No. 243 Squadron RAF

Originally formed in August 1918 from two flights that had been part of the Royal Naval Air Service, the squadron conducted anti-submarine patrols during the final stages of World War I.

From the time of its formation, the squadron equipped with Wight Converted and Short Type 184 seaplanes carried out anti-submarine patrols off the French coast and around the Channel Islands until the end of the war and it disbanded on 15 March 1919.

Its identity was gradually lost to the evacuation of redundant personnel and by the time all fighters were withdrawn from the Singapore airfields, it no longer existed as a unit, having been disbanded on 20 January 1942.

For the rest of the Tunisian campaign, it flew sweeps and provided escorts for day bombers attacking enemy bases and transport and in June moved to Malta for similar missions over Sicily.

Escort missions and ground attack sweeps were flown over northern Italy and southern France and cover provided for the Allied landings on the French Riviera in August before the squadron was again disbanded on 31 October 1944.

Brewster B-339E of No. 243 Squadron. This aircraft was flown by Flying Officer Maurice Holder , who flew the first Buffalo sortie in the Malayan Campaign on 8 December 1941, strafing landing barges on the Kelantan River . [ 2 ] Damaged by ground fire, it was abandoned at RAF Kota Bharu , where it was captured by the Japanese. [ 2 ]
Sergeant Charles Kronk (wearing life preserver) with other members of No. 243 Squadron posing with the tail fin of a Japanese Ki-46 of 81st Sentai which he and Bert Wipiti shot down over Johore, Malaya on 10 January 1942 [ 3 ]