No. 502 Squadron RAF

No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF
Active 15 May 1925 – 25 May 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957
September 2013 - present
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Part of RAF Bomber Command (25–38,46)
RAF Coastal Command (38–45)
RAF Fighter Command (47–57)
Motto(s) Latin: Nihil timeo
(Translation: "I fear nothing")[1][2][3][4][5]
Battle honours Atlantic, 1939–44
Biscay, 1941–44
Channel & North Sea, 1942–45
Dieppe
Baltic, 1944–45[6][7]
These honours are all emblazoned on the squadron standard
Commanders
Honorary Air Commodores Lord Londonderry
Viscount Brookeborough
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry A red hand erased[5]
The red hand is taken from the arms of Ulster, 502 being the Ulster Auxiliary Squadron. The hand is erased though, instead of couped.[1][2][3][4]
Squadron Codes KQ (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[8][9]
YG (Sep 1939 – Feb 1943)[10][11]
V9 (Jun 1944 – May 1945, 1949–1953)[12][13]
RAC (May 1946–1949)[14][15]

No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron that saw service in World War II.

History

Formation and early years

No. 502 squadron was originally formed on 15 May 1925 as No. 502 (Bomber) Squadron,[16] a Special Reserve squadron at RAF Aldergrove, and it was composed of a mixture of regular and reserve personnel. On 1 December 1925 the name No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron was adopted.[16] The squadron operated in the heavy night bomber role and as such it was initially equipped with Vickers Vimys from June 1925, re-equipping with Handley Page Hyderabads in July 1928. Vickers Virginias arrived in December 1931, but in October 1935 the squadron was transferred to the day bomber role for which it received Westland Wallaces, Hawker Hinds arriving in April 1937. Shortly after this, on 1 July 1937, it was transferred to the Auxiliary Air Force,[17] the Special Reserve being disbanded.[7]

In Coastal Command

The crew of a Whitley Mk VII of 502 Squadron on an anti-submarine patrol, August 1942

On 28 November 1938, No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron became part of RAF Coastal Command, and was re-equipped with Avro Ansons in January 1939. When war broke out, the squadron was used to fly patrols in the Atlantic off the Irish Coast. From October 1940, the Squadron flew with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was reported that on 30 November 1941 the squadron became the first Coastal Command unit to make a successful attack on a U-boat with air-to-surface radar, sinking U-Boat U-206 in the Bay of Biscay. This report has been countered with newer information that the U-206 was more probably sunk by the minefield, "Beech," laid there by the British after August 1940,[18] and that the squadron's attack was actually on U-71, which escaped without loss.[19]

In January 1942 the squadron officially moved to both Norfolk (RAF Docking) and Cornwall, where a maintenance station was set up at RAF St Eval. Until 1944 the squadron's main role was to carry anti-submarine patrols. In January 1943 conversion to Halifax GR.Mk.IIs began, the first patrol by this type being flown on 12 March. In addition to anti-submarine patrols, now also attacks on enemy shipping off the French coast were made. In September 1944 with the French coast back in Allied hands, the squadron moved to Scotland at RAF Stornoway to carry out attacks on German shipping off the Norwegian coast, remaining there until the end of the war. It was disbanded on 25 May 1945.[4]

Into the jet age

With the reactivation of the Auxiliary Air Force, No. 502 was reformed on 10 May 1946, again at RAF Aldergrove,[16] but now as a light bomber squadron, equipped with Mosquito B.25s from July 1946. In December night fighter Mosquitoes replaced the bombers, but in June 1948 the units of the by now Royal Auxiliary Air Force all converted to the day fighter role, 502 receiving Spitfire F.22s for the purpose. Jet conversion began in January 1951 with the arrival of Vampire FB.5s, which were supplemented by FB.9s in July 1954. The squadron continued to fly both types until, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, it was disbanded on 10 March 1957.[20][21]

