| Unit Name: | No. 294 Squadron RAF |
| Dates: | 24 Sep 1943 – 8 Apr 1946 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | Royal Air Force |
| Role: | Air-sea rescue |
| Command Structure: | RAF Middle East Command |
| Motto: | Latin Vita ex undix abrepta |
| Identification Symbol: | An eagle volant, carrying in the claws a lifebelt |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Squadron Badge heraldry |
| Identification Symbol 2: | FD (Sep 1943 - Apr 1946) |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Squadron Codes |
No. 294 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air search and rescue (ASR) squadron active under RAF Middle East Command. During the Second World War the unit operated rescue missions for Allied aircraft and aircrew over the eastern Mediterranean and later the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.
No. 294 Squadron was formed at Berka, near Benghazi, Libya on 24 September 1943 from a former air-sea rescue flight. Equipped with the Vickers Wellington and Supermarine Walrus in the ASR role. The squadron's aircraft were detached to various airfields around the eastern Mediterranean. In October 1943 the squadron moved to Landing Ground 91 (LG.91), but still provided detachments to other airfields. In March 1944 the squadron moved to Idku, still in Egypt, and re-equipped with the Wellington Mk.XI and later also the Wellington Mk.XIII and the Vickers Warwick. In June 1945 the squadron moved to RAF Basra, Iraq to provide rescue cover in the Persian Gulf and Arabian sea until it was disbanded on 8 April 1946.
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1943 | March 1944 | Mk.Ic | Twin-engined bomber operated in the search and rescue role. | ||
| September 1943 | April 1946 | Mks.I, II | Single pusher-engined biplane rescue amphibian | ||
| March 1944 | November 1944 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.XI | Twin-engined bomber operated in the search and rescue role. | |
| May 1944 | April 1946 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.XIII | Special ASR version of the twin-engined bomber | |
| November 1944 | April 1946 | Mk.I | Twin-engined bomber operated in the search and rescue role. |
| 24 September 1943 | 5 October 1943 | Dets. at RAF Limassol, RAF Lakatamia Cyprus; LG.07; Mellaha, Libya; Derna, Libya; Gambut, Libya | ||
| 5 October 1943 | 29 March 1944 | Dets. at RAF Lakatamia Cyprus; Berka III, Libya; Derna, Libya; Mellaha, Libya; RAF Castel Benito, Libya; LG.07; RAF St Jean, Palestine and RAF Hergla, Tunisia | ||
| 29 March 1944 | 6 June 1945 | RAF Idku, Egypt | Dets at Gambut 3, Libya; Berka III, Libya; RAF El Arish, Egypt and RAF Nicosia, Cyprus | |
| 6 June 1945 | 8 April 1946 | Dets. at RAF Sharjah, Trucial States; RAF Masirah, Oman and RAF Muharraq, Bahrain |
| September 1943 | December 1943 | F/Lt. S.A.M. Morrison | |
| January 1944 | February 1945 | W/Cdr. R.G.M. Walker, DFC | |
| February 1945 | June 1945 | W/Cdr. D.B. Bennett, DFC |