No. 312 Squadron — Czechoslovak

No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron was formed at Duxford on 29 August 1940, its aircrew drawn from Czechoslovak pilots who had escaped the Nazi occupation via France. Equipped initially with Hurricanes, the squadron flew air-defence patrols over Merseyside during the Battle of Britain, claiming its first victory — a Junkers Ju 88 over Liverpool — on 8 October 1940. Re-equipped with Spitfires from late 1941, it ranged over occupied France on offensive sweeps and bomber-escort work before joining the 2nd Tactical Air Force’s No. 84 Group in 1943 as a fighter-bomber unit. The squadron supported the Dieppe landings, intercepted V-1 flying bombs, and flew cover for the Normandy invasion before advancing with Allied forces into Germany. Over the course of the war its pilots flew 17,472 combat sorties. The squadron returned to Prague in August 1945 and was formally disbanded as an RAF unit on 15 February 1946.