Country United Kingdom Role Various | Branch Royal Air Force Nickname(s) County of Kent | |
Active 16 Mar 1931 – 11 Jul 1944
1 Aug 1944 – 23 Oct 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 Mar 1957 Part of Royal Auxiliary Air Force | ||
No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron AAF was formed in 1931 as a Special Reserve squadron and in 1936 became part of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served in a number of roles before being disbanded in 1957.
Contents
Formation and early years
The Squadron was formed at RAF Manston on 16 March 1931 as the first Special Reserve night-bomber squadron with Vickers Virginia Mk.X aircraft. On 25 May 1936 the role changed to day-bombing and the squadron became part of the Auxiliary Air Force, flying Hawker Harts, later replaced with Hawker Hinds.
To Coastal Command
On 7 November 1938 the squadron saw another role change as it was transferred to RAF Coastal Command and became a general reconnaissance squadron flying on Anson Mk.Is. In April 1941 these were replaced with Blenheim Mk.IVs which the squadron used till November 1941, when Lockheed Hudsons took their place. Some of 500 squadron ground crew, went in with the first wave of Operation Torch on 7 November, to secure beachheads and airfields around Arzeu, North Africa. Later, from December 1943, the squadron's Hudsons began to be replaced with Lockheed Ventura Mk.Vs. This process continued until the squadron was completely equipped with them in April 1944. In September 1943, a Special Detachment of RAF 500 squadron was flown into Ghisonaccia, Corsica over several days while the Nazis were still on the island with the orders "to establish squatters rights". The squadron later operated up through Italy. It was briefly disbanded on 11 July 1944, but reformed soon after, handing over their Venturas to No. 27 Squadron SAAF.
Back in Bomber Command
The Squadron was reformed on 1 August 1944 at La Sénia as a bomber squadron, receiving Martin Baltimores. In September 1945, No. 500 squadron left Italy and headed for Kenya, being renumbered on arrival 23 October 1945 at RAF Eastleigh to No. 249 Squadron RAF. During World War II the squadron members had been awarded with 1 GC, 2 DSOs, 21 DFCs, 1 bar the DFC, 9 DFMs and one CGM. Beside these, the squadron was mentioned in dispatches 25 times.
To Fighter Command
The Squadron was reformed again on 10 May 1946 at RAF West Malling, equipped with Mosquito NF.19s and later NF.30s, as a night fighter squadron in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Later, following an Air Ministry decision to convert all RAuxAF units to day fighter roles, the squadron became equipped with Meteor F.3s. The squadron disbanded finally on 10 March 1957, along with all other flying squadrons of the RAuxAF.