No. 311 Squadron RAF

No. 311 Squadron RAF
Active	29 July 1940 - 15 February 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Czechoslovakia
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Bomber, maritime patrol, transport
Motto	(Czech): Na množství nehleďte ("Never regard their numbers")
Equipment	Wellingtons, Liberators
Insignia
Squadron badge	A thresher and a morning star in saltire, the halves fracted.
Squadron codes	KX (Jul 1940 - Apr 1942)[1] PP (1945 - Feb 1946)[2]

No. 311 Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovakian-manned bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

It was first formed at Honington on 29 July 1940^[3], equipped with Wellington I bombers and crewed mostly by escaped Czechslovakian aircrew. It was transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command in April 1942, and re-equipped with Liberator bombers in June 1943. In June 1945 the squadron was transferred to RAF Transport Command and began flights between the UK and Czechoslovakia^[3]. The squadron continued flying from UK bases until it was disbanded in the UK at RAF Milltown on 15 February 1946^[4], but since 21 August 1945 actually flew from Prague^[5].

Aircraft of this squadron used squadron code letters KX on their Wellingtons, and later PP on their Liberators.^[6]

Commanding officers

From	To	Name
July 1940	March 1941	W/Cdr. Toman-Mareš
March 1941	July 1941	W/Cdr. Josef Schejbal
July 1941	April 1942	W/Cdr. Josef Ocelka, DFC
April 1942	January 1943	W/Cdr. Josef Šnajdr, DFC
January 1943	August 1943	W/Cdr. Jindřich Breitcetl, DFC
August 1943	January 1944	W/Cdr. V. Nedvěd, MBE, DFC
January 1944	August 1944	W/Cdr. J. Šejbl, DFC
August 1944	February 1946	W/Cdr. J. Kostohryz, DSO

Squadron bases

From	To	Name
29 July 1940	16 September 1940	RAF Honington
16 September 1940	28 April 1942	RAF East Wretham
28 April 1942	12 June 1942	RAF Aldergrove
12 June 1942	26 May 1943	RAF Talbenny
26 May 1943	23 February 1944	RAF Beaulieu
23 February 1944	7 August 1944	RAF Predannack
7 August 1944	6 August 1945	RAF Tain
6 August 1945	21 August 1945	RAF Manston
21 August 1945	15 February 1946	Prague

Aircraft operated

^[7]

Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
1940–1943	Vickers Wellington	IC	Twin-engined medium bomber
1943 1943-1945 1945-1946	Consolidated Liberator	IIIA V VI	Four-engined heavy bomber

See also

• Charles Pickard
• Jindřich Svoboda (aviator)
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 64.
2. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 83.
3. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1988, p. 362.
4. ^ Rawlings 1982, p. 199.
5. ^ Rijnhout & Rennison 1980, p. 92.
6. ^ Sqn Histories 310-347_P
7. ^ Jefford 1988, page 85

Bibliography

• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and Rawlings, John D.R. Squadron Codes 1937-56. Bar Hill, Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• 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: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Capka, Jo and MacDonald, Kendall. Red Sky at Night, the Story of Jo Capka, DFM. London: Anthony Blond, 1958.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964, new 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.
• Rijnhout, Bart M. Het mysterie van de L 7788. De lotgevallen van een Engelse bommenwerper en zijn Tsjechische bemanning 1940/1944 (in Dutch). Zutphen, the Netherlands: De Walburg Pers, 1979. ISBN 90-6011-185-0.
• Rijnhout, Bart M. Het mysterie van de L 7788. Oud-bemanning even terug op plek des onheils... (in Dutch). Leidschendam, the Netherlands: House Printing Unit HTM, 1979. No ISBN.
• Rijnhout, Bart M. and Rennison, John P. The Sky is our Ocean. De rol van het 311(Tsjechisch) R.A.F.-squadron tijdens de tweede wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Wyt Uitgeverij, 1980. ISBN 90-60071-41-7.

External links

• No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron at raf.mod.uk Bomber Command history
• No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF movement and equipment history - Bomber Command
• No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF movement and equipment history - Coastal Command