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No. 541 Squadron RAF

No. 541 Squadron RAF
Spitfire PR Mark XI, PL775, of No. 541 Squadron RAF
Active19 October 1942 – 1 October 1946
1 November 1947 – 7 September 1957
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Motto(s)Alone above all[1]
Insignia
Squadron BadgeA birds eye speedwell flower[2]
Squadron CodeES (October 1945 – Dec 1946)[3]
WY (November 1947 –1951)[4]
A (1951 –1954)[5]

No. 541 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a photographic reconnaissance squadron in World War II.

History

Formation in World War II

The squadron formed at RAF Benson on 19 October 1942 from 'B' and 'F' flights of No. 1 PRU,[6] and was equipped with Spitfires to fly missions over Europe.[7] It also received Mustang aircraft in July 1944 and operated some Lancaster bombers for UK mapping purposes after hostilities ceased. One of the squadrons first commanders following its formation was John Saffery.[8]

Wartime detachments operated from Gibraltar in 1943, providing imagery of North Africa,[9] and from RAF Leuchars in the same year with missions flown into Norway looking for the battleship Scharnhorst.[10]

It disbanded in October 1946, with the Lancaster Flight becoming No. 82 Squadron.[11]

Postwar

The squadron reformed at RAF Benson on 1 November 1947,[12] and in December 1950 its Spitfires were replaced with Meteors which it operated from RAF Bückeburg, RAF Laarbruch and RAF Gütersloh before it disbanded again on 7 September 1957.[13]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 541 Squadron RAF
From To Aircraft Variant
Oct 1942 Jan 1943 Supermarine Spitfire D
Oct 1942 Sep 1944 Supermarine Spitfire IV
Nov 1942 Dec 1942 Supermarine Spitfire IX
Dec 1942 Mar 1946 Supermarine Spitfire XI
May 1944 Apr 1945 Supermarine Spitfire X
Jun 1944 Oct 1946 Supermarine Spitfire XIX
Dec 1942 Mar 1946 Supermarine Spitfire XI
Jul 1944 Jun 1945 North American P-51 Mustang III
Oct 1945 Apr 1946 Gloster Meteor F.3
Feb 1946 Oct 1946 Avro Lancaster PR1
Nov 1947 May 1951 Supermarine Spitfire PR 19
Dec 1950 Sep 1957 Gloster Meteor PR 10

References

  1. ^ Pine, L G (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & K. Paul. p. 10. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^ "541 Sqn | RAF Heraldry Trust". rafht.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  3. ^ Lake 1999, p. 295.
  4. ^ Lake 1999, p. 302.
  5. ^ Lake 1999, p. 294.
  6. ^ Lake 1999, p. 156.
  7. ^ "No.541 Squadron". www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  8. ^ Price, Alfred (2012). Spitfire : pilots' stories. Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-7524-6734-4.
  9. ^ Fairbairn 1991, p. 72.
  10. ^ "Veteran returns to RAF Leuchars after 67 years". BBC News. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  11. ^ Lake 1999, pp. 217, 267.
  12. ^ Lake 1999, p. 267.
  13. ^ Fairbairn 1991, pp. 80, 115.

Sources

  • Fairbairn, Tony (1991). Action Stations Overseas. Sparkford: P. Stephens. ISBN 1-85260-319-4.
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF : the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
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