[3] The squadron reformed on 22 November 1940 at RAF Castletown, in Caithness in the north of Scotland, receiving Hawker Hurricane I fighters in December that year.

[4][9] In October 1941, the squadron moved to the Western Desert, carrying out fighter sweeps, ground attack and bomber escort missions in support of the Operation Crusader offensive,[4][10] and covering the retreat of British and Allied forces from Rommel's counteroffensive early in 1942.

In May 2012, CNN reported a Polish oil company worker in Egypt discovered a crash-landed 260 Sqn P-40 aircraft presumably piloted by Flt Sgt Dennis Copping, who went missing on 28 June 1942 and was never heard from again.

Copping was part of a two plane formation flying defective aircraft from the landing ground at Biur el Baheira to 53RSU, a Recovery & Service Unit at Wadi Natruna.

[13] British authorities hoped to bring the remarkably well-preserved plane back to the RAF Museum in London,[14] but these plans fell through.