|
Date
|
211 Squadron
|
National and international events
|
|
|
|
|
|
1937
|
|
|
|
10 March
|
|
Bristol Blenheim I enters RAF service
|
|
19 February
|
|
Ethiopia: Italian occupying forces massacre 30,000 civilians in Addis Ababa
|
|
26 April
|
|
Spanish Civil War (July 1936 to April 1939): Republican-held Guernica destroyed by German and Italian bombing attacks under Nationalist direction
|
|
12 May
|
|
Coronation of HM King George VI
|
|
28 May
|
|
Neville Chamberlain PM, UK
|
|
24 June
|
211 Squadron re-formed, Mildenhall
|
|
|
July
|
Hawker Audax (to October 37)
|
|
|
7 July
|
|
Japanese troops invade China
|
|
August
|
Hawker Hind (to May 39)
|
|
|
2 September
|
To Grantham
|
|
|
26 September
|
|
Arab unrest in Palestine and Transjordan resumes.
|
|
11 December
|
|
Italy leaves League of Nations
|
|
13 December
|
|
Nanking occupied by Japanese. Very heavy Chinese civilian loss of life.
|
|
21 December
|
|
Duke d’Aosta Viceroy of Ethiopia & Italian East Africa
|
|
1938
|
|
|
|
3 January
|
Detachment to Aldergrove, Northern Ireland:
Armament Training Camp duties
|
|
|
31 January
|
Detachment ends, Aldergrove
|
|
|
20 February
|
|
Resignation of Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden over Chamberlain’s Italian policy
|
|
12 March
|
|
Germany occupies Austria
|
|
16 April
|
|
Anglo-Italian Treaty signed
|
|
30 April
|
Embark HMT Lancashire for Alexandria
|
|
|
10 May
|
Arrive Alexandria and depart to Helwan
|
|
|
12 May
|
Established Helwan (RAF Middle East, Egypt)
|
|
|
18 July
|
To Ramleh (Palestine)
detachment Semakh (Palestine)
|
Arab unrest continues in Palestine
|
|
29 September
|
To Helwan, detachment El Daba
29 September to 7 October
|
Chamberlain & Deladier of France sign Munich Agreement with Hitler & Mussolini
“Peace for our time”
|
|
10 October
|
|
Germany annexes Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia
|
|
9 November
|
|
Kristallnacht Fascist anti-Jewish riots across Germany
|
|
|
|
|
|
1939
|
|
|
|
27 January
|
To Ismailia (Egypt).
Advance party 3 January, main party 21 January,
Rear Party 27 January.
|
|
|
15 March
|
|
Final dismemberment of Czechoslovakia: German forces occupy Bohemia and Moravia,
|
|
April
|
Blenheim I (to November 41)
First aircraft collected by CO
|
|
|
1 April
|
|
Spanish civil war ends with Nationalist victory.
General Franco as dictator.
|
|
7 April
|
|
Italy occupies Albania
|
|
20 April
|
To El Daba, War Station
|
|
|
26 April
|
|
Robert Menzies Australian PM
|
|
1 May
|
To Ismailia to complete Blenheim re-equipment
|
|
|
22 May
|
|
Italo-German Pact
|
|
10 August
|
To El Daba detachment Qotafiyah
|
|
|
23/24 August
|
|
Russia and Germany sign Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
|
|
1 September
|
|
Germany invades Poland
|
|
3 September
|
|
British declaration of war on Germany
|
|
|
|
|
|
1940
|
|
|
|
9 April
|
|
Denmark occupied. German forces land in Norway
|
|
29 April
|
|
EATS begins, Australia, Canada, New Zealand
|
|
10 May
|
|
German forces invade neutral Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Chamberlain resigns, Winston Churchill PM
|
|
26 May
|
|
Dynamo: evacuation of British and French forces from Dunkirk begins
|
|
4 June
|
|
Dynamo complete: 338,000 allied troops rescued
|
|
10 June
|
|
Italy declares war
Hostilities open, Egypt & Libya
Surrender of Norway
|
|
22 June
|
|
France surrenders
|
