238 SQUADRON
RAF
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2
| visits since 7 January 2005 |
238 Squadron RAF flew Hurricanes and then Spitfires in North Africa and Italy in the early part of the war in Europe. The Squadron was disbanded on 26 October 1944.
5 weeks later on 1 December 1944, 238 Squadron RAF was reformed as a transport squadron at Merryfield, Somerset, and was equipped with the Dakota Mk III and Mk IV. As a transport squadron, the intention was for it to move to Australia to support the British Pacific Fleet which moving to the Pacific at the time from the India Ocean. However, while in transit to Australia, it was decided to use 238 Squadron to support the 14th Army operations in India / Burma. The Squadron moved to Rajpur in India on 22 February 1945.
The outward journey from Merryfield was via St Mawgan, Cornwall, to Istres near Marseilles then Castel Benito and El Adem, both in Libya, then on to Tel Aviv, Palestine and Shaibah Iraq. From Iraq the Squadron flew via Sharjah in the Gulf, to Karachi and the Raipur, arriving on 22 March 1945. On 13 March 1945 they relocated to Comilla (now Bangladesh).
After four months in India, 238 Squadron then relocated to Parafield, near Adelaide in South Australia leaving on 26 June 1945 and arriving on 2 July 1945.
The Squadron aircraft flew in formation from Comilla to Australia via Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the Cocos Islands, Learmouth and then Perth, both in Western Australia, and finally Parafield. At the time this was one of the longest relocation flights (in formation) of any RAF Transport Squadron, though not all the Squadron personnel flew with the aircraft to Australia. Some personnel followed by sea.The Squadron was finally disbanded on 27 December 1945.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Alan Cook for his assistance with this home page. His father served with 238 Squadron RAF in Australia towards the end of the war.
I'd also like to thank Lawrence Hayward from Middlesex, whose father also served with 238 Squadron in Australia during WW2. His father lives in Dorset.
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© Peter Dunn 2005 |
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This page first produced 7 Squdaron 2005
This page last updated 22 September 2005
AUSTRALIA
@ WAR
