No. 179 Squadron RAF
No. 179 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare unit active during World War II. It was formed on 1 September 1942 at RAF Skitten in Caithness, equipped with Wellington Mk VIII Leigh Light aircraft (16 frontline plus 4 additional aircraft). The squadron began with aircraft and crews drawn from No. 172 Squadron, No. 3 Operational Training Unit, and No. 612 Squadron, with additional ground staff from 172. The initial establishment planned for eight aircraft, a flight commander, and six trained crews, with more personnel and planes joining over the following months.
The squadron operated from Gibraltar and later conducted patrols from airfields in the United Kingdom, including RAF Chivenor, RAF Benbecula, RAF Predannack, and RAF St Eval in Cornwall. In November 1944 it converted to Warwick aircraft, and in February 1946 part of the squadron (179X) began converting to Lancasters while 179Y retained Warwicks until it was renumbered as No. 210 Squadron RAF.
No. 179 Squadron was finally disbanded on 30 September 1946. It had a successful anti-submarine record, credited with destroying eleven German U-boats during the war.
Motto: Delentum deleo (I destroy the destroyer). Squadron badge: a lantern in front of a harpoon. Squadron code: OZ (used November 1944 – September 1946). Active 1 September 1942 – 30 September 1946. Country: United Kingdom. Branch: Royal Air Force.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:04 (CET).