No. 89 Squadron

No. 89 Squadron reformed on 25 September 1941 at RAF Colerne as a dedicated night-fighter unit, equipping with the Bristol Beaufighter before deploying to the Middle East in November of that year. Operating from RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt, the squadron flew defensive night patrols protecting the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal, claiming its first kill — a Heinkel He 111 — on 3 March 1942. Detachments served at Malta and along the North African coast, where night intruder sorties were added to the defensive brief. In October 1943 the entire squadron transferred to Ceylon, flying patrols from Vavuniya and Minneriya, before moving again to Baigachi in Bengal in August 1944 to begin offensive night intruder operations over Burma. De Havilland Mosquitoes arrived from February 1945 and equipped the squadron for the remainder of hostilities, with the unit finally disbanding on 1 May 1946 at the end of its overseas commitment.