History of the Regt

Europe 1944.

D-Day was 6th June 1944 and the British and Canadian landings were made on the Normandy beaches codenamed: Gold, Juno and Sword.

The first RAF Regiment units arrived off Juno beach on D-Day itself but because of the congestion caused by the assault landing of over 25,000 men on Juno beach alone, were not able to disembark until D+ 1.

On that morning Colonel R.L Preston. the senior Regiment Staff officer of HQ 83 Group, went ashore with his team.

followed by 1304 and 1305 Wing Headquarters and 2809, 2819 and 2834 LAA Squadrons.

By D+12 there were ten Regiment squadrons deployed on the forward airfields, although not all had reached France without mishap. No`s 2817 and 2876 LAA Squadrons had embarked in Landing Craft Tank (LCT) at Gosport and were heading for the invasion beaches where they were due to land at dawn on D+2 when they were intercepted by German naval forces.

LAC Derrick Dean of 2876 Squadron described the scene: "at about 0400 a German aircraft dropped flares over the convoy which illuminated the vessels for patrolling German E-Boats. Although the convoy scattered on the orders of the commander, the enemy boats were successful in attacking some of the LCTs. The one carrying 2817 Squadron received direct hits which smashed the ramps and pierced the hull.

Our craft manoeuvred alongside to take off the dead and wounded and to tow the damaged LCT towards the beaches. Despite our efforts, she began to sink and we took the remaining personnel RAF Regiment and Royal Navy on board while the guns, vehicles and equipment of 2817 Squadron went down with the LCT.

Our squadron went ashore on Juno beach and, despite stiff enemy resistance, reached the airstrip at Coulornbes before midday where we immediately went into action against German aircraft.

That night we mounted patrols to clear the surrounding area of the snipers who had been bothering us during the day"

By the end of August 1944 the Regiment component of 2nd TAF was 19 wing headquarters, 18 LAA squadrons, 8 rifle squadrons and 4 armoured squadrons.

In order to exercise control of the LAA defences in the combat zone, HQ 106th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Royal Artillery was placed in overall command of both Army and RAF Regiment LAA units.

In an attack on the airfield at Martragny in July 1944 2703 LAA Squadron and an Army LAA battery shot down 14 of the attacking aircraft.

Unfortunately, in the general melee one of the Army guns opened fire on RAF aircraft as well , for which the entire gun detachment was placed in close arrest by the battery commander and charged with "irresponsibly opening fire on friendly aircraft!"

The success which Regiment squadrons had achieved in escorting Air Technical Intelligence (ATI) teams in the Mediterranean theatre resulted in their employment in similar roles in Europe. With armoured car and rifle flights to escort them, ATI teams went ahead of the Army to secure German radars at Mount Pincon and Houlgate and to examine the major rocket site in the quarries at Hautmesnils. On 25th August 2798 Rifle Squadron, which had been protecting RAF radar sites in one of the American corps areas, was ordered to secure Longchamps racecourse in Paris as a possible landing site. With guides from the French Maquis the squadron took a devious route into the city to reach its objective thus becoming one of the first Allied units to enter the French capital.

On 31st August 1944 another RAF ATI team, designated "R Force" entered Rouen escorted by 1315 Wing 1-IQ. 2717 Rifle Squadron and 2757 Armoured Car Squadron.

RAF Regiment Battle for Meiktila

By December 1944 the XIVth Army was across the Chindwin River and preparing for what the Japanese General Kimura termed "the battle of the Irrawaddy shore" as part of his plan for the Defence of Mandalay.

Kimura had concentrated the bulk of his forces to defend Mandalay in the belief that it was to be attacked by the whole of the British XIVth Army.

This was, in fact, the result of an elaborate deception plan by General Slim to draw the Japanese armies to the north, while delivering the main attack by crossing the river further south and striking at Meiktila, the Japanese communications and administrative centre in Burma.

