No. 460 Squadron RAAF

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox military unit No. 460 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force intelligence unit active within the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO). It was first formed as a heavy bomber squadron during World War II on 15 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 October 1945 after seeing extensive combat over Europe. The squadron was a multinational unit, but most personnel were Australian. No. 460 Squadron was reformed on 2 July 2010 and is currently located in Canberra.

History

World War II

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Believed to be Mack D Seale at RAF Binbrook pre 1943. The aircraft is 'N for Nuts'

No. 460 Squadron RAAF was formed from 'C' Flight of No. 458 Squadron RAAF at RAF Molesworth, Huntingdonshire on 15 November 1941,<ref name="Halley1988p480"/> as a bomber squadron equipped with Wellington Mk.IV aircraft. Originally part of No. 8 Group RAF, Bomber Command, the squadron moved to RAF Breighton, Yorkshire and joined No. 1 Group RAF. The squadron made its first raid, against the German city of Emden, on 12 March 1942.Template:Sfn The following night, five crews from the squadron participated in a raid on harbour facilities around Dunkirk, during which the squadron suffered its first losses of the war when one Wellington was shot down.Template:Sfn A six-week "apprenticeship" period followed until the end of April 1942, during which the squadron was assigned mainly to attack less heavily defended targets on the French Channel coast; nevertheless, the squadron also undertook several attacks against targets in Germany during this time also.Template:Sfn The squadron's first three months of operations saw it carry out 34 raids. For each raid, at least two aircraft were contributed, with some raids seeing as many as 10 aircraft taking part; a 30 May 1942 raid on Cologne saw 18 aircraft from No. 460 Squadron assigned. A total of six crews were lost during these raids.Template:Sfn

Losses between June and August amounted to 20 aircraft,Template:Sfn and at the end of the period the squadron began to convert to Halifax Mk.IIs,<ref name="Halley1988p480"/> but in October the squadron was re-equipped with Lancaster Mks. I and III.<ref name="Moyes1976p254"/> The following May, No. 460 Squadron relocated to RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, from where it participated in the strategic bombing of Germany.<ref name=AWM>Template:Cite web</ref>

In late 1943 and early 1944, the squadron flew sorties in the Battle of Berlin.<ref name="DO">Template:Cite journal</ref> During the spring and summer of 1944, the squadron flew many missions in support of the D-Day landings. Its final raid was an attack on Adolf Hitler's mountain retreat of Berchtesgaden on Anzac Day, 1945. In May, No. 460 Squadron joined Operation Manna, the transportation of relief supplies to starving Dutch civilians. The squadron moved to RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, in preparation for re-location to the Pacific theatre, as part of a proposed Commonwealth strategic air force known as Tiger Force, for the invasion of Japan. The move became unnecessary following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and No. 460 Squadron disbanded on 10 October 1945.<ref name="Moyes1976p254"/><ref name="Halley1988p480"/>

The squadron flew the most sorties of any Australian bomber squadron and dropped more bomb tonnage than any squadron in the whole of Bomber Command—24,856 tons, which it dropped over 6,262 sorties. In doing that it lost 188 aircraft and suffered 1,018 combat deaths (589 of whom were Australian).Template:Sfn This was the most of any Australian squadron during the war,<ref name=AWM/> with No. 460 Squadron effectively wiped out five times over its existence. RAF Bomber Command represented only two percent of total Australian enlistments during World War II, but accounted for almost 20 percent of personnel killed in action.Template:Sfn Total Bomber Command losses were 55,573 for all nationalities.Template:Sfn

Members of 460 Squadron and the Lancaster bomber "G" for George in August 1943.

No. 460 Squadron is commemorated at the Australian War Memorial by a display featuring its only surviving aircraft, G for George.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This aircraft made 90 operational sorties between late 1942 and mid-1944.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is a memorial to the squadron on the site of the former RAF Binbrook, in Lincolnshire, UK, consisting of a plaque, trees and various memorial benches. There are also memorials in a number of other countries including Denmark, France, the Netherlands (Grafhorst) and Germany, marking the sites of where squadron aircraft crashed or individual crew members were killed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Current role

On 1 April 2010, then Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mark Binskin announced that No. 460 Squadron was to be reformed as a non-flying squadron within the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The squadron was subsequently re-established on 2 July at a ceremony held in front of G for George at the Australian War Memorial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="No_460_lives_on">Template:Cite news</ref>

No. 460 Squadron is currently located in Canberra. Its roles include analysing photos and other imagery to help plan strike missions.<ref name=No_460_lives_on />

Aircraft operated

"G" for George at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Aircraft operated by no. 460 Squadron RAAF, data from<ref name="Moyes1976p254"/><ref name="Halley1988p480"/><ref name="Jefford2001p95">Template:Harvnb</ref>
From To Aircraft Version
November 1941 September 1942 Vickers Wellington Mk.IV
August 1942 October 1942 Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.II (not used operationally)
August 1942 October 1942 Avro Manchester Mk.I (not used operationally)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
October 1942 October 1945 Avro Lancaster Mks.I, III

Squadron bases

Binbrook, United Kingdom, April 1944: Mr John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia, getting out of the veteran Lancaster "G" for George, during his visit to 460 Squadron RAAF.
Bases and airfields used by no. 460 Squadron RAAF, data from<ref name="Moyes1976p254"/><ref name="Halley1988p480"/><ref name="Jefford2001p95"/>
From To Base
15 November 1941 4 January 1942 RAF Molesworth, Huntingdonshire
4 January 1942 14 May 1943 RAF Breighton, Yorkshire
14 May 1943 20 July 1945 RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire
20 July 1945 10 October 1945 RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire

Commanding officers

460 Squadron is remembered as part of the 2007 Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane.
Officers commanding no. 460 Squadron RAAF, data from<ref name=AWM/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
From To Name
November 1941 September 1942 Wing Commander A.L.G Hubbard, DSO, DFC
September 1942 December 1942 Wing Commander K.W. Kaufman, DFC
December 1942 February 1943 Wing Commander J.F. Dilworth, DFC
February 1943 September 1943 Wing Commander C.E. Martin, DSO, DFC
September 1943 8 October 1943 (POW) Wing Commander R.A. Norman, DSO, DFC
October 1943 January 1944 Wing Commander F.A. Arthur, DFC
January 1944 May 1944 Wing Commander H.D. Marsh, DFC
May 1944 October 1944 Wing Commander J.K. Douglas, DFC
October 1944 November 1944 Wing Commander K.R.J. Parsons, DSO, DFC
November 1944 13 December 1944 (KIA) Squadron Leader J. Clark, DFC
December 1944 January 1945 Wing Commander W.E. Roberts, DFC
January 1945 July 1945 Wing Commander M.G. Cowan, DSO
July 1945 October 1945 Wing Commander P.H. Swan, DSO, DFC
July 2010 December 2010 Wing Commander P.D. Wooding, MNZM
January 2011 January 2014 Wing Commander R.J.Elliott, CSM
January 2014 July 2016 Wing Commander N.Klohs
July 2016 January 2019 Wing Commander C. Harrison
January 2019 January 2021 Wing Commander A. Hoffmann, CSC
January 2021 January 2023 Wing Commander A. Cullen
January 2023 Present Wing Commander D. Brown

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See also

References

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Bibliography

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Template:List of RAAF Squadrons

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