No. 462 Squadron RAAF
Encyclopedia
No. 462 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force
squadron which forms part of the Information Warfare Wing in the RAAF's Aerospace Operational Support Group
. The squadron was first formed in 1942 as a heavy bomber
unit and saw combat in this role in the Mediterranean area until it was disbanded in March 1944. It was reformed in the United Kingdom
in August 1944 to participate in the bombing campaign against Germany, and in December that year converted to a specialist electronic warfare unit. No. 462 Squadron continued in this role until the end of the European war in May 1945 and was disbanded in September that year. The squadron was reformed in its current role during April 2005.
, Egypt
from detachments of Nos. 10
, 76
and 227 Squadron RAF
. While the unit was an Australian Article XV squadron
, due to the manner of its formation almost all personnel were British and it initially had only a single Australian airman and no Australian ground crew. The Squadron was equipped with Halifax B.Mk.II
heavy bombers and flew its first operation on the night of 8/9 September 1942 against ground targets at Tobruk
. No. 462 Squadron was the only Halifax-equipped squadron in North Africa during 1942 and suffered from shortages of aircrew as a result. This problem became so severe in December that the squadron became non-operational until January 1943.
RAAF Overseas Headquarters
attempted to have more Australians posted to No. 462 Squadron during late 1942, largely without success. Most of the Australian ground crew which were assigned to the squadron in 1942 had no experience with Halifax bombers, and this caused the unit's aircraft availability rate to decrease for a period. The British majority were also unhappy about serving in an 'Australian' unit and this contributed to tensions between the Australian and British airmen. In January 1943, the Australian Air Board agreed to a proposal by Air Marshal Richard Williams, RAAF Overseas Headquarters' commanding officer, to concentrate eight RAAF squadrons into a single group in RAF Bomber Command
which would have included redesignating No. 462 Squadron as a Royal Air Force
(RAF) unit and reforming it as an Australian unit in Britain. This plan was never fully put into effect, however, and No. 462 Squadron remained in North Africa throughout 1943.
During 1943 and 1944 No. 462 Squadron conducted raids against Axis targets throughout the Mediterranean area. In the early months of 1943 it primarily attacked harbours and shipping in Sicily
. These raids were initially made from Cyrenaica
until the squadron moved to Gardabia Main in Tunisia
on 14 February. From this base it participated in the Tunisia Campaign
until it concluded in May. More Australian personnel were posted into the squadron in early 1943, but by March only 120 of its 660 personnel were Australian. By August almost all aircraft maintenance was being conducted by Australian ground crew and the relationship between the Australian and British members of the squadron had improved. Following the end of the Tunisian Campaign No. 462 Squadron moved to Hosc Raui in Libya from where it attacked targets in Sicily and southern Italy
. On 1 October the squadron moved again to Terria in Libya and conducted raids against German targets in Greece
, Crete
, Rhodes
and other islands in the Dodecanese
. In December 1943 its operations included conducting attacks on Greek ports to divert attention away from aircraft laying naval mine
s nearby. On 1 January 1944 No. 462 Squadron moved to El Adem in Libya and continued these operations, as well as also conducting raids in which propaganda
leaflets were dropped over Greece.
Despite the efforts of Australian authorities the Squadron contained mostly British aircrew and ground staff. Frustrated with the British dominance of the squadron the RAAF Overseas Headquarters requested that the squadron be disbanded and reformed in Britain as an Australian squadron and this was agreed to in December 1943. After relocating to Celone airfield
in Italy, No. 462 Squadron was re-designated No. 614 Squadron RAF
on 1 March 1944. While it was intended that the squadron's Australian personnel would be posted to other units, this took time to implement and it was not until mid-1944 that Australian ground crew began to be transferred and the proportion of Australian aircrew in the unit had dropped to a level similar to that of other squadrons in No. 205 Group RAF
.
, Yorkshire
in Britain on 12 August 1944 as an Australian heavy bomber squadron within RAF Bomber Command
, now equipped with Halifax B.Mk.III bombers. In its new incarnation the squadron had an Australian commanding officer and a higher proportion of its personnel were Australians. Many of its initial personnel were transferred from No. 466 Squadron RAAF
, then also at Driffield. No. 462 Squadron flew its first operational mission on 25 August and subsequently took part in attacks against 39 different targets over the next four months in support of Allied ground fores in Western Europe and as part of Bomber Command's campaign against Germany.
