No._540_Squadron_RAF
No. 540 Squadron RAF
Photoreconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force
No. 540 Squadron RAF was a photoreconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1956.
| No. 540 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 19 Oct 1942 – 30 Sep 1946 1 Dec 1947 – 31 Mar 1956 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Photographic reconnaissance |
| Part of | No. 18 Group RAF, Coastal Command No. 16 Group RAF, Coastal Command No. 106 Group RAF, Coastal Command[1] |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Sine qua non (Translation: "Indispensable")[2][3] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A mosquito[3] The badge indicates the squadron as the first user of the de Havilland Mosquito[2] |
| Squadron Codes | DH (Nov 1945 – Sep 1946 and Dec 1947 – Aug 1953)[4][5] |
Formation and World War II
The squadron was formed on 19 October 1942[2][3][6] from 'H' and 'L' flights of No. 1 PRU[2][7] at RAF Leuchars as a photoreconnaissance unit with the de Havilland Mosquito. It operated from Leuchars to carry out missions over Norway and Germany, while a detachment based at RAF Benson carried out similar missions over France and Italy. Another detachment, based at RAF Gibraltar covered the south of France and Algeria, but from 1944 on the unit was wholly based at RAF Benson, the range of the later Mosquito permitting missions deep in Austria or to the Canary Islands. In March 1945 the squadron went overseas, to Coulommiers in France, coming back to the UK in November, again at RAF Benson where the unit was disbanded on 30 September 1946,[3] when it was renumbered to 58 Squadron.[6]
Post-war
On 1 December 1947 No. 540 squadron was reformed at Benson,[3] from the Mosquito element of 58 Squadron,[6] taking up its old role and still flying Mosquitoes again as well. In December 1952 these gave way to English Electric Canberras, the last Mosquito leaving in September 1953. By that time the squadron had moved to RAF Wyton, where the unit disbanded on 31 March 1956.[3][6]
In 1953 the squadron formed a "NZ Air Race Flight" to train and carry out the RAF participation in the 1953 London to Christchurch air race, Flight Lieutenant Monty Burton won the race in Canberra PR3 WE139 now on public display at the Royal Air Force Museum.
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 1942 | December 1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.IV |
| October 1942 | May 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.I |
| October 1942 | September 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.IV |
| December 1942 | September 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.VIII |
| July 1943 | March 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.IX |
| May 1944 | September 1946 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XVI |
| November 1944 | September 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.VI |
| November 1944 | November 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XXXII |
| November 1945 | October 1946 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XXXIV |
| December 1947 | October 1951 | de Havilland Mosquito | PR.34 |
| April 1951 | September 1953 | de Havilland Mosquito | PR.34a |
| December 1952 | March 1956 | English Electric Canberra | PR.3 |
| June 1953 | September 1954 | English Electric Canberra | B.2 |
| May 1954 | March 1956 | English Electric Canberra | PR.7 |
| From | To | Base | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 October 1942 | 29 February 1944 | RAF Leuchars, Fife | Dets. At RAF Benson, Oxfordshire and RAF North Front, Gibraltar |
| 29 February 1944 | 29 March 1945 | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire | Dets. at RAF North Front, Gibraltar; RAF Agadir, Morocco; RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire; Yagodnik, Russia; RAF Dyce, Aberdeenshire and RAF Leuchars, Fife |
| 29 March 1945 | 23 September 1945 | Coulommiers, France | |
| 23 September 1945 | 6 November 1945 | RAF Mount Farm, Oxfordshire | |
| 6 November 1945 | 30 September 1946 | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire | |
| 1 December 1947 | 26 March 1953 | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire | |
| 26 March 1953 | 31 March 1956 | RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire |
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| October 1942 | May 1943 | W/Cdr. M.J.B. Young, DFC |
| May 1943 | March 1944 | W/Cdr. Lord M. Douglas-Hamilton, OBE |
| March 1944 | September 1944 | W/Cdr. J.R.H. Merifield, DSO, DFC |
| September 1944 | W/Cdr. A.H.W. Ball, DSO, DFC |
Notes
- Rawlings 1982, p. 231.
- Halley 1988, p. 405.
- Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 30.
- Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 149.
- Jefford 2001, p. 98.
- Bowyer 1984, p. 115.
- Bowyer 1984, p. 117.
Bibliography
- Bowyer, Chaz (1984). Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1425-6.
- Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
- Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
- Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
- Sturtivant, Ray, ISO; Hamlin, John (2007). RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
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