|
17 July
|
To Qotafiyah
|
|
|
2 September
|
|
Bristol Beaufighter enters RAF service
|
|
16 September
|
|
Italian advance from Libya into Egypt
halts having taken Sidi Barrani
|
|
28 October
|
|
Italian forces invade Greece
|
|
4 November
|
|
RAF operations in Greece begin
|
|
5 November
|
|
Roosevelt elected US President for third term
|
|
8 November
|
To Ismailia
|
Italian Greek offensive collapses
|
|
9 November
|
|
Death of Chamberlain
|
|
11 November
|
MT and equipt to Alexandria (Seagull Camp)
|
|
|
14 November
|
Personnel to Alexandria/Sidi Baber
|
|
|
15 November
|
Personnel board HMS Gloucester (dep Alexandria)
MT and equipt vessel nk
|
|
|
16 November
|
Disembark Piraeus
|
|
|
17 November
|
To Menidi (Tatoi)
[Reported detachment Paramythia: arrival of Ground Party at Tatoi but no indication, by ORB or Log, of movement to Paramythia at this date]
|
|
|
23 November
|
Air Party dep Ismailia for Menidi (Tatoi), via Fuka
|
|
|
11 December
|
|
British forces retake Sidi Barrani, advance into Libya
|
|
|
|
|
|
1941
|
|
|
|
13 January
|
|
Greek government declines British troops
|
|
22 January
|
|
British and Australian forces take Tobruk
|
|
29 January
|
|
Greek PM General Metaxas dies
|
|
9 February
|
To Paramythia detachment Menidi
|
|
|
5 March
|
|
British troops sail for Greece
|
|
24 March
|
|
Afrika Korps advance in Cyrenaica, Libya
|
|
27 March
|
|
Peter II King of the Yugoslavs assumes his authority
|
|
6 April
|
|
German invasion of Greece begins
|
|
10 April
|
|
Axis forces besiege Tobruk
|
|
13 April
|
Easter Sunday unescorted daylight raid on Florina (Monastir Gap) by 6 Blenheims. None return.
|
|
|
17 April
|
To Agrinion
|
Yugoslavia surrenders
|
|
19 April
|
To Menidi
|
|
|
21 April
|
Evacuation from Scaramanga by 230 Squadron to Suday Bay
|
|
|
22 April
|
To Heraklion
|
British forces withdrawal from Greece begins
|
|
23 April
|
To Heliopolis (air echelon only)
|
|
|
24 April
|
|
British forces withdrawal from Greece complete
|
|
27 April
|
To Ramleh
|
|
|
30 April
|
To Lydda
|
German occupation of Athens complete
|
|
10 May
|
To Aqir
|
|
|
18 May
|
|
Italian East AFrica: d’Aosta surrenders to British forces
|
|
20 May
|
|
German invasion of Crete
|
|
May
|
Blenheim IV (to February 42)
|
|
|
24 May
|
|
Battle of Denmark Strait: HMS Hood sunk
|
|
27 May
|
|
Bismarck scuttled
|
|
5 June
|
To Heliopolis
|
|
|
10 June
|
To Wadi Gazouza initially as reserve training Squadron. Commanders continue to sign Log Books under their 211 Squadron titles.
|
|
|
22 June
|
|
Barbarossa: Axis forces invade Russia
|
|
7 October
|
|
John Curtin Australian PM
|
|
18 November
|
Acting as nucleus for and absorbed into 72 OTU. Commanders cite their 72 OTU titles.
|
|
|
27 November
|
|
Tobruk relieved
|
|
7 December
|
|
Japan attacks Malaya and Pearl Harbor
|
|
9 December
|
|
Sungei Patani, Alor Star airfields captured
|
|
10 December
|
|
HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse sunk
|
|
20 December
|
Re-established as 211 Squadron. Over 300 experienced 211 ground and aircrew personnel are posted from 72 OTU to rejoin Squadron at Helwan.
|
Butterworth airfield taken
|
|
30 December
|
|
113 Squadron Air Party depart for FE
16 Blenheim IV aircraft, 3 Flights over 3 days to 1 January 1942
|
|
|
|
|
|
1942
|
|
|
|
7 January
|
|
113 Squadron Blenheim IVs at Toungoo, Burma.
Operations resume 8 January.
