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> Units and Formations
Flying Squadrons
5 Sqn
6 Sqn
8 Sqn
9 Sqn
10 Sqn
11 Sqn
12 Sqn
15 Sqn
18 Sqn
21 Sqn
22 Sqn
23 Sqn
25 Sqn
27 Sqn
29 Sqn
33 Sqn
35 Sqn
39 Sqn
41 Sqn
43 Sqn
44 Sqn
46 Sqn
49 Sqn
50 Sqn
51 Sqn
54 Sqn
56 Sqn
57 Sqn
61 Sqn
64 Sqn
65 Sqn
68 Sqn
69 Sqn
70 Sqn
71 Sqn
73 Sqn
75 Sqn
81 Sqn
83 Sqn
85 Sqn
88 Sqn
90 Sqn
92 Sqn
97 Sqn
100 Sqn
101 Sqn
103 Sqn
104 Sqn
106 Sqn
109 Sqn
110 Sqn
111 Sqn
112 Sqn
113 Sqn
116 Sqn
121 Sqn
133 Sqn
136 Sqn
139 Sqn
141 Sqn
142 Sqn
143 Sqn
144 Sqn
148 Sqn
149 Sqn
150 Sqn
151 Sqn
153 Sqn
154 Sqn
166 Sqn
170 Sqn
189 Sqn
198 Sqn
199 Sqn
203 Sqn
206 Sqn
207 Sqn
209 Sqn
210 Sqn
211 Sqn
214 Sqn
222 Sqn
227 Sqn
228 Sqn
229 Sqn
235 Sqn
236 Sqn
248 Sqn
249 Sqn
251 Sqn
253 Sqn
254 Sqn
255 Sqn
256 Sqn
264 Sqn
266 Sqn
280 Sqn
288 Sqn
300 Sqn
301 Sqn
302 Sqn
303 Sqn
305 Sqn
307 Sqn
309 Sqn
310 Sqn
349 Sqn
350 Sqn
401 Sqn
402 Sqn
404 Sqn
407 Sqn
409 Sqn
410 Sqn
411 Sqn
412 Sqn
415 Sqn
416 Sqn
420 Sqn
421 Sqn
430 Sqn
438 Sqn
439 Sqn
441 Sqn
442 Sqn
443 Sqn
452 Sqn
455 Sqn
460 Sqn
463 Sqn
467 Sqn
486 Sqn
503 Sqn
504 Sqn
527 Sqn
528 Sqn
532 Sqn
538 Sqn
542 Sqn
550 Sqn
576 Sqn
601 Sqn
609 Sqn
613 Sqn
616 Sqn
617 Sqn
619 Sqn
625 Sqn
626 Sqn
627 Sqn
630 Sqn
Heavy
Conversion Units
1654
HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
1667 HCU
1668 HCU
21 HGCU
Advanced
Flying Schools
201
AFS
Advanced
Flying Units
12
AFU
15 AFU
Flying
Training Schools
1 FTS
2 FTS
3 FTS
6 FTS
7
FTS
12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School
Operational
Training/
Conversion Units (Fighter)
6
OTU
53 OTU
56 OTU
Air
Armament Schools
1
AAS
2 AAS
Empire Central AS
Other
schools
1 Gp Aircrew School
1 Ground Defence School
1 Air Observers School
Central
Gunnery School
5 Gp Anti Air School
Other units
Bomber Command
Coastal Command
Fighter Command
HQ No 5 Group
HQ No 23 Group
1485
Gunnery Flight
2782
Defence Sqn
178 Support Unit
399 Signals Unit
Nationality
based Sqns
Updated: 9 Nov 11
Formed: 5 May 1916, RAF Castle Bromwich
Disbanded: 25 Oct 1919
Formed:15 Jan 1930, RAF Upavon
Disbanded: 31 Oct 1945, RAAF Melbourne
Reformed: 15 Nov 1946 through renumbering of 183 Sqn, RAF Chilbolton
Disbanded: 1 Sep 1969
Reformed: 1 Sep 1969, RAF Coningsby
Disbanded: 11 Mar 2005
Reformed: 5 Sep 05, RAF Waddington
Squadron badge:
Battle honours:
Aircraft operated:
Jaguar :: 1974 - 11 Mar 2005
Phanton FGR2 :: 1970 -
Squadron was stationed at:
RAF Castle Bromwich :: 5 May 1916 -
RAF Yatesbury :: Feb 1919 - 25 Oct 1919
RAF Hornchurch :: 15 Jan 1930 -
RAF Upavon ::
RAF Hornchurch :: 15 Jan 1930 -
RAF Catterick :: Sep 1940
RAF Hornchurch :: Sep 1940 - Sep 1940
RAF Castletown :: Nov 1940 -
RAF Hornchurch :: Feb 1941 - Nov 1941
RAF Wellingore :: June 1942 - 1942
RAF Chilbolton :: 15 Nov 1946 - 1947
RAF Odiham :: 1947 - Jul 1959
RAF Stradishall :: Jul 1959 - 1963
RAF West Raynham :: 1963 - 1 Sep 1969
RAF Coningsby :: 1 Sep 1969 - 1974
RAF Coltishall :: 1974 - 11 Mar 2005
RAF Waddington :: 5 Sep 2006 -
