No. 1452 Flight RAF

No. 1452 Flight RAF
An A-20 Havoc of the USAAF, like the ones used by the flight
Active	7 Jul 1941 – 8 Sep 1942
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Night Fighter (Turbinlite)
Part of	No. 11 Group RAF, Fighter Command[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	No known badge
Squadron Codes	No known identification code for the flight is known to have been carried

No. 1452 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF West Malling on 22 May 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft.^[2] On operations they co-operated at first with the Boulton Paul Defiants of 264 Squadron and later with the Hawker Hurricanes of 32 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 531 Squadron on 8 September 1942^[3] (not on 2 September due to administrative reasons)^[4] but officially disbanded as late as 22 January 1943.^[3]

531 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943,^[5] when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.^[6]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 1452 Flight RAF, data from^[2][3][7]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	Douglas Havoc	Mk.I (Turbinlite)
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	Douglas Havoc	Mk.I
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	Douglas Havoc	Mk.II (Turbinlite)
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	Douglas Havoc	Mk.II
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	Douglas Boston	Mk.II (Turbinlite)
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	Douglas Boston	Mk.III (Turbinlite)

Flight bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 1452 Flight RAF, data from^[2][3][7]

From	To	Base
7 July 1941	8 September 1942	RAF West Malling, Kent

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 1457 Flight RAF, data from^[7]

From	To	Name
7 July 1941	April 1942	S/Ldr. J.E. Marschall, DFC
April 1942	8 September 1942	S/Ldr. G.R. Turner

References

Notes

1. ^ Delve 1994, p. 57.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Lake 1999, p. 89.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 123.
4. ^ Jefford 2001, p. 97.
5. ^ Halley 1988, p. 402.
6. ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 463.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Rawlings 1978, p. 464.

Bibliography

• Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd.). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Lake, Alan. Flying Units of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
• Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links

• Aircraft and Markings of no. 511-598 sqn, amongst them 531 sqn, the successor of 1452 flt.

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