No. 122 Squadron — Bombay

No. 122 (Bombay) Squadron RAF was reformed on 1 May 1941 at RAF Turnhouse, near Edinburgh, initially tasked with convoy escort patrols over the Firth of Forth flying Spitfires. Moving south to join the Hornchurch Wing, the squadron transitioned to offensive operations, conducting sweeps over northern France and taking part in the Dieppe operations of August 1942. In 1942 František Fajtl became commanding officer, the first Czech officer to lead an RAF squadron. Early in 1944 the unit re-equipped with the North American Mustang III, allowing it to fly the long-range bomber escort missions for which it became best known, accompanying both RAF Bomber Command heavies and US Eighth Air Force formations deep into enemy territory. Assigned to No. 83 Group, Second Tactical Air Force, the squadron flew intensive ground-attack sorties in support of the Normandy landings from June 1944, subsequently deploying to airstrips in France as the Allied advance progressed. After withdrawing to the United Kingdom in late 1944 it continued escort and patrol duties until the end of the war, before being renumbered as No. 41 Squadron on 1 April 1946.