|
|
13 January
|
|
Kuala Lumpur taken by Japanese
|
|
14 to 18 January
|
|
84 Squadron Air Party departs Egypt for FE:
24 Blenheim IV & IVF aircraft in 4 Flights
|
|
15 January
|
|
Japanese forces advance into Burma
|
|
16 January
|
Groundcrew and spare aircrew depart Helwan to embark HMT Yoma at Port Tewfik, en route Far East
|
|
|
17 January
|
HMT Yoma, with 211 Squadron and 84 Squadron personnel aboard, departs Port Tewfik for Aden, arriving 22 January.
|
No 225 Group HQ ordered from Singapore to Sumatra (Palembang P1)
|
|
18 January
|
|
No 225 Group HQ setting up at Palembang P1
|
|
23 to 26 January
|
23 January: HMT Yoma sails for Colombo, Ceylon
|
84 Squadron Air Party
main arrivals at Palembang, Sumatra
Stragglers to 10/11 February
|
|
25 January
|
|
Japanese take Kluang (and airfield)
|
|
26 January
|
|
Japanese land at Endau
|
|
25 to 28 January
|
Air Party departs Helwan en route FE.
24 Blenheim IV aircraft
4 Flights (ie 2 Sections of 3 aircraft) daily over 4 days
|
|
|
31 January
|
|
Japanese occupation of Malaya complete.
Siege of Singapore
|
|
1 February
|
HMT Yoma arrives Colombo
|
|
|
2 to 6 February
|
Air Party arrivals at P II Sumatra
Operations resume 7 February.
|
113 Squadron at Magwe, Burma
|
|
3 February
|
Convoy JS1 with HMT Yoma departs Colombo
|
|
|
9 to 13 February
|
|
45 Squadron Air Party to Burma
24 Blenheim IV aircraft in 5 groups
|
|
14 February
|
HMT Yoma arrives Oosthaven, Sumatra with groundcrew & spare aircrew
|
Japanese forces land, Sumatra
|
|
15 February
|
|
Singapore surrenders
|
|
16 February
|
HMT Yoma departs Oosthaven for Batavia, Java, arriving 17 February
|
45 Squadron operations resume, Magwe, Burma
|
|
16 February
|
Air Party to Kalidjati, Java
|
|
|
18 February
|
|
RAF HQ Bandoeng order amalgamation of all Blenheim squadrons
|
|
19 February
|
|
Darwin bombed. Japanese air raids on NT, Qld and WA continue until 1943.
|
|
20 February
|
HMT Yoma departs Batavia for Colombo and Karachi
|
|
|
21/22 February
|
Last 211 Squadron operations from Java
|
|
|
25 February
|
Remaining aircraft of 211 Squadron pooled with 84 Squadron.
|
|
|
26 February
|
211 Squadron personnel withdraw via Poerwokerto to Tjilatjap
|
|
|
27 February
|
Tjilatjap: departure of Abbekerk and Kota Gede (at least 22 men of 211 Squadron aboard)
|
Battle of the Java Sea 27/28 February
Sunk: HMNLS De Ruyter, HMNLS Java, HMNLS Kortenaer, HMS Electra, HMS Jupiter
|
|
1 March
|
HMT Yoma arrives Colombo
|
Battle of Sunda Strait
HMAS Perth, USS Houston sunk
Second Battle of Java Sea
HMS Exeter, HMS Encounter, USS Pope sunk
|
|
2 March
|
Tjilatjap: RAFA Tung Song sails with 26 Officers, 169 OR RAF personnel; of 205 Squadron, 84 Squadron, 211 Squadron (65 men in all), 151 MU, and others.
