No 295 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces and transport squadron 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...

 during 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...

. It was the first unit to be equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport aircraft that entered service during the Second World War.Originally designed as a medium bomber that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead...

 transport and glider tug aircraft.

With the Airborne Forces

No 295 Squadron was formed on 3 August 1942 at RAF Station Netheravon as an airborne forces unit, equipped with Whitley Mk.V

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...

s. These were from November 1942 used in leaflet dropping mission over France, supplemented in February 1943 with Halifax Mk.V

Handley Page Halifax

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...

s, which they used in Operation Beggar. By October 1943 the squadron converted to the Albemarle Mk.I

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport aircraft that entered service during the Second World War.Originally designed as a medium bomber that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead...

. With these aircraft the squadron shared - with 570 sqn.- the honour of being the first to drop troops over Normandy on the eve of D-Day

D-Day

D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...

, while other aircraft of the squadron towed gliders to the landing zones. The Albemarles gave way in July 1944 to the Stirling Mk.IV

Short Stirling

The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...

, the squadron used these aircraft during the Battle of Arnhem

Battle of Arnhem

The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....

 during Operation Market Garden

Operation Market Garden

Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....

, again towing gliders.

In early October 1944, Short Stirlings of the RAF's No 295 Squadron took up residence at RAF Station Rivenhall, with most of its operations consisting of supply drops to Norwegian resistance forces and similar activities over Holland and Denmark. The last assault action with the Stirlings was on 24 March 1945, when the unit took part in Operation Varsity

Operation Varsity

Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...

, the crossing of the Rhine. The Stirlings further provided service carrying troops to Norway to disarm the Germans there when the war was over. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Station Rivenhall on 21 January 1946, whereupon the station was held on a care and maintenance basis.

With Transport Command

On that same day 190 squadron was renumbered to 295 squadron as a Transport Squadron (Rawlings claims 1 February, and does not mention the renumbering), flying Halifaxes of the A.7 type. It was soon disbanded however, on 31 March 1946 at RAF Station Tarrant Rushton, the same airfield where it had been reformed, and renumbered to 297 Squadron

With the Airborne Forces again

The squadron was reformed again as an airborne forces squadron on 10 September 1947 at RAF Station Fairford, again flying Halifaxes, but of the type A.9 now. After a little more than a year it disbanded again, at Fairford, on 1 October 1948, on 31 October 1948, or on 1 November 1948.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 295 Squadron RAF, data from

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
August 1942	November 1943	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Armstrong Whitworth Whitley The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...	Mk.V
February 1943	November 1943	Handley Page Halifax Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...	Mk.V
October 1943	July 1944	Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport aircraft that entered service during the Second World War.Originally designed as a medium bomber that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead...	Mk.I
November 1943	July 1944	Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport aircraft that entered service during the Second World War.Originally designed as a medium bomber that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead...	Mk.I
April 1944	July 1944	Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport aircraft that entered service during the Second World War.Originally designed as a medium bomber that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead...	Mk.V
June 1944	January 1946	Short Stirling Short Stirling The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...	Mk.IV
January 1946	March 1946	Handley Page Halifax Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...	A.7
September 1947	October 1948	Handley Page Halifax Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...	A.9

Squadron airfields

Airfields used by No 295 Squadron RAF, data from	From	To	Station	Remark
3 August 1942	1 May 1943	RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...	Det. at RAF Hurn RAF Hurn RAF Station Hurn is a former World War II airfield in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north east of Christchurch; about southwest of LondonOpened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force... , Dorset Dorset Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
1 May 1943	30 June 1943	RAF Holmsley South RAF Holmsley South RAF Station Holmsley South is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Christchurch; about southwest of London... , Hampshire Hampshire Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
30 June 1943	15 March 1944	RAF Hurn, Dorset
15 March 1944	11 October 1944	RAF Harwell RAF Harwell RAF Harwell was a Royal Air Force airfield in former Berkshire, England, near the village of Harwell, later the site of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The site is now in Oxfordshire.... , (then) Berkshire Berkshire Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...	Det. at RAF Ayr, Ayrshire Ayrshire Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
11 October 1944	21 January 1946	RAF Rivenhall RAF Rivenhall RAF Station Rivenhall is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southeast of Braintree; about northeast of London... , Essex Essex Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
21 January 1946	1 April 1946	RAF Tarrant Rushton RAF Tarrant Rushton RAF Tarrant Rushton was a Royal Air Force station near the village of Tarrant Rushton east of Blandford Forum in Dorset, England from 1943 to 1947.It was used for glider operations during World War II and later revived for civilian operations... , Dorset
10 September 1947	1 November 1948	RAF Fairford RAF Fairford RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in... , Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

Commanding officers

Officers Commanding No 295 squadron RAF, data from

From	To	Name
3 August 1942	29 August 1942	Sqn Ldr Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...  A.B Wilkinson, DFC(US) Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...  (Acting)
29 August 1942	1 January 1943	Wg Cdr Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... G.P. Marvin
1 January 1943	19 February 1943	Wing Commander P.V.M. Lysaght (acting) KIA
19 February 1943	March 1943	Squadron Leader L.C. Bartram (acting)
March 1943	14 September 1944	Wing Commander B.R. Macnamara, OPW2(USSR)
14 September 1944	November 1945	Wing Commander H.E. Angell
November 1945	21 January 1946	Wing Commander R.N. Stidolph

External links

• Site with pages for all squadron of No 38 Group RAF
• Squadron history on MOD site