No. 233 Squadron

No. 233 Squadron was reformed at RAF Tangmere on 18 May 1937, initially equipped with Avro Ansons in the general reconnaissance role under No. 18 Group, Coastal Command. By the outbreak of war it had moved north to RAF Leuchars, from where it flew anti-shipping and anti-submarine patrols over the North Sea before relocating to St Eval and then Aldergrove for Bay of Biscay duties. In December 1941 a detachment deployed to Gibraltar, and by July 1942 the entire squadron had assembled there, flying Hudson patrols that accounted for several U-boat engagements; on 1 May 1942 an attack on U-573 forced the submarine to surface and eventually surrender. The squadron supported Operation Torch by providing cover for the Allied landings in French North Africa in November 1942, and continued anti-submarine operations under both Coastal Command and Mediterranean Air Command until early 1944. Re-equipped with Douglas Dakotas in March 1944, it transferred to No. 46 Group and the Allied Expeditionary Air Force, towing gliders and dropping paratroops of the 3rd Parachute Brigade on D-Day, then flying re-supply sorties during Operation Market Garden at Arnhem and participating in the Rhine crossing in March 1945. The squadron was disbanded on 15 December 1945 when it was merged into No. 215 Squadron.