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Valentia |
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Name : Valentia Manufacturer : British biplane cargo aircraft built by Vickers Production Began : 1934 Retired : 1944 Number Built : 28 |
The Valentia first entered service with No. 70 Squadron RAF at Hinaidi, Iraq in 1934,[2] equipping British forces in India, Persia and Iraq. Like the preceding Vernons and Victorias, the Valentias were extensively used for transport operations in the Middle East, and when necessary used for bombing operations with bomb racks under the wings. Valentias were also experimentally fitted with loudspeakers used to address people being overflown (in this case potentially rebellious tribes during air policing duties). The Valentia was also used for experiments with aerial refuelling by Alan Cobham. Valentias were used for night bombing operations over the Western Desert in 1940 and remained in service with the Iraq and Persia Communications Flight until 1944. The South African Air Force pressed a Valentia into service as a bomber in the East African Campaign in 1940-41 |
| Pilots and Aircrew for : Valentia | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Pitt-Brown, W Bill Click the name above to see a profile of Pitt-Brown, W Bill | Pitt-Brown, W Bill After Cranwell Bill Pitt-Brown was posted to India where he saw service on the North-West Frontier with 31 Squadron flying Wapatis and Valencias. When the Japanese attacked in the far east he was posted to command 5 Squadron flying H75A Mohawk fighters in Assam and on the Imphal and Arakan fronts. Returning to the UK he was given command of 174 Squadron with Typhoons which he led through the Normandy Invasion. In August 1944 he became Wing Leader of 121 Wing. He was rested in October 1944 after a total of more than 100 operational sorties. He went on to high command of the RAF after the war. "Memories of Normandy are coloured by the enemy speed of reaction to our air supremacy. In the first few days after D-Day the enemy rushed forward to confront the Allies. We created havoc by picking off targets to jam the traffic and then methodically flaming the lot. Very large losses of German tanks and MT were inflicted in the fluid situation. Then suddenly by day nothing in the area was immediately visible. The German guns and tanks had dug in hull-down in the deep bocage country hedges which were perfect for camouflage. MT moved cautiously in shade and shadow. The vicious close-quarter tank and infantry fighting was largely unseen. Air attacks on map references were acknowledged by the Army to be effective but were frustrating since results were seldom seen except for transport brew ups. The picture was transformed when the Allies burst out of the bridgehead primarily through sheer force of numbers. the whole area east of Avranches - Vire, Mortain, Flers, Falaise, Argentan erputed and became a seething mass of enemy trying to retreat. The air forces smashed, burnt and killed. It seemed unbelievable that so much enemy force could have been concealed; now that they were all in the open, the slaughter, explosions, and fires burning from endless daily air attack obliterated everything. It was deadful; dead horse-drawn transport, bloated farm animals and humans all contributed to the sickly sweet smell of death. The enemy escaped annihilation by being highly disciplined even after such a defeat. Their losses were appalling but their retreat was never a rout." | |
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| Squadrons for : Valentia | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have flown the Valentia. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
No.216 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st April 1918 Fate : The squadron was disbanded on 20 March 2014. CCXVI dona ferens - 216 bearing gifts | No.216 Sqn RAF Number 216 Squadron can trace its roots to 'A' Squadron, RNAS, which formed at Manston on 5 Oct 1917 with four Handley Page 0/100s. After moving to Ochey in France as a strategic night bomber squadron, it was redesignated No. 16 Squadron, RNAS, on 8 Jan 1918. When the RAF was formed on 1 Apr 1918 was renumbered No. 216 Squadron, and soon afterwards became part of the Independent Force under Major General Trenchard flying Handley Page 0/400s. Between the two world wars the squadron used Vickers Vimy, Vickers Victoria and Vickers Type 264 Valentia aircraft on transport duties around the Middle East. During the Second World War, with a few exceptions, such as the attacks from 17 to 21 June 1940 by single aircraft of No. 216 Squadron on the airfields of El Adem and Tobruk,[1] the unit was principally a transport squadron, operating the Vickers Type 264 Valentia, Bristol Bombay, Vickers Wellington, Lockheed Hudson and Douglas Dakota. deployed to Greece from October 1944 to August 1946 as the primary transport unit for British forces involved in the Greek Civil War he Dakotas remained on strength until late 1949 when they were replaced by Valettas, and a move to Lyneham in 1955 was followed by introduction of the Comet jet transport in to RAF service a year later. Later versions of the Comet were flown until the Squadron was disbanded (for the first time) on 30 June 1975. After a brief reformation as a maritime strike squadron with Buccaneers in 1979-80, No. 216 Sqn was 'reactivated' (it was never officially disbanded) in its current form on 1 November 1984 at Brize Norton with Tristars. As a dual role tanker/transport squadron, No. 216 has been part of many of the UK's subsequent operations, and took a leading role in Operation Allied Force with three aircraft based in Italy in support of NATO aircraft. In 1984 the RAF purchased a further three Tristar 500s from Pan-Am. Of the three ex-Pan Am aircraft one was stored and the remaining two formed the backbone of the air trooping service to the Falkland Islands as Tristar C2s, carrying 267 passengers in an airline configuration. The stored aircraft was upgraded with military radios and avionics, becoming the C2A. No. 216 Squadron has deployed the Tristar fleet in support of many high profile missions including the Gulf War (for which it received a desert paint scheme,) Operation Allied Force (Kosovo,) Operation Veritas and Operation Herrick (Afghanistan) and Operation Telic (Iraq 2003), Operation Ellamy (Libya). The squadron was disbanded on 20 March 2014. | |
No.244 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 25th July 1918 Fate : Disbanded 1st May 1945 CCXVI dona ferens - 216 bearing gifts | No.244 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
No.31 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 11th October 1915 In caelum indicum primus - First into Indian skies | No.31 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
No.70 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 22nd April 1916 Usquam - Anywhere | No.70 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
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