No. 34 Squadron RAF
 | This article includes a list of generalreferences,butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations.(February 2012) |
| No. 34 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 7 Jan 1916 – 25 Sept 1919 3 Dec 1935 – Feb 1942 1 Apr 1942 – 15 Oct 1945 1 Aug 1946 – 31 July 1947 11 Feb 1949 – 24 June 1952 1 Aug 1954 – 10 Jan 1958 1 Oct 1960 – 31 Dec 1967 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Latin:Lupus vult, lupus volat ( "Wolf wishes, wolf flies" )[1] |
| Battle honours | Western Front, 1916–17, Ypres, 1917, Italian Front & Adriatic, 1917–18, Somme, 1916, Hindenburg Line, Eastern Waters 1941, Malaya, 1941–42, Arakan, 1942–44, Manipur, 1944, Burma, 1944–45 |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | In front of an increscent, a wolf passant. |
| Squadron codes | LBApr–Aug 1939[2] EGMar–Oct 1945[3] 8QFeb 1949 – Jul 1951[4] 6JMarch 1949 – Nov 1952[5] |
| Post-1950 squadron roundel |  |
No. 34 Squadron RAFwas asquadronof theRoyal Air Force.During the First World War it operated as a reconnaissance and bomber squadron and in the 1930s operated light bombers. It was re-equipped with fighter-bombers in the later half of the Second World War and in the post-war period was reformed four times; first as a photo-reconnaissance unit, then anti-aircraft co-operation, then as a jet fighter squadron through the 1950s. It was last active in the 1960s, as aBlackburn Beverleytransport squadron.
First World War
[edit]No. 34 Squadron RFCwas formed atCastle Bromwichon 7 January 1916 from elements ofNo. 19 Squadron RFC.[6]In early 1916, it was proposed that the squadron transfer toBeverley Aerodromefor the defence of Yorkshire againstZeppelinattacks, but this was not done, with a new squadron,47 Squadronforming at Beverley in its place in March.[7]34 Squadron went to France in July 1916 as a reconnaissance unit equipped withRoyal Aircraft Factory BE.2s,arriving atAllonvilleon 15 July, and starting operations on 19 July in support ofIII Corpsduring theBattle of the Somme.[8]The squadron re-equipped withRoyal Aircraft Factory RE.8sin January 1917, specialising in low-level operations as theGermans withdrewto theHindenburg Line.[9]The squadron was deployed to the north of the frontline in support of the BritishFourth Armyin preparation for theBattle of Passchendaele,[10]where it was heavily engaged.[9]
On 29 October 1917, as a result of the heavy defeat suffered by the Italians at theBattle of Caporetto,the squadron was pulled out of the front line in France and ordered to Italy as part of British efforts to reinforce the Italians.[a]It arrived atMilanon 14 November and carried out its first operation over the front, an attempted photo reconnaissance mission on 29 November.[9][12]Duties included normal corps reconnaissance duties as well as bomber missions.[9][13]The squadron was deployed in theMonte Grapparegion in support of theItalian Fourth Armyfrom July to September 1918, to compensate for a shortage of Italian aircraft.[14]The squadron took part in theBattle of Vittorio Venetofrom 27 October to 3 November, flying contact patrol missions to keep track of the location of advancing allied troops, and on one occasion dropping ammunition to British troops.[15]The squadron remained in Italy after the end of the war, returning to Britain in April 1919 and disbanding atOld Sarum Airfieldon 25 September 1919.[9][13]
1935–45
[edit]
34 Squadron was re-formed atBircham Newtonon 3 December 1935, out of personnel fromNo. 18 Squadron RAF,[6]and equipped withHawker Hindlight bombers.[16][17]The squadron moved toRAF Abbotsinch(nowGlasgowairport) on 30 July 1936, and joined the recently established2 Groupon 1 August.[18]The squadron soon transferred to1 Group,[19]moving toRAF LympneinKenton 3 November 1936.[16]It moved toRAF Upper Heyfordon 11 July, reequipping withBristol Blenheimsthat month.[16]The squadron temporarily transferred to 2 Group in September 1938 as part of the RAF's mobilisation in response to theMunich crisisbefore returning to 1 Group in October.[20]It rejoined 2 Group on 1 January 1939 and moved toRAF Wattonon 22 February 1939.[21]In August 1939, the squadron set out from Watton to reinforce British forces in the Far East, arriving atSingaporeon 10 September, soon after theSecond World Warbroke out in Europe.[16][22]
In 1941, the squadron replaced its Blenheim Mark Is with more modern Mark IV Blenheims.[23]On 8 December 1941, Japaninvaded Malaya.The squadron flew its first combat operation of the Second World War that day, attacking Japaneselandings at Kota Bharu.[17][24]After two months, it had been withdrawn toSumatraandJavaand losses had been so severe that it was officially disbanded. The remaining personnel, aircraft and equipment were withdrawn to India.
