No. 461 Squadron RAAF

No. 461 Squadron RAAF
A No. 461 Squadron Sunderland Mark V landing at Pembroke Dock, Wales in 1944
Active	25 April 1942 – 4 June 1945
Country	Australia
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Maritime patrol
Part of	No. 19 Group RAF, Coastal Command
Motto	"They shall not pass unseen"
Battle honours	Atlantic, 1939–1945 English Channel and North Sea, 1939–1945 Biscay Ports, 1940–1945 Normandy, 1944 Biscay, 1940–1945 Arctic, 1940–1945
Disbanded	4 June 1945
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A demi-shark couped, pierced by a harpoon
Squadron Codes	UT (April 1942 – August 1943, July 1944 – June 1945)
Aircraft flown
Patrol	Short Sunderland

No. 461 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II which operated under Royal Air Force control flying in Europe and over the Atlantic. The Squadron was formed in 1942 and was disbanded in 1945.

Squadron history

No. 461 Squadron was formed at RAF Mount Batten in Britain on 25 April 1942 as an anti-submarine squadron. Equipped with Short Sunderland aircraft the Squadron began flying operational anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic in July. While some of No. 461 Squadron's aircrew had previously served with No. 10 Squadron RAAF most of the aircrew were inexperienced and required further training and flight experience. No. 461 Squadron encountered its first U-Boat in September but was not successful in sinking any submarines during 1942. The Squadron flew a number of transport flights to Gibraltar in October in support of Operation Torch. During 1943 No. 461 Squadron mainly conducted daylight anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay. These patrols exposed the Squadron's aircraft to frequent attacks by German fighters. The Sunderland aircraft were fitted with a heavy defensive armament, however, and were often successful in beating off fighter attacks. During 1943 the Squadron sank a total of three submarines and damaged several other submarines. By May 1943 No. 461 Squadron was fully equipped with the more advanced Mark III Sunderland. This aircraft allowed the Squadron to operate at night. Equipped with these improved aircraft the Squadron continued to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic, including patrols in support of the Allied landing in Normandy. During 1944 the squadron sank three submarines and damaged a further three.

Following the liberation of France the numbers of German U-boats in the Atlantic declined and No. 461 Squadron made few contacts with the enemy between October 1944 and the end of the war. No. 461 Squadron was disbanded at Pembroke Dock on 4 June 1945.

During the war No. 461 destroyed a total of six German submarines. These submarines were:

• U-332 (1 May 1943)
• U-461 (30 July 1943)
• U-106 (2 August 1943)
• U-571 (28 January 1944)
• U-385 (10 August 1944)
• U-270 (13 August 1944)

In exchange, the squadron lost 20 Sunderlands to enemy action and accidents. 86 squadron members of all nationalities were killed on operations.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 461 Squadron RAAF, data from

From	To	Aircraft	Version
April 1942	May 1943	Short Sunderland	Mk.II
August 1942	June 1945	Short Sunderland	Mk.III
February 1945	June 1945	Short Sunderland	Mk.V

Squadron bases

Bases and ports used by no. 461 Squadron RAAF, data from

From	To	Base	Remark
25 April 1942	31 August 1942	RAF Mount Batten, Devon
31 August 1942	21 April 1943	RAF Hamworthy Junction, (Poole Harbour) Dorset
21 April 1943	20 June 1945	RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales	Det. at RAF Sullom Voe, Shetland Islands, Scotland, 28 September 1944 – 29 October 1944

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 461 Squadron RAAF, data from

From	To	Name
May 1942	August 1942	Wing Commander N.A.R. Halliday
August 1942	January 1943	Wing Commander R.C.O. Lovelock
January 1943	February 1944	Wing Commander D.L.G. Douglas, DFC
February 1944	February 1945	Wing Commander J.M. Hampshire, DFC
February 1945	June 1945	Wing Commander R.R. Oldham

References

Bibliography

• Ashworth, Norman. The Anzac Squadron: a history of No 461 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force, 1942–1945. Carlisle, Western Australia: Hesperian Press, 1994. ISBN 0-85905-198-6.
• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Eather, Steve. Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 1995. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
• Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain(Historians) Ltd., 1988, p. 484. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, a Concise History. Volume 4, maritime and transport units. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1995.
• Southall, Ivan. They shall not pass unseen. Sydney, Australia: Angus & Robertson, 1956.

External links

• Australian War Memorial: 461 Squadron RAAF
• RAAF Museum: 461 Squadron