No. 259 Squadron

No. 259 Squadron RAF was formed in 1941 for Coastal Command work with flying boats. It operated over the Indian Ocean and Far Eastern waters, where long-range patrols were needed to watch shipping routes, search for submarines and protect Allied movement by sea. The squadron used types including the Catalina and Sunderland, aircraft suited to endurance patrols over wide ocean areas. Its war was far from the main bomber and fighter fronts in Europe, but its patrol work was part of the wider Allied struggle to keep communications open between India, the Middle East and the Far East.