It was officially re-formed atRAF Chakrataon 1 April 1942 and re-equipped with Blenheims.[25][26]In July and August, some of its aircraft were used to attack rebels inNorth West Frontier Province.From September until April 1943, the squadron carried out bombing raids against Japanese targets inBurma.
The squadron converted to the lightground attackrole from November 1943, when it began to receive single-seatHawker Hurricanefighter-bombers.These were replaced byRepublic Thunderboltsin March 1945.[25]34 Squadron was disbanded on 15 October 1945.[16]
Post-war
[edit]On 1 August 1946No. 681 Squadron RAFwas renumbered as No. 34 Squadron,[25]flying photo-reconnaissanceSupermarine Spitfiresuntil disbanding on 31 July 1947.No. 695 Squadron RAFwas then renumbered to No. 34 Squadron on 11 February 1949 atHorsham St. Faith,nearNorwich.They operated in anti-aircraft co-operation usingBristol Beaufightersand Spitfires until it too disbanded on 24 June 1952.[16]
No. 34 was reformed atTangmerewithGloster Meteorjets as a fighter squadron in August 1954. In October 1955Hawker Huntersreplaced the Meteors until disbandment on 10 January 1958. No. 34 was then reformed yet again on 1 October 1960 at RAF Seletar, Singapore, in the transport role withBlackburn Beverleys.In December 1962, four Blackburn Beverleys were used to insert Gurkhas intoBruneito combat arevoltby theNorth Kalimantan National Army(TNKU) against the Sultan of Brunei.[27]The Squadron lasted until the end of 1967 when it was disbanded again.[16]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^In total, three corps reconnaissance squadrons,28,34 and42 Squadrons,all operating the RE.8, together with twoSopwith Camel-equipped fighter squadrons (45and66 Squadrons), were transferred to the Italian front.[11]
References
[edit]- ^Pine 1983,p.133.
- ^Bowyer & Rawlings 1979,p. 12
- ^Bowyer & Rawlings 1979,p. 34
- ^Bowyer & Rawlings 1979,p. 88
- ^Bowyer & Rawlings 1979,p. 60
- ^abJefford 2001,p. 39.
- ^Jones 1931,pp. 163–164.
- ^Jones 1928,p. 238.
- ^abcdeRawlings 1982,p. 58.
- ^Jones 1934,p. 140–141.
- ^Jones 1937,pp. 274–275.
- ^Jones 1937,pp. 273–276.
- ^ab"34 Squadron".Royal Air Force.Ministry of Defence. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved21 June2016.
- ^Jones 1937,pp. 286–287.
- ^Jones 1937,pp. 288–292.
- ^abcdefgHalley 1980,p. 66.
- ^abMoyes 1964,p. 50.
- ^Bowyer 1974,pp. 33–34.
- ^Bowyer 1974,p. 34.
- ^Bowyer 1974,pp. 46–47, 484.
- ^Bowyer 1974,p. 484.
- ^Shores, Cull & Izawa 1992,p. 22.
- ^Shores, Cull & Izawa 1992,p. 46.
- ^Shores, Cull & Izawa 1992,pp. 80, 87, 92.
- ^abcJefford 2001,p. 40.
- ^National Cold War Exhibitions, 2013,No.34 Squadron(31 Mar 2017)
- ^Pitchfork 2008,pp. 369–370.
Bibliography
[edit]- Bowyer, Michael J. F. (1974).2 Group R.A.F.: A Complete History, 1936–1945.London: Faber and Faber Limited.ISBN0-571-09491-0.
- Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979).Squadron Codes, 1937–56.Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd.ISBN0-85059-364-6.
- Halley, James J. (1980).The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force.Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.ISBN0-85130-083-9.
- Jefford, C. G. (2001).RAF squadrons: a comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912.Shrewsbury: Airlife.ISBN1-84037-141-2.OCLC46513054.
- Jones, H. A. (1928).The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Volume II.History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.OCLC924164573.
- Jones, H. A. (1931).The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Volume III.History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.OCLC831226907.
- Jones, H. A. (1934).The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Volume IV.History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.OCLC836194155.
- Jones, H. A. (1937).The War in the Air: Being the Story of the Part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force Volume VI.History of the Great War. Oxford: Clarendon Press.OCLC769886212.
- Moyes, Philip (1964).Bomber Squadrons of the R.A.F. and their Aircraft.London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
- Pine, L G (1983).A dictionary of Mottoes.London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.ISBN0-7100-9339-X.
- Pitchfork, Graham (2008).The Royal Air Force Day by Day.Stroud, UK: History Press.ISBN978-0-7509-4309-3.{
- Rawlings, John D. R. (1982).Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Squadrons.London: Jane's Publishing Company.ISBN0-7106-0187-5.
- Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Izawa, Yasuho (1992).Bloody Shambles: Volume One: The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore.London: Grub Street.ISBN0-948817-50-X.
External links
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