No . 329 Squadron RAF No . 329 Squadron RAF ( French language : 329 Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres ) was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron founded upon the personnel and traditions of the French 1 / 2 fighter squadron Storks ( " Escadron de Chasse 1 / 2 Cigognes " ) , having markings “ 5A ” 1944 - 1945 . RAF service . During the period of the Second World War , a large number of the squadrons of RAF were manned by personnel from countries which had been overwhelmed by German military expansionism . This French Air Force unit was an amalgamation of the two flights SPA 3 and SPA 103 , which had been two of the more illustrious units of the Great War . The squadron distinguished itself during the Battle of France in 1940 but was disbanded in August 1940 , after the fall of France . It was re - formed in July 1941 , flying Dewoitine D . 520 aircraft . In May 1942 , its transfer to North Africa was begun . In November 1942 , Operation Torch opened and gave the squadron and other French forces in North Africa , the opportunity to join the Free French Forces . At the end of 1943 , it was embarked in HMS King George V , arriving in Ayr , Scotland in January 1944 . Once assembled there , on 5 January , the former " escadron " became 329 Squadron RAF . After assembling at Ayr , it moved to Perranporth , in Cornwall , UK , to begin equipping with Spitfire Vs . By March , these had been replaced by mark IXs . Becoming operational on 1 March , by which time the mark Vs had been withdrawn . The squadron joined No . 415 Wing Free French units of 2nd Tactical Air Force on 14 April and provided cover for the D Day landings in Normandy in the following June . At this stage , its commanding officer was Lieutenant - colonel ( Wing commander ) Fleurquin . In August , it moved to Sommervieu , near Bayeux in Normandy , under the command of Capitaine ( Flight lieutenant ) Ozanne . As a squadron of a tactical wing , it specialized in ground attack of troop movements , road and river supply convoys and V - weapon launch sites . However , the job included air to air combat and after it had moved forward into the Low Countries in September , it met its first jet - propelled opposition in December , 1944 . In March 1945 , No . 329 returned to the UK . It was stationed at Turnhouse . In May 1945 , it was moved to the West of England but fifteen of its aircraft participated in the Victory fly - past in Paris on 14th July 1945 . It was disbanded in the UK , at Fairwood Common on 17 November 1945 . On the fifteenth , it moved to Friedrichshafen via Le Bourget as " escadron de chasse 01 . 002 " Cigognes " " or " EC 1 / 2 " in the short form of the title , a unit of the newly reconstituted 2nd Fighter Wing ( 2ème escadre de chasse ) of the French Air Force ( Armée de l ’ Air ) Aircraft . Profiles of the squadron ' s aircraft , with its markings may be seen on the RAF web site . This shows all the squadron ' s aircraft with cannon as would suit a ground attack rôle . Armament . The Mk VA mounted eight 0 . 303 machine guns . Mk VB had two 20mm canon and four 0 . 303 " machine guns . The Mk VC had a universal wing capable of mounting eight 0 . 303 " machine guns or two 20 mm canon and four machine guns . As well as these options , the VC could carry two 250 lb ( 113 kg ) bombs . In addition , all three had a centre - line rack for carrying either a 500 lb ( 227 kg ) bomb or an external fuel tank . Each was fitted with a Merlin 45 engine : 1 , 440 horsepower ) . The Mk IX was essentially a Mk V with a more powerful engine ( Merlin 61 ) and the low - level versions had clipped wings . Likewise , the Mk XVI had a more powerful engine still ( Packard Merlin 266 : 1 , 705 hp ) .