No. 354 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 354 Squadron RAF was a general reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force
during the Second World War.
on 10 May 1943 as part of Coastal Command
, rebasing to Cuttack
on 17 August 1943, where it received Liberator Mk.V
bombers. Detachments of the squadron were based at Sigiriya
and St Thomas Mount. The squadron redeployed to Minneriya
in Ceylon on 12 October 1944, with detachments at Kankesanturai and Cuttack, and returned to Cuttack -maintaing a detachment at Kankesanterai- in January 1945, where they received the Liberator Mk.VI. The squadron was disbanded on 18 May 1945 at Cuttack.
|+Aircraft operated by no. 354 Squadron RAF, data from
! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| August 1943 || August 1944 || Consolidated Liberator
|| Mk.V
|-
| December 1943 || April 1944 || Consolidated Liberator || Mk.IIIa
|-
| February 1944 || May 1945 || Consolidated Liberator || Mk.VI
|+Bases and airfields used by no. 354 Squadron RAF, data from
! From !! To !! Base !! Remark
|-
| 10 May 1943 || 17 August 1943 || RAF Drigh Road, Karachi
|| Formed here
|-
| 17 August 1943 || 12 October 1944 || RAF Cuttack
, Orissa
|| Det. at Sigiriya
, Ceylon and St Thomas Mount, Madras, Tamil Nadu
|-
| 12 October 1944 || 5 January 1945 || Minneriya
, Ceylon || Det. at RAF Kankesanturai, Ceylon and Cuttack, Orissa
|-
| 5 January 1945 || 18 May 1945 || Cuttack, Orissa || Det. at Kankesanturai
|+Officers commanding no. 354 Squadron RAF, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| July 1943 || May 1944 || W/Cdr.
K.J. Mellor, DFC
|-
| May 1944 || March 1945 || W/Cdr. D.T. MacPherson
|-
| March 1945 || May 1945 || W/Cdr. F.G. Paisey
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 the Second World War.
History
No. 354 squadron was first formed at Drigh Road, KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
on 10 May 1943 as part of Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
, rebasing to Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
on 17 August 1943, where it received Liberator Mk.V
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
bombers. Detachments of the squadron were based at Sigiriya
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures...
and St Thomas Mount. The squadron redeployed to Minneriya
Minneriya
Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka, and is famous for two things , for the great Minneriya lake build by King Mahasen and for the Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of the abandons of Elephants...
in Ceylon on 12 October 1944, with detachments at Kankesanturai and Cuttack, and returned to Cuttack -maintaing a detachment at Kankesanterai- in January 1945, where they received the Liberator Mk.VI. The squadron was disbanded on 18 May 1945 at Cuttack.
Aircraft operated
{|class="wikitable"|+Aircraft operated by no. 354 Squadron RAF, data from
! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| August 1943 || August 1944 || Consolidated Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
|| Mk.V
|-
| December 1943 || April 1944 || Consolidated Liberator || Mk.IIIa
|-
| February 1944 || May 1945 || Consolidated Liberator || Mk.VI
Squadron bases
{|class="wikitable"|+Bases and airfields used by no. 354 Squadron RAF, data from
! From !! To !! Base !! Remark
|-
| 10 May 1943 || 17 August 1943 || RAF Drigh Road, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
|| Formed here
|-
| 17 August 1943 || 12 October 1944 || RAF Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
|| Det. at Sigiriya
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures...
, Ceylon and St Thomas Mount, Madras, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
|-
| 12 October 1944 || 5 January 1945 || Minneriya
Minneriya
Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka, and is famous for two things , for the great Minneriya lake build by King Mahasen and for the Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of the abandons of Elephants...
, Ceylon || Det. at RAF Kankesanturai, Ceylon and Cuttack, Orissa
|-
| 5 January 1945 || 18 May 1945 || Cuttack, Orissa || Det. at Kankesanturai
Commanding officers
{|class="wikitable"|+Officers commanding no. 354 Squadron RAF, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| July 1943 || May 1944 || W/Cdr.
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
K.J. Mellor, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
|-
| May 1944 || March 1945 || W/Cdr. D.T. MacPherson
|-
| March 1945 || May 1945 || W/Cdr. F.G. Paisey