It was a brilliant example of the indirect approach and the result of the British plan was to enable XIVth Army to take Meiktila and drive south to capture Rangoon before the monsoon season broke in May 1945. At the end of February 1945 the 17th Indian Division struck at Meiktila and after hard fighting against a last-ditch Japanese Defence the town was cleared and the airfield captured on 5th March. General Kimura thereupon ordered his 33rd Army south to recapture Meiktila and the rapid concentration of enemy units severed the British supply lines and isolated the British and Indian troops in Meiktila.

The only solution to that was to both reinforce and resupply the garrison by air, for which use of the airfield at Meiktila East was now essential.

Wing Commander Michael Lander’s 1307 Wing, consisting of 2708 Field Squadron supplemented by flights from 2941 and 2968 Field Squadrons and 2963 LAA Squadron, was flown in to Meiktila from Agartala on 6th March and placed under command of 99 Brigade. After taking up positions between Gurkha and Rajput companies within the defensive box overlooking the airfield, and digging their bunkers.

The Regiment began patrolling thefollowing day. It was necessary to sweep the airfield every morning and to ensure that it was clear of the enemy before aircraft could begin flying in supplies and taking out casualties.

At the end of each day all personnel and equipment had to be withdrawn into the box and prepara's 3” mortar flight was absorbed into the brigade artillery line and carried out fire tasks in conjunction with Army field guns and medium mortars.

After several days and nights of constant patrol activity, Japanese artillery opened intensive fire on the box on 15th March. This closed the airfield and, during the barrage of 75mm and 105mm shells, a direct hit on a 2941 Squadron bunker caused several casualties.

The enemy guns were eventually silenced by airstrikes and the airfield reopened for flying until darkness fell. Japanese infantry attacked the box during the night but were repulsed and, unknown to the defenders, took up positions on the airfield to await the morning sweep by 2708 Squadron.

As two Regiment flights moved out of the box and into the open, two companies of enemy infantry opened fire from concealed positions on the airfield. Despite the strength of the opposition, the Regiment force pushed the Japanese back several hundred yards during a running firefight. Flying Officer Furlong’s flight was fortuitously reinforced by Flying Officer Kelly’s flight, which was returning to base after mounting an overnight standing patrol beyond the airfield,

but Flight Sergeant Norman Gerrish’s flight was pinned down by enemy fire. Despite being wounded, Gerrish seized a Bren gun and gave covering fire to enable his men to withdraw and when he ran out of ammunition he picked up another Bren and continued firing to keep the enemy’s heads down. When all his men had disengaged and reached safety, he walked calmly across open ground in full view of the enemy to rejoin his flight.

The action had lasted for two hours, by which time a counterattack force of tanks and two companies of infantry were assembled to reinforce the Regiment and the combined force cleared the enemy from the surrounds of the airfield. 2708 Squadron’s casualties in this action were seven killed and eight wounded.

but the Japanese left 150 of their dead and wounded behind. Surprisingly F/Sgt Gerrish was not awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for which he had been strongly recommended, but received the lesser award of the Military Medal instead.

Wing/co Michael Lander was tireless in commanding his wing and in setting a personal example to his officers and men.

He had insisted on leading from the front by participating in patrolling and in the daily sweeps of the airfield.

It was while leading the morning sweep on 24th March that he and his runner, LAC Dakers, while ahead of the supporting flights, were both killed by enemy snipers.

It was not until the Japanese were finally driven back from Meiktila that Flying Officer Kelly, Corporal McKenzie and LACs Bartlett, Finch and Hooson, were able to recover the bodies of Wing Commander Lander and LAC Dakers and give them temporary burial on the battlefield on 30th March.

During the fighting 2708 Squadron had lost 9 men killed in action, and 2963 Squadron a further 4, in addition to many more wounded who were evacuated by Aeromedical.

What was noteworthy about the RAF Regiment’s action at Meiktila was that the units involved had landed in India just 2 months previously after a long sea voyage from the UK and had been sent directly into action only 2 days after completing their training at the forward echelon of the Depot at Agartala.

The results reflected very favourably on the quality of the officers and airmen.

Some of whom were primarily anti-aircraft gunners, their training and combat skills.

Plus the inspiring leadership of their Wing Commander,

The forward airfield at Ondauk was under constant threat from Japanese attack.

