No. 295 Squadron (RAF): Second World War

Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books

No.295 Squadron was formed on 3 August 1942 as an airborne forces squadron. Its main duty would be to tow gliders during the D-Day landings and the campaigns to follow, but at first it was engaged in leaflet-dropping flights.

On the night before the D-Day invasions twenty-one aircraft from No.295 Squadron, with aircraft from No.570 Squadron, dropped the first troops of the invasion force into Normandy.

Twenty two aircraft from the squadron were used to tow gliders to Arnhem at the start of Operation Market Garden, and another seventy-five sorties were flown during the campaign. The squadron also took part in the Rhine Crossings and at the end of the war transported troops to Norway to take the surrender of the garrison.

Aircraft
August 1942-November 1943: Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V
February 1943-November 1943: Handley Page Halifax V
October 1943-January 1944: Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle I and II
July 1944-January 1946: Short Stirling IV

Location
3 August 1942-1 May 1943: Netheravon
1 May-30 June 1943: Holmsley South
30 June 1943-14 March 1944: Hurn
14 March-7 October 1944: Harwell
7 October 1944-21 January 1946: Rivenhall

Squadron Codes: XH, EE, 8Z, 8E

Duty
Airbourne Forces Squadron

Books

Review of Halifax Squadrons by John lake Halifax Squadrons of World War II , Jon Lake. This is a very good book on the combat record of the Handley Page Halifax. It covers much more than just its role as a front line bomber, with chapters on the Halifax with Coastal Command, the Pathfinders and SOE, amongst others. [see more]
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (23 March 2007), No. 295 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/295_wwII.html

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