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No. 502 Squadron RAF

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No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF
Active15 May 1925 – 25 May 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957
September 2013 - present
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
Part ofRAF Bomber Command (1925–1938,1946)
RAF Coastal Command (1938–1945)
RAF Fighter Command (1947–1957)
Garrison/HQAldergrove Flying Station
Nickname(s)Ulster
Motto(s)Latin: Nihil timeo
(Translation: "I fear nothing")[1][2][3][4][5]
Battle honoursAtlantic, 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 CommodoresLord Londonderry
Viscount Brookeborough
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA 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 CodesKQ (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. It was reformed in September 2013, and is the oldest of all the reserve squadrons, being formed in 1925.

History

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Formation and early years

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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

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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 Anson, a twin-engine, multi-role aircraft, in January 1939. When war broke out, the squadron was used to fly maritime patrols in the Atlantic Ocean off the Irish Coast. From October 1940, the Squadron flew with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, a twin-engined medium bomber. 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-vessel 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 out anti-submarine patrols. In January 1943 conversion to Handley Page Halifax GR.Mk.II, a British four-engined heavy bomber, began, with 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 occupied French coast were made. In September 1944 with the French coast back in Allied hands, the squadron moved to Scotland, based 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

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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 de Havilland Mosquito B.25 from July 1946. In December night fighter de Havilland Mosquitoe replaced the bomber variant, but in June 1948 the units of the by now Royal Auxiliary Air Force all converted to the day fighter role, 502 receiving Supermarine Spitfire F.22 fighter aircraft for the purpose. Jet conversion began in January 1951 with the arrival of de Havilland Vampire FB.5, which were supplemented by the FB.9 variant 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

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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] No. 502 is the oldest of the reserve squadrons, having been formed in 1925, and in 2019, a new standard was awarded to the squadron as the old standard had been awarded in 1939 and was worn out.[24]

Aircraft operated

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Aircraft operated by No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][20][21]
From To Aircraft Version
June 1925 July 1928 Vickers Vimy
July 1928 February 1932 Handley Page Hyderabad
December 1931 October 1935 Vickers Virginia Mk.X
October 1935 May 1937 Westland Wallace Mk.I
November 1935 May 1937 Westland Wallace Mk.II
April 1937 April 1939 Hawker Hind
January 1939 November 1940 Avro Anson Mk.I
August 1940 November 1940 Blackburn Botha Mk.I
September 1940 February 1942 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V
November 1941 February 1943 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.VII
January 1943 March 1945 Handley Page Halifax GR.Mk.II Srs.IA
December 1944 May 1945 Handley Page Halifax GR.Mks.IIIA, VI
July 1946 December 1947 de Havilland Mosquito B.25
December 1947 June 1948 de Havilland Mosquito NF.30
June 1948 January 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22
January 1951 March 1951 de Havilland Vampire F.3
March 1951 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.5
July 1954 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.9

Squadron bases

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Bases and airfields used by No. 502 Squadron[4][20][21][25]
From To Base Remark
27 January 1925 27 January 1941 RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim Detachment at RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire
27 January 1941 12 January 1942 RAF Limavady, County Londonderry Detachments at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland; RAF Chivenor,
Devon; RAF St Eval, Cornwall and RAF Reykjavik, Iceland
12 February 1942 22 February 1942 RAF Docking, Norfolk Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
22 February 1942 2 March 1943 RAF St Eval, Cornwall
2 March 1943 25 March 1943 RAF Holmesley South, Hampshire Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
25 March 1943 30 June 1943 RAF St Eval, Cornwall
30 June 1943 10 December 1943 RAF Holmesley South, Hampshire Detachment at RAF St Eval, Cornwall
10 December 1943 11 September 1944 RAF St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales
11 September 1944 25 May 1945 RAF Stornoway, Western Isles, Scotland Detachment at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland
17 July 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim

Commanding officers

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Officers commanding No. 502 Squadron RAF[4][26]
From To Name
May 1925 November 1926 S/Ldr. R.D. Oxland
W/Cdr. A.C. Wright, AFC
S/Ldr. C.L. King, MC, DFC
W/Cdr. F.P. Don
March 1932 W/Cdr. R.T. Leather, AFC
March 1932 1934 W/Cdr. L.T.N. Gould, MC
1934 W/Cdr. J.C. Russell, DSO
November 1937 S/Ldr. G.V. Tyrell, MC
November 1937 December 1940 W/Cdr. L.R. Briggs
December 1940 November 1941 W/Cdr. T.C. Cooper
November 1941 September 1942 W/Cdr. F.C. Richardson
September 1942 August 1943 W/Cdr. J.C. Halley, DSO
August 1943 May 1944 W/Cdr. N.M. Bayliss
May 1944 October 1944 W/Cdr. C.A. Maton, DSO, SAAF
October 1944 November 1944 W/Cdr. K.B. Corbould, DFC
November 1944 May 1945 W/Cdr. H.H.C. Holderness, DFC, AFC, DSO
July 1946 S/Ldr. W.H. McGiffin
S/Ldr. D.F.B. Sheen, DFC & Bar, RAAF
1956 S/Ldr. N.G. Townsend, DFC
1956 March 1957 S/Ldr. J.H. Pearce

Notable personnel

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Hunt 1972, p. 396.
  2. ^ a b Moyes 1964, p. 264
  3. ^ a b Rawlings 1969, p. 458.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rawlings 1982, p. 227.
  5. ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 390.
  6. ^ Hunt 1972, p. 394.
  7. ^ a b Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 500–520 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  8. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
  9. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 50.
  10. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 117.
  11. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 121.
  12. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 107.
  13. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, pp. 114, 158.
  14. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  15. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 184.
  16. ^ a b c Moyes 1964, p. 265
  17. ^ Hunt 1972, p. 382.
  18. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-206". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  19. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2015). "U-71". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  20. ^ a b c Halley 1988, p. 391.
  21. ^ a b c Jefford 1998, 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. ^ Williams, Simon, ed. (31 May 2019). "Oldest reserve squadron receives new Standard". RAF News. No. 1, 468. p. 17. ISSN 0035-8614.
  25. ^ McNeill, Ross (August 1999). "No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF". RAF Commands. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  26. ^ Hunt 1972, pp. 379–396.

Bibliography

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