No. 525 Squadron RAF

No. 525 Squadron was a Royal Air Force transport aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War.

No. 525 Squadron RAF
Active1 September 1943 – 1 December 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part ofNo. 44 Group, RAF Transport Command[1] (1943–1944)
No. 47 Group, RAF Transport Command[2] (1945–1946)
Motto(s)Latin: Vinciendo Vincimus
(Translation: "We link together to conquer")[3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA winged foot enfiled by a chaplet of roses and maple leaves[3]
Squadron Codes8P (Allocation confirmed, use unconfirmed)[4][5]
WF (Feb 1945 – Dec 1946)[6]
Aircraft flown
TransportVickers Warwick Twin-engined converted former medium bomber
C-47 Skytrain Twin-engined military transport version of famous Douglas DC-3 Dakota airliner
Short Stirling Four-engined converted former heavy bomber

History

The squadron was formed on 1 September 1943 at RAF Weston Zoyland to operate the Vickers Warwick in the transport role.[7] It first operated on the routes from England to Gibraltar and North Africa, but the Warwick was not the best aircraft for the role and it was withdrawn in 1944.[7] The Warwick was replaced with the Douglas Dakota and one example[8] of the Mark III transport version of the former four-engined heavy bomber, the Short Stirling.[9] The squadron soon operated on routes throughout Europe and also became mainly manned by Canadian personnel.[7] By the end of the war it was mainly operating routes to India.[7] The Canadians withdrew at the end of the war, but the squadron continued with trooping flights.[7] On 1 December 1946 the squadron was disbanded at RAF Abingdon, when it was re-numbered to 238 Squadron.[7][9]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by No. 525 Squadron RAF[3][8][9]
FromToAircraftVersion
September 1943September 1944Vickers WarwickMk.I
June 1944July 1945Douglas DakotaMk.III
July 1944November 1944Short StirlingMk.III
August 1944September 1944Vickers WarwickMk.III
February 1945December 1946Douglas DakotaMk.IV

Squadron airfields
stations and airfields used by No. 525 Squadron RAF[3][8][9]
FromToAirfieldRemark
2 September 19436 February 1944RAF Weston Zoyland, Somerset
6 February 194415 July 1945RAF Lyneham, WiltshireDet. at RAF Almaza, Egypt
15 July 194531 October 1945RAF Membury, BerkshireDet. at Vienna-Schwechat, Austria
31 October 19451 December 1946RAF Abingdon, BerkshireDet. at Vienna-Schwechat, Austria

Commanding officers
Officers commanding No. 525 Squadron RAF[8]
FromToName
October 1943September 1944W/Cdr. C.E.F. Riley
September 1944June 1945W/Cdr. D.R. Miller
June 1945March 1946W/Cdr. R.G. Dutton, DSO, DFC
March 1946December 1946W/Cdr. H.G. Newman

See also

References
Notes
  1. Delve 1994, p. 74.
  2. Delve 1994, p. 81.
  3. Halley 1988, p. 400.
  4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 84.
  5. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 61.
  6. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 116.
  7. Orbis 1985, p. 4213
  8. Rawlings 1982, p. 230.
  9. Jefford 2001, p. 97.
Bibliography
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • 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: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.

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