No. 250 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War

No.250 Squadron spent the entire Second World War operating in or around the Mediterranean, taking part in the battles in the Western Desert and the invasions of Sicily and Italy.

The squadron was reformed from K Flight at Aqir on 1 April 1941, and by the end of the month had received enough Tomahawk fighters to become operational. At first the squadron was used to fly defensive patrols over Palestine, but in May 1941 a detachment began to fly offensive sweeps over Syria, and in June the squadron moved to North Africa to take part in the fighting in the Western Desert.

In February 1942 the squadron was withdrawn for defensive duties, before it converted to the Kittyhawk fighter bomber. It returned to the desert in April, just in time to take part in the disastrous battle of Gazala, which saw the British pushed back to El Alamein. After this the squadron took part in the defensive battles on that line, and then the series of Allied victories, beginning at El Alamein, that eventually saw the Germans and Italians cleared out of North Africa.

In July 1943 the squadron moved to Malta to support the invasion of Sicily, and a few days later moved into the new beachhead. In mid-Sept the squadron moved to Italy, and flew fighter-bomber missions to the end of the war, supporting the advancing armies. The squadron was disbanded in August 1945.

Location
April-May 1941: Aqir
May 1941: Detachment to Amriya
May-June 1941: Ikingi Maryut
June-November 1941: Sidi Haneish South
November 1941: LG.109
November-December 1941: LG.123
December 1941: LG.122
December 1941: LG.123
December 1941: Tobruk
December 1941: Gazala 3
December 1941-January 1942: Msus
January 1942: Antelat
January 1942: Msus
January 1942: Mechili
January-February 1942: Gazala 1
February-April 1942: Gamil
April 1942: LG.12
April-June 1942: Gambut 1
June 1942: Gambut 2
June 1942: Sidi Azeiz
June 1942: LG.75
June 1942: LG.102
June 1942: LG.106
June-November 1942: LG.91
November 1942: LG.106
November 1942: LG.101
November 1942: LG.76
November 1942: Gambut 1
November 1942: Gambut 2
November-December 1942: Martuba 4
December 1942: Belandah 1
December 1942-January 1943: Marble Arch
January 1943: El Chel 2
January 1943: Hamraiet 3
January 1943: Sedadah
January 1943: Bir Dufan Main
January-February 1943: Castel Benito
February-March 1943: El Assa
March 1943: Nefatia Main
March-April 1943: Medenine Main
April 1943: El Hamma
April 1943: El Djem
April-May 1943: Kairouan
May-July 1943: Zuara
July 1943: Hal Far
July 1943: Luqa
July-August 1943: Pachino
August-September 1943: Agnone
September 1943: Grottaglie
September-October 1943: Bari/ Palese
October 1943: Foggia Main
October-December 1943: Foggia/ Mileni
December 1943-May 1944: Cutella
May-June 1944: San Angelo
June 1944: Guidonia
June-July 1944: Falerium
July-August 1944: Crete
August-November 1944: Iesi
November 1944-February 1945: Fano
February-May 1945: Cervia
May 1945-January 1946: Lavariano
January-September 1946: Tissano
September-November 1946: Treviso
November 1946: Lavariano
November-December 1946: Treviso

Duty
1941-1942: Fighter squadron, Middle East
1942-1943: Fighter-bomber squadron, North Africa
1943-1945: Fighter-bomber squadron, Italy

Part of
11 November 1941: No.262 Wing; A.H.Q. Western Desert; Middle East Command
27 October 1942: No.239 Wing; No.211 Group; A.H.Q. Western Desert; Middle East Command
10 July 1943: No.239 Wing; No.211 Group; Desert Air Force; North African Tactical Air Force; Northwest African Air Forces; Mediterranean Air Command

The Decisive Campaigns of the Desert Air Force 1942-1945, Bryn Evans. . Looks at the activities of the RAF's tactical air force in the North Africa and Italian Theatres, where it developed many of the close support techniques used with greater fame by 2nd Tactical Air Force in Normandy. This is a valuable account of the services of a key, but often overlooked, part of the wartime RAF. [read full review]

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (20 July 2011), No. 250 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/250_wwII.html