Description

No.213 Squadron started life as the RNAS Seaplane Defence Flight on the coast of Flanders and progressed to Pups and Camels for the rest of the Great War.  It reformed with Gauntlets at Northolt in 1937, but it was not long before it received the revolutionary Hurricane. During the Battle of Britain 213 was very much in the front line, before moving to Yorkshire, then Scotland.  May 1941 found 213 in Egypt; it also operated in Syria and Cyprus, before progressing through Libya in support of the 8th Army. In 1944 the squadron received the Spitfire, soon followed by the Mustang, which it flew intensively on sweeps over Albania and Yugoslavia from Italian bases.  After the war in Europe ended, 213 operated in Palestine and then again in Cyprus. The Mustangs gave way to Tempests, then Vampires. In 1956 it received the mighty Canberra, which it operated in Germany until disbandment in 1969.