List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

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Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). These include Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadrons incorporated into the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918, during the First World War. Other squadrons of the RAF include those from Commonwealth air forces which have served within the RAF structure and squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm before it transferred to the Royal Navy in 1939.

Some squadrons have an individual tradition of presenting their squadron number in Roman numerals or using a suffix to their squadron number (such as "(F)" for "Fighter" or "(AC)" for "Army Co-operation") to indicate a past or present role. However, these practices have, at least in the past, been deprecated at higher levels.[1]

Contents

[edit] Regular RAF squadrons (Nos. 1-299)

[edit] Nos. 1-50

[edit] Nos. 51-100

[edit] Nos. 101-150

[edit] Nos. 151-200

[edit] Nos. 201-250

The first squadrons to carry numbers above 200 were former RNAS squadrons that were renumbered upon amalgamation with 200 added to their RNAS squadron number. Independent flights of the RNAS were grouped together in squadrons and given numbers in the 200 series.

[edit] Nos. 251-299

[edit] American manned

Main article: RAF Eagle Squadrons

[edit] Polish manned (Nos. 300-309)

See also Squadrons Nos. 315-318, 663 and Polish Fighting Team (under Other)

[edit] Czechoslovak manned

Note: the RAF never had a No. 314 Squadron, although they did use the number as No. 314 Technical Services Unit. A proposed 314 Squadron was allocated squadron codes UY for the period April to September 1939.[4]

[edit] Polish manned (Nos. 315-318)

See also Squadrons Nos. 300-309, 663 and Polish Fighting Team (under Other)

Note: the RAF never had a No. 319 Squadron; the "Polish Fighting Team" was attached to No. 145 Fighter Squadron. A proposed 319 Squadron was allocated squadron codes VE for the period April to September 1939.[4] There was also 663 Artillery Observation Squadron; No. 138 Special Duty Squadron Polish Flight "C" and No. 1586 Polish Special Duty Flight.

[edit] Dutch manned

Note: Nos. 323 to 325 Squadrons were not formed, but allocated Squadron Codes GN, PQ and EA respectively for the period April to September 1939.[4] However these numbers were used for post-war Royal Netherlands Air Force squadrons.

[edit] French manned (Nos. 326-329)

See also Nos. 340-347 Squadron

[edit] Norwegian manned

[edit] Greek manned

Note: Nos: 337-339 never formed,[5] but were allocated Squadron Codes OK, ML and KN respectively for the period April to September 1939.[4] The Royal Hellenic Air Force 13th Light Bomber Squadron was also under RAF command in World War II.

[edit] French manned (Nos. 340-347)

See also Nos. 326-329 Squadron

Note: No. 348 Squadron was not formed,[6] but Squadron codes letters FR were allocated for the period April to September 1939.[4]

[edit] Belgian manned

[edit] Yugoslav manned

[edit] Regular RAF squadrons (Nos. 353-361)

Note: Nos. 362-399 Squadrons were not formed.[7]

[edit] Article XV squadrons of World War II

Under Article XV of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the air forces of Australia, Canada and New Zealand formed squadrons for service under RAF operational control.

[edit] Royal Canadian Air Force

(Note: although squadron numbers 444–449 were also reserved for the RCAF, it did not use them during the Second World War.)

[edit] Royal Australian Air Force

(Note: although squadron numbers 465 and 468–479 were also reserved for the RAAF during the Second World War, it did not use them.)

[edit] Royal New Zealand Air Force

(Note: although the squadron numbers 491–499 were reserved for RNZAF units during the Second World War, no such squadrons were formed.)

[edit] Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons (Nos. 500-509)

Formed as "Special Reserve" squadrons but absorbed into the Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Note: No. 505, 506,507,508 and 509 Squadrons allocated Squadron codes YF, FS, GX, DY and BQ respectively for the period April to September 1939, but were never formed.[4]

[edit] Regular RAF squadrons (Nos. 510-598)

Note: No No. 599 Squadron seems to have been formed.[7] There were to have been Reserve squadrons using numbers 551-566 which would have been created by adding 500 to existing Operational Training Unit designations.[8] In the event the plan was never put into effect, although there was some desultory use of some of the numbers by some of the OTUs for a short period. Despite their lack of formal activation, this block of numbers has never been re-allocated for use by other units.

