo. 88 Squadron. The aircraft of both squadrons often escortedde Havilland planes on bombing missions.[3] By the end of the war, No. 62 Squadron was credited with 76 enemy aircraft destroyed and 85 driven out of control.[5] Ten aces served in the unit, including futureAir Vice-MarshalWilliam Ernest Staton as well asGeorge Everard Gibbons,Thomas L. Purdom,Geoffrey Forrest Hughes,Thomas Elliott,Charles Arnison,Ernest Morrow,William Norman Holmes,Hugh Claye andDouglas Savage.[6] The Squadron's victories came at a high price as 28 of its aviators were killed in action and three killed in accidents. In addition, 32 aviators became prisoners of war, 22 were wounded in action, and eleven sustained accidental injuries.[6] This does not compare favorably with No. 88 Squadron, the last Bristol Fighter unit to reach the front. While that squadron was credited with 147 enemy aircraft destroyed, it only had two aviators killed, five wounded, and ten reported missing.[6]
On 3 May 1937, the squadron was reformed atAbingdon from 'B' Flight ofNo. 40 Squadron, equipped withHawker Hinds.[4] In February 1938 the squadron re-equipped withBristol Blenheims.[7] The squadron was posted toSingapore in August 1939 and moved toAlor Star in northernMalaya in February 1940.[8]Japan invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941 and the squadron was evacuated toButterworth on 9 December.[9] Later that day, an attack onSingora airfield was planned, but Butterworth was attacked by Japanese aircraft when the British force was preparing to take off, with only one Blenheim, piloted bySquadron LeaderArthur Scarf of 62 Squadron getting away, carrying out a single-handed attack on Singora. His Blenheim was heavily damaged by Japanese fighters and anti-aircraft fire, badly injuring Scarf. Despite his injuries, he managed to make a forced landing at Alor Star, saving the rest of his crew. He died in hospital that evening. Scarf was eventually posthumously awarded theVictoria Cross for his actions that day.[10][11] Butterworth was heavily damaged by the Japanese attack on 9 December, and the squadron moved again, this time toTaiping, Perak.[12] It withdrew again on 19 December, this time to Singapore.[13] Losses, mainly from Japanese attacks on its airfields were heavy, and the squadron re-equipped withLockheed Hudsons and moved to P2 airfield nearPalembang,Sumatra in January 1942.[14][15] Six 62 Squadron Hudsons took part inattacks against Japanese troopships landing at Endau, Malaya on 26 January, two being shot down by JapaneseKi-27 fighters.[16] The squadron was evacuated from P2 toJava whenJapanese paratroops landed at Palembang.[17] The squadron operated closely with those ofNo. 1 Squadron RAAF,[2][18] before being disbanded on 20 January 1942, its remaining Hudsons being transferred to 1 Squadron RAAF.[19]
On 30 April 1942, the squadron reformed whenNo. 139 Squadron, equipped with Hudsons and based atCalcutta was renumbered. The squadron was a General Reconnaissance unit, flying coastal reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols off the coast ofBurma.[20] On 18 August, one of the squadron's Hudsons drove off a Japanese flying boat attacking the merchant ship SSItinda.[21]
From January 1943, the squadron concentrated on bombing missions rather than the maritime mission which it had previously. In May that year, it withdrew from front line operations as its Hudsons were modified for the transport role, while in November, before becoming operational, it re-equipped withDouglas Dakotas.[20][22] The squadron flew in support of British and Commonwealth forces during theBattle of the Admin Box in February 1944[23] and of Operation Thursday, the secondChindit operation in March.[20] It was heavily deployed in dropping supplies during theBattle of Imphal, continuing to fly through the heavy rains of theMonsoon season.[24] The squadron was withdrawn for operations for rest in August 1944, returning to supply dropping in November, continuing these duties and more general transport flying until the end of the war in August 1945.[20] The squadron disbanded on 15 March 1946 atMingaladon, nearRangoon (now Yangon), Burma.[14]
It reformed again, as a Dakota squadron, atMingaladon on 1 September 1946, whenNo. 76 Squadron was re-numbered No. 62. The squadron moved to India and disbanded on 10 August 1947. The squadron reformed atRAF Manston on 8 December 1947 to assist in theBerlin Airlift, and remained operational after the Berlin Airlift, until disbanding atRAF Oakington on 1 June 1949.[25]
From 1 February 1960 to 31 January 1963, the squadron was based atWoolfox Lodge as aBristol Bloodhound equipped missile unit,[4] part ofNo. 151 Wing RAF.
