| This Unit was formed on 16th July 1940 as No 2
Mechanical Transport Company. It was set up in Cambridge, the offices
being in Kings College and the airmen accommodated in Queens College.
The earliest records held on the Unit show that the Company ran 63,700
miles and carried 1,200 tons of freight during October 1943. It is also
noted that no hours were lost due to air raids. On 23rd March
1945 the Unit moved, the first of many to Royal Air Force Stow-Cum-Quay,
Cambridge. The strength of the Unit then was 15 Royal Air Force and 7
Woman Auxillary Air Force Officers, 251 airmen and 52 airwomen. Mileage
covered was up to 194,000 miles a month, carrying 4,145 tons. An entry
in the Unit Diary for 8th May 1945 reads as follows ‘VE Day
- After a Church Parade the Unit was given a day off except for skeleton
staff.’ WAAF personnel were disestablished in December 1945 and did
not return to the Unit until a few years ago. In 1946 the Company moved
to Royal Air Force Leicester East with a strength of 10 Officers and 364
other ranks to be followed 18 months later in 1947 by another move to
RAF Warton. A detachment at Woodvale worked principally at Liverpool
Docks in connection with troop ships and American freight. In April 1949
the Unit found itself at RAF Bicester with detachments at Bottesford,
Harby, Warton, Handforth and Stafford – then moved to RAF Lichfield in
late 1952 achieving Squadron status on the 1st June 1954. In
1955 their were 2 Flights 'A' and 'B'. 'A' Flight had 30 personnel who
drove vehicles up to 7½ tons; and 'B' Flight 20 personnel who drove the
'heavies' such as Matadors and Leyland Hippos and the
towing of Queen Mary Trailers. During the period 55-56 their was a
Driving School for M.O.D. civilians - the Crest signifying
the carrying of heavy and valuable loads with the gold coloured
log was approved in April 1957. Due to the impending closure of
RAF Lichfield a final move was made in March 1958
to RAF Stafford where the Squadron is currently based. |
