No. 132 Squadron — City of Bombay

No. 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron reformed at Peterhead in Scotland on 7 July 1941, flying Supermarine Spitfires exclusively throughout its wartime existence. For its first year the squadron provided defensive fighter cover over northern Scotland before moving south in September 1942 to begin offensive sweeps across occupied France. By the time of the Normandy landings in June 1944 it was serving as a fighter-bomber unit within No. 125 Wing, No. 83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, and distinguished itself as the first Spitfire squadron to carry a bomb load of 1,000 lb per aircraft. The squadron advanced through France and into Belgium, accumulating claims of 29 enemy aircraft destroyed and a further 15 probable kills, along with the destruction of 253 ground vehicles and 15 midget submarines off the Normandy beaches. After returning briefly to England in September 1944, it deployed to Ceylon in early 1945 in preparation for operations against Japan, before moving to Hong Kong, where it flew anti-piracy patrols until its disbandment on 15 April 1946. Its badge, a leopard rampant, is reflected in the Latin motto Cave leopardum — Beware the leopard.