No. 113 Squadron

No. 113 Squadron RAF was reformed at Upper Heyford on 18 May 1937 as a day bomber unit, re-equipping with Bristol Blenheims by mid-1939 whilst based in the Middle East. At the outbreak of war the squadron was part of Egypt Group, RAF Middle East, and flew its first offensive sorties in June 1940, attacking Italian positions at El Adem. It took part in the ill-fated Greece campaign in March–April 1941, where repeated Luftwaffe attacks destroyed virtually every aircraft on the ground within days of the German invasion. Following the fall of Greece the squadron redeployed eastward, and after Japan entered the war it was committed immediately to the defence of Burma, flying Blenheims against Japanese airfields and advancing columns before withdrawing to India in early 1942. By September 1943 it had converted to Hawker Hurricane IICs for ground-attack work, and in 1944–45 served under No. 221 Group, Third Tactical Air Force, fighting through the battles of Imphal, the Mandalay campaign, and the final drive to Rangoon before disbanding on 15 October 1945.