No. 250 Squadron — Sudan

No. 250 (Sudan) Squadron RAF was reformed on 1 April 1941 at RAF Aqir in Palestine, when K Flight was elevated to squadron status, and received its distinctive name and badge — featuring a river eagle native to Sudan — through the patronage of the British community in Sudan. Flying Curtiss Tomahawks, the unit initially flew defensive patrols over Palestine before a detachment began offensive sweeps over Syria in May 1941; by June the whole squadron had deployed to the Western Desert under Middle East Command. Operating within No. 211 Group and the Desert Air Force, the squadron converted to Kittyhawks in early 1942 and supported the Eighth Army through the gruelling campaigns across Libya and Tunisia, including the retreat to El Alamein and the subsequent Allied advance. In July 1943 the squadron staged through Malta to support the invasion of Sicily, moving onto Italian soil in September 1943 and thereafter flying fighter-bomber missions in support of the Allied advance up the Italian peninsula. Later re-equipping with North American Mustangs, the unit continued ground-attack operations until the German surrender in May 1945, before being finally disbanded at Treviso on 30 December 1946.