No. 114 Squadron RAF

No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron RAF
Active	27 Sep 1917 - 1 Apr 1920 1 Dec 1936 – 1 Sep 1946 1 Aug 1947 – 31 Dec 1957 5 May 1959 – 29 Sep 1961 30 Sep 1961 – 31 Oct 1971
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto	"With speed I strike".
Insignia
Squadron Heraldry	A Cobra head
Squadron Codes	114 (Mar 1937 - Apr 1939) FD (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) RT Sep 1939 - Sep 1946)

History

Formation and World War I

No. 114 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed In Lahore, India on 27 Sep 1917. It was equipped with the B.E.2 and Bristol F2B and operated on the North-West Frontier. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force before it was disbanded on 1 April 1920.

Reformation and World War II

The squadron reformed in 1936 at Wyton, equipped first with Hawker Hinds and then Bristol Blenheims. In July 1940 the squadron was evacuated from Vraux, France due to the German advance and lost most of its aircraft.

The squadron was transferred to RAF Coastal Command before returning to RAF Bomber Command in July 1941. It was moved to Algeria in November 1942 and took part in Operation Torch, it then operated from Sicily and Italy, having been re-equipped with Douglas Boston aircraft, which it retained until the end of the war when they were replaced with the De Havilland Mosquito.

View from a 114 Squadron bomber on a raid on Herdla, Norway.

Post War

The squadron reformed in Egypt in 1947 with Dakota transport aircraft. It then operated Valettas, Chipmunks and the Argosy until it was finally disbanded in 1971.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 114 Squadron RAF

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
Sep 1917	Oct 1919	B.E.2
Oct 1919	Apr 1920	Bristol F2	b
Sep 1936	Feb 1937	Hawker Hind	Mk.I
Mar 1937	May 1939	Bristol Blenheim	Mk.I
May 1939	Mar 1943	Bristol Blenheim	Mk.IV
Apr 1943	Sep 1945	Douglas Boston
Sep 1945	Sep 1946	De Havilland Mosquito
Apr 1946	Aug 1949	Douglas DC3	Dakota
Apr 1946	Dec 1957	Vickers Valetta	C1
Dec 1958	Mar 1959	De Havilland Chipmunk	T10
May 1959	Sep 1961	Handley Page Hastings
Oct 1961	Oct 1971	Armstrong Whitworth Argosy

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.

External links

• Squadron history (and more) on RafWeb
• Squadron history on official RAF website