Reformation at Aldergrove

It was confirmed in September 2013 that No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron has reformed at Aldergrove Flying Station. As a general Squadron its mission is to provide fully trained Royal Auxiliary Air Force personnel, across a wide spectrum of roles, to support current and future worldwide commitments.[22][23]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][20][21]
FromToAircraftVersion
June 1925July 1928Vickers Vimy
July 1928February 1932Handley Page Hyderabad
December 1931October 1935Vickers VirginiaMk.X
October 1935May 1937Westland WallaceMk.I
November 1935May 1937Westland WallaceMk.II
April 1937April 1939Hawker Hind
January 1939November 1940Avro AnsonMk.I
August 1940November 1940Blackburn BothaMk.I
September 1940February 1942Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.V
November 1941February 1943Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.VII
January 1943March 1945Handley Page HalifaxGR.Mk.II Srs.IA
December 1944May 1945Handley Page HalifaxGR.Mks.IIIA, VI
July 1946December 1947de Havilland MosquitoB.25
December 1947June 1948de Havilland MosquitoNF.30
June 1948January 1951Supermarine SpitfireF.22
January 1951March 1951de Havilland VampireF.3
March 1951March 1957de Havilland VampireFB.5
July 1954March 1957de Havilland VampireFB.9

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 502 Squadron[4][20][21][24]
FromToBaseRemark
27 January 192527 January 1941RAF Aldergrove, County AntrimDetachment at RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire
27 January 194112 January 1942RAF Limavady, County LondonderryDetachments at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland; RAF Chivenor,
Devon; RAF St Eval, Cornwall and RAF Reykjavik, Iceland
12 February 194222 February 1942RAF Docking, NorfolkDetachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
22 February 19422 March 1943RAF St Eval, Cornwall
2 March 194325 March 1943RAF Holmesley South, HampshireDetachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
25 March 194330 June 1943RAF St Eval, Cornwall
30 June 194310 December 1943RAF Holmesley South, HampshireDetachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
10 December 194311 September 1944RAF St David's, Pembrokeshire, Wales
11 September 194425 May 1945RAF Stornoway, Western Isles, ScotlandDetachment at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland
17 July 194610 March 1957RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][25]
FromToName
May 1925November 1926S/Ldr. R.D. Oxland
W/Cdr. A.C. Wright, AFC
S/Ldr. C.L. King, MC, DFC
W/Cdr. F.P. Don
March 1932W/Cdr. R.T. Leather, AFC
March 19321934W/Cdr. L.T.N. Gould, MC
1934W/Cdr. J.C. Russell, DSO
November 1937S/Ldr. G.V. Tyrell, MC
November 1937December 1940W/Cdr. L.R. Briggs
December 1940November 1941W/Cdr. T.C. Cooper
November 1941September 1942W/Cdr. F.C. Richardson
September 1942August 1943W/Cdr. J.C. Halley
August 1943May 1944W/Cdr. N.M. Bayliss
May 1944October 1944W/Cdr. C.A. Maton, DSO, SAAF
October 1944November 1944W/Cdr. K.B. Corbould, DFC
November 1944May 1945W/Cdr. H.H.C. Holderness, DFC, AFC, RCAF
July 1946S/Ldr. W.H. McGiffin
S/Ldr. D.F.B. Sheen, DFC & Bar, RAAF
1956S/Ldr. N.G. Townsend, DFC
1956March 1957S/Ldr. J.H. Pearce

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Hunt 1972, p. 396.
  2. 1 2 Moyes 1976, p. 264.
  3. 1 2 Rawlings 1978, p. 458.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rawlings 1982, p. 227.
  5. 1 2 Halley 1988, p. 390.
  6. ↑ Hunt 1972, p. 394.
  7. 1 2 Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 500–520 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  8. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
  9. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 50.
  10. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 117.
  11. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 121.
  12. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 107.
  13. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, pp. 114,158.
  14. ↑ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  15. ↑ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 184.
  16. 1 2 3 Moyes 1976, p. 265.
  17. ↑ Hunt 1972, p. 382.
  18. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-206". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  19. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-71". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 Halley 1988, p. 391.
  21. 1 2 3 Jefford 2001, p. 96.
  22. ↑ "502 (Ulster) Reserves". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "RAF Reserves come back to Aldergrove". Antrim Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  24. ↑ McNeill, Ross (August 1999). "No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF". RAF Commands. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  25. ↑ Hunt 1972, pp. 379–396.

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 978-0-85059-364-8.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes Since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlif Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 978-1-84037-281-6.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 978-0-85130-164-8.
  • Hunt, Leslie. Twenty-one Squadrons: History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–57. London: Garnstone Press, 1972. ISBN 978-0-85511-110-6. (New edition in 1992 by Crécy Publishing, ISBN 978-0-947554-26-2.)
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 1998 (second edition 2001). ISBN 978-1-84037-141-3.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). ISBN 978-0-354-01027-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 978-0-7106-0187-2.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 978-0-354-01028-3.
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