No. 514 Squadron RAF

No. 514 Squadron RAF
Active	1 September 1943 - 22 August 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Bomber Squadron
Part of	No. 3 Group RAF, Bomber Command[1]
Motto	Latin: Nil Obstare Potest (Translation: "Nothing can withstand")[2][3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A cloud pierced by a sword[3] The design indicates the function of the squadron, i.e. its role of a GH-equipped blind-bombing squadron[2]
Squadron Codes	JI (Sep 1943 - Aug 1945)[4][5] A2 (Dec 1943 - Aug 1945, 'C' Flt only)[6][7]
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Avro Lancaster

No. 514 Squadron RAF was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

History

The squadron was first formed at RAF Foulsham, Norfolk on 1 September 1943,^[2][3][8] equipped with Lancaster Mk.II bombers, as part of No. 3 Group RAF in Bomber Command. It transferred to RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire on 23 November, where it re-equipped with Lancaster Mk.I and Mk.III bombers in June 1944. It was finally disbanded at Waterbeach on 22 August 1945,^[2][3][8] by which time the squadron had completed 3,675 operational sorties with a loss of 66 aircraft.^[9] Its members were awarded with 1 DSO, 84 DFCs, one Bar to the DFC and 26 DFMs.^[2]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 514 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][3][8]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
September 1943	July 1944	Avro Lancaster	Mk.II
June 1944	August 1945	Avro Lancaster	Mks.I and III

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 514 squadron RAF, data from^[2][3][8]

From	To	Base
1 September 1943	23 November 1943	RAF Foulsham, Norfolk
23 November 1943	22 August 1945	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ Delve 1994, pp. 68, 77.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Moyes 1976, p. 267.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Halley 1988, p. 395.
4. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 58.
5. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 80.
6. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 19.
7. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 61.
8. ^ ^{a b c d} Jefford 2001, p. 96.
9. ^ Falconer 2003, p. 255.

Bibliography

• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Dison, Harry. Some of the story of 514 Sqn.... (Self published)
• Falconer, John. Bomber Command Handbook 1939-1945. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 0-7509-3171-X.
• Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
• 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.

External links

• Squadron history on MOD site, based on Moyes 1976
• No. 514 Squadron RAF movement and equipment history
• Squadron histories for nos. 500-520 squadron on RAFweb's Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
• Former Air Gunner tells his story
• Wartime memories of 514 sqn
• Video about the last flight of 514 Squadron Lancaster A2-C, lost July 28, 1944

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