| No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron RAuxAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 14 June 1929 – 20 April 1945 10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957 June 2001 – present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
| Role | Logistics |
| Part of | No 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing, RAF A4 Force |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Nil Time ("Fear nothing")[1][2][3] |
| Colors |  |
| Battle honours | France & Low Countries, 1940 Battle of Britain, 1940 Home Defence, 1940–45 Fortress Europe, 1940–44 Channel & North Sea, 1940–44 France & Germany, 1944 Normandy, 1944 All these honours are emblazoned on the squadron standard[4] |
| Commanders | |
| Honorary Air Commodore | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester[5] |
| Notable commanders | Christopher Frederick "Bunny" Currant Joseph Berry |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A boar's head couped[3] The boar's head is taken from the arms of Gloucester; the animal is also noted for its courage[1][2] |
| Squadron Codes | ZH (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[6][7] SD (Sep 1939 – Apr 1945 and 1949 – 1951)[8][9] RAB (May 1946 – 1949)[10][11] |
No. 501 Squadron was the 14th of the 21 flying units in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force,[12] the volunteer reserve part of the British Royal Air Force. The squadron won seven battle honours,[4] flying Hurricane, Spitfire and Tempest fighter aircraft during World War II, and was one of the most heavily engaged units in RAF Fighter Command. In particular, the Squadron saw extensive action during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain. At present the unit is not flying any more and has a logistics role as part of No 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing.
- ^ a b Moyes 1976, p. 263.
- ^ a b Rawlings 1978, p. 455.
- ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 389.
- ^ a b Barrass, M. B. (2016). "No. 500–520 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ^ Hunt 1972, p. 296.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 52.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, pp. 92–93.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, pp. 105–106.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 184.
- ^ Hunt 1972, p. 293.