No. 587 Squadron RAF

No. 587 Squadron RAF
Active	1 December 1943 – 15 June 1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	anti-aircraft co-operation
Insignia
Squadron Codes	M4 (Dec 1943 – Jun 1946)[1][2]

No. 587 Squadron RAF was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1946.

History

The squadron was formed at RAF Weston Zoyland, England on 1 December 1943, from 1600 Flight, 1601 Flight and 1625 Flight for anti-aircraft co-operation duties over Wales and the south east of England. It operated a variety of aircraft in this role. Due to the ongoing training requirement the squadron was not disbanded at the end of the war and it moved to RAF Tangmere on 1 June 1946 to cover the south coast, but was disbanded shortly afterwards on 15 June 1946.^[3]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 587 Squadron, data from^[3][4][5]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
December 1943	February 1944	Airspeed Oxford
December 1943	May 1944	Hawker Henley	Mk.III
December 1943	June 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IV
December 1943	August 1945	Miles Martinet
March 1944	June 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIc
October 1944	June 1946	Vultee Vengeance	Mk.IV
April 1945	May 1945	North American Mustang	Mk.I
July 1945	June 1946	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.XVI

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 587 Squadron RAF, data from^[3][4][6]

From	To	Base	Remark
1 December 1943	10 April 1944	RAF Weston Zoyland, Somerset
10 April 1944	1 October 1944	RAF Culmhead, Somerset	Dets. at RAF Pengam Moors, Glamorgan, Wales; RAF Colerne, Wiltshire and RAF Carew Cheriton, Pembrokeshire, Wales
1 October 1944	1 June 1946	RAF Weston Zoyland, Somerset	Dets. at RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire and RAF Ibsley, Hampshire
1 June 1946	15 June 1946	RAF Tangmere, West Sussex

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Citations

1. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 74.
2. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 89.
3. Halley 1988, p. 414.
4. Jefford 2001, p. 98.
5. Rawlings 1982, p. 258.
6. Rawlings 1982, p. 257.

Bibliography

• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, UK, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF (retd.). RAF Squadrons: A Comprenhensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, UK, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.

External links

• Short 587 Squadron history on new MOD site
• Squadron histories for nos. 541–598 sqn on RafWeb's Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation