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50
Squadron Royal Air Force "Sic fidem servamus" (Thus we keep faith) |
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Formed: May 1937 Disbanded: 1959 Reformed: 1961 Squadron was based at: RAF Waddington :: May 1937 - 10 Jul 1940 RAF Hatfield Woodhouse (RAF Lindholme) :: 10 Jul 1940 - 19 Jul 1941 RAF Swinderby :: 19 Jul 1941 - 26 Nov 1941; 20 Jun 1942 - 17 Oct 1942 RAF Skellingthorpe :: 26 Nov 1941 - 20 Jun 1942; 17 Oct 1942 - 15 Jun 1945 RAF Sturgate :: 15 Jun 1945 - Jan 1946 RAF Waddington :: Jan 1946 - Squadron code: QX (prior to Sep 1939), VN Aircraft operated: Hind :: May 1937 - Hampden :: Dec 1938 - May 1942 Manchester :: May 1942 - Lincoln :: ?? Canberra :: Vulcan B1 :: - 1965 Vulcan B2 :: 1965 - Mar 1984 50 Sqn RFC was formed at Dover on 15 May 1916 as a Home Defence squadron. Its first combat mission was in Aug 1916 against a German Zeppelin airship raid. In a daylight raid in Jul 1917 an attacking Gotha was shot down off the North Foreland by 50 Sqn. The unit disbanded in Jun 1919 at Bekesbourne. 50 Squadron re-formed at RAF Waddington in May 1937 and originally equipped with Hinds, later the Hampden, Lincoln, Lancaster and Canberra and finishing as a Vulcan squadron. Re-formed in May 1937, as a bomber squadron, No. 50 was flying Hampdens from Waddington at the outbreak of the Second World War 50 Sqn was to drop bombs in Bomber Command's first attack on a German land target in Mar 1940, against the mine-laying seaplane base at Hornum on Sylt. Another Sqn first was the Dec 1940 area-bombing attack on a German industrial centre, Mannheim. It also contributed 12 Lancaster to the low-level dusk raid on Le Creusot Schneider factory in Oct 1942 along with 49 Sqn. 50 Sqn flew the Vulcan B1 but later moved to the B2 in 1965, the first of the Waddington sqns to receive the later model. During Op CORPORATE the Sqn's Vulcan were converted to air to air refuelling. The last Vulcan flown in service was a 50 Sqn aircraft in Mar 1984. Details of the 50 Sqn Museum are on the memorial page. |
50 Sqn history on RAF site Aviation
Heritage Lincolnshire
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