Boulton Paul Defiants of No.264 Squadron
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Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books
No.264 Squadron reformed on 30 October 1939, as a Defiant-equipped fighter squadron. It used its two-seater fighters for the first time in May 1940, and had some initial successes, before the Germans discovered the Defiant's weak points, and in August 1940 the Defiant was withdrawn from daylight operations.
From then until the end of the war No.264 Squadron served as a night fighter squadron. The Defiants remained until July 1942, but in May 1942 the squadron became one of the first to get the Mosquito NF.Mk II. The first Mosquito sorties took place on 13 June 1942.
The squadron alternated between defensive and intruder duties. The first spell of intruder duties came from January-November 1943. This was followed by a return to defensive duties from bases in Lincolnshire, before moving south in May 1944 to cover the D-day invasion. The squadron moved to France for a short spell in August, and then returned in January 1945 for a mix of defensive patrols over the Allied armies and intruder missions into Germany, which lasted to the end of the war.
Aircraft
December 1939-September 1941: Boulton Paul Defiant I
September 1941-July 1942: Boulton Paul Defiant II
May 1942-January 1944: de Havilland Mosquito II
July 1943-October 1943: de Havilland Mosquito VI
January 1944-August 1945: de Havilland Mosquito XIII
Location
30 October-7 December 1939: Sutton Bridge
7 December 1939-10 May 1940: Martlesham Heath
10 May-3 July 1940: Duxford
3-23 July 1940: Fowlmere
23 July-22 August 1940: Kirton-in-Lindsey
22-27 August 1940: Hornchurch
27-28 August 1940: Rochford
28 August-29 October 1940: Kirton-in-Lindsey
29 October-27 November 1940: Rochford
27 November 1940-1 January 1941: Debden
1-11 January 1940: Gravesend
11 January-14 April 1941: Biggin Hill
14 April 1941-1 May 1942: West Malling
1 May 1942-30 April 1943: Colerne
30 April-7 August 1943: Predannack
7-12 August 1943: Fairwood Common
12 August-17 November 1943: Predannack
17 November-19 December 1943: Coleby Grange
19 December 1943-5 May 1944: Church Fenton
5 May-26 July 1944: Hartfordbridge
26 July-11 August 1944: Hunsdon
11 August-3 September 1944: B.8 Picauville
3-5 September 1944: B.6 Coulombs
5-24 September 1944: B.17 Carpiquet
24 September-30 November 1944: Predannack
30 November-21 December 1944: Colerne
21 December 1944-8 January 1945: B.51 Lille/ Vendeville
26 April-6 May 1945: B.77 Gilze-Rijen
6-14 May 1945: B.108 Rheine
14 May-6 June 1945: B.77 Gilze-Rijen
6 June-25 August 1945: B.106 Twente
Squadron Codes: PS
Duty
October 1939-August 1940: Day fighter squadron
August 1940-May 1945: Night fighter, mix of defensive and intruder
Mosquito Fighter/ Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2, Martin Bowman. The second of three books looking the RAF career of the Mosquito covers its use as a night fighter, first on the defensive in the skies over Britain, and then as an intruder over Occupied Europe and Germany, and finishing with a look at the "Mosquito Panic" [see more]
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