Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

225 Squadron (RAF)

For the purpose of the RSL Virtual War Memorial, No. 225 Squadron (RAF)  is included as one of the RAF Squadrons in which Australians served fought and died during WW II.

During WW2 the Empire Air Training Scheme supplied tens of thousands of aircrew for the Royal Air Force (RAF) air war in Europe, and later in other theatres of war. While a number of so-called Article XV national squadrons were created in Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands of the RAF, the majority of Australian aircrew were posted, along with their Commonwealth colleagues, to RAF Squadrons (and also to RCAF and RNZAF units) as individual crew members,where they would 'crew up' often with a very multi-national aircrew comprised of men from all over the Commownwealth. Ground staff were similarly assigned.

Extract from the UK MoD Website (www.raf.mod.uk) full article here.

No.225 Squadron was formed in August 1918 at Alimini in southern Italy from Nos.481, 482 and 483 flights at the former RNAS air station across the Adlantic to protect bombers attacking targets in Albania until the end of the war. The Squadron disbanded on 18 December 1918.

On 3 October 1939, B flight of No.614 Squadron was redesignated No.614A Squadron and became No.225 Squadron on 11 Ocotober 1939. Equipped with Lysanders, it was engaged in training excersises with the army for most of the time but in June 1940 the squadron began flying coastal patrols along the coasts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and also provided detachments of Lysanders for air-sea rescue duties. In January 1942 it received some Hurricanes for tactical reconnaissance duties and in May began to convert to Mustangs. The squadron was allocated to the North African invasion force providing tactical reconnaissance support for the 1st Army throughout the Tunisian campaign, No.225 re-equipped with Spitfires and moved to Sicily in August 1943. Next month, it arrived in Italy and in August 1944 accompanied the Aliied invasion force to southern France. At the end of September the squadron returned to Italy for the rest of the war and after a period of occupation duties disbanded on 7 January 1947.