On 27 December 1944 No. 462 Squadron was relocated to RAF Foulsham
and became part of No. 100 Group RAF
. This group specialised in electronic warfare
and No. 462 Squadron's aircraft were modified to radar jamming equipment and other countermeasures. Until the end of the war the squadron used its special equipment and mounted small diversionary attacks to deceive the Germans as to the location of the raids conducted by Bomber Command. While the squadron maintained a high rate of operations at times, its losses were relatively light as the countermeasures carried by the aircraft also protected them from attack. No. 462 Squadron continued to operate until almost the end of the war in Europe, and was the only Australian squadron in Bomber Command to either fly a higher number of sorties in April 1945 than March or operate in May. The squadron flew its final operation of the war on the night of 2/3 May.
Following the end of the European war, the RAF sought to retain No. 462 Squadron for a period so that it could be used to test radio countermeasure equipment and techniques. As a result, the squadron continued to fly training and ferry flights and also conducted armed patrols over Germany. These duties continued until the squadron was disbanded at Foulsham on 24 September 1945.
but is scheduled to move to RAAF Base Edinburgh
in South Australia in 2012.
|+Aircraft operated by no. 462 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| September 1942 || March 1944 || Handley Page Halifax
|| Mk.II
|-
| August 1944 || September 1945 || Handley Page Halifax || Mk.III
|+Bases and airfields use by no 462 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Base
|-
| 7 September 1942 || 13 November 1942 || RAF Fayid
, Egypt
|-
| 13 November 1942 || 29 November 1942 || LG.237 Kilo 40/Jebel Hamzi, Egypt
|-
| 29 November 1942 || 14 December 1942 || LG.167/Bir el Baheira
, Libya
|-
| 14 December 1942 || 18 January 1943 || LG.237 Kilo 40/Jebel Hamzi, Egypt
|-
| 18 January 1943 || 24 January 1943 || LG.167/Bir el Baheira, Libya
|-
| 24 January 1943 || 14 February 1943 || Soluch I
, Libya
|-
| 14 February 1943 || 22 May 1943 || Gardabia Main, Libya
|-
| 22 May 1943 || 1 October 1943 || Hosc Raui, Libya
|-
| 1 October 1943 || 1 January 1944 || Terria, Libya
|-
| 1 January 1944 || 1 March 1944 || LG.144/El Adem
, Libya
|-
| 1 March 1944 || 3 March 1944 || Celone airfield
, Italy
|-
| 12 August 1944 || 29 December 1944 || RAF Driffield
, Yorkshire
|-
| 29 December 1944 || 24 September 1945 || RAF Foulsham
, Norfolk
|-
| 11 April 2005 || Present || Canberra
, Australia
|+Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in the Mediterranean, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 7 September 1942 || 8 October 1942 || Wing Commander
David Oswald Young, DSO
, DFC
, AFC
, RAF
|-
| 9 October 1942 || 13 January 1943 || Wing Commander George Philip Seymour-Price, DFC, RAF
|-
| 14 January 1943 || 14 July 1943 (killed in action) || Wing Commander Peter George Batty Warner, DSO, RAFVR
|-
| 17 July 1943 || 19 August 1943 || Squadron Leader
Reginal Owen Buskell, DFC, RAF (temporarily commanding)
|-
| 29 August 1943 || 15 February 1944 || Wing Commander William Taylor Russell, RAF
Squadron disbanded 3 March 1944 at Celone airfield
, Italy.
Squadron reformed 12 August 1944 at RAF Driffield
, UK
{|class="wikitable"
|+Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in the European theater of operations
, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 12 August 1944 || 17 January 1945 || Wing Commander David Eliot Strachan Shannon, DFC, MID, RAAF
|-
| 17 January 1945 || 24 September 1945 || Wing Commander Peter McCallum Paull, DFC(US)
, RAAF
Squadron disbanded 24 September 1945 at RAF Foulsham
, UK.
