| No. 256 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 De Havilland Mosquito at night takeoff at Foggia, Italy | |
| Active | 1 June 1918 – 30 June 1919 23 November 1940 – 12 September 1946 17 November 1952 – 21 January 1959 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Addimus vim viribus Latin: (we add) strength to strength |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | In front of an Anchor Azure a Ferret’s head erased Argent |
| Squadron code (1939) | SZ[1][2] |
| Squadron code (1940 – 1946) | JT[1][3] |
No. 256 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force which operated during the First and Second World Wars. Initially equipped with Dh6 and Kangaroo aircraft, it operated Defiant Mk IIs, Beaufighters, and Mosquitoes in the Second World War.
In the 1950s it was equipped with the Meteor NF11 Night/All Weather Fighter and was assigned to No 125 Wing, RAF. Based in Germany as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, it initially flew from RAF Ahlhorn in north Germany until that airfield was handed back to the German Air Force in 1958, after which the wing was re-located at RAF Geilenkirchen near Aachen.