No. 525 Squadron RAF

No. 525 Squadron RAF
Active	1 Sep 1943 - 1 Dec 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Part of	No. 44 Group, RAF Transport Command[1] (1943-1944) No. 47 Group, RAF Transport Command[2] (1945-1946)
Motto	Latin: Vinciendo Vincimus (Translation: "We link together to conquer")[3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A winged foot enfiled by a chaplet of roses and maple leaves[3]
Squadron Codes	8P (Allocation confirmed, use unconfirmed)[4][5] WF (Feb 1945 - Dec 1946)[6]
Aircraft flown
Transport	Vickers Warwick Twin-engined converted former medium bomber C-47 Skytrain Twin-engined military transport version of famous Douglas DC-3 Dakota airliner Short Stirling Four-engined converted former heavy bomber

No. 525 Squadron was a Royal Air Force transport aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War.

History

The squadron was formed on 1 September 1943 at RAF Weston Zoyland to operate the Vickers Warwick in the transport role.^[7] It first operated on the routes from England to Gibraltar and North Africa, but the Warwick was not the best aircraft for the role and it was withdrawn in 1944.^[7] The Warwick was replaced with the Douglas Dakota and one example^[8] of the Mark III transport version of the former four-engined heavy bomber, the Short Stirling.^[9] The squadron soon operated on routes throughout Europe and also became mainly manned by Canadian personnel.^[7] By the end of the war it was mainly operating routes to India.^[7] The Canadians withdrew at the end of the war, but the squadron continued with trooping flights.^[7] On 1 December 1946 the squadron was disbanded at RAF Abingdon, when it was re-numbered to 238 Squadron.^[7][9]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 525 Squadron RAF^[3][8][9]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
September 1943	September 1944	Vickers Warwick	Mk.I
June 1944	July 1945	Douglas Dakota	Mk.III
July 1944	November 1944	Short Stirling	Mk.III
August 1944	September 1944	Vickers Warwick	Mk.III
February 1945	December 1946	Douglas Dakota	Mk.IV

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 525 Squadron RAF^[3][8][9]

From	To	Base	Remark
2 September 1943	6 February 1944	RAF Weston Zoyland, Somerset
6 February 1944	15 July 1945	RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire	Det. at RAF Almaza, Egypt
15 July 1945	31 October 1945	RAF Membury, Berkshire	Det. at Vienna-Schwechat, Austria
31 October 1945	1 December 1946	RAF Abingdon, Oxfordshire	Det. at Vienna-Schwechat, Austria

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 525 Squadron RAF^[8]

From	To	Name
October 1943	September 1944	W/Cdr. C.E.F. Riley
September 1944	June 1945	W/Cdr. D.R. Miller
June 1945	March 1946	W/Cdr. R.G. Dutton, DSO, DFC
March 1946	December 1946	W/Cdr. H.G. Newman

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ Delve 1994, p. 74.
2. ^ Delve 1994, p. 81.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Halley 1988, p. 400.
4. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 84.
5. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 61.
6. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 116.
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Orbis 1985, p. 4213
8. ^ ^{a b c d} Rawlings 1982, p. 230.
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Jefford 2001, p. 97.

Bibliography

• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
• 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.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 

External links

• No. 525 Squadron history at old MOD site
• No. 525 Squadron history at new MOD site
• Squadron histories for nos. 521-540 squadron at RafWeb's Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation