No. 540 Squadron RAF

No. 540 Squadron RAF was a photoreconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1956.

No. 540 Squadron RAF
Active19 Oct 1942 – 30 Sep 1946
1 Dec 1947 – 31 Mar 1956
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RolePhotographic reconnaissance
Part ofNo. 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 heraldryA mosquito[3]
The badge indicates the squadron as the first user of the de Havilland Mosquito[2]
Squadron CodesDH (Nov 1945 – Sep 1946
and Dec 1947 – Aug 1953)[4][5]

History

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
540 Squadron Canberra PR.3 at London Heathrow airport in June 1953

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]

1953 London to Christchurch air race

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.

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 540 Squadron RAF, data from[2][3][6]
FromToAircraftVersion
October 1942December 1942Supermarine SpitfireMk.IV
October 1942May 1943de Havilland MosquitoMk.I
October 1942September 1943de Havilland MosquitoMk.IV
December 1942September 1943de Havilland MosquitoMk.VIII
July 1943March 1945de Havilland MosquitoMk.IX
May 1944September 1946de Havilland MosquitoMk.XVI
November 1944September 1945de Havilland MosquitoMk.VI
November 1944November 1945de Havilland MosquitoMk.XXXII
November 1945October 1946de Havilland MosquitoMk.XXXIV
December 1947October 1951de Havilland MosquitoPR.34
April 1951September 1953de Havilland MosquitoPR.34a
December 1952March 1956English Electric CanberraPR.3
June 1953September 1954English Electric CanberraB.2
May 1954March 1956English Electric CanberraPR.7

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 540 Squadron RAF, data from[2][3][6][8]
FromToBaseRemark
19 October 194229 February 1944RAF Leuchars, FifeDets. At RAF Benson, Oxfordshire and RAF North Front, Gibraltar
29 February 194429 March 1945RAF Benson, OxfordshireDets. at RAF North Front, Gibraltar; RAF Agadir, Morocco;
RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire; Yagodnik, Russia;
RAF Dyce, Aberdeenshire and RAF Leuchars, Fife
29 March 194523 September 1945Coulommiers, France
23 September 19456 November 1945RAF Mount Farm, Oxfordshire
6 November 194530 September 1946RAF Benson, Oxfordshire
1 December 194726 March 1953RAF Benson, Oxfordshire
26 March 195331 March 1956RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 540 Squadron RAF, data from[2][9]
FromToName
October 1942May 1943W/Cdr. M.J.B. Young, DFC
May 1943March 1944W/Cdr. Lord M. Douglas-Hamilton, OBE
March 1944September 1944W/Cdr. J.R.H. Merifield, DSO, DFC
September 1944W/Cdr. A.H.W. Ball, DSO, DFC

See also

References

Notes
  1. Rafcommands
  2. Rawlings 1982, p. 231.
  3. Halley 1988, p. 405.
  4. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 30.
  5. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 149.
  6. Jefford 2001, p. 98.
  7. Bowyer 1984, p. 115.
  8. Bases and airfields used on www.rafcommands.com
  9. 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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