Country United Kingdom Role army co-operation | Branch Royal Air Force Base RAF Dundonald | |
Active 28 April 1943 – 2 December 1944 Part of No. 105 (Combined Operations) Wing RAF | ||
No. 516 Squadron RAF was an army co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
History
No. 516 Squadron was formed on 28 April 1943 at RAF Dundonald from 1441 (Combined Operations) Flight on 28 April 1943. Its role was to provide realistic training facilities to both combined operations training units in the Western Scotland area. It operated a large variety of aircraft with the unusual task to provide realistic low-level attacks against commando and assault troops undergoing training. The work involved detaching aircraft near the troop training areas including RAF Ayr and RAF Haverfordwest. By 1944 the training of commando and assault troops was on the decline and the squadron was disbanded at Dundonald on 2 December 1944.