Squadron reformed 11 April 2005 in Canberra
, Australia
{|class="wikitable"
|+Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in its present incarnation
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 11 April 2005 || 21 January 2007 || Wing Commander Brett 'Frosty' Newell, RAAF
|-
| 21 January 2007 || January 2009 || Wing Commander Nicholas Allan Cram, RAAF
|-
| 21 January 2009 || Present || Wing Commander Darren Reyce May, RAAF
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
squadron which forms part of the Information Warfare Wing in the RAAF's Aerospace Operational Support Group
Aerospace Operational Support Group RAAF
The Aerospace Operational Support Group is a support group of the Australian Defence Force based at RAAF Base Edinburgh.-External links:*...
. The squadron was first formed in 1942 as a heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
unit and saw combat in this role in the Mediterranean area until it was disbanded in March 1944. It was reformed in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in August 1944 to participate in the bombing campaign against Germany, and in December that year converted to a specialist electronic warfare unit. No. 462 Squadron continued in this role until the end of the European war in May 1945 and was disbanded in September that year. The squadron was reformed in its current role during April 2005.
1942–44
No. 462 Squadron was formed on 7 September 1942 at RAF FayidRAF Fayid
RAF Fayid is a former military airfield in Egypt, located approximately 23 km south of Ismailia ; 69 miles 116 km northeast of Cairo...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from detachments of Nos. 10
No. 10 Squadron RAF
No. 10 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron. The squadron served in a variety of roles over its 90 year history...
, 76
No. 76 Squadron RAF
No. 76 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during World War I as a home defence fighter squadron and in its second incarnation during World War II flew as a bomber squadron, first as an operational training unit and later as an active bomber squadron...
and 227 Squadron RAF
No. 227 Squadron RAF
No. 227 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that formed as bomber unit in World War I and World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
. While the unit was an Australian Article XV squadron
Article XV squadrons
Article XV squadrons were Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand air force squadrons formed from graduates of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , during World War II....
, due to the manner of its formation almost all personnel were British and it initially had only a single Australian airman and no Australian ground crew. The Squadron was equipped with Halifax B.Mk.II
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...
heavy bombers and flew its first operation on the night of 8/9 September 1942 against ground targets at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. No. 462 Squadron was the only Halifax-equipped squadron in North Africa during 1942 and suffered from shortages of aircrew as a result. This problem became so severe in December that the squadron became non-operational until January 1943.
RAAF Overseas Headquarters
RAAF Overseas Headquarters
RAAF Overseas Headquarters was a Royal Australian Air Force administrative unit located in London. It was formed on 1 December 1941 to oversee the welfare of RAAF personnel posted to Royal Air Force units as well as the Australian squadrons which were planned to be formed as part of the RAF in...
attempted to have more Australians posted to No. 462 Squadron during late 1942, largely without success. Most of the Australian ground crew which were assigned to the squadron in 1942 had no experience with Halifax bombers, and this caused the unit's aircraft availability rate to decrease for a period. The British majority were also unhappy about serving in an 'Australian' unit and this contributed to tensions between the Australian and British airmen. In January 1943, the Australian Air Board agreed to a proposal by Air Marshal Richard Williams, RAAF Overseas Headquarters' commanding officer, to concentrate eight RAAF squadrons into a single group in RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
which would have included redesignating No. 462 Squadron as a 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...
(RAF) unit and reforming it as an Australian unit in Britain. This plan was never fully put into effect, however, and No. 462 Squadron remained in North Africa throughout 1943.
During 1943 and 1944 No. 462 Squadron conducted raids against Axis targets throughout the Mediterranean area. In the early months of 1943 it primarily attacked harbours and shipping in 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,...
. These raids were initially made from Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
until the squadron moved to Gardabia Main in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
on 14 February. From this base it participated in the Tunisia Campaign
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
until it concluded in May. More Australian personnel were posted into the squadron in early 1943, but by March only 120 of its 660 personnel were Australian. By August almost all aircraft maintenance was being conducted by Australian ground crew and the relationship between the Australian and British members of the squadron had improved. Following the end of the Tunisian Campaign No. 462 Squadron moved to Hosc Raui in Libya from where it attacked targets in Sicily and southern 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...