[edit] Advanced Training Squadrons (Operation Saracen and Operation Banquet)

In the event of a German Invasion the Operational Training Units would have been re-formed into the Squadrons below, under plans as part of Operation Saracen, formulated in Spring 1942, which were later revised as Operation Banquet. Some reserve Squadron numbers were used by their respective OTU's during operational tasks until at least May 1944.[9]

[edit] Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons (Nos. 600-616)

Note: No. 606 (Chiltern) Squadron was allocated Squadron codes BG for the period April to September 1939, but was not formed.[4] A non-flying No. 606 Helicopter Support Squadron of the RAuxAF was later formed in 1999.[10]

[edit] Regular RAF squadrons (Nos. 617-650)

Note: Nos. 629, 632-634, 636-638, 641-643 and 645-649 were never formed, [11] but some were allocated Squadron codes for the period April to September 1939 - 629 (LQ), 632 (LO), 636 (VZ), 637 (UK), 638 (PZ), 641 (EV), 645 (KF), 646 (YG), 647 (ZS), 648 (YT) and 649 (HA). [4] However a fictitious "633 Squadron" was featured in the eponymous novel and film. In addition, a fictitious 641 Squadron featured in the film "Mosquito Squadron". Also, RAF Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (formerly Volunteer Gliding Schools until 2005) have been numbered in the range 611 to 671 since 1955.

[edit] Air Observation Post squadrons

These squadrons were formed during the Second World War to perform artillery spotting and liaison roles, in co-operation with Army units. Most AOP squadron aircrew were provided by the Army. Nos. 661-664 and 666 Squadron were re-formed as Royal Auxiliary Air Force units in 1949. Nos. 651, 652 and 656 Squadron were transferred to the Army Air Corps in 1957.[12]

[edit] Regular RAF squadrons (Nos. 667-695)

Note: Nos. 693-694 and 696-699 Squadrons were never formed.[11]

[edit] Fleet Air Arm squadrons

While still under the control of the RAF, flights of the Fleet Air Arm were organized into squadrons with numbers in the 700 and 800 range. The range 700 to 750 had been previously used for Fleet Air Arm Catapult Flight numbers.[13]

These squadrons were transferred to the Royal Navy in 1939, becoming Naval Air Squadrons (NAS).[14] The 700 and 800 range of squadron numbers continued to be used by the Royal Navy for newly-formed Naval Air Squadrons.


[edit] Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force

[edit] Reserve Aeroplane Squadrons

[edit] Training Depot Stations RFC/RAF

[edit] Other Squadrons

The Royal Air force and Royal flying corps has always comprised a certain number of non-numbered Squadrons to fulfil special duties, experimental or one-off tasks. (This list is almost complete please fill in any gaps)

[edit] Australian Flying Corps Training Squadrons

Australian Flying corps Squadrons formed within the European Theatre attached to the Royal Flying Corps

[edit] University Air Squadrons

The majority of Universities in the United Kingdom are, or have been, represented by University Air Squadrons where under-graduates can sample the Royal Air Force and learn to fly, as well as take advantage of scholarship schemes.

[edit] Communication Squadrons

To allow rapid transport of Air Officers, staff and other important people many units and Headquarters operated communication Sections, Flights, Squadrons or wings.

[edit] Barrage Balloon Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force

Data From:-[15]

[edit] Squadron codes

Main article: List of RAF Squadron Codes

From 1939 before the Second World War to the early 1950s, squadrons of the RAF used two letter codes to identify its aircraft. They were usually painted on the sides of the plane to the left of the roundel; a third letter after the roundel identified the individual aircraft within the squadron.[16][17] During the period April to September, many such codes were provisionally allocated for future squadrons, many of which were, in the event, never formed.[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Why do some Squadrons have letter after their number? - PPRuNe
  2. ^ During the Second World War, 71 Sqn was a fighter squadron composed of US volunteer aircrews. It was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 as the 334th Fighter Squadron. 71 Sqn was also active as a fighter squadron in 1950–57.
  3. ^ See RAF Eagle Squadrons
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Airlife Publishing. ISBN 9781840370867. 
  5. ^ Axis History Forum: RAF Unit Numbers query?
  6. ^ No 330 - 352 Squadron Histories, Air of Authority
  7. ^ a b Axis History Forum • View topic - RAF Unit Numbers query?
  8. ^ No 541 - 598 Squadron Histories, Air of Authority
  9. ^ Lake, Alan. "Flying Units of the RAF".Airlife Publishing. Shrewsbury. 1999. ISBN 1 84037 086 6
  10. ^ No 605 - 610 Squadron Histories, Air of Authority
  11. ^ a b The Royal Air Force - History Section
  12. ^ No 651 - 670 Squadron Histories, Air of Authority
  13. ^ FleetAirArmArchive.net
  14. ^ No 712 - 825 Squadron Histories, Air of Authority
  15. ^ RAF Squadrons 901 - 980, Air of Authority
  16. ^ No squadron operated more than 26 aircraft
  17. ^ list of three-letter squadron codes

[edit] References

  • 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.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Lake, Alan. "Flying Units of the RAF".Airlife Publishing. Shrewsbury. 1999. ISBN 1 84037 086 6

[edit] External links
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