Which was kept at bay by the energetic patrol activity of 2945 Field Squadron until in the early hours of 8th March 1945 the redoubtable Japanese Captain Inane and his Butai (disguised as Burmese peasants) reached the outskirts of the airfield.

Surprised by a patrol from 2945 Squadron led by Flight Lieutenant Hollingdale a brief but intense firefight followed and the Japanese intruders left an officer’s pack, sword, radios, arms, ammunition and demolition charges on the bloodstained ground.

As they fled into the jungle taking their dead and wounded with them among whom it was hoped might have been Captain Inane.

One Japanese soldier was taken prisoner but when he attempted to escape he was shot and killed.

RAF Regiment casualties were 1 gunner killed and 3 wounded.

In any event, this was the last attempt made by the enemy to infiltrate saboteurs onto an airfield.

Sweeping south from Mandalay, the divisions of XXXIII Corps linked up with those of IV Corps at Meiktila and continued to advance south on two axis.

One along the Irrawaddy towards Mingaladon and Rangoon.

The other along the Sittang to Toungoo and Rangoon.

As a result, most of the Japanese 28th Army was trapped between the Irrawaddy in the lower reaches of the Arakan and the rugged mountains of the Pegu Yomas.

From there the only escape route to safety was towards the Japanese-held Shan hills to the east.

The airfield at Toungoo was soon operational with 2 RAF fighter squadrons and Squadron Leader Charles Killeen wearing the hats of OC 2759 Field Squadron acting OC 1307 Wing and Toungoo area Defence commander.

He was responsible for blocking the enemy’s escape routes to the north and south of the airfield.

2759 and 2964 Field Sqns with 2963 and 2965 LAA Squadrons in the field role.

Mounted over eighty fighting patrols in appalling weather conditions and inflicted numerous casualties on the demoralized Japanese troops whose sole objective was to make their way to safety.

At this point the GOC 19th Indian Division ordered 1307 Wing to send a fighting patrol to deal with a platoon of enemy troops who were reported to be in the area of Tabetgwe some 20 miles west of Toungoo.

Although 2759 Squadron was selected for this operation, most of the squadron’s officers had been detached to support operations in the Arakan and the attack on Ramree Island.

So the task of leading the patrol fell to a junior NCO.

Corporal Alex Miller with Corporal Doverty as his deputy and 18 airmen from 2759 Squadron set off into the jungle for a 10 day Fighting patrol.

Riding on fourteen elephants, ten of which each carried two airmen.

With the remainder carrying ammunition, rations and supplies.

It was the height of the monsoon season the ground was waterlogged.

The rivers and streams were overflowing and rain still fell steadily from the low dark clouds.

Establishing a patrol base at ShwekaungYwathit , the patrol mounted attacks on two Japanese held positions over the next two days killing over twenty of the enemy, most of whom were sheltering from the weather in makeshift bashas.

The Patrol Siezed considerable quantities of arms and ammunition.

Searches for enemy personnel who had been wounded or escaped, revealed only dead bodies, the Japanese survivors having killed themselves with their own grenades rather than surrender.

The sortie was successful in clearing a large area of the enemy, re-establishing a British presence among the local inhabitants and removing a potential threat to aircraft operating from Toungoo airfield.

The patrol returned without a loss, the only untoward incident occurring on the last night when one of the elephants was bitten by a snake and collapsed while fording a river. LACs Currie and Dixon were pitched into the fast flowing water and had to make their own way back to the squadron base ten miles away.

On foot in the dark, leaving a dead elephant and its grieving mahout on the river bank.

The Regiment wings and squadrons had moved through Burma on two principal axis: one with 224 Group along the coast from Maungdaw to Akyab, Ramree Mingaladon and Rangoon.

The other with 221 Group through central Burma from Ondauk to Mandalay, Meiktila, Toungoo and Pegu to Rangoon.

Their primary task was to secure and defend the forward airfields, from which the RAF provided air support to the Army.

On over thirty occasions squadrons moved from one to the next by air, in other cases it took somewhat longer to move by road.

