No. 277 Squadron RAF

No. 277 Squadron RAF
Active	22 December 1941 – 15 February 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	Latin: Quaerendo servamus ("We save by seeking")
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A winged hand rising from water
Squadron Code	BA (December 1941 – February 1945)

No. 277 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an air-sea rescue unit in World War II.

History

Formation in World War II

The squadron formed at Stapleford Tawney on 22 December 1941 equipped with the Westland Lysander and Supermarine Walrus. Boulton Paul Defiants and Supermarine Spitfires were then supplied for spotting downed aircrew in the English Channel.

The Vickers Warwick which could drop lifeboats was operated from November 1944 and the squadron was able to increase its area of operations with a detachment based at RAF Portreath. The squadron was disbanded On 15 February 1945.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 277 Squadron RAF^[1]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
Dec 1941	Jun 1944	Westland Lysander	II
Dec 1941	Feb 1945	Supermarine Walrus	IA
May 1942	May 1943	Boulton Paul Defiant	I
Feb 1943	May 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	HC
Nov 1943	Feb 1945	Supermarine Sea Otter
Apr 1944	Feb 1945	Supermarine Spitfire	VB
Nov 1944	Feb 1945	Vickers Warwick	I

References

External links

Currently activeInactiveAustralian Flying Corps units
attached to the RAF
during the First World WarArticle XV (Commonwealth) air force units attached to the RAF during the Second World War

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)	400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)	450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 466 467
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)	485 486 487 488 489 490

Squadrons formed from
non-Commonwealth personnel
during the Second World War

Argentine 164 Belgian 349 350 Czechoslovak 310 311 312 313 Dutch 320 (Netherlands) 321 (Netherlands) 322 (Dutch) French 326 327 328 329 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 Greek 13 335 336 Norwegian 330 331 332 333 334 Polish 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 315 316 317 318 663 United States 71 121 133 Yugoslav 351 352

Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Special Reserve	500 501 502 503 504
Auxiliary Air Force	600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 622

Fleet Air Arm of the RAF
(1924–1939)