350th Squadron (Belgium)

350th Squadron
Active	12 November 1941
Country	Belgium
Branch	RAF 1941 -1946 Air Component
Role	Fighter
Part of	2nd Tactical Wing
Motto	Belgae gallorum fortissimi (Latin: "Of all the Gauls, the Belgians are the bravest")
Fighter	Supermarine Spitfire
Insignia
Squadron Badge	An ancient Belgian warrior's head with helmet[1]
Squadron Codes	MN (Nov 1941 - Oct 1946)

The 350th Squadron is a fighter squadron in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. It is part of the 2nd Tactical Wing and operates F-16 Fighting Falcons.

It was formed during the Second World War as No. 350 (Belgian) Squadron, passing to Belgium in 1946.

History

With the Royal Air Force

No. 350 Squadron, the first Royal Air Force squadron to be formed by Belgian personnel, was brought into existence in the United Kingdom at RAF Valley in November 1941. The squadron operated the Supermarine Spitfire at first on convoy protection duties over the Irish sea, relocating to RAF Atcham in early 1942. In April 1942 the squadron moved to RAF Debden and carried out offensive operations over France. The squadron moved several times around southern England, in 1944 it provided beach-head patrols during the invasion. In August 1944 the Squadron operated against the V-1 rockets attacking England using the Spitfire XIV. The squadron moved to Belgium in December 1944 to provide offensive patrols over the battlefield including patrols in the Berlin area. The squadron was disbanded on 15 October 1946 on transfer to the Belgian air force.

Aircraft operated during RAF service

^[1][2]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
Nov 1941	Apr 1942	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.II
Feb 1942	Dec 1943	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vb
Dec 1943	Mar 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IX
Mar 1944	Jul 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vb, Vc
Jul 1944	Aug 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IX
Aug 1944	Oct 1946	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.XIV
Apr 1946	Oct 1946	Supermarine Spitfire	LF.XVIe

Commanding officers

^[3]

From	To	Name
Nov 1941	Mar 1942	S/Ldr. J.M. Thompson, DFC
Mar 1942	Dec 1942	S/Ldr. D.A. Guillaume, DFC
Dec 1942	Jan 1944	S/Ldr. A.L.T.J. Boussa
Jan 1944	Mar 1944	S/Ldr. L.O. Prevot
Mar 1944	Oct 1944	S/Ldr. M.G.L. Donnet, DFC
Oct 1944	Jan 1945	S/Ldr. L. Collignon
Jan 1945	Feb 1945	S/Ldr. T. Spencer
Mar 1945	Apr 1945	S/Ldr. F. Wooley, DFC
Apr 1945	Apr 1945	S/Ldr. T. Spencer
Apr 1945	Aug 1945	S/Ldr. H. Walmsley
Aug 1945	Oct 1946	S/Ldr. R. Van Lierde, DFC & 2 Bars

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1988, p. 382.
2. ^ Jefford 2001, p. 90.
3. ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 418.

Bibliography

• Donnet, Mike and Leon Branders. Ils en étaient! Les Escadrilles Belges de la RAF. Brussels, Belgium: Pierre De Meyere, Editeur, 1979.
• 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.
• Lallemant, Lt. Colonel R.A. Rendez-vous avec la chance (in French). Paris: Robert Laffont, 1962.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new revised edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.

External links

• Unofficial 350 site
• Official 350 Sqn website