No. 184 Squadron RAF

No. 184 Squadron RAF
Cannon Barrel with the Kings crown, created with Corel Draw
Active	1942-1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	NIHIL IMPENETRABILE

No. 184 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron during the second world war.

History

No.184 Squadron was formed at RAF Colerne on 1 December 1942, as a fighter bomber unit equipped with the Hawker Hurricane. Initially, Mark IIDs with 40 mm anti-tank cannon were received and the squadron trained with the Army in ground attack practice guns, bombs and rockets, replaced the IIDs and rockets became the main anti-tank weapon used by the Second TAF. Attacks on enemy shipping began on 17 June 1943 and cross-channel operations became No.184's main task.

In October 1943, four Spitfires were received for conversion training but in December it was the Typhoons which replaced the Hurricanes. With these the squadron began a series of attacks on enemy communications in preparation for the invasion. On 27 June 1944, the squadron moved to Normandy and supported the 21st Army Group throughout the battle of Normandy and the subsequent advance to the Netherlands by attacking enemy tanks and transport. After spending the winter in the Netherlands, it moved to Germany on 21 March 1945, claiming to be the first squadron based on German soil during World War II on 21 March 1945.

Ground support was continued right up until the end of the war until 184 was disbanded on 10 September 1945 at Flensberg in Germany.Interestingly the Royal Air Force Church at St. Clement Danes in London has the queens crown despite the squadron disbanding before Elizabeth ascended the thrown.

Aircraft operated

Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
1942-1943	Hawker Hurricane	IID
1943-1944	Hawker Hurricane	IV
1943	Supermarine Spitfire	VB
1944-1945	Hawker Typhoon	IB

References

• History of 184 Squadron with photos supplied by pilots and relatives
• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.