No. 116 Squadron RAF
| No. 116 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1917–18 (RFC) 1941–45 & 1952–58 (RAF) |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Bomber Commandand Anti-Aircraft Calibration |
| Motto(s) | "Precision in Defence"[1] |
| Aircraft | Lysander Hawker Hurricane Tiger Moth Avro Anson Airspeed Oxford Vickers Varsity Avro Lincoln |
| Battle honours | World War I1917-1918 World War II Home Defence 1941-1945 |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge | In front of a flash of lightning, a pair of dividers. |
| Squadron codes | ZD(Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) II(Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) |
No. 116 Squadron RAFwas aRoyal Air Forcesquadron first formed as part of theRoyal Flying Corpsduring theFirst World War.Reformed as part of the RAF during theSecond World Warit served as an anti-aircraft calibration unit and also operated post-war from 1952 until 1958.
History
[edit]The squadron was formed atRAF Andoverin December 1917. The nameplate No. 116 Squadron RAF was applied to the squadron as of 1 April 1918 whilst it was atRAF Netheravon.The squadron was disbanded at Feltham in the same year. It was resurrected as No. 116 Squadron from 1. Anti-Aircraft Calibration Flight (AACF) at Hatfield in February 1941 flying various aircraft during the Second World War (Lysanders, Hurricanes, Spitfires, Oxford and Tiger Moths) before being disbanded a second time atHornchurchin May 1945.[2]
During its time as an AACF, the squadron helped to calibrate the predictors on Anti-Aircraft batteries and so ended up with many detachments spread out across the United Kingdom. Flights were flown fromRAF Digby,[3]RAF Hendon,RAF Heston,RAF Croydon,RAF North Weald,RAF Gatwick[4]and Redhill.[5]
It was reformed a second time in August 1952 from 'N' calibration flight atRAF Wattonand continued for six years in this role flying Lincolns, Ansons, Hastings and Varsity aircraft.[6]Its role at RAF Watton was as part of the Central Signals Establishment which would deploy 116 Squadron (and others) as Radio Counter Measure aircraft during exercises involving not only the RAF, but other nation's forces too.[7]It was disbanded at RAF Watton in 1958 to becomeNo. 115 Squadron RAF.[2]
References
[edit]- ^Pine, L.G. (1983).A dictionary of mottoes(1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.179.ISBN0-7100-9339-X.
- ^abLake, Alan (1999).Flying units of the RAF: the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912.Shrewsbury: Airlife. p. 225.ISBN1-84037-086-6.
- ^Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1981).Military airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands.Cambridge, England: Stephens. p. 85.ISBN0-85059-484-7.
- ^Jacobs, Peter (2009).Airfields of the D-Day invasion air force: 2nd Tactical Air Force in south-east England in World War Two(1 ed.). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Aviation. p. 189.ISBN978-1-84415-900-0.
- ^Halley, James J. (1980).The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force.Tonbridge, Kent: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. 152.ISBN0-85130-083-9.
- ^Bowyer, Michael J.F. (1979).Wartime military airfields of East Angela, 1939-1945.Cambridge: Patrick Stephens. p. 209.ISBN0-85059-335-2.
- ^"History of Watton, Norfolk".www.historyofwatton.org.uk.Retrieved12 March2018.
External links
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