No. 463 Squadron RAAF

Motto: "Press on regardless."
Badge: In front of a star of seven points four sledgehammers in saltire. The badge was selected by the squadron as indicative of the number of crew carried by its aircraft and its operations in the sky. The seven points of the star can also be taken to suggest the seven states of the Commonwealth of Australia. The four sledgehammers refer to the weight of the attack and the four-engined bombers with which the unit was equipped.
Authority: King George VI, April 1945.

No. 463 Squadron was formed at Waddington, Lincolnshire, on 25th November 1943, as a Lancaster bomber squadron in No. 5 Group; it was formed from "C" Flight of No. 467 Squadron. It began operations the following day with an attack on Berlin, this being followed by more raids on that city and on other major targets. The squadron was prominent in the bombing offensive in connection with the Allied invasion of Europe and' from one of its Lancasters (Mk. 1, PD329) recorded on film the successful attack on the Tirpitz in Tromsö fjord by Nos. 617 and 9 Squadrons in November 1944.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:
Formed 25.11.43 as No. 463 (Bomber) Squadron from "C" Flt of No. 467 (Bomber) Squadron at

• Waddington, Lincs : Nov 1943 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Avro Lancaster B.I, B.III : Nov. 1943 onwards

Code Letters:

• "P0" until 1.12.43, then changed to "JO"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 26/27th November 1943 : 6 Lancasters despatched to Berlin

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 25/26th April 1945 : 14 Lancasters despatched to bomb an oil refinery & tankerage at Vallo (Tonsberg).

Last Mission before VE Day:

• 6th May 1945 : 12 Lancasters (including 1 "servicing aircraft") ferried 236 ex-POWs home to UK from France.

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