. On 1 October the squadron moved again to Terria in Libya and conducted raids against German targets in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
and other islands in the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
. In December 1943 its operations included conducting attacks on Greek ports to divert attention away from aircraft laying naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s nearby. On 1 January 1944 No. 462 Squadron moved to El Adem in Libya and continued these operations, as well as also conducting raids in which propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
leaflets were dropped over Greece.
Despite the efforts of Australian authorities the Squadron contained mostly British aircrew and ground staff. Frustrated with the British dominance of the squadron the RAAF Overseas Headquarters requested that the squadron be disbanded and reformed in Britain as an Australian squadron and this was agreed to in December 1943. After relocating to Celone airfield
Foggia Airfield Complex
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
in Italy, No. 462 Squadron was re-designated No. 614 Squadron RAF
No. 614 Squadron RAF
614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-opeation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron...
on 1 March 1944. While it was intended that the squadron's Australian personnel would be posted to other units, this took time to implement and it was not until mid-1944 that Australian ground crew began to be transferred and the proportion of Australian aircrew in the unit had dropped to a level similar to that of other squadrons in No. 205 Group RAF
No. 205 Group RAF
No. 205 Group was a long-range, heavy bomber group of the Royal Air Force established on October 23, 1941 by boosting No. 257 Wing to Group status....
.
1944–45
No. 462 Squadron was reformed at RAF DriffieldRAF Driffield
RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
in Britain on 12 August 1944 as an Australian heavy bomber squadron within RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
, now equipped with Halifax B.Mk.III bombers. In its new incarnation the squadron had an Australian commanding officer and a higher proportion of its personnel were Australians. Many of its initial personnel were transferred from No. 466 Squadron RAAF
No. 466 Squadron RAAF
No. 466 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force bomber squadron during World War II.-History:The squadron was formed at RAF Driffield in Yorkshire, England on 10 October 1942, under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme. The majority of its original personnel were from British...
, then also at Driffield. No. 462 Squadron flew its first operational mission on 25 August and subsequently took part in attacks against 39 different targets over the next four months in support of Allied ground fores in Western Europe and as part of Bomber Command's campaign against Germany.
On 27 December 1944 No. 462 Squadron was relocated to RAF Foulsham
RAF Foulsham
The former Royal Air Force Station Foulsham, more commonly known as RAF Foulsham was a Royal Air Force station, a military airfield, 15 miles North-West of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1942 to 1945.-History:...
and became part of No. 100 Group RAF
No. 100 Group RAF
No. 100 Group was a special duties group within RAF Bomber Command.It was formed on 11 November 1943 to consolidate the increasingly complex business of electronic warfare and countermeasures within one organisation. The group was responsible for the development, operational trial and use of...
. This group specialised in electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
and No. 462 Squadron's aircraft were modified to radar jamming equipment and other countermeasures. Until the end of the war the squadron used its special equipment and mounted small diversionary attacks to deceive the Germans as to the location of the raids conducted by Bomber Command. While the squadron maintained a high rate of operations at times, its losses were relatively light as the countermeasures carried by the aircraft also protected them from attack. No. 462 Squadron continued to operate until almost the end of the war in Europe, and was the only Australian squadron in Bomber Command to either fly a higher number of sorties in April 1945 than March or operate in May. The squadron flew its final operation of the war on the night of 2/3 May.
Following the end of the European war, the RAF sought to retain No. 462 Squadron for a period so that it could be used to test radio countermeasure equipment and techniques. As a result, the squadron continued to fly training and ferry flights and also conducted armed patrols over Germany. These duties continued until the squadron was disbanded at Foulsham on 24 September 1945.
Since 2005
No. 462 Squadron was reformed in April 2005 as a non-flying squadron within the Information Warfare Wing of the RAAF's Aerospace Operational Support Group. The Squadron's role is to "protect the Air Force's capability through the conduct of information operations". The Squadron is based in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
but is scheduled to move to RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is located in Edinburgh, 25km north of the centre of Adelaide.It is primarily home to No 92 Wing's AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft that conduct surveillance operations throughout Australia's airspace....
in South Australia in 2012.
