No. 173 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 Squadron that was a communications unit in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Formation in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

The squadron formed on 9 July 1942 at Heliopolis

Heliopolis (Cairo Suburb)

Modern Heliopolis is a district in Cairo, Egypt. The city was established in 1905 by the Heliopolis Oasis Company, headed by the Belgian industrialist Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain, as well as Boghos Nubar, son of the Egyptian Prime Minister Nubar Pasha.-History:The Baron Empain, a well known...

, Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

 and equipped with the Hawker Audax and it went on to operate many other types of aircraft. It was renamed the 'Middle East Communications Squadron' on 29 February 1944.

Postwar

The squadron reformed as a ferry unit on 1 Feb 1953 and was finally disbanded on 2 Sep 1957.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 173 Squadron RAF

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
Jun 1942	Feb 1943	Hawker Audax	I
Jul 1942	Jul 1943	Westland Lysander Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...	II
Jul 1942	Aug 1943	Hawker Hart Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...	II
Jul 1942	Sep 1943	Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...	I
Jul 1942	Sep 1943	Bristol Blenheim Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...	IV
Jul 1942	Sep 1943	Airspeed Oxford Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...	III
Jul 1942	Oct 1943	de Havilland Moth Major De Havilland DH.60 Moth The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
Jul 1942	Oct 1943	Percival Gull Percival Gull The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.-Design and development:...	Six
Jul 1942	Oct 1943	Miles Magister Miles Magister -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter. Miles Aircraft = The early years. Tonbridge: Air-Britain, 2009. ISBN 978 0 85130 410 6...	I
Jul 1942	Jan 1944	Douglas Boston	III
Jul 1942	Jan 1944	Lockheed Electra Lockheed Electra Lockheed Electra refers to two distinct aircraft designs:* Lockheed Model 10 Electra, a ten-passenger piston engine aircraft of the 1930s, which had two immediate variants:...
Jul 1942	Feb 1944	Percival Proctor Percival Proctor The Percival Proctor was a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model.-Design and development:...	I
Jul 1942	Feb 1944	Lockheed Lodestar
Jul 1942	Feb 1944	Fairchild Argus	I
Aug 1942	Oct 1942	de Havilland Dragon Rapide De Havilland Dragon Rapide The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
Dec 1942	Apr 1943	Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...	I
Feb 1943	Feb 1943	Stinson Reliant Stinson Reliant The Stinson Reliant was a popular single-engine four to five seat high-wing monoplane manufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing Corporation of Wayne, Michigan.-Design and development:...
Feb 1943	Feb 1943	Junkers Ju 52 Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...	3m
Feb 1943	Sep 1943	Short Scion Senior Short Scion Senior |-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C.H. with revisions by Derek N. James. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989 . ISBN 0-85177-819-4....
Mar 1943	Apr 1943	Hawker Hardy	I
Apr 1943	Sep 1943	Bristol Beaufighter Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...	IF
Sep 1943	Feb 1944	Avro Anson Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...	I
Feb 1953	Sep 1957	Avro Anson	C.19
Feb 1955	Sep 1957	Vickers Varsity Vickers Varsity -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 21st edition, 2008. ISBN 9-780859-791342....	T.1

External links

• Squadron history (and more) on RafWeb
• Squadron history on the official RAF website