No. 126 Squadron — Persian Gulf

No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron was reformed on 28 June 1941 at Takali, Malta, when a flight of No. 46 Squadron en route to the Middle East was diverted to reinforce the island’s air defences. Flying Hurricanes in its first months, the squadron was re-equipped with Spitfire Vs from March 1942 and played a sustained role in Malta’s aerial defence during the island’s most severe period of siege. As the siege lifted following the Allied victories in North Africa, the squadron moved onto the offensive, operating over Sicily and then Italy during 1943 and into 1944. In April 1944 the squadron transferred to the United Kingdom, coming under No. 10 Group and the Allied Expeditionary Air Force, where it flew Spitfire IXs and later North American Mustangs on escort and offensive sweep operations including support for the D-Day landings. The squadron’s badge — a Maltese Cross beneath a laurel wreath — directly commemorates its formative service over Malta, and its motto, “Foremost in attack,” reflects the aggressive fighter role it sustained across three theatres. It was finally disbanded at Hethel on 10 March 1946.