No. 587 Squadron RAF

No. 587 Squadron RAF was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1946.

No. 587 Squadron RAF
Active1 December 1943 – 15 June 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Roleanti-aircraft co-operation
Insignia
Squadron CodesM4 (Dec 1943 – Jun 1946)[1][2]

History

The squadron was formed at RAF Weston Zoyland, England on 1 December 1943, from 1600 Flight, 1601 Flight and 1625 Flight for anti-aircraft co-operation duties over Wales and the south east of England. It operated a variety of aircraft. By June 1944 it was part of No. 70 Group RAF, Air Defence of Great Britain.[3]

Due to the ongoing training requirement the squadron was not disbanded at the end of the war and it moved to RAF Tangmere on 1 June 1946 to cover the south coast, but was disbanded shortly afterwards on 15 June 1946.[4]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 587 Squadron, data from[4][5][6]
FromToAircraftVersion
December 1943February 1944Airspeed Oxford
December 1943May 1944Hawker HenleyMk.III
December 1943June 1945Hawker HurricaneMk.IV
December 1943August 1945Miles Martinet
March 1944June 1945Hawker HurricaneMk.IIc
October 1944June 1946Vultee VengeanceMk.IV
April 1945May 1945North American MustangMk.I
July 1945June 1946Supermarine SpitfireMk.XVI

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 587 Squadron RAF, data from[4][5][7]
FromToBaseRemark
1 December 194310 April 1944RAF Weston Zoyland, Somerset
10 April 19441 October 1944RAF Culmhead, SomersetDets. at RAF Pengam Moors, Glamorgan, Wales; RAF Colerne, Wiltshire
and RAF Carew Cheriton, Pembrokeshire, Wales
1 October 19441 June 1946RAF Weston Zoyland, SomersetDets. at RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire and RAF Ibsley, Hampshire
1 June 194615 June 1946RAF Tangmere, West Sussex

References

Citations
  1. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 74.
  2. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 89.
  3. , accessed September 2020.
  4. Halley 1988, p. 414.
  5. Jefford 2001, p. 98.
  6. Rawlings 1982, p. 258.
  7. Rawlings 1982, p. 257.

Bibliography
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.