page_title: No. 450 Squadron RAAF
section_title: Commanding officers
hierarchical_section_title: No. 450 Squadron RAAF / Commanding officers
caption_attribution_description: July 1943. The official crest for the Desert Harassers, No. 450 (Kittyhawk) Squadron RAAF. A competition was held on the Squadron for a design for a squadron badge. This was won by Les Rex, a ground gunner.
context_page_description: No. 450 Squadron was a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force that operated during World War II. Established at RAAF Station Williamtown, New South Wales, in February 1941, it was the first Australian Article XV squadron formed under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
  The squadron embarked for the Middle East in April 1941; its personnel initially consisted solely of ground crew, who joined the pilots of No. 260 Squadron RAF to form No. 260/450 Squadron, which briefly operated Hawker Hurricane fighters in Syria. It was not until February 1942 that No. 450 Squadron, now with its own pilots and equipped with Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, commenced operations in earnest. Over the next 15 months, it fought in the North African and Tunisian Campaigns in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles, claiming 49 German and Italian aircraft destroyed in the air and earning the nickname "The Desert Harassers".
  Beginning in July 1943, No. 450 Squadron took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Italian campaign, primarily in the close support role. Its aircraft attacked targets in Yugoslavia as well as in Sicily and Italy.
context_section_description: No. 450 Squadron was commanded by the following officers:
caption: Original crest design by No. 450 Squadron ground gunner, Les Rex, July 1943[65]
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