General Slim, commander of XIVth Army, acknowledged that his Army’s success was due to the superb support which it had received from the RAF and in his turn Air Vice-Marshal Vincent AOC 221 Group.

Made it clear that his ability to provide the best possible air support for the Army had depended on the reassuring levels of Defence which his RAF Regiment field and LAA squadrons provided for his airfields and forward radar installations, which were always sited far forward and close to the front line, and sometimes ahead of it.

The value of the contribution made by the RAF Regiment to air operations was subsequently confirmed by the AOC-in-C, Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, in his final report on the campaign in South-East Asia.

The capture of Rangoon was planned on the basis of a pincer movement, with a land assault by 17th Division from the north and an amphibious landing (Op Dracula) by 26th Division from the south.

The Regiment’s contribution to OP Dracula was 1327 Wing with 2959 LAA and 2967 Field Squadrons under command.

Embarking at Akyab and Ramree.

The landings were made at Elephant Point, 15 miles south of Rangoon in early May 1945, just as the monsoon broke.

By this time the remaining troops of the Japanese 28th Army had taken refuge in the mountains of the Pegu Yomas.

The area had to be cleared to remove any remaining threat to the re-establishment of civil administration throughout Burma.

1307 Wing, with five squadrons under its command, was detached to General Tucker’s 4th Corps which was tasked to deal with the break-out of the 18,000 enemy troops left in the Pegu Yomas.

The main Japanese escape routes lay through 17th Division’s area of responsibility, where 1307 Wing found itself operating alongside old friends from Meiktila and Toungoo days.

The exhausted, and often starving, Japanese troops suffered over 12,000 casualties in their attempts to escape.

The total British losses were under 100 killed and just over 300 wounded.

Italy 1944.

The landings at Anzio on 22nd January 1944 Put immense strain on the Allied armies and RAF Regiment units were diverted to a variety of non-RAF tasks in this period.

Some field squadrons were used in the infantry role and placed under Army command: 2771 and 2788 Squadrons operated on the Cassino front under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division and 4th British Division respectively from 24th April to 27th May 1944.

In September 1944, 2721 Squadron was attached to the Household Cavalry Regiment in the Sant Archangelo area before accompanying Skinner’s Horse ( Indian Army) from San Piero to San Sofia.

There the squadron went into the front line and carried out patrols with the Lovat Scouts, whose commanding officer had to ask the squadron commander to “produce a less dashing level of activity as your patrolling is causing the enemy to increase his strength in this area.”

A month later 2721 Squadron was heading for Ravenna with the 27th Lancers and after an assault crossing of the river Uniti, entered the town.

From there the squadron advanced to the north-west to hold the line of the river Lamone between two Canadian regiments: Lord Strathcona’s Horse and the Governor General’s Horse Guards until relieved by 2788 Field Squadron.

By this stage in the campaign 2721 Squadron had become the most decorated unit in the RAF Regiment, its awards including one Military Cross Military Medals and numerous mentions in dispatches. Among the flight commanders in this squadron were two: Flying Officers J.T O’Sullivan and R.H Millhouse — who were to play prominent roles in the post-war Regiment.

In the battle for the Gothic Line in September 1944, 2744 Field Squadron was employed in providing navigation aids (which were called Ground/Air Landmarks or GAL's) for Allied aircraft.

These had to be positioned as far forward as possible and it was while engaged on these tasks near Cattolica that Flying Officer S.W Harris and his team of one junior NCO and one aircraftman driver encountered an enemy patrol.

In the fire fight which followed both he and his driver were hit by enemy small aims fire. Having extricated his men from the engagement, although wounded in the chest and back, F/O Harris went forward to recover the jeep in which he and his men had been travelling and drove them to safety. He was subsequently awarded the Military Cross.

In addition to those tasks in the forward area, the armoured flight of 2744 Squadron was used to provide Rover tentacles which relayed requests for close air support from Army units to the cab rank of ground attack aircraft keeping station above the front line. Flying Officer H.H Wood-Glover and his armoured cars carried out this task with speed and accuracy and the squadron’s success in this joint-service role received much favourable comment from both Army and Air force commanders.