|
|
|
4 March
|
Abbekerk arrives, Fremantle, Western Australia
|
|
|
6 March
|
Kota Gede arrives, Colombo
|
|
|
8 March
|
|
Java surrenders to Japanese
|
|
9 & 12 March
|
|
113 Squadron Sea Party and Air Party withdraw to India
|
|
12 March
13 March
|
Tung Song arrives, Fremantle
RAF personnel including 211 Squadron evacuees disembark to 5 Embarkation Depot Fremantle
|
|
|
17 & 22 March
|
|
45 Squadron air and ground personnel withdrawals from Burma to India
|
|
3 to 6 May
|
|
Last 45 Squadron echelon evacuated by air to India
|
|
4 to 9 April
|
|
Abortive Japanese naval and air attack on Ceylon
|
|
4 to 8 May
|
|
Battle of Coral Sea
|
|
31 May
|
|
IJN 2-man submarines attack Sydney Harbour
|
|
21 June
|
|
Tobruk surrendered to Axis forces
|
|
1 to 27 July
|
|
First Battle of El Alamein (Egypt)
|
|
23 October to
11 November
|
|
Second Battle of El Alamein
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” WS Churchill 10 November 1942
|
|
13 November
|
|
Tobruk retaken
|
|
|
|
|
|
1943
|
|
|
|
13 May
|
|
Axis forces surrender in Tunisia.
End of North Africa campaign
|
|
8 July
|
|
Africa Star and 1939—1943 Star (later 1939—1945 Star) instituted. Ribbons to be issued from late 1943.
|
|
10 July
|
|
Husky: Allied forces land on Sicily
|
|
25 July
|
|
Mussolini dismissed by King Victor Emmanuel II
|
|
14 August
|
Re-formed in India at, Phaphamau (near Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh)
|
|
|
17 August
|
|
Sicily liberated
|
|
3 to 9 September
|
|
Italian government announces armistice.
Landings by Allied forces on mainland Italy.
German forces continue hostilities.
|
|
October
|
Beaufighter X (to May 45)
|
|
|
10 November
|
To Ranchi (Jharkhand)
|
|
|
28 November to
1 December
|
|
Tehran Conference, Iran
Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin 1st meeting
|
|
23 December
|
To Silchar West (Bengal)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1944
|
|
|
|
26 ]an
|
To Bhatpara (Bengal) detachments Nazir, Ramu
|
|
|
26 February
|
|
Japanese offensive in Arakan halted
|
|
8 March
|
|
Japanese forces advance into India against Imphal and Kohina
|
|
26 May
|
To Feni (Bengal)
|
|
|
6 June
|
|
Overlord: D-Day. Allied forces land in France
|
|
3 July
|
|
Japanese forces withdraw to Burma
|
|
10 July
|
To Chiringa (Bengal), detachment Ranchi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1945
|
|
|
|
4 to 11 February
|
|
Yalta Conference, Crimea
Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin 2nd meeting
|
|
29 March
|
7211 Servicing Echelon formed at Chiringa
|
|
|
12 April
|
|
Death of US President FD Roosevelt
|
|
28 April
|
|
Execution of Mussolini, Italy
|
|
30 April
|
|
Suicide of Hitler, Berlin
|
|
2 May
|
|
British forces enter Rangoon
|
|
7 May
|
|
Germany surrenders
|
|
8 May
|
|
VE day celebrations
|
|
31 May
|
To Yelahanka (near Bangalore, Southern India)
|
|
|
June
|
Mosquito FB VI (to February 46)
|
|
|
5 July
|
|
Australian PM Curtin dies
|
|
11 July
|
To St Thomas Mount (near Madras on the Coromandel Coast)
|
|
|
16 July
|
|
Trinity: first nuclear weapon test blast, USA
|
|
17 July to
2 August
|
|
Potsdam conference, Germany
Churchill/Atlee, Truman, Stalin meet
|
|
6 August
|
|
Hiroshima A-bomb
|
|
8 August
|
|
USSR declaration of war against Japan
(agreed at Yalta)
|
|
9 August
|
|
Nagasaki A-bomb
Russian forces invade Manchuria.
|
|
15 August
|
|
Hirohito announces surrender of Japan
VP day celebrations
|
|
2 September
|
|
Formal surrender of Japan
|
|
2 November
|
To Akyab (Aarakan, Burma)
|
|
|
27 November
|
To Don Muang near Bangkok, Thailand
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1946
|
|
|
|
18 January
|
|
SAC Lord Mountbatten arrives by air, Don Muang
|
|
19 January
|
211 Squadron takepart in Fly Past
|
Victory Parade & Fly Past, Bangkok
|
|
4 February
|
News of (pending) disbandment
|
|
|
22 February
|
AOCinC signal ordering disbandment
|
|
|
15 March
|
Disbanded, Don Muang, Thailand
|
|
