!"2.2&"/&2)&/"$+"$2)8)*.%"<N9.-2$*"#2&/(/".552$7&-"L4"O)*8">&$28&"E1
390
THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF THE SQUADRON BADGE FOR ‘NO. 233 G. R. SQUADRON’,
hand-illuminated badge and motto, as painted by an artist of the College
of Arms, dated December 1937, and signed by the Chester Herald and
Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J. Heaton-Armstrong, and H.M.
King George VI, mounted on card, in excellent condition £100-150
No. 233 Squadron was formed at Dover in August 1918 and flew anti-submarine
patrols over the Straits of Dover prior to being disbanded in May 1919. Reformed
at Tangmere as a general reconnaissance unit equipped with Ansons in May
1937, the Squadron was based in Scotland at the outbreak of hostilities in
September 1939, where it converted to Hudsons. A flight of Blenheims joined
No. 233’s strength at the end of the year, shortly before its move to Bircham
Newton, where from April to December the unit’s aircraft carried out anti-
shipping sweeps. Having then carried out similar duties in Northern Ireland, the
Squadron moved to Cornwall to carry out patrols over the Bay of Biscay, and
thence to Gibraltar, where it was based from July 1942 until February 1944.
Returning to the U.K., No. 233 next undertook conversion to Dakotas, and
thereafter lent gallant service in support of the Airborne, 33 aircraft towing gliders
or carrying paratroops on D-Day, followed up by 21 re-supply sorties in which
four aircraft were lost. During Arnhem in September 1944, the Squadron flew 37
sorties in the first 48 hours of the operation, followed by 35 re-supply missions in
which three aircraft were lost. And once again went into action at the Rhine
crossing in March 1945, supplying 24 Dakotas. Latterly moved to India, No. 233
was merged with No. 215 Squadron in December 1945, but re-emerged as a
Valetta flight in September 1960, being disbanded for a final time in Jan 1964.
391
THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF THE SQUADRON BADGE FOR ‘NO. 251 SQUADRON’, hand-
illuminated badge and motto, as painted by an artist of the College of
Arms, dated February 1945, and signed by the Chester Herald and
Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J. Heaton-Armstrong, and H.M.
King George VI, in excellent condition £100-150
No. 251 Squadron was formed at Hornsea in August 1918 and carried out anti-
submarine patrols in D.H. 6s prior to being disbanded in June 1919. Reformed at
Reykjavik in August 1944, and equipped with Hudsons, it flew air-sea rescue
missions and meteorological flights. Later equipped with Fortresses and
Warwicks, the Squadron continued to operate out of Iceland until the War’s end.
No. 251 was disbanded in October 1945.
392
THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF THE SQUADRON BADGE FOR ‘NO. 269 G. R. SQUADRON’,
hand-illuminated badge and motto, as painted by an artist of the College
of Arms, dated April 1937, and signed by the Chester Herald and
Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J. Heaton-Armstrong, and H.M.
King George VI, mounted on card, colour a little worn, otherwise in
good condition £100-150
No. 269 Squadron was formed at Port Said in October 1918 as a seaplane unit,
and flew on anti-submarine patrols prior to being disbanded in November 1919.
Reformed at Bircham Newton in December 1936 for coastal reconnaissance
duties, the Squadron was based at Montrose on the renewal of hostilities in
September 1939, but transferred to Wick that October and converted to Hudsons.
A year of anti-shipping operations having followed, No. 269 moved to Iceland,
where it remained similarly employed until re-equipping for air-sea rescue
operations back in the U.K. in early 1944. Embarked for the Azores a month or
two later, the unit continued to fly A.S.R. sorties until the War’s end, latterly in
Warwicks. Disbanded in March 1946, No. 269 was reformed at Gibraltar in
January 1952 as a maritime reconnaissance unit, and was disbanded for a final
time in May 1963.
www.dnw.co.uk
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