No. 115 Squadron RAF

No. 115 Squadron RAF
Official squadron crest for no. 115 Squadron RAF
Active	1 Dec 1917 - 18 Oct 1919 5 Jun 1937 - 1 Mar 1950 13 Jun 1950 - 1 Jun 1957 21 Aug 1958 - 1 Oct 1993
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto	Despite the elements
Decorations	142 DFC and 2 Bars to DFC, 68 DFM, 6 BEM, 4 DSO, 4 MBE, 3 AFC, 2 AFM and 1 Bar to AFM plus 1 CGM.[1]
Battle honours	Independent Force & Germany, 1918*; Channel & North Sea, 1939-1943*; Norway, 1940*; France & Low Countries; German Ports, 1940-1945*; Rhur, 1940-1945*; Fortress Europe, 1940-1945*; Invasion Ports, 1940; Berlin, 1940-1945*; Biscay Ports, 1940-1943; Baltic, 1943; Normandy, 1944*; France & Germany, 1944-1945; Rhine Honours marked with an asterisk* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A dexter hand erased at the wrist holding a tiller. This unit laid great stress on the importance of navigation and the hand on the tiller is taken to be symbolic of this.[2]
Squadron Codes	BK (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) KO (Sep 1939 - Mar 1950, Jun 1950 - Apr 1951) A4 Nov 1943 - Oct 1944 (only used by 'C' Flt) IL Nov 1944 - Aug 1945

No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was then equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers. During World War II the squadron served as a bomber squadron and after the war it flew in a similar role till 1958, when it was engaged as a radio calibration unit. The squadron disbanded last time in 1993.

History

Formation and World War I

Handley Page O/400 as used by 115 Squadron

No. 115 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Catterick, Yorkshire, on 1 December 1917 from a nucleus provided by No. 52 Training Squadron.^[3] At the end of August 1918, after having been equipped with Handley Page O/400 twin-engined bombers, it joined the Independent Force in France. Its first raid was made in the night of 16/17 September when nearly 4 tons of bombs were dropped on Metz-Sablon. For this raid the squadron was congratulated by Major-General Sir Hugh Trenchard and the OC 83rd Wing described the raid as "the finest piece of work which has ever been done by a new squadron". Its most successful raid was made against Morhange airfield when five O/400s, making double trips, dropped 6½ tons of bombs on their objective. During its service in France, No. 115 made fifteen raids, the longest being to Baden and dropped 26 tons of bombs.^[4] From November 1918, 115 Squadron was based at RAF Saint Inglevert.^[5] The squadron returned to England on 4 March 1919 and disbanded on 18 October 1919 at Ford Junction.^[4]

Reformation

Fairey Hendon as used by 115 Squadron

The squadron was reformed from "B" Flight of No. 38 Squadron RAF as No. 115 (Bomber) Squadron on 5 June 1937.^[6] It was now one of only two units to operate -temporary- the Fairey Hendon monoplane bomber, but these were soon replaced by their intended equipment, the Handley Page Harrow. As these proved unsuited in the bomber role they were replaced from March 1939 with Wellingtons.

Harrow of No. 115 Squadron RAF

World War II

Vickers Wellington as used by 115 Squadron

In the Second World War the squadron took part in scores of raids and also played an active part in Gardening (minelaying) for victory. In April 1940, while flying Wellingtons (and while on temporary loan to RAF Coastal Command) it gained the distinction of making the RAF's first bombing raid of the war on a mainland target-the enemy-held Norwegian airfield of Stavanger Airport, Sola. Sixteen months later, in August 1941, it undertook the initial Service trials of Gee, the first of the great radar navigational and bombing aids. As a result of its subsequent report on these trials Gee was put into large-scale production for RAF Bomber Command. Hercules engined Lancaster IIs replaced the Wellingtons in March 1943 and these were replaced by Merlin engined Lancaster Is and IIIs in March 1944. Around this time the squadron relocated from RAF Little Snoring to RAF Witchford. The squadron was retained as part of the post-war RAF and received Lincolns in September 1949. The squadron was linked to No. 218 Squadron RAF from 1 February 1949 until 1 March 1950, when the squadron was disbanded at RAF Mildenhall.

Post war

The squadron was reformed on 13 June 1950, it became a Boeing Washington unit at RAF Marham, again having No. 218 Squadron linked to it. Canberras replaced the Washingtons in February 1954 and continued in use until disbanding on 1 June 1957.

Calibration

The squadron came back on 21 August 1958, when No. 116 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmere was renumbered. It was now a Radar Calibration unit operating Varsities, Valettas and briefly the Handley Page Hastings. Argosies began arriving in February 1968 and when the last Varsity was retired in August 1970, the unit was solely equipped with this type. The Squadron moved to RAF Brize Norton in 1976. Andovers were added to the strength there in November 1976 and the last Argosy left in January 1978. In 1982, No. 115 Squadron was moved to RAF Benson ^[7], the Andovers continuing until disbanding there on 1 October 1993^[8], the squadron's role being subsequently subcontracted to private contractors.

Aircraft operated

From	To	Aircraft	Variant	Remark
Jul 1918	Mar 1919	Handley Page Type O	O/400
Jun 1937	Aug 1937	Fairey Hendon	Mk.II	(on loan from No. 38 Squadron RAF)[2]
Jun 1937	Sep 1939	Handley Page Harrow	Mk.II
Apr 1939	Nov 1939	Vickers Wellington	Mk.I
Sep 1939	Aug 1940	Vickers Wellington	Mk.Ia
Apr 1940	Mar 1942	Vickers Wellington	Mk.Ic
Nov 1941	Mar 1943	Vickers Wellington	Mk.III
Mar 1943	May 1944	Avro Lancaster	Mk.II
Mar 1944	Nov 1949	Avro Lancaster	Mks.I, III
Sep 1949	Mar 1950	Avro Lincoln	B.2
Aug 1950	Feb 1954	Boeing Washington	B.1
Feb 1954	Jun 1957	English Electric Canberra	B.2
Aug 1958	Aug 1970	Vickers Varsity	T.1
Oct 1963	May 1964	Vickers Valetta	C.1
Jan 1967	Jan 1969	Handley Page Hastings	C.2
Feb 1968	Jan 1978	Armstrong Whitworth Argosy	E.1
Nov 1976	Oct 1993	Hawker Siddeley Andover	C.1, E.3

^[9][10]

References

Notes

1. ^ Collins and Halladay 1982, p. 35.
2. ^ ^{a b} Moyes 1976, p. 161.
3. ^ Air of Authority
4. ^ ^{a b} Collins and Halladay 1982, p. 3.
5. ^ "Saint-Inglevert" (in French). Old Anciens Aerodromes. http://old.anciens-aerodromes.com/terrains%20aviations/StInglevert.htm. Retrieved 18 March 2011. 
6. ^ Collins and Halladay 1982, p. 5.
7. ^ http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafbrizenorton/aboutus/history.cfm, accessed March 2009
8. ^ http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/115squadron.cfm, accessed March 2009
9. ^ Halley 1988, p. 192.
10. ^ Jefford 2001, p. 60.

Bibliography

• Collins, Dick and Jim Halladay. Despite the Elements: The History of Number 115 Squadron, 1917-1982. Brize Norton, UK: Nettlebed Press, 1983.
• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd.). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.

External links

• Squadron history on RAF website
• Squadron history on RAFweb's 'Air of Authority'