No. 534 Squadron RAF

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No. 534 Squadron RAF
Active2 Sep 1942 – 25 Jan 1943 [1]
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Role Turbinlite nightfighter squadron
Part of No. 11 Group RAF, Fighter Command [2]

No. 534 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

Contents

History

CWGC headstone of a member of 534 Squadron who died in the first month of its operation. WO2 Douglas Jardine was on secondment from the Royal Canadian Air Force and is buried at Chichester in England Jardine DG Chichester CWGC.jpg
CWGC headstone of a member of 534 Squadron who died in the first month of its operation. WO2 Douglas Jardine was on secondment from the Royal Canadian Air Force and is buried at Chichester in England

No. 534 Squadron was formed at RAF Tangmere, Sussex on 2 [1] September 1942, from No. 1455 (Turbinlite) Flight, [3] [4] as part of No. 11 Group RAF in Fighter Command. Instead of operating only Turbinlite and -rudimentary- Airborne Intercept (AI) radar equipped aircraft (Havocs and Bostons) and working together with a normal nightfighter unit the unit now also flew with their own Hawker Hurricanes. It was disbanded at Tangmere on 25 January 1943, [1] when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous. [5]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 534 Squadron RAF, data from [1] [3] [5]
FromToAircraftVersion
2 September 194225 January 1943 Douglas Havoc Mk.I (Turbinlite)
2 September 194225 January 1943 Douglas Havoc Mk.II (Turbinlite)
2 September 194225 January 1943 Douglas Boston Mk.I (Nightfighter)
2 September 194225 January 1943 Douglas Boston Mk.III (Turbinlite)
2 September 194225 January 1943 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 534 Squadron RAF, data from [1] [3] [5]
FromToBase
2 September 194225 January 1943 RAF Tangmere, Sussex

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 534 Squadron RAF, data from [3]
FromToName
2 September 194225 January 1943 S/Ldr. K. Matthews

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No. 532 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1451 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1451 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire on 22 May 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they co-operated at first with Hawker Hurricanes of No. 1422 Flight RAF and later with Hurricanes of 3 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 530 Squadron on 8 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 25 January 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1452 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1452 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF West Malling on 22 May 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they co-operated at first with the Boulton Paul Defiants of 264 Squadron and later with the Hawker Hurricanes of 32 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 531 Squadron on 8 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 22 January 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1454 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1454 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Colerne, Wiltshire on 27 June 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. By 26 January 1942 the flight moved to RAF Charmy Down, Somerset. On operations they co-operated with the Hawker Hurricanes of 87 Squadron, which also flew from Charmy Down. The flight was replaced with 533 Squadron on 8 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 31 January 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1455 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1455 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex on 7 July 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they co-operated with the Hawker Hurricanes of 1 Squadron and 3 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 534 Squadron on 2 September 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1456 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1456 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Honiley, Warwickshire on 24 November 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they cooperated with the Hawker Hurricanes of 257 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 535 Squadron on 2 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 25 January 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1457 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1457 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Colerne on 15 September 1941, and was equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they cooperated with the Hawker Hurricanes of 247 Squadron. By 15 November 1941 the flight moved to RAF Predannack, Cornwall. During its operational life the flight had three sightings of possible enemy aircraft. The first occasion was on 24 June 1942, when the flight lit up a suspected Ju 88 and the satellite fighters of 247 sqn fired - on a RAF Short Stirling. Others sightings occurred on 27 June and in August, but no enemy aircraft was shot down. The flight was replaced with 536 Squadron on 8 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 31 December 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1458 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1458 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Middle Wallop on 6 December 1941, from elements of No. 93 Squadron RAF, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. On operations they cooperated with the Hawker Hurricanes of 245 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 537 Squadron on 8 September 1942 but only officially disbanded as late as 25 January 1943. 537 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1459 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1459 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire on 20 September 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. By 21 September 1941 the flight moved to RAF Hibaldstow, Lincolnshire. On operations they cooperated with the Hawker Hurricanes of 253 Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1460 Flight RAF</span> Military unit

No. 1460 (Fighter) Flight was formed at RAF Acklington on 15 December 1941, equipped with Turbinlite Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. The flight became operational in May 1942 and made its first and only contact with the enemy in June of that year. On operations they cooperated first with the Hawker Hurricanes of 43 Squadron and later with those of 1 Squadron. The flight was replaced with 539 Squadron on 2 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 23 January 1943.

No. 531 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 533 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 535 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 536 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 537 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 538 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 539 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jefford 2001, p. 97.
  2. ↑ "www.rafcommands.com". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Rawlings 1978 , p. 465.
  4. ↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007 , p. 123.
  5. 1 2 3 Halley 1988 , p. 402.

Bibliography

  • 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 (1978) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (Revised ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. ISBN   0-354-01028-X.
  • 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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