No. 527 Squadron RAF

No. 527 Squadron RAF
Active 15 Jun 1943 – 15 Apr 1946
1 Aug 1952 – 21 Aug 1958[1]
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Role Radar calibration
Part of No. 60 Group RAF, Fighter Command (43–46)[2]
No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF, Home Command (52–58)[3]
Motto(s) Silently we serve[4]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry In front of a flash of lightning, a crystal[4]
Squadron Codes WN (Jun 1943 – Apr 1946)[5][6]

No. 527 Squadron RAF was a radar calibration unit of the Royal Air Force between 1943 and 1958.

History

Formation

No. 527 Squadron was formed from various calibration flights[7] at RAF Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire on 15 June 1943 for radar calibration duties with Bristol Blenheims and Hawker Hurricanes. The squadron was engaged with the calibration of radar stations in southern England and East Anglia. The need for calibration units lessened considerably in 1944, so the squadron absorbed No. 528 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1944, extending its coverage in the process to Lincolnshire, and No. 526 Squadron RAF on 1 May 1945, adding the de Havilland Hornet Moths, Airspeed Oxfords and de Havilland Dominies of these units to its strength. The squadron standardised hereafter on Spitfires, Wellingtons, Oxfords and Dominies, the latter -old aircraft of 526 Squadron- still being based at RAF Longman, Inverness for communications flying. In November 1945, the squadron moved to RAF Watton, Norfolk where it disbanded on 15 April 1946.[1][4][7]

Reformation

The squadron reformed on 1 August 1952 at RAF Watton, when the 'N' and 'R' Calibration Squadrons of the Central Signal Establishment were redesignated to No. 527 Squadron.[4][7] A great variety of types, amongst them Avro Lincolns, Avro Ansons, English Electric Canberras and Gloster Meteors, were flown for high-level calibration[7] until 21 August 1958, when the unit was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 245 Squadron RAF.[1][4][7]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 527 Squadron RAF, data from[1][4][7]
FromToAircraftVersion
June 1943May 1945Bristol BlenheimMk.IV
June 1943April 1944Hawker HurricaneMk.I
December 1943September 1944de Havilland Hornet Moth
February 1944April 1945Hawker HurricaneMk.IIb
July 1944April 1946Supermarine SpitfireMk.Vb
September 1944April 1946Airspeed OxfordMk.II
April 1945April 1946Vickers WellingtonMk.X
May 1945April 1946de Havilland DominieMk.I
August 1952March 1954Avro AnsonC.19
August 1952January 1954de Havilland MosquitoB.35
August 1952May 1957Avro LincolnB.2
June 1953July 1955Gloster MeteorNF.11
June 1954August 1958Vickers VarsityT.1
August 1954October 1955Gloster MeteorNF.14
December 1954August 1958English Electric CanberraB.2
April 1956June 1956English Electric CanberraPR.7
September 1957November 1957Gloster MeteorNF.11

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 527 Squadron RAF, data from[1][4][7]
FromToBaseRemark
15 June 194328 February 1944RAF Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire
28 February 194428 April 1944RAF Snailwell, Suffolk
28 April 19448 November 1945RAF Digby, LincolnshireDets at RAF Longman, Inverness and RAF Tealing, Angus
8 November 194515 April 1946RAF Watton, Norfolk
1 August 195221 August 1958RAF Watton, Norfolk

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens, 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.
  • 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, 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), 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.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
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