No. 275 Squadron (RAF): Second World War

Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books

No.275 Squadron was an air-sea rescue squadron that provided cover over the Irish Sea, then between England and the Normandy invasion beaches and finally over the western part of the English Channel.

The squadron was formed on 15 October 1941 around two detachments of Lysanders, one at Valley (Anglesey) and one at Andreas (Isle of Man). The squadron provided air-sea rescue cover for the Irish Sea. It was one of four squadrons formed at this time, and was allocated to Fighter Command.

The squadron's aircraft changed over time. The Lysanders were joined by Walrus flying boats in December 1942, Defiants in May 1942, Spitfires in January 1943 and Ansons in March 1943. The Walruses remained with the squadron until it was disbanded in February 1945 (as did the Spitfires, although with a gap between April 1943 and April 1944). The other aircraft served for shorter periods of time - the Lysanders and Defiants went in August 1943 and the Ansons in August 1944.

The squadron operated over the Irish Sea until April 1944, when it moved south to cover the seas between England and the Normandy invasion beaches. As the fighting on land moved east, the squadron moved west, to extend its coverage into the Atlantic. It was disbanded on 15 February 1945.

Aircraft
October 1941-August 1943: Westland Lysander IIIA
December 1941-February 1945: Supermarine Walrus I and II
May 1942-August 1943: Boulton Paul Defiant I and IA
January-April 1943: Supermarine Spitfire VB
March 1943-August 1944: Avro Anson I
April 1944-Febriary 1945: Supermarine Spitfire VB

Location
October 1941-April 1944: Valley
   November 1941-April 1944: Detachment at Andreas
   May 1943-April 1944: Detachment at Eglington
April-August 1944: Warmwell
August-October 1944: Bolt Head
   August 1944-February 1945: Detachment to Portreath
October 1944-January 1945: Exeter
   October 1944-February 1945: Detachment to Bolt Head
January-February 1945: Harrowbeer

Squadron Codes: N, PV, J

Duty
1941-1945: Air-sea rescue

Part of
6 June 1944: No.11 Group; Air Defence of Great Britain; Allied Expeditionary Air Force

Books

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