No. 120 Squadron

Endurance

Group
Coastal Command

About

No. 120 Squadron reformed on 2 June 1941 at RAF Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland and became the first squadron in Coastal Command to operate the Very Long Range version of the Consolidated Liberator — the aircraft that finally closed the mid-Atlantic ‘air gap’ that U-boats had used as a haven beyond the reach of land-based patrols. Flying from Northern Irish bases and a detachment at Reykjavik in Iceland, it began anti-submarine work in September 1941 and went on to claim more U-boats than any other squadron in Coastal Command.

Its crews were at the centre of the decisive convoy battles of the Battle of the Atlantic, including the running fights around convoy HX.217 in December 1942 and the climactic actions of May 1943. The squadron’s most successful pilot, Terence Bulloch, sank or shared in the destruction of several U-boats and became the most effective anti-submarine airman of the war. Its motto was the single word Endurance.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including History of War — No. 120 Squadron (RAF) in the Second World War and Wikipedia: No. 120 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

A RAF Coastal Command Liberator aircraft from No. 120 Squadron commanded by Flight Lieutenant A.W. Fraser, of Queensland (Australia), attacked and subsequently sank the German type IXD2 U-boat U 200, which is seen receiving direct hits forward of the conning tower. U 200 was sunk south-west of Iceland, in position 58.15N - 25.25W, by 2 depth charges, 68 dead (all hands lost, including 7 members from the German special forces "Brandenburg" unit).
ⓘ licence & creditAustralian armed forces / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U-200_Luftangriff.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Coastal Command, 1939-1945. Consolidated Liberator GR Mark IIIs of No. 120 Squadron RAF rounding the mountains of Iceland after taking off from Reykjavik to escort an Arctic convoy.
ⓘ licence & creditHensser H (F/O), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Coastal_Command,_1939-1945._CS344.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Coastal Command, 1939-1945. Flight-Lieutenant T M Bulloch of No. 120 Squadron RAF, a successful anti-submarine pilot, with six of the crew of his Consolidated Liberator, probably taken at Nutt's Corner, County Antrim. They are, seated (left to right): Pilot Officer M F Dear (2nd pilot), Flight Lieutenant Bulloch (pilot and Captain), and Pilot Officer M B Neville (navigator); standing (left to right): Sergeant F N Hollies, Sergeant J W Turner, Sergeant G Millar and Sergeant R McColl.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Coastal_Command,_1939-1945._CH4017A.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Coastal Command, 1939-1945. Flight Lieutenant A W Fraser and his crew, stand in front of their Consolidated Liberator Mark I, AM929 'H', of No. 120 Squadron RAF, at Reykjavik, Iceland, after sinking the German type IXD2 submarine U-200 on 24 June 1943. Fraser was awarded a bar to his DFC for attacking the U-boat in the face of determined anti-aircraft fire, and for bringing his damaged aircraft and crew safely back to base following the engagement. Left to right: Sergeant A W Parsons (flight engineer), Flight-Sergeant K Johnson (wireless oeprator/air gunner), Flight-Sergeant W Stott (wireless operator/air gunner), Flight Lieutenant A W Fraser (pilot), Flight-Sergeant L C Heiser (nvaigator), Flight-Sergeant E A Mincham (wireless operator/air gunner), and Sergeant H J Oliver (2nd pilot).
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Coastal_Command,_1939-1945._C3767.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Coastal Command A convoy seen from 'X for X-Ray', a No 120 Squadron Liberator based at Aldergrove. The aircraft made contact after a flight of several hours at low-level to avoid icing conditions in the clouds. For a further three hours it patrolled out to the front and rear of the convoy, also keeping an eye on stragglers, but there was no sign of any U-boats.
ⓘ licence & creditHensser H (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_1939-1945-_Coastal_Command_CH9602.jpgView source & full licence →
American Aircraft in Royal Air Force Service 1939-1945- Consolidated Model 32 Liberator. Liberator Mark I, AM910, on the ground following conversion as an anti-submarine aircraft by Scottish Aviation Ltd at Prestwick, Ayrshire. ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) ocean-scanning radar, and four 20mm fixed cannon mounted in a tray under the sealed forward half of the bomb-bay, have been installed. In September 1941, AM910 joined No. 120 Squadron at Nutts Corner, County Antrim, as ‘OH-M’, serving until 13 April 1942, when it was damaged and reduced to spares.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Aircraft_in_Royal_Air_Force_Service_1939-1945-_Consolidated_Liberator_GR_Mk.I._ATP9767C.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Coastal Command The smiling crew of a No 120 Squadron Liberator, 'X for X-Ray', photographed at Aldergrove in the small hours of the morning, prior to taking off on a convoy patrol far out into the Atlantic, April 1943.
ⓘ licence & creditHensser H (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_1939-1945-_Coastal_Command_CH9587.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Coastal Command No. 120 Squadron Liberator III's undergoing daily inspections at Aldergrove, April 1943. Here, an armourer cleans out the gun barrels of the rear turret.
ⓘ licence & creditHensser H (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_1939-1945-_Coastal_Command_CH18031.jpgView source & full licence →
A Royal Air Force Liberator Mark I (serial AM910) on the ground following conversion as an anti-submarine aircraft by Scottish Aviation Ltd at Prestwick, Ayrshire. ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) ocean-scanning radar, and four 20mm fixed cannon mounted in a tray under the sealed forward half of the bomb-bay, have been installed. In September 1941, AM910 joined No. 120 Squadron at Nutts Corner, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (UK), as "OH-M", serving until 13 April 1942, when it was damaged and reduced to spares.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberator_I_RAF_with_ASV_radar_1941.jpgView source & full licence →
Consolidated Liberator Mk.I of 120th Squadron Coastal Command RAF, used since December 1941
ⓘ licence & creditMartin Čížek / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberator_120_Squadron.jpgView source & full licence →
American Aircraft in Royal Air Force Service 1939-1945- Consolidated Model 32 Liberator. Liberator GR Mark IIIs, FK228 "M" and FL933 "O", of No. 120 Squadron RAF, lined up with other aircraft at Aldergrove, County Antrim. The third aircraft in line is a GR Mark V, FL952, of No. 86 Squadron RAF. The Mark IIIs are equipped with ASV Mark II anti-submarine radar, while FL952 carries centrimetric ASV radar in a radome under the nose.
ⓘ licence & creditHensser H (Fg Off), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Aircraft_in_Royal_Air_Force_Service_1939-1945-_Consolidated_Model_32_Liberator._CH18035.jpgView source & full licence →

Known personnel (1)

NameRankStationDates
Bulloch, Terence Malcolm — — ? – ?