# No. 512 Squadron RAF

No. 512 Squadron was a Second World War Royal Air Force transport squadron.

## History

No. 512 Squadron was formed on 18 June 1943 from the Dakota element of 24 Squadron at RAF Hendon. It operated on supply routes from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar and Algeria to support the campaign in North West Africa. It also flew internal routes within the United Kingdom, and to the Azores and India. In February 1944 the squadron changed role and was transferred to No. 46 Group at RAF Broadwell; it was now a tactical Dakota squadron and started training glider towing and parachute dropping. Its first operation in the new role was a leaflet drop on 5 June 1944 over France, this followed intensive flying in and out of France including dropping parachutists at Arnhem. In fact, 512 Squadron can claim that they were the first planes over on D-Day as three Dakotas piloted by Fl Lt Hyde, W.O. James Proctor and a C Flight Flying Officer dropped a specialist team at 00.02 on 6 June to try to disrupt the Merville Battery before the main assault. It suffered losses during Operation Market Garden and was withdrawn to operate a transport service from Brussels in March 1945, although it was still involved in airborne operations associated with the Rhine crossing. After VE Day in July 1945 it extended its trooping routes to Palestine and the Middle East and moved to RAF Qastina in Palestine in October 1945, moving on by the end of the month to RAF Gianaclis near Alexandria, Egypt. In December 1945 it moved to Bari, to operate scheduled flights within Italy. It returned to the United Kingdom in February 1946 and was disbanded upon arrival on 14 March 1946.

## Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
| June 1943 | September 1943 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.IIIa |
| June 1943 | March 1946 | Douglas Dakota | Mks.I, III |
| August 1944 | 1945 | Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson | |
| April 1945 | March 1946 | Douglas Dakota | Mk.IV |

## Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Base | Remark |
| 18 June 1943 | 14 February 1944 | RAF Hendon, Middlesex | |
| 14 February 1944 | 31 March 1945 | RAF Broadwell, Oxfordshire | |
| 31 March 1945 | 6 August 1945 | B.56/Evère, Belgium | Air echelon till 5 July 1945 |
| 6 August 1945 | 8 October 1945 | RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, East Riding of Yorkshire | |
| 8 October 1945 | 24 October 1945 | RAF Qastina, Palestine | |
| 24 October 1945 | 2 December 1945 | RAF Gianaclis, Egypt | |
| 2 December 1945 | 23 February 1946 | Bari, Italy | |
| 23 February 1946 | 14 March 1946 | en route to the UK | Disbanded upon arrival |

## Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 512 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Name |
| August 1943 | September 1943 | W/Cdr. M. Booth, DFC |
| September 1943 | December 1943 | W/Cdr. K.J.D. Dickson |
| December 1943 | February 1944 | W/Cdr. R.M. Blennerhassett |
| February 1944 | January 1945 | W/Cdr. B.A. Coventry, DFC |
| January 1945 | July 1945 | W/Cdr. R.G. Dutton, DSO, DFC & Bar |
| July 1945 | December 1945 | LtCol. P.G.A. McMurdock |
| December 1945 | March 1946 | S/Ldr. W.A. Mostyn-Brown |