No. 58 Squadron RAF

[5] In September 1918 the squadron replaced its F.E.2s with the much larger twin-engine Handley Page O/400, although its airfield at Alquines was not ideal for the large bomber, having poor operating surfaces and awkward approaches.

[6] By the end of the First World War the squadron had dropped 247 tons of bombs and fired over 400,000 rounds of ammunition while strafing ground targets.

58 Squadron was reformed on 1 April 1924 as a heavy bomber unit equipped with the Vimy at RAF Worthy Down on training duties.

[11] Steps finally began to be taken to replace its obsolete Virginia biplanes in February 1937 when it received a few Avro Ansons to prepare its crews for more modern monoplanes with retractable undercarriages.

[14][15][a] With effect from April 1942, the squadron transferred to Coastal Command, and was based at RAF St Eval flying anti-submarine patrols over the Western Approaches as part of No.

[18] In December 1942, the squadron moved to RAF Holmsley South in Hampshire, converting to the Handley Page Halifax in January 1943.

In 1953/54, the Canberras made a record breaking flight from Wyton to New Zealand via Egypt, India & Singapore, completing the journey in 24 hours.

These were replaced by Canberra PR.7s in 1955 which took part in the Operation Grapple hydrogen bomb tests at Christmas Island in the Pacific, and also were deployed to British Honduras to face a threat by Guatemala to overfly the country during an official visit by Princess Margaret.

[21] The Radar Reconnaissance Flight was created by splitting off an element of the squadron on 1 October 1951 while at Benson, it used Lincolns, Hastings and Victors until it was disbanded on 1 November 1963 at Gaydon[22] During the Suez Crisis, No.

While over Syria, WH799 was intercepted and was shot down by a Syrian Air Force Gloster Meteor, killing the navigator while the pilot and spotter both ejected and safely landed in Lebanon.