About This Unit
No. 108 Squadron (RAF)
For the purpose of the RSL Virtual War Memorial, No. 108 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 Commonwealth. Ground staff were similarly assigned.
No. 108 Squadron (RAF) was originallly raised in WW1, disbanding in 1919. In January 1937, it was re-formed as No. 108 (Bomber) Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford. Its initial equipment were Bristol Blenheim I bombers.
On the day before the outbreak of the Second World War in. September 1939, it became a 6 Group training squadron and in April 1940, was absorbed into No. 13 Operational Training Unit at RAF Bicester. The squadron relinquished its Blenheims in February 1940, when they were despatcg=hed to Finland to support that nation's struggle against Russia, in the Winter War.
On 1 August 1941, No. 108 Squadron was reformed at RAF Kabrit, Egypt. Gazetted as a night bomber squadron, it was equipped with the sturdy Vickers Wellington twin engined bomber. It began raids on 22 September, targeting ports on the Libyan coast and in Greece. In November it began to receive Consolidated Liberators and these supplemented the Wellingtons until June 1942.
On 18 December 1942 the squadron was reduced to a cadre but was disbanded on 25 December 1942.
On 15 March 1943 No. 108 Squadron reformed at Shandur as a night fighter squadron. Equipped with the heavilly armed Bristol Beaufighter, the squadron flew night patrols over Egypt, Libya and Malta. Between June 1943 and July 1944, the squadron operated in the night intruder role from Hal Far and Luqa in Malta, before returning to North Africa (Libya). Beaufighters were supplemented by de Havilland Mosquitoes in February 1944. The latter were used for intruder missions until withdrawn in July 1944, while the Beaufighters moved back to Libya for intruder operations over Greece and the Aegean. In October 1944 the squadron moved to Greece and became involved in combatting the attempted Communist take-over of the country in December. After taking part in attacks on rebel positions until the insurgency was quelled, the squadron gave up its aircraft and sailed for Italy in March 1945, disbanding on 28 March 1945.
Sources:
"History of 108 Squadron (web.archive.org)". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2024
^ Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 106–110 Squadron Histories (www.rafweb.org)". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 3 December 2024
Compiled by Steve Larkins Dec 2014