In June 2019, No 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force celebrated its 90th Anniversary.
From its beginnings as a bomber squadron in its early days to its modern reincarnation as a logistics support squadron in the RAF Reserves, 501 Squadron has provided trained part time Reserve personnel who in their spare time have supported Defence output.
Number 501 Squadron was formed on 14th June 1929 at Royal Air Force Filton as No 501 (City of Bristol) Squadron, a special Reserve Squadron, initially operating D.H.9As. Special Reserve Squadrons differed from Auxiliary Squadrons as they were administered directly by the Royal Air Force and commanded by a Regular Officer and manned by a large proportion of Regular Airmen. Auxiliary Squadrons were commanded by a non-regular with only a small cadre of Regular Airmen. In 1936 it became 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, converting from Westland Wallaces to Hawker Hawker Harts then to Hawker Hinds. In December 1938 No 501 Squadron was transferred from Bomber Command to Fighter Command and received their first Hawker Hurricanes in March 1939. Mobilised for active service on 23 August 1939, the Squadron initially operated out of Royal Air Force Filton doing convoy protection and anti-submarine patrols in the Bristol Channel, before moving down to Royal Air Force Tangmere, in November 1939.
To mark this milestone in their history, 501 Squadron paraded through Gloucester, to the delight of crowds and well-wishers. There was a notable absence of some personnel who are currently mobilised on operational deployments supporting their Regular colleagues and providing valuable logistic support.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the work of Reserves within the Royal Air Force. Their commitment is outstanding and we are all extremely proud to work alongside our full time counterparts, supporting Defence not just at home but globally.”
Squadron Leader Andy Marshall
Officer Commanding No. 501 Squadron RAuxAF
