No. 81 Squadron RAF

On 1 December 1939 the Communications Squadron at Mountjoie, France (see fr:Montjoi), operating de Havilland Tiger Moths, was redesignated No.

In September the squadron embarked on the carrier HMS Argus, which transported them towards Murmansk in Northwest Russia, deploying them to Vaenga Airfield as part of Operation Benedict.

After a few weeks of operations the Hurricanes were handed over to the Soviets and the RAF personnel left to return to the UK at the end of November.

[2][5] When it arrived back at the UK, it was re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfires at RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, being declared operational on 1 February 1942.

It moved to RAF Hornchurch near London in May, flying its first operation, escorting Hurricanes bombing Bruges on 1 June.

[7] It arrived at Alipore, India in December 1943, equipped with more modern Spitfire VIII, starting operations in January, flying fighter and ground attack missions in support of the Second Battle of Arakan and the Battle of Imphal as part of the RAF Third Tactical Air Force.

In October, the squadron was sent to Java during the Indonesian War of Independence, flying tactical reconnaissance duties and covering Allied road convoys, while attacking nationalist held airfields and ammunition dumps.

[2][10] It received a few Percival Pembrokes for survey operations in 1956 and began converting to the English Electric Canberra in 1958,[2] flying its last Meteor mission on 7 July 1961, retaining the Canberra until the Squadron was disbanded as part of Britain's withdrawal from bases East of Suez on 16 January 1970.