No. 575 Squadron RAF was a transport squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

History The squadron was formed at RAF Hendon on 1 February 1944 from elements of 512 Squadron. Just two weeks later it moved to RAF Broadwell to work-up as a tactical transport squadron with the Douglas Dakota, the military transport version of the Douglas DC-3 airliner. The squadron's first operations were leaflet raids on France, on the eve of D-Day it dropped the 5th Para brigade into the invasion drop zone (Operation Tonga). On 6 June it towed 21 gliders into France. In the next few weeks it started a casualty evacuation service from France back to England. In September 1944 it was heavily involved in operations at Arnhem, suffering casualties.

After the end of the war the squadron began flying to and from India from RAF Melbourne in Yorkshire and later from RAF Blakehill Farm. In January 1946 it moved to RAF Bari in Italy to operate an air service between Italy, Austria, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria. It was eventually disbanded at RAF Kabrit, Egypt on 15 August 1946.

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by no. 575 Squadron RAF, data from From To Aircraft Version February 1944 August 1946 Douglas Dakota Mk.III June 1944 May 1945 Avro Anson Mk.I March 1945 August 1946 Douglas Dakota Mk.IV

Squadron bases +Bases and airfields used by no. 575 Squadron RAF, data from From To Base Remark 1 February 1944 14 February 1944 RAF Hendon, Middlesex 14 February 1944 5 August 1945 RAF Broadwell, Oxfordshire Dets. at B.56/Evere and B.70/Deurne, Belgium 5 August 1945 16 November 1945 RAF Melbourne, Yorkshire 16 November 1945 11 January 1946 RAF Blakehill Farm, Wiltshire 11 January 1946 26 July 1946 RAF Bari, Italy 26 July 1946 15 August 1946 RAF Kabrit, Egypt

Commanding officers +Officers commanding no. 575 Squadron RAF, data from From To Name February 1944 December 1944 W/Cdr. T.A. Jefferson, AFC December 1944 July 1945 W/Cdr. E.C. Deanesly, DFC July 1945 August 1946 W/Cdr. B.L. Duigan, DSO, DFC

See also List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

No 541-598 Squadron Histories on rafweb History of No. 575 Squadron on raf.mod.uk