No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron RAF
Active1 March 1918 – 17 August 1918
28 June 1941 – 10 March 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)Persian Gulf
Motto(s)"Foremost in attack"[1]
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA Maltese Cross under a laurel wreath.[1]
Squadron CodesV (Jun 1942 – Dec 1942)
MK (Dec 1942 – May 1943)
5J (Apr 1943 – Mar 1946)

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.

History

Formation and First World War

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 the Second World War

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 Supermarine 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 North American Mustang.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 126 Squadron RAF[2]
FromToAircraftVariant
Jun 1941Mar 1942Hawker HurricaneIIA
Jun 1941Mar 1942Hawker HurricaneIIB
Mar 1942Mar 1944Supermarine SpitfireVB
Mar 1942Mar 1944Supermarine SpitfireVC
Mar 1943Nov 1943Supermarine SpitfireIX
Apr 1944Dec 1944Supermarine SpitfireIXB
Dec 1944Apr 1946North American MustangII
Aug 1945Mar 1946North American MustangIV
Feb 1946Mar 1946Supermarine SpitfireLF XVIE

References

  1. 1 2 Pine, L G (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & K. Paul. p. 82. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ↑ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
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