299 SQUADRON

Motto:

No motto

Badge:

No badge

History of 299 Squadron:

No.299 Squadron was formed at Stoney Cross on 4 November 1943 from a nucleus supplied by C Flight of No.297 Squadron. Initially it was equipped with Venturas but in January 1944 replaced these with Stirlings. Training with the airbourne forces took up most of the squadron's time but on 5 April No.299 flew its first supply-dropping missions to France with supplies for resistance forces. On D-Day twenty-four Stirlings of the squadron took paratroops to Normandy before dawn and followed these by sixteen aircraft towing gliders into dropping zones, losing two aircraft in the process. Supply drops continued until the next major airbourne operation, the capture of the bridges at Grave, Nijmengen and Arhem. Between 17 and 23 September, the squadron dispatched fifty-four glider tugs (on the first three days) and seventy-two re-supply aircraft to Arnhem, losing five aircraft to concentrated enemy flax in the process. The final airbourne landing of the war at Wesel during the Rhine crossing met with little resistance and twenty-nine sorties were flown without loss. In May 1945, airbourne troops were taken to Oslo to disarm the German occupation forces and after a period of general transport duties the squadron disbanded on 15 February 1946.