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230 Squadron Kita chari jauh (We search far)
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Callsign : |
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Nato Tiger Association status : full member |
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No. 230 Squadron was formed on 20 August 1918 at Felixstowe, consisting
of three flights: Nos. 327 and 328 Flight used Felixstowe F.2 and F.2A
flying boats and Fairey IIIs for maritime reconnaissance, whilst No. 487
Flight flew Sopwith Camels on escort duties. At the end of World War I, the squadron was retained as one of the few RAF coastal units. In 1920, the squadron got Felixstowe F.5 flying boats, and on 1 April 1923, it was renumbered to 480 Flight RAF. |
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On 1 December 1934, No. 230 Squadron was reformed with Short Singapore
flying boats. Wednesday 22 June 1938 the first Short Sunderland flying boat arrived. In May 1940, with Italy clearly about to enter the war, the squadron was moved to the Mediterranean where it flew reconnaissance sorties for the Mediterranean fleet and anti-submarine patrols. The squadron was based in Egypt, but from June began to use Kalafrana, Malta, as an advanced operating base. In June 1941 the squadron was given the task of administering the Dornier Do.22s of No.2 (Yugoslav) Squadron which had escaped from the German invasion of their country. This task continued until March 1942. In January 1943 the squadron returned to the Indian Ocean. The squadron was split in June when detachments were sent to the Mediterranean to provide air-sea rescue services in areas beyond the range of the Walrus as well as some transport duties. In February 1944 the squadron moved further east, to Ceylon. One yearv later, February 1945, a detachment moved to Calcutta to transport freight into Burma and casualties back out. In April the entire squadron moved to Burma and was used to attack Japanese coastal shipping between Malaya and Burma. In December 1945 the squadron finally returned to Singapore, but only for a short period, and in April 1946 it returned to the UK. Notable missions of strategic significance during this period were support of the Burma Campaign (1944) and the Berlin Airlift (1948). The squadron would be equipped with Sunderlands until 28 February 1957, when the squadron was disbanded for a second time. This also meant the end of the flying boat in RAF service. |
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On 1 September 1958 No. 215 Squadron RAF was renumbered 230 Squadron,
flying Scottish Aviation Pioneer light transport aircraft in support of
the British Army.
In November that same year the squadron moved to Cyprus as a response to
the Cyprus Emergency, flying reconnaissance operations against EOKA
Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrillas, as well as its normal
communications duties. In 1960, the squadron supplemented its Pioneers with larger Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer aircraft. September 1960, the squadron's 'A' Flight was detached to British Cameroon, flying internal security patrols as the colony prepared for the 1961 British Cameroons referendum. The flight returned to its parent formation in September 1961. Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 helicopters began to arrive in June 1962, becoming the squadron's standard equipment by the end of the year. |
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January 1963 No. 230 Squadron moved to West Germany, with a
detachment in Cyprus. The squadron returned to the UK in December 1964, before being transferred to Borneo, due to the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation in February 1965. In October 1966, the squadron again returned to the UK, resuming its detachment in Cyprus. Convertion to the Westland Puma HC1 started in November 1971, at RAF Odiham. On 14 October 1980, the squadron moved back to RAF Gütersloh, West Germany, where they remained until being disbanded and reformed at RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland in April 1992. |
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230 Squadron was one of two Northern Ireland based squadrons of the Royal Air Force. The main role of the squadron was tactical transport of the Security Forces, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and the British Army. On 17 November 2009, 230 Squadron left Northern Ireland for England. |
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On 18 May 2023 No. 230 Squadron returned to the island of Borneo as part of British Forces Brunei. |
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(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 230 markings) |
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Aircraft
Curtiss H.12 (1918-1919)
Sopwith Camel (1918)
Fairey III B/C (1918-1921)
Felixstowe F.2A (1918-1923)
Felixstowe F.5 (1920-1923)
Short Singapore Mk.III (1935-1938)
Dornier Do.22 K (ex-Royal Yougoslav Navy) (1941-1942)
Rogožarski SIM-XIV-H (ex-Royal Yougoslav Navy) (1941-1942)
Short Sunderland Mk.II (1941-1943)
Short Sunderland Mk.III (1942-1945)
Short Sunderland Mk.V (1945-1957)
Scottish Aviation Pioneer CC.1 (1958-1960)
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CC.1/CC.2 (1960-1962)
Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 (1962-1971)
Westland Puma HC.1 (1971-2012)
Westland Puma HC.2 (2013-present) |
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| Insignia | |||
 230 Squadron, 1918-1952 |
 230 Squadron, 1952-2022 |
 230 Squadron, 2022-present |
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 Royal Ulster Constabulary |
 Police Service of Northern Ireland |
British Forces in Brunei |
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text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners. |
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