No. 211 Squadron

No. 211 Squadron RAF re-formed on 24 June 1937 at RAF Mildenhall as a day bomber unit and was equipped with Bristol Blenheims by 1939, operating from the Middle East. Following Italy’s entry into the war in June 1940, the squadron flew offensive sorties against Italian targets in Libya and took part in operations supporting the Greek campaign in 1940–41, suffering grievous losses when six aircraft were shot down in a single day by Bf 109s over the Monastir Gap in April 1941. Sent to the Far East in early 1942, the squadron endured a catastrophic few weeks operating from Sumatra and Java against the Japanese advance, losing ten aircraft and 19 aircrew killed or missing, with some 340 personnel ultimately taken prisoner — of whom 179 died in captivity. The squadron was re-formed in India on 14 August 1943 and re-equipped with the Bristol Beaufighter Mk.X, flying its first Burma operations in January 1944 under No. 224 Group, Third Tactical Air Force. From that point until mid-1945 the squadron struck Japanese river craft, road transport, and coastal convoys, including a September 1944 attack alongside No. 177 Squadron that damaged at least fourteen enemy ships. In June 1945 the squadron converted to the de Havilland Mosquito VI for the final phase of operations before disbanding at Don Muang, Bangkok on 15 March 1946.