No. 294 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air search and rescue (ASR) squadron active under RAF Middle East Command. During World War II the unit operated rescue missions for Allied aircraft and aircrew over the eastern Mediterranean and later the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

History No. 294 Squadron was formed at Berka, near Benghazi, Libya on 24 September 1943 from a former air-sea rescue flight. It was equipped with the Vickers Wellington and Supermarine Walrus in the ASR role. The squadron's aircraft were detached to various airfields around the eastern Mediterranean. In October 1943 the squadron moved to Landing Ground 91 (LG.91) in Egypt, but still provided detachments to other airfields. In March 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Idku, still in Egypt, and re-equipped with the Wellington Mk.XI and later also the Wellington Mk.XIII and the Vickers Warwick. In June 1945 the squadron moved to RAF Basra, Iraq to provide rescue cover in the Persian Gulf and Arabian sea until it was disbanded on 8 April 1946.

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by No. 294 Squadron From To Aircraft Variant Notes September 1943 March 1944 Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic Twin-engined bomber operated in the search and rescue role. September 1943 April 1946 Supermarine Walrus Mks.I, II Single pusher-engined biplane rescue amphibian March 1944 November 1944 Vickers Wellington Mk.XI Twin-engined bomber operated in the search and rescue role. May 1944 April 1946 Vickers Wellington Mk.XIII Special ASR version of the twin-engined bomber November 1944 April 1946 Vickers Warwick Mk.I Twin-engined bomber operated in the search and rescue role.

Squadron bases +Bases and airfields used by No. 294 Squadron From To Base Remark 24 September 1943 5 October 1943 Berka, Libya Dets. at RAF Limassol, RAF Lakatamia Cyprus; LG.07; Mellaha, Libya; Derna, Libya; Gambut, Libya 5 October 1943 29 March 1944 LG.91/Amriya South, Egypt Dets. at RAF Lakatamia Cyprus; Berka III, Libya; Derna, Libya; Mellaha, Libya;RAF Castel Benito, Libya; LG.07; RAF St Jean, Palestine and RAF Hergla, Tunisia 29 March 1944 6 June 1945 RAF Idku, Egypt Dets at Gambut 3, Libya; Berka III, Libya; RAF El Arish, Egypt and RAF Nicosia, Cyprus 6 June 1945 8 April 1946 RAF Basra, Iraq Dets. at RAF Sharjah, Trucial States; RAF Masirah, Oman and RAF Muharraq, Bahrain

Commanding officers +Officers commanding No. 294 SquadronFrom To Name September 1943 December 1943 F/Lt. S.A.M. Morrison January 1944 February 1945 W/Cdr. R.G.M. Walker, DFC February 1945 June 1945 W/Cdr. D.B. Bennett, DFC

See also List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons List of North African airfields during World War II

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links Squadron histories for Nos. 291-295 Squadrons squadron history on MOD site