No. 126 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 126 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron formed to be a day bomber unit in World War I
and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II
.
was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force
, but it disbanded on 17 August 1918.
to provide air defence for the island. It was re-equipped with Spitfires
and then operated from Sicily
and Italy
. It moved to the UK in April 1944 and was disbanded on 10 February 1946 after a period equipped with the Mustang.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Squadron formed to be a day bomber unit in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation and World War I
No. 126 Squadron Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, but it disbanded on 17 August 1918.
Reformation in World War II
The squadron reformed in 1941 as a fighter unit equipped with Hawker Hurricanes and was stationed in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
to provide air defence for the island. It was re-equipped with Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and then operated from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It moved to the UK in April 1944 and was disbanded on 10 February 1946 after a period equipped with the Mustang.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1941 | Mar 1942 | Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
IIA |
| Jun 1941 | Mar 1942 | Hawker Hurricane | IIB |
| Mar 1942 | Mar 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
VB |
| Mar 1942 | Mar 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VC |
| Mar 1943 | Nov 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX |
| Apr 1944 | Dec 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | IXB |
| Dec 1944 | Apr 1946 | North American P-51 Mustang | II |
| Aug 1945 | Mar 1946 | North American P-51 Mustang | IV |
| Feb 1946 | Mar 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | LF XVIE |