Motto:
Strike and Return
History
No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air
Force, was formed at Molesworth in the United Kingdom on 15 November
1941. It was an “Article XV Squadron”, formed in accordance with
agreements that implemented the Empire Air Training Scheme. The squadron
became part of the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command and joined the
strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Equipped with Vickers
Wellington bombers, it mounted its first raid, against the German city
of Emden, on 12 March 1942.
In the ensuing three years the squadron
was heavily committed to operations over Germany, Italy and
German-occupied Europe. It operated, in succession, from airfields at
Molesworth (15 November 1941 – 3 January 1942), Breighton (4 January
1942 – 14 May 1943), and Binbrook (14 May 1943 – 27 July 1945). Although
it had originally been planned to re-equip the squadron with Handley
Page Halifaxes in September 1942, it began operating Avro Lancasters in
the following month and joined Bomber Command’s 1 Group. The bulk of the
squadron’s operations formed part of the strategic bombing offensive
against Germany, although prior to, and during, the D-Day landings in
June 1944, it was employed in support of Allied ground operations. The
squadron flew its last raid, against Berchtesgarden, on ANZAC Day 1945.
The squadron is regarded as having been
the most efficient of the Australian bomber squadrons. It maintained
consistently higher serviceability rates among its aircraft, set
numerous operational records within Bomber Command, flew the most
bombing raids of any Australian squadron, and was credited with the
greatest tonnage of bombs dropped – 24,856 tons. The Australian War
Memorial’s Lancaster “G for George” was a 460 Squadron aircraft. The
squadron, however, suffered heavily. It lost 181 aircraft on operations
and suffered 1,018 fatal casualties (589 Australian) – the highest
number of any of the Australian squadrons.
Following the end of hostilities in
Europe in April 1945, the squadron participated in Operation Manna,
which involved the air-dropping of food to Dutch civilians during the
first week of May 1945. It was subsequently employed to transport
liberated Commonwealth prisoners of war to Britain. With this role
complete, 460 Squadron was selected to form part of “Tiger Force”,
Bomber Command’s intended contribution to the strategic bombing of
Japan, which necessitated a transfer to No. 5 Group and a move to East
Kirby. The war in the Pacific ended, however, before “Tiger Force” was
deployed. The squadron relinquished its aircraft in early October 1945,
and disbanded on the 25th of that month.
The squadron had 1018 of its members
killed in World War II. 589 of them were Australians.
(Source
and ©:
Australian War Memorial )
Relevant
Websites
Peter
Dunn's 460 Squadron site
Gordon Stooke's 460 Squadron site
460squadronRAAF.com
Casualties of the squadron, buried
in the Netherlands.
