大象传媒

Information provided by: Alfred Bell
First Published: 07 November 2003

Overview

In the Chronology section you will read that 250 Sudan Squadron reformed from "K" Flight.This came about when it became clear that the Italians were massing troops and aircraft across the frontiers in Eritrea and Ethiopia. The Air Officer Commanding in the Middle East, was charged with mustering whatever aircraft were available to confront the forthcoming Italian threat. The A.O.C. sent orders to detach a Flight from 112 Squadron at Helwan and send them down to the Sudan. "K" flight set off on June 1st 1940 with ten obsolescent Gladiators and two antique Valentias, bound for Assuit, Aswan, Wadi Halfa, Atbara and finally Summit.The Sudanese welcomed them gladly, even though the Gladiators were a pitiful makeshift for modern fighters. Mussoloini declared war on June 10th 1940, and "K" flight were sent to Port Sudan for harbour defence. That led to the flight's first victory, scored by a young South African in the R.A.F, Pilot Officer Jack Hamlyn, who downed that Savoia 81, which was seen to crash in flames. Various battles ensued, and losses inevitably sustained, but the boys and their Glads. gave a good account of themselves before turning over their battered aircraft to a Rhodesian Squadron in the Sudan, and the pilots scattered, mostly to Egypt, thus the end of "K" Flight.

Facts and figures

Unit name: 250 Sudan Squadron Unit nickname: Nifties Force: RAF Designation: Squadron (RAF) Type: Fighter-Bomber Entered service: 1941-04-01 Motto: Close to the Sun English translation: The "Crack 'em" squadron

Chronology

August 1919 - 01 Apr 1941: Formation and Reformation of 250 Squadron

No. 250 was formed in August 1918 at Padstow, Cornwall for coastal reconnaissance duties over the Bristol Channel and it's approaches. Equipped with a mixture of D.H.6s and D.H.9s it flew anti-submarine patrols until the Armistice and disbanded on 15th May 1919. On 1st April 1941 No.250 reformed at Aqir, Palestine, from "K" flight and by the end of the month had received enough Tomahawks to become operational on defensive duties in Palestine. In May a detachment began offensive sweeps over Syria and in June began operations in the Western Desert, being withdrawn in February 1942 to defensive duties.

April 1942 - July 1943: Converting to Kittyhawks

After converting to Kittyhawks, 250 squadron returned to the desert in April as a fighter-bomber unit and provided support for the 8th Army, advancing with it through Libya into Tunisia to end the North African campaign. In July 1943,the squadron flew to Malta to support the landings in Sicily, moving there a few days afterwards. By mid-September, it had occupied airfields in Italy, where it spent the rest of the war flying fighter-bomber missions. In August 1945, No. 260 squadron disbanded and transferred its Mustangs to No. 250 which flew them until disbanded on 2nd January 1947.

01 Apr 1941 - 02 Jan 1947: The Squadrons Bases

Padstow Aug. 1918/May 1919 Aqir 1 Apr. 1941 Sidi Haneish 13 June 1941 Various L/G's 8 Nov. to 5 Dec. 1941 Tobruk 11 Dec. " Gazala 19 Dec. " Msus 27 Dec. " Antelat 12 Jan. 1942 Msus 21 Jan. " Mechili 24 Jan. " Gazala 28 Jan. " LG 12 15 Apr. " Gambut 23 Apr. " Gambut 12 Jun. " Sidi Azeiz 17 Jun. " Various L/G's 18 Jun. to 11 Nov. 1942 Gambut 13 Nov. " Gambut 15 Nov. " Martuba 19 Nov. " Belandah 8 Dec. " Marble Arch 13 Dec. " El Chel 1 Jan. 1943 Hamralet 11 Jan. " Sedadah 17 Jan. " Bir Dufan 19 Jan. " Castel Benito 24 Jan. " Assa 15 Feb. " Neffatia 8 Mar. " Medenine 21 Mar. " Hamma 3 Apr. " Djem 14 Apr, " Kairouan 18 Apr. " Zuara 21 May " Hal Far 9 Jul. " Luqa 13 Jul. " Pachino 18 Jul. " Agnone 5 Aug. " Grottaglie 16 Sep. " Palese 23 Sep. " Foggia 3 Oct. " Mileni 26 Oct. " Cutella 30 Dec. " San Angelo 24 May 1944 Guidonia 13 Jun. " Falerium 23 Jun. " Crete 9 Jul. " Iesi 26 Aug. " Fano 18 Nov. " Cervia 25 Feb. 1945 Lavariano 18 May " Tissano 22 Jan. 1946 Treviso 23 Sep. 1946 to 2 Jan. 1947.

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