No. 126 Squadron RAF
No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a day bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.
| No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 March 1918 – 17 August 1918 28 June 1941 – 10 March 1946 | 
| Country |  United Kingdom | 
| Branch |  Royal Air Force | 
| Motto(s) | "Foremost in attack"[1] | 
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | A Maltese Cross under a laurel wreath.[1] | 
| Squadron Codes | V (Jun 1942 – Dec 1942) MK (Dec 1942 – May 1943) 5J (Apr 1943 – Mar 1946) | 
History
    
    Formation and World War I
    
No. 126 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 March 1918 and became a unit of the Royal Air Force a month later, but it disbanded on 17 August 1918.
Reformation in World War II
    
The squadron reformed in 1941 as a fighter unit equipped with Hawker Hurricanes and was stationed in Malta to provide air defence for the island. It was re-equipped with Spitfires and then operated from Sicily and Italy. It moved to the UK in April 1944 and was disbanded on 10 March 1946 after a period equipped with the Mustang.
Aircraft operated
    
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1941 | Mar 1942 | Hawker Hurricane | IIA | 
| Jun 1941 | Mar 1942 | Hawker Hurricane | IIB | 
| Mar 1942 | Mar 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB | 
| Mar 1942 | Mar 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VC | 
| Mar 1943 | Nov 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX | 
| Apr 1944 | Dec 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | IXB | 
| Dec 1944 | Apr 1946 | North American P-51 Mustang | II | 
| Aug 1945 | Mar 1946 | North American P-51 Mustang | IV | 
| Feb 1946 | Mar 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | LF XVIE | 
References
    
- Pine, L G (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & K. Paul. p. 82. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
External links
    
|  | Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 126 Squadron RAF. | 
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
