No. 322 Squadron of the
Royal Air Force was formed from the Dutch personnel of
No. 167 Squadron RAF on 12 June 1943 at
RAF Woodvale. The squadron retained the code-letter combination
VL which had been used previously by No. 167 Squadron until late June 1944, when it was changed to
3W. It served at
RAF West Malling and other stations during the
Second World War. From 20 June to 9 August 1944, and equipped with Spitfire Mk XIVs, the squadron was tasked with intercepting the
V-1 Flying Bomb "doodlebug" missiles launched from the Dutch and French coasts towards London. Flying Officer was the most outstanding pilot on these '
anti-diver' patrols, claiming five of the missiles in one 90 minute flight on 8 July 1944. The total for the squadron was 108.5 destroyed. On 7 October 1945, the squadron disbanded at
Wunstorf in Germany as part of the RAF. In recognition of the squadron's wartime record, the squadron was reestablished at
Twente Airbase on 27 September 1946 as the 322e Jachtvliegtuig Afdeling (Fighter Division) of the
Royal Netherlands Army. The Dutch
No. 322 Squadron RNLAF is officially considered as the continuation of No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron, keeping its motto and mascot "Polly Grey", the parrot. ==Aircraft operated==