Aircraft operated
{|class="wikitable"|+Aircraft operated by no. 462 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
|-
| September 1942 || March 1944 || 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.II
|-
| August 1944 || September 1945 || Handley Page Halifax || Mk.III
Squadron bases
{|class="wikitable"|+Bases and airfields use by no 462 Squadron RAAF, data from
! From !! To !! Base
|-
| 7 September 1942 || 13 November 1942 || RAF Fayid
RAF Fayid
RAF Fayid is a former military airfield in Egypt, located approximately 23 km south of Ismailia ; 69 miles 116 km northeast of Cairo...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
|-
| 13 November 1942 || 29 November 1942 || LG.237 Kilo 40/Jebel Hamzi, Egypt
|-
| 29 November 1942 || 14 December 1942 || LG.167/Bir el Baheira
Baheira Airfield
Baheira Airfield, or Bir El Baheira is an abandoned military airfield in Libya, which is located in the eastern desert near the Egyptian border, about 48 km west of Bardīyah; 3 km west of Bi'r al Buhayrah....
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
|-
| 14 December 1942 || 18 January 1943 || LG.237 Kilo 40/Jebel Hamzi, Egypt
|-
| 18 January 1943 || 24 January 1943 || LG.167/Bir el Baheira, Libya
|-
| 24 January 1943 || 14 February 1943 || Soluch I
Benina International Airport
Benina International Airport serves Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the town of Benina, 19 km east of Benghazi, from which it takes its name. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau of Libya and is the second largest in the country after Tripoli International...
, Libya
|-
| 14 February 1943 || 22 May 1943 || Gardabia Main, Libya
|-
| 22 May 1943 || 1 October 1943 || Hosc Raui, Libya
|-
| 1 October 1943 || 1 January 1944 || Terria, Libya
|-
| 1 January 1944 || 1 March 1944 || LG.144/El Adem
Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base
Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base is a Libyan Air Force base, located about 16 km south of Tobruk. It is believed to have once had about 60 or 70 Mirage F.1EDs aircraft assigned....
, Libya
|-
| 1 March 1944 || 3 March 1944 || Celone airfield
Foggia Airfield Complex
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
, 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...
|-
| 12 August 1944 || 29 December 1944 || RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
|-
| 29 December 1944 || 24 September 1945 || RAF Foulsham
RAF Foulsham
The former Royal Air Force Station Foulsham, more commonly known as RAF Foulsham was a Royal Air Force station, a military airfield, 15 miles North-West of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1942 to 1945.-History:...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
|-
| 11 April 2005 || Present || Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Commanding officers
{|class="wikitable"|+Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in the Mediterranean, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 7 September 1942 || 8 October 1942 || Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
David Oswald Young, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, 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...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
, RAF
|-
| 9 October 1942 || 13 January 1943 || Wing Commander George Philip Seymour-Price, DFC, RAF
|-
| 14 January 1943 || 14 July 1943 (killed in action) || Wing Commander Peter George Batty Warner, DSO, RAFVR
|-
| 17 July 1943 || 19 August 1943 || Squadron Leader
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...
Reginal Owen Buskell, DFC, RAF (temporarily commanding)
|-
| 29 August 1943 || 15 February 1944 || Wing Commander William Taylor Russell, RAF
Squadron disbanded 3 March 1944 at Celone airfield
Foggia Airfield Complex
The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy...
, Italy.
Squadron reformed 12 August 1944 at RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield
RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school...
, UK
{|class="wikitable"
|+Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in the European theater of operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
, data from
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 12 August 1944 || 17 January 1945 || Wing Commander David Eliot Strachan Shannon, DFC, MID, RAAF
|-
| 17 January 1945 || 24 September 1945 || Wing Commander Peter McCallum Paull, 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...
, RAAF
Squadron disbanded 24 September 1945 at RAF Foulsham
RAF Foulsham
The former Royal Air Force Station Foulsham, more commonly known as RAF Foulsham was a Royal Air Force station, a military airfield, 15 miles North-West of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1942 to 1945.-History:...
, UK.
Squadron reformed 11 April 2005 in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia
{|class="wikitable"
|+Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in its present incarnation
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 11 April 2005 || 21 January 2007 || Wing Commander Brett 'Frosty' Newell, RAAF
|-
| 21 January 2007 || January 2009 || Wing Commander Nicholas Allan Cram, RAAF
|-
| 21 January 2009 || Present || Wing Commander Darren Reyce May, RAAF