No. 53 Squadron RAF

No. 53 Squadron RAF
No. 53 Squadron
Active 15 May 1916–25 October 1919
28 June 1937–15 June 1946
1 November 1946–14 September 1976
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Size Squadron
Motto "United in effort"

No. 53 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.

Contents

History

No. 53 squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Catterick on 15 May 1916. Originally intended to be a training squadron, it was sent to France to operate reconnaissance in December that year. The squadron was equipped with BE2Es—swapped for the RE8 in April 1917. It returned the UK in March 1919 to Old Sarum where it was disbanded on 25 October 1919.

The squadron reformed on 28 June 1937 at RAF Farnborough with the Hawker Hector for Army Cooperation; specialising in night reconnaissance. The squadron was given the Bristol Blenheim light bomber in January 1939 and moved to France in September. Following the German attack on France in May 1940, the squadron returned to the UK. From here it undertook bombing and reconnaissance missions.

In 1940 it was transferred from RAF Fighter Command to RAF Coastal Command, thereafter alternating between No. 16 Group RAF and No. 19 Group RAF. It moved to RAF St Eval, Cornwall for anti-submarine and anti-shipping operations. In July 1941 the Blenheims were replaced by the Lockheed Hudson. In July 1942 the squadron was transferred to the Eastern Seaboard of the USA, from there it moved to Trinidad. It returned to Cornwall, RAF Davidstow Moor and was given Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys in early 1943. It moved on to stations in Norfolk but by May was operating the Consolidated Liberators at RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire.

In September 1944 it was transferred to Iceland where it stayed until the end of the war in Europe. It came back to the UK to RAF St Davids, joining Transport Command to carry troops to India. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Gransden Lodge on 15 June 1946.

It was reformed on 1 November 1946 with Dakotas which it used throughout the Berlin Airlift and was then disbanded again on 31 July 1949.

The squadron reformed the next day at RAF Topcliffe with Handley Page Hastings transports. Blackburn Beverleys replaced the Hasting in 1957. It was disbanded at Abingdon on 28 June 1963.

On 1 November 1965 at RAF Fairford it reformed as the RAF's first and only squadron with the Short Belfast. It moved to RAF Brize Norton in 1967, and remained there until disbanding on 14 September 1976.

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Manson, Jock. United in Effort: The Story of No.53 Squadron Royal Air Force, 1916-1976. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-85130-260-2.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
  • Sturtivant, Ray I.S.O. and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Staplefield, West Sussex, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Squadron RAF No. 298 — Le Squadron RAF No. 298 fut un squadron de la Royal Air Force pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, de 1942 à 1946. Sa devise était Silent We Strike (en français : Nous frappons en silence) Histoire 1942. Le 24 août, le squadron No. 298 est… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Squadron RAF No. 138 — Le Squadron RAF No. 138 fut un squadron[1] de la Royal Air Force, consacré à des missions aériennes de chasse, d’opérations spéciales et de bombardement, créé en 1918 et définitivement démantelé en 1962. Sa devise était : ‘’For freedom’’.… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Squadron RAF No. 299 — Le Squadron RAF No. 299 fut un squadron de la Royal Air Force, pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, à partir de novembre 1943.. Histoire 1943. Le 4 novembre, le squadron RAF No. 299 est formé au terrain RAF de Stoney Cross, Angleterre, en tant que …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Squadron RAF No. 90 — Le Squadron RAF No. 90 (aussi connu sous l appellation Escadron XC) est d abord un escadron de chasse de la Royal Flying Corps, lors de sa création le 17 octobre 1917, bien qu il n ait jamais participé aux opérations militaires. Il est dissous en …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Squadron RAF No. 161 — Le Squadron RAF No. 161 fut pendant la Première Guerre mondiale une unité de bombardement de jour de la Royal Air Force, et fut utilisé pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale pour acheminer dans les pays d Europe occupée, à partir du terrain RAF de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • No. 144 Squadron RAF — Squadron 144 RAF crest No. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Contents 1 World War I …   Wikipedia

  • No. 16 Squadron RAF — Active 10 February 1915 – Present Role Elementary Flying Training …   Wikipedia

  • No. 41 Squadron RAF — Official Squadron Badge of No. 41 Squadron RAF Active 14 July 1916 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 46 Squadron RAF — No. 46 Squadron Active 19 April 1916 31 August 1975 Country United Kingdom Branch Royal Air Force Size squadron No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps …   Wikipedia

  • No. 233 Squadron RAF — Active 31 August 1918 15 May 1919 18 May 1937 – 15 December 1945 1952 1957 1 September 1960 – 31 January 1964 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 269 Squadron RAF — The official No. 269 Squadron badge Active 6 October 1918 – 15 November 1919 7 December 1936 – 10 March 1946 1 January 1952 – 24 M …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”