Toward the end of the campaign one of the Squadron Officers : Flying officer J.F Ringer was awarded the Military Cross and one of the Squadron NCOs Corporal R.R Hope Received the Military medal.

Monte Cassino.

In the preparations for the advance to Rome, the USAAF asked for an escorting force for their technical intelligence teams and 2721 Squadron landed at Anzio on 30th May 1944 to carry out this task.

During the advance from Naples the squadron occupied Ciampino airfield, 10 miles south-east of Rome, before becoming the first Allied troops to enter Ostia and Fiumicino. Then with their American companions, they entered Rome on 6th June 1944 and were thus among the first British units to reach the Eternal City.

As the Allied armies continued their advance, some bombing attacks on German forces in the forward battle zone had fallen short of the Allied front line and hit friendly troops instead.

Following a review of ways in which attacks on Allied ground forces might be avoided in future, RAF Regiment squadrons were tasked to co-operate with flying squadrons by laying out navigation aids on the ground to mark the forward line held by the Army.

In November 1943. 2906 Field Squadron began this task, using marker panels by day and flares by night to indicate the bomb line. In January 1944 they were relieved of this task at Montenero Petaciato and St Vito Chiento by 2857 LAA Squadron, who were themselves replaced in this role by 2856 LAA Squadron at Castel Frentano.

Within a few days, 2856 Squadron were the victims of a USAAF bombing attack by Flying Fortresses which had mistaken the navigation aid markers for target indicators. Fortunately, there were no casualties on that occasion.

However, the single incident which caused the largest loss of life in a Regiment unit in Italy had occurred in August 1943 when a USAAF aircraft with an engine on fire attempted a crash landing on the airfield at Tortorella and slewed off the runway into tents occupied by No.2933 LAA Squadron. The ensuing fireball killed 15 squadron personnel, as well as the pilot, and injured many more Regiment NCOs and airmen.

On 1st January 1944 the Air Ministry ordered the reduction of the RAF Regiment force level in the Middle East and Central Mediterranean theatres to 8,500 officers and men. This was apportioned between the Middle East (5,000) and the Mediterranean (3,500) which limited the Regiment units in Italy to five field and 15 LAA squadrons.

This was achieved by disbanding 2904 and 2906 Field Squadrons and 2925 LAA Squadron.

Greece 1944.

The RAF component of the British forces tasked to liberate Greece from German occupation is Liberate 276, commanded, by Air Commodore Harcourt-smith in which the RAF Regiment component consisted of 1321 Wing HQ with two field and two LAA squadrons.

In September 1944 a composite force drawn from Land Forces Adriatic and the Balkan Air Force was assembled with the aim of seizing the airfield at Araxos in the Peleponnese to enable air support to be provided future operations in Salonika.

This was codenamed Bucketforce and comprised elements of the Special Boat Squadron (SBS),

long Range Desert Group (LRDG),

Royal Marine Commandos,

a company of Highland Light infantry and 2908 Squadron RAF Regiment : totalling some 450 all ranks, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lord Jellicoe.

Following a parachute drop Araxos airfield the main force landed at Katakolon on the west coast of the Peleponnese.

The RAF Regiment component included a special mine clearance part of two officers and 39 airmen drawn from various RAF Regiment squadrons other than 2908.

One of the many unusual features of this force was that 2908 Squadron had its own chaplain the Reverend (Squadron Leader) G.H Church who made a outstanding contribution in the many and varied situations which the squadron encountered during its service in Greece.

From Katakolon Jellicoe’s force advanced northwards, to seize Patras and the third largest port in the country and the principal harbour of the Peleponnese.

Here they found the German rearguard preparing demolitions before withdrawing to the mainland and a brisk fire fight in which the six-pounder anti-tank guns of 2908’s support flight played a notable able part, including the sinking of a German E-boat and the Germans left hurriedly before hey could cause much damage. Continuing the advance eastwards to the Corinth Canal, 2908 Squadron crossed into mainland Greece and reached Megara on the 10th October,

and after an engagement at Megalo Pekvo, entered Athens four day later. From there he squadron divided into two groups - one returned to the Peleponnese to pacify Sparta and the other went north as part of another composite force to harass the Germans as they retreated towards Yugoslavia.

