RAF No 260 Squadron

RAF No 260 Squadron

Motto: Celer et fortis (Swift and strong)

Formed in August 1918 from No's 502 and 503 Flights at Westward Ho, equipped with DH6s for coastal patrols along the Devon coast. It disbanded on 22 February 1919.

Reformed as a fighter squadron at Castletown on 22 November 1940, it operated Hurricanes on air defence duties and coastal patrols around Scotland until April 1941, when it was withdrawn for operations overseas.

Leaving in May, it arrived in Egypt in August and moved to Palestine for defensive duties, but in October returned to Egypt and began operations over the Western Desert. These consisted of ground attack and escort duties and in February 1942 it converted to Kittyhawks, which were then used in the fighter-bomber role in support of the 8th Army.

Following the Battle of El Alamein it advanced through Libya and into Tunisia, and following the Axis collapse, it supported the invasion of Sicily. Having moved to the island it supported the invasion of Italy and moved onto the mainland in September. Conversion to Mustangs took place in April 1944, which it then used for fighter-bomber missions over Italy and the Balkans until the end of the war. The squadron disbanded at Lavariano on 19 August 1945.

Squadron Codes used: -

OB Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939
HS Feb 1942 - Aug 1945