No. 132 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War

No.132 Squadron served as a fighter squadron based in Britain from 1941 until the end of 1944, before moving to the Far East in preparation for the invasion of Malaya.

The squadron reformed at Peterhead in Scotland on 7 July 1941 as a Spitfire fighter squadron. It became operation on 19 July and spent just over a year providing defensive cover for northern Scotland.

In September 1942 the squadron moved to southern England, and spent another year flying offensive sweeps over occupied France. The squadron briefly moved back north between January and March 1944, but then returned south to join 2nd Tactical Air Force, carrying out fighter-bomber operations against German targets in northern France in the period before the D-Day landings. The squadron was also used to provide cover for the landing beaches themselves, and moved to Normandy at the end of June to bring it closer to the front and increase the amount of time its aircraft could spent over their targets.

The squadron returned to England in September, and carried out bomber escort missions from then until December. It then prepared to depart for the Far East, reaching Vavuniya on Ceylon on 20 January 1945.

The squadron spent the next few months preparing for the invasion of Malaya, and in September embarked on HMS Smiter, ready to go into combat. The Japanese surrender meant that the invasion was no longer needed, and instead the Smiter took the squadron to Hong Kong, where it was used for air defence, and in a dash of local colour for anti-piracy patrols. The squadron was disbanded on 15 April 1946.

Location
July 1941-February 1942: Peterhead
February-June 1942: Skeabrae
June-September 1942: Grimsetter
September-October 1942: Martlesham Heat
October 1942: Hornchurch
October 1942-March 1943: Martlesham Heath
March-April 1943: Zeals
April-May 1943: Eastchurch
May-June 1943: Perranporth
June-Jule 1943: Gravesend
July-October 1943: Newchurch
October 1943-January 1944: Detling
January-March 1944: Castleton
March 1944: Detling
March 1944: Fairwood Common
March-April 1944: Detling
April-June 1944: Ford
June-August 1944: B.14 Amblie
August-September 1944: B.11 Lonques
September 1944: B.40 Nivillers
September 1944: B.52 Douai
September 1944: B.70 Antwerp/ Deurne
September-December 1944: Hawkinge

January 1945: Bombay
January-June 1945: Vavuniya
June-September 1945: Madura
September 1945: HMS Smiter
September 1945-April 1946: Kai Tak

Duty
6 June 1944: No.125 Wing, No.83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, Allied Expeditionary Air Force

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (17 December 2010), No. 132 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/132_wwII.html