54 Sqn formed in 1916 at Castle Bromwich on 5 May 1916 and tasked with Home Defence duties operating on the BE2C and Avro 504. By Sep 1916 it transferred to day fighter missions and moved to France, escorting bombers and attacking observation balloons on the Sopwith Pup. By 1918 it was flying Sopwith Camels in both ground attack and air-to-air roles. In February 1919, the Squadron returned to RAF Yatesbury, reduced to cadre status and was disbanded on 25 October 1919.
The Squadron was reformed at RAF Hornchurch on 15 January 1930 as a fighter squadron equipped initially with Siskins. The squadron had a brief stay at RAF Upavon in 1931, prior to returning to RAF Hornchurch. The Siskins were subsequently replaced with Bulldogs, Gloster Gauntlets in September 1936 and Gladiators in April 1937, before the Squadron's first monoplane, the Supermarine Spitfire, arrived in March 1939.
After the outbreak of war the Sqn was assigned to coastal patrol duties before providing air cover for the evacuation of Dunkirk and subsequently operating in the Battle of Britain, until it moved north to RAF Castletown, in November 1940 to regroup, prior to undertaking coastal patrols.
In June 1942, the squadron was moved to RAF Wellingore, to prepare for moving to Australia where it joined No 1 (Spitfire) Wg RAAF on air defence duties against the Japanese threat on 1 Jan 1943. Following the end of the war, the squadron disbanded in Melbourne on October 31, 1945.
One year later, 183 Sqn, a Hawker Tempest ground-attack unit, was renumbered 54 Sqn on 15 Nov 1946 and spent a year training pilots destined for overseas service before receiving Vampires and moving to RAF Odiham a year later.
Six Vampires from the Sqn made history in 1948 when they made the first jet aircraft crossing of the Atlantic. After the Meteor in Apr 1952, the Hunter followed in Mar 1955, and the Squadron took up ground-attack duties as part of 38 Group's Offensive Strike Wing. The Sqn moved to RAF Stradishall in Jul 1959 and RAF West Raynham in 1963.
The squadron disbanded on 1 Sep 1969 reforming the same day on the Phantoms FGR2 at RAF Coningsby.
The Sqn moved to Coltishall and the Jaguars in 1974, deploying frequently to operational theatres. However after 2000 with the decision to reduce the Jaguar and take the aircraft out of service in anticipation of the arrival of Typhoon 54 Squadron was disbanded at RAF Coltishall on 11 March 2005.
Reformed as 54 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Waddington on 1 September 2005 it re-roled as the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Conversion Unit, responsible for training all mission crews for the E-3D Sentry, the Nimrod R1. The unit will also train crews of the Sentinel R1 when it comes into service.
54(F) Sqn disbanded on the 11 Mar 2005.
Seven months after disbanding as 54(F) Sqn at RAF Coltishall, 54 Sqn re-formed as 54(R) Squadron at Waddington as the Intelligence Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Operational Conversion Unit to train aircrews from the three ISTAR platforms E-3D Sentry, Nimrod R1 and Sentinel R1.
The Present and Future
The new role for 54 Squadron reflects the changes taking place within
the RAF as a whole. As a training unit, 54 Squadron becomes 54 (Reserve)
Squadron. Instructional staff from 23 Squadron Sentry Training Flight
have joined with instructors from 