In an attack on the German rearguard at Kozani, just inside Yugoslavia PompForce ,consisting of two companies of 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment, a detachment of the SBS and the 2908 Squadron detachment scaled an allmost perpendicular rock face in order to attack the enemy position from the rear.

On the road below an enemy anti-tank gun scored a hit on an armoured car of 2908 Squadron, mortally wounding the flight commander. The driver, Corporal G.H Wingate, although wounded himself. Brought the vehicle back to safety and was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry under fire.

In October 1944 Land Forces Adriatic launched an attack to seize the port of Sarande on the Albanian mainland opposite Corfu - to deprive the German Forces retreating northwards from Greece of an evacuation port. It was decided to reinforce the formation Houndforce tasked for this operation with a mountain Warfare/ paratroop company in order to seize the high ground which overlooked and dominated the harbour.

1 (Parachute) Company of the RAF Levies Iraq duly went ashore and stormed up Hill 246 with such speed that the enemy garrison was taken by surprise and 96 German soldiers where captured without any casualties being incurred by the Levies.

The roots of the RAF Regiment go back to the 1920s with the formation of the RAF "Armoured Car Companies" in the Middle East.

No.1 ACC was formed at Heliopolis, Egypt in December 1921, for service in Iraq.

No.2 ACC was also formed at Heliopolis on 7th April 1922 for service in Transjordan, and remained at Amman. (The Armoured Car Companies were incorporated into the RAF Regiment in 1946).

After the successful evacuation of Dunkirk (OP Dynamo),

the Axis invasion of Norway, Greece and the failure of Allied forces in Crete to successfully defend the airfields from the German Fallschimjaegars which led to the fall of the island,

it became clear that the British Army with it's resources severely stretched might not be able to cope with the added burden of defending RAF airfields and installations.

It was decided to form a new corps to specialise in defensive operations to secure the airfields from attack and so by Royal Warrant from George VI on the 1st of February 1942 the Corps of the Royal Air Force Regiment was officially formed.

At its formation the RAF Regiments task was essentially defensive specialising in LAA sqns comprising anti-aircraft guns, Bofors 40/60 and Ground Defence (field) sqns comprising 7 officers, 178 airmen organised as 3 rifle flights plus support with armoured cars, anti aircraft flights and 3 inch mortars. As the war progressed the Regiment adopted a more aggressive role.

On the 15 September 1943 RAF Regiment sqns and their weapons were air transported to Cos and Southern Italy.

Regiment sqns were also landed at Salerno and later became involved in the battle for Monte Cassino. In the European theatre of operations, the Regiment landed sqns on Juno beach in the early hours of D Day +1.

As the European operation continued on its drive towards Germany, the RAF Regiment undertook a number of tasks ranging from airfield Defence, mine clearing, airstrip construction (RAF SC), escort duties and then racing ahead of the second army to occupy all airfields in North West Germany. They were the first allied unit to enter Denmark and also one of the first allied units whilst on escort duties to enter the city of Paris.

The first RAF Regiment parachute sqn was formed during operations against the Japanese in South East Asia and Regiment sqns were soon involved in the heavy fighting on the Imphal plain in 1944 as part of the "forgotten” army. When the Japanese forces started to retreat, the Regiment sqns were then tasked with seizing airstrips as the 14th army advanced, much the same as their fellow Sqns were doing in Europe. At the end of hostilities in the Far East, the Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Mountbatten sent for an airman from the Regiment to witness the signing of the Japanese surrender in Singapore.

The Regiment also assumed responsibility for the command of three associated overseas forces: The RAF Regiment (Malaya), The Iraqi Levies and the Aden Protectorate Levies, until these countries special relationships with Great Britain terminated in the 1950s and 1960s. At the end of the Second World War, the RAF Regiment had seen active service in North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, the Mediterranean, Italy and Europe. It had a fighting force of over 85,000 men serving in some 170 LAA and 70 field sqns.