No. 582 Squadron RAF

No. 582 Squadron RAF
Active	1 April 1944 - 10 September 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Inactive
Role	Pathfinder Bomber squadron
Part of	no. 8 Group RAF, Bomber Command
Motto	Latin: Praevolamus designates {Translation: "We fly before marking")[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	On a hurt three mullets in a bend fimbriated[2] A hurt represents the night sky while the three mullets, in the colours of flares used, symbolise the squadron's target-marking role[1]
Squadron Codes	6O (Apr 1944 - Sep 1945)[3][4]
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Avro Lancaster Four-engined heavy bomber

No. 582 Squadron RAF was a bomber pathfinder squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

History

The squadron was formed with Avro Lancasters on 1 April 1944 at RAF Little Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England, from 'C' Flight of 7 Squadron and 'C' Flight 156 Squadron. It was part of No. 8 Group RAF, also referred to as the Pathfinder Force, and began operation nine days later with a night raid on Lille on the 9/10 April 1944.^[5] The squadron last finished operational raid against enemy forces was a raid on gun batteries on the island of Wangerooge on the 25th April 1945. The squadron spent the remainder of the war dropping food to the Dutch, during Operation Manna, and the repatriation of Prisoners of War, Operation Exodus^[1]. It was disbanded at RAF Little Staughton on 10 September 1945.

Notable squadron members

During a raid on 23 February 1945, Captain Edwin Swales, a South African, won a posthumous Victoria Cross over Pforzheim.^[6]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 582 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][5][7]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
April 1944	September 1945	Avro Lancaster	Mks.I & III

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no 582 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][5][7]

From	To	Base
1 April 1944	10 September 1945	RAF Little Staughton, Huntingdonshire

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Moyes 1976, p. 270.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Halley 1988, p. 414.
3. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 81.
4. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 60.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Moyes 1976, p. 271.
6. ^ Moyes 1976, p. 359.
7. ^ ^{a b} Jefford 2001, p. 98.

Bibliography

• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Duke, Alex. Odd Man Out: Geordie Coalminer to Pathfinder Air-Gunner. Hailsham, East Sussex, UK: J&KH Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-90051-187-8.
• Feast, Sean. Heroic Endeavour: The Remarkable Story Of One Pathfinder Force Attack, A Victoria Cross And 206 Brave Men. London: Grubb Street, 2006. ISBN 1-90494-351-9.
• Feast, Sean. Master Bombers - The Experiences of a Pathfinder Squadron at War 1944-1945. London: Grubb Street, 2008. ISBN 1-90650-201-3.
• 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, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1964 (2nd edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• Stocker, Flt Lt Ted, DSO, DFC A Pathfinders war: An extraordinary tale of surviving over 100 bomber operations against all odds''. London: Grubb Street, 2009. ISBN 1-906502-52-2.

External links

• 582 sqn on RAF website
• Bases of no. 582 sqn
• Squadron histories nos. 541-598 sqn on rafweb