No. 462 Squadron RAAF

No. 462 Squadron RAAF
A No. 462 Squadron Halifax in 1944, the yellow tail stripes giving it away as part of No. 4 Group RAF.
Active	1942–1944 1944–1945 2005–current
Country	Australia
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Heavy bomber (1942–1944) Electronic warfare (1944–1945) Information operations (2005–current)
Part of	Information Warfare Wing RAAF
Current location	Canberra
Battle honours	Fortress Europe, 1940–1944 France and Germany, 1944–1945 Ruhr, 1940–1945 Berlin, 1940–1945 German Ports, 1940–1945 South-East Europe, 1942–1945 Egypt and Libya, 1940–1943 North Africa, 1942–1943 Mediterranean, 1940–1943 Sicily, 1943 Italy, 1943–1945 El Alamein El Hamma[1]
Insignia
Squadron Codes	Z5 (Aug 44 – Sep 45)[2][3]
Tail markings	Three vertical yellow stripes
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Handley Page Halifax

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.

Squadron history

1942–44

No. 462 Squadron was formed on 7 September 1942 at RAF Fayid, Egypt from detachments of Nos. 10, 76 and 227 Squadron RAF.^[4] 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.^[5][6] 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.^[7]

A No. 462 Squadron bomber crew in September 1942. Only the man third from the right is Australian and the others are from Britain, Newfoundland and New Zealand

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[10] 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 mines 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.^[11]

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.^[7][12] After relocating to Celone airfield in Italy, No. 462 Squadron was re-designated No. 614 Squadron RAF on 1 March 1944.^[11] 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.^[12]

1944–45

Australian ground crew working on one of No. 462 Squadron's Halifax bombers in December 1944

No. 462 Squadron was reformed at RAF Driffield, 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.^[11] In its new incarnation the squadron had an Australian commanding officer and a higher proportion of its personnel were Australians.^[7] Many of its initial personnel were transferred from No. 466 Squadron RAAF, then also at Driffield.^[11] 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.^[7][13]

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.^[14][15] 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.^[15] 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.^[16] The squadron flew its final operation of the war on the night of 2/3 May.^[15]

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.^[17] 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.^[15]

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".^[18] The Squadron is based in Canberra but is scheduled to move to RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia in 2012.^[19]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 462 Squadron RAAF, data from^[20][21][22]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
September 1942	March 1944	Handley Page Halifax	Mk.II
August 1944	September 1945	Handley Page Halifax	Mk.III

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields use by no 462 Squadron RAAF, data from^[20][21][22]

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

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in the Mediterranean, data from^[1]

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

Officers commanding no. 462 Squadron RAAF in the European theater of operations, data from^[1]

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

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

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Australian War Memorial: 462 Squadron RAAF
2. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 122.
3. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 123.
4. ^ RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 124
5. ^ Herington (1954), pp. 305, 360
6. ^ Stephens (2006), p. 99
7. ^ ^{a b c d e} Eather (1995), p. 121
8. ^ Herington (1954), pp. 454–455
9. ^ RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 125
10. ^ RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 126
11. ^ ^{a b c d} RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 127
12. ^ ^{a b} Herington (1963), p. 82
13. ^ RAAF Historical Section (1995), p. 128
14. ^ Herington (1963), p. 405
15. ^ ^{a b c d} Eather (1995), p. 122
16. ^ Herington (1963), p. 446
17. ^ Herington (1963), p. 447
18. ^ "462SQN is born again". Air Force. 8 February 2007. http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4901/topstories/story9.htm. Retrieved 21 June 2010. 
19. ^ Defence Support Group (2009). "RAAF Base Edinburgh Redevelopment Stage 2. Statement of Evidence to the Standing Committee on Public Works". Parliament of Australia. pp. 1. http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/pwc/raafedinburghstage2/subs/sub001.pdf. Retrieved 21 June 2010. 
20. ^ ^{a b} Moyes 1976, p. 256.
21. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1988, p. 482.
22. ^ ^{a b} Jefford 2001, p. 95.

References

• 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.
• Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1875671153. 
• 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.
• Herington, John (1954). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume III – Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939–1943. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 3633363. http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/second_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67914. 
• Herington, John (1963). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/second_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67915. 
• 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, Jon. Halifax Squadrons of World War II'. Botley, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 978-1-85532-892-1.
• Lax, Mark and Leon Kane-Maguire. To See the Dawn Again: A History of 462 Squadron, RAAF 1942–2008. Wanniassa, A.C.T: Banner Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9775340-3-6.
• McGindle, Flight Lieutenant Ted, DFC. Pimpernel Squadron: An anecdotal history of 462 Squadron RAAF August 1944 – May 1945. published by Author, 1999 (2nd Edition 2000, reprinted 2004). ISBN 0-646-37551-2.
• 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.
• RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force. Volume 3: Bomber Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0644427957. 
• Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195555414. 

External links

• 462 Squadron at RAAF Museum
• 462 Squadron RAAF at Australian War Memorial