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History

Motto: Forte et fidele
Badge: On an equilatera, triangle a Petrel's head erased.
 

No. 48 Squadron was formed on 15 April 1916 at Netheravon and moved to France in March 1917 as the first Bristol Fighter Squadron. No. 48 was moved to India in June 1919 where it was renumbered No. 5 Squadron on 1 April 1920. No. 48 Squadron was reformed on 25 November 1935 at Bicester and in December moved to Manston where it helped formed the School of Air Navigation. In March 1936 No.48 received Ansons and during the same year the Squadron was enlarged to eighty aircraft to cope with the flood of pupils. In September 1938 No. 48 moved to Eastchurch to become a general reconnaissance unit moving to Thorney Island a few days before the outbreak of WW2. The Squadron began flying anti-submarine patrols and maintained anti-E-Boat patrols during the evacuation of Dunkirk. In July 1940, the Squadron moved to Mersyside to carry on with anti-submarine patrols and in July 1941 it was moved to Shetland where conversion to Hudsons took place. The Squadron undertook shipping patrols and strikes on enemy craft off the Norwegian coast. In December 1942 the Squadron was again moved, this time to Gibraltar for patrols over the approaches to the Mediterranean. In February 1944 the Squadron was moved back to the UK and re-equipped with Dakotas to become a transport unit.

During Operation Market Garden, 48 Squadron suffered 7 aircraft shot down, and 16 lives being lost along with 9 Dispatchers. The Squadron was then sent to India in August 1945 but the Japanese surrender resulted in its disbandment on 16 January 1946.

(Source and (c): Royal Air Force )

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Casualties of the squadron, buried in the Netherlands.

Number of known casualties:

(this list was compiled with the help of Geoff's Search Engine is an excellent tool to help you search through the CWGC database)