459 Squadron RAAF Roll of Honour

About

Brass plaque dedicated to the memory of Airmen from the Squadron who died in the Midle East and Mediterranean during World War II. There are 73 names listed on the Roll of Honour. Additional Information 459 Squadron was formed at Burg-el-Arab on 10 February 1942 as a maritime patrol squadron. It joined 201 Group of the Royal Air Force's Middle East Command and commenced operations off the Egyptian coast on 14 February. Initially, the squadron was equipped with two Lockheed Hudson aircraft and four Bristol Blenheims borrowed from 203 Squadron RAF but by May was fully equipped with Hudsons. The Mediterranean Sea was the focus of the squadron's operations throughout 1942 and it operated from several airfields in Egypt and Libya. Until the Allied victory at El Alamein in October, the squadron's main role was to interdict German watercraft running supplies between Tobruk and Mersa Matruh - the closest landing point to their defensive position. Once the German land forces began to retreat following their defeat at El Alamein, 459 Squadron roamed wider escorting Allied shipping, and seeking out and attacking enemy shipping across the eastern Mediterranean as far north as the Greek islands. During 1942, detachments from 459 Squadron also conducted anti-submarine patrols over the Red Sea from Khormaksar in Aden (current day Yemen), and around Cyprus from St Jean in Palestine. In April 1944 the squadron relocated to Palestine and, operating from a succession of airfields (Ramat David, April - May 1944; St Jean, May - August 1944; Berka, August 1944 - February 1945) continued anti-shipping patrols and bombing attacks around the Greek islands. In February 1945, 459 Squadron proceeded to Egypt and sailed for the United Kingdom, for retraining on Wellingtons prior to joining Coastal Command. 459 Squadron was disbanded at Chivenor in Devon on 10 April 1945. Battle Honours South-East Europe 1942-1945, Egypt and Libya 1940-1943, El Alamein, Mediterranean 1940-1943 (Source: Australian War Memorial www.awm.gov.au)