No. 185 Squadron RAF

No. 185 Squadron RAF
Active	21 October 1918 – 14 April 1919 1 March 1938 – 17 May 1940 12 May 1941 – 14 August 1945 15 September 1951 - 1 May 1953
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto	Maltese: Ara fejn hu (Look where it is).
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A griffin in front of a Maltese Cross.
Squadron Codes	ZM (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) GL (Sep 1939 - Apr 1940, May 1942 - Aug 1945)

No. 185 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed in World War I and reformed as a bomber and fighter unit in World War II. It then reformed in Malta in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron.

History

Formation and World War I

No. 185 Squadron was formed in East Fortune, East Lothian, Scotland on 21 August 1918 and was equipped with Sopwith Cuckoo torpedo-bomber aircraft, it did not become operational and disbanded on 14 April 1919.

Reformation in World War II

The squadron reformed on 1 March 1938 at RAF Abingdon and was supplied with Harts, then Battles. It then operated from RAF Cottesmore as a bomber squadron equipped with Hampdens after having a training role. The squadron was absorbed into an OTU on 8 April 1940 before re-forming in Malta on 12 May 1941 as a fighter squadron. It disbanded in 14 August 1945.

Postwar period

The squadron reformed on 15 September 1951 at Hal Far, Malta and was equipped with Vampires. It moved to Iraq in October 1952 and it finally disbanded there on 1 May 1953.

Aircraft operated

185 Sqn Hurricane IIs at RAF Hal Far, in September 1941.

Aircraft operated by no. 185 Squadron RAF

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
Nov 1918	Apr 1919	Sopwith Cuckoo
Mar 1938	Jul 1938	Hawker Hind
Jun 1938	Jun 1939	Fairey Battle
Jun 1939	Apr 1940	Handley Page Hampden
Aug 1939	Apr 1940	Handley Page Hereford
Aug 1939	Apr 1940	Avro Anson	I
Apr 1940	May 1940	Handley Page Hampden
May 1941	Jun 1942	Hawker Hurricane	I
May 1941	Jun 1942	Hawker Hurricane	IIA & IIC
May 1942	Sep 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	VC
Jun 1943	Jul 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	IX
Aug 1944	Sep 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	VIII
Sep 1944	Aug 1945	Supermarine Spitfire	IX
Mar 1945	Apr 1945	Supermarine Spitfire	VIII
Sep 1951	May 1953	de Havilland Vampire	FB.5

External links

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