[1] The squadron was formed from several Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) flights and took part in the tail end of the First World War before being disbanded.

233 Squadron flew general reconnaissance patrols before being tasked with transportation duties just prior to D-Day.

471 Flight at Walmer flew Sopwith Camels and was used to engage enemy fighters based in Belgium.

It first used Avro Ansons for general reconnaissance until August 1938 when it was moved to Scotland and began converting to Lockheed Hudsons.

By the end of October a flight of Bristol Blenheims had been added to the squadron, undertaking patrols until January 1940.

220, 224 and 233 Squadron flew attacks upon shipping and land targets, such as airfields, virtually every day.

[6] In August several detachments from Hudson squadrons began operating out of RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland.

233 Squadron shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor long-range reconnaissance bomber which was attacking a British convoy.

233 Squadron was moved to RAF St Eval in Cornwall in August 1941 in order to fly patrols over the Bay of Biscay.

[1][7] Within the first few weeks of operations out of St Eval, the squadron damaged an enemy ship and attacked four U-boats, suffering the loss of a Hudson.

233 Squadron was sent to Gibraltar in December 1941, and gradually the rest of the unit followed (though another detachment was left at RAF Thorney Island).

[7] Later the same day, the U-boat was spotted by another Hudson, and an attack forced it to submerge, but it immediately re-surfaced and signalled its surrender.

233 Squadron took part in Operation Torch, providing cover, before the Allied landings in French North Africa.

[7] Around this time the squadron's Hudsons were mounted with rockets which gave them greater firepower when engaging U-boats that remained surfaced to fight off the attacking aircraft.

233 Squadron was equipped with Douglas Dakotas for use with airborne forces, as part of RAF Transport Command.

A company of paratroops from the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was attached to the squadron to aid in its few months of training,[7] On D-Day there were thirty Dakotas from No.

[1] The squadron then flew general transport flights between the UK and occupied Europe until twenty-four Dakotas were used for the last major offensive over the Rhine in March 1945.

Arthur Terence Maudsley was a sergeant in the early days of the war, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal before being commissioned as a pilot officer on 22 June 1940.

[12] A Canadian, Everett Large Baudoux became a pilot officer on probation in November 1939,[13] and was confirmed in that rank in March 1940.

[19] John William Barling also started in the ranks, being a flight sergeant when he was commissioned as a pilot officer on 1 May 1942.

[26] Promoted to squadron leader in 1951,[27] he retired in that rank in 1963,[28] but took a reserve commission as a flying officer in the Training Branch in 1965.

[36] Mackie took a permanent commission as a flight lieutenant at the end of the war,[37][38] was promoted to squadron leader in 1950.

[45] Promoted to flying officer in January 1943,[46] flight lieutenant in July 1944,[47] he was awarded the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air[48] and the DFC (with 233 Squadron) on 29 December 1944.

[36] Burden left full-time service after the war, but remained in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, retaining his rank,[49][50] he relinquished his commission on 7 September 1953.

During November/December 1961 the Squadron took part in the Juba River flood relief effort in Somalia, with Valettas flying the supply drops.