No. 124 Squadron — Baroda

No. 124 (Baroda) Squadron RAF was first formed in March 1918 at Old Sarum but disbanded that August after serving only as a training unit. It was reformed on 10 May 1941 at RAF Castletown, equipped with Spitfires, and spent its opening months in Fighter Command’s 13 Group defending the Royal Navy’s anchorage at Scapa Flow. Moving south to Biggin Hill in late 1941, the squadron participated in convoy patrols and took part in operations during the Channel Dash before transitioning to high-altitude interception duties using the Spitfire Mk VI and VII, countering Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft over Britain. In early 1944 it joined No. 141 Wing of the Second Tactical Air Force, escorting bombers of No. 2 Group and USAAF B-17s ahead of the Normandy landings. During the final months of the war the squadron re-equipped with the Spitfire Mk IX to carry out dive-bombing attacks on mobile V-2 launch sites around The Hague, flying its last wartime sortie on 24 April 1945. Converting to the Gloster Meteor in July 1945, it was renumbered No. 56 Squadron on 1 April 1946.