No. 218 Squadron — Gold Coast

Group
3 Group
Home station
RAF Methwold

About

No. 218 Squadron took the name “Gold Coast” after the West African colony (now Ghana) whose people adopted it. It went to war flying the Fairey Battle and was savaged in the fighting in France in 1940; after re-forming at home it flew the Bristol Blenheim, then the Vickers Wellington, and from the end of 1941 the Short Stirling, before finally taking the Avro Lancaster at RAF Methwold in 1944. It served in No. 3 Group, with a long spell at RAF Downham Market.

The squadron’s name is forever linked with Flight Sergeant Arthur Aaron, who on the night of 12/13 August 1943 — though his Stirling was wrecked and he was mortally wounded — helped bring the aircraft down at Bone in North Africa to save his crew, and was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including History of War — No. 218 Squadron (RAF) in the Second World War and Wikipedia: No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Photographs

The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany 1939-1945 Fairey Battles of No 218 Squadron, Royal Air Force on patrol in France. These aircraft were regarded as being advanced when they first went into service in 1937, but in May 1940 they were too slow and lightly armoured and consequently suffered heavy losses in the Battle for France.
ⓘ licence & creditDevon S, Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairey_Battle_-_The_Strategic_Air_Offensive_Against_Germany_1939-1945_C454.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force- France, 1939-1940. Ground crew working on a Fairey Battle of No. 218 Squadron at Auberive-sur-Suippes. Note the attempt to camouflage the site with cut fir saplings
ⓘ licence & creditDaventry B J (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairey_Battle_-_Auberive_-_Royal_Air_Force-_France,_1939-1940._C1058.jpgView source & full licence →
A sergeant armourer checks the fuze of a 1,000-lb GP bomb before it is winched by hand into the bomb bay of a Short Stirling of No. 218 Squadron RAF at Downham Market, Norfolk.
ⓘ licence & creditMinistry of Information Photo Division Photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombing_up_218_Squadron_Stirling_WWII_IWM_D_8977.jpgView source & full licence →
{{nl|1=Cromstrijen, Numansdorp, Hallinxweg. Oorlogsgraven. The Netherlands. .}}
ⓘ licence & creditWikifrits / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Numansdorp_oorlogsgraven.jpgView source & full licence →
Six war graves in the Protestant cemetery of Numansdorp, 37 Hallinxweg, the Netherlands. In the photograph are three Commonwealth war graves and three Dutch war graves. Elsewhere in Numansdorp cemetery are two other Commonwealth war graves, including one Polish airman.
ⓘ licence & creditNannix / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Commonwealth_war_graves_-_The_Netherlands_-_Numansdorp_protestant_cemetery.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Armourers loading 1,000-lb GP bombs into a Short Stirling of No. 218 Squadron RAF at Downham Market, Norfolk, prior to an operation. Note the use of the hand winch to hoist the ordnance into the bomb bay.
ⓘ licence & creditMinistry of Information Photo Division Photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._D8973.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Mechanics at work on an engine of Avro Lancaster B Mark III, LM577 'HA-Q' "Edith", of No. 218 Squadron RAF on a pan hardstanding at Chedburgh, Suffolk. "Edith's" sortie tally shows a total of 84 bombing operations achieved with Nos. 622 and 218 Squadrons, in addition to which the aircraft also flew 14 food-dropping and prisoner-of-war repatriation sorties to and from Holland in May 1945. By this time relegated to a training role, LM577 completed more flying hours than any other Lancaster on the station.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer, RAF Chedburgh / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH15460.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Armourers attach carriers to two 1,000-lb GP bombs before manoeuvring the bomb trolley under a Short Stirling Mark I of No. 218 Squadron RAF at Downham Market, Norfolk. Note the hoist cables hanging from the bomb-bay winches, and the trolley-accumulator under the aircraft, supplying power to the Stirling's electricity supply.
ⓘ licence & creditMinistry of Information Photo Division Photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._D8976.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. The air and ground crews responsible for the maintenance, servicing and flying of a Short Stirling B Mark I of No. 218 Squadron RAF at Marham, Norfolk. Standing at the front is the aircrew; captain, second pilot, flight engineer, observer (navigator), wireless operator, air gunner/bomb aimer and two air gunners. Behind them stand the meteorological officer, a WAAF parachute packer and the Flying Control officer. In the third rank stand 12 flight maintenance crew and 18 ground servicing crew, and behind them the tractor driver with his bomb-train in front of the 11-strong 'bombing-up' team. Behind the aircraft to the left is the refuelling team of 3 airmen with their petrol bowser, and finally, to the right, the oil bowser and its driver.
ⓘ licence & creditForward (F/O), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH5988.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. A Mark I 4,000-lb HC bomb ('cookie') is prepared for loading into Short Stirling Mark I, 'HA-D', of No. 218 Squadron RAF at Marham, Norfolk, before a night raid on Emden, Germany.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer, Forward (Fg Off) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH17887.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. A bomb train, loaded with Small Bomb Containers (SBCs) filled with 4-lb incendiaries, arrives in front of Short Stirling Mark I 'HA-T' of No. 218 Squadron RAF at Marham, Norfolk, in preparation for a raid on Emden, Germany.
ⓘ licence & creditForward (F/O), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH6278.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force in France, 1939-1940. Three Fairey Battle Mark Is, K9353 ‘HA-J’, K9324 ‘HA-B’ and K9325 ‘HA-D’, of No. 218 Squadron RAF, based at Auberives-sur-Suippes, in flight over northern France. K9325 went missing during an attack on enemy troops near St Vith on 11 May 1940, and K9353 was shot down north of Bouillon the following day. K9324 survived the Battle of France to serve with the RAAF until 1944.
ⓘ licence & creditStanley Devon / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairey_Battle_-_Royal_Air_Force_in_France,_1939-1940._C449.jpgView source & full licence →
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1939-1945- Fairey Battle. Three Battle Mark Is, K9353 ‘HA-J’, K9324 ‘HA-B’ and K9325 ‘HA-D’, of No. 218 Squadron RAF, based at Auberives-sur-Suippes, in flight over northern France. K9325 went missing during an attack on enemy troops near St Vith on 11 May 1940, and K9353 was shot down north of Bouillon the following day. K9324 survived the Battle of France to serve with the RAAF until 1944.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aircraft_of_the_Royal_Air_Force,_1939-1945-_Fairey_Battle._C2116.jpgView source & full licence →
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Vickers Wellington. Wellington Mark IC, R1448 ‘HA-L’ “Akyem-Abuakwa”, of No. 218 Squadron RAF, on the ground at Marham, Norfolk. R1448 was presented to the RAF by the Gold Coast Fund.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aircraft_of_the_Royal_Air_Force_1939-1945-_Vickers_Wellington._CH3477.jpgView source & full licence →
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Short S.29 Stirling. Stirling Mark I, W7530 ‘HA-Q’, of No. 218 Squadron RAF based at Marham, Norfolk, in flight.
ⓘ licence & creditForward (Flying Officer), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aircraft_of_the_Royal_Air_Force_1939-1945-_Short_S.29_Stirling._CH6308.jpgView source & full licence →
Armourers loading 1,000-lb GP bombs into a Short Stirling of No. 218 Squadron RAF at RAF Downham Market, Norfolk, prior to an operation.
ⓘ licence & creditMinistry of Information Photo Division Photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:218_Squadron_Stirling_IWM_D_8973.jpgView source & full licence →
Mechanics at work on an engine of Avro Lancaster B Mark III, LM577 'HA-Q' "Edith", of No. 218 Squadron RAF on a pan hardstanding at Chedburgh, Suffolk.
ⓘ licence & creditRAF Chedburgh, Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:218_Squadron_Lancaster_at_RAF_Chedburgh_WWII_IWM_CH_15460.jpgView source & full licence →

Aircraft (1)

SerialCodeTypeFate
EF452 HA-O Short Stirling Lost on operations

Known personnel (1)

NameRankStationDates
Aaron, Arthur Louis Acting Flight Sergeant RAF Downham Market 1 Apr 1943 – 14 Aug 1943

Further reading & sources

External sites — facts only are reused here; their text and images remain their authors'.