No. 600 Squadron — City of London

No. 600 (City of London) Squadron was formed on 14 October 1925 at RAF Northolt as a unit of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, moving to RAF Hendon in 1927 where it remained as its peacetime home until the eve of war. Redesignated as a fighter squadron in 1934, it entered the Second World War equipped with Bristol Blenheim 1F long-range fighters and was assigned to No. 11 Group, Fighter Command. Following costly daylight sorties during the German advance into the Low Countries in May 1940, the squadron was confined to night operations only, and received its first Bristol Beaufighters in September 1940 — among the earliest RAF units to operate airborne interception radar in the night-fighter role. After two years defending British skies from bases including Catterick and Predannack, the squadron deployed to North Africa in November 1942, then to Malta and mainland Italy, flying night-fighter and intruder missions across the Italian campaign until re-equipping with de Havilland Mosquitoes in January 1945. By its disbandment on 21 August 1945 it had accumulated the highest night-fighter score of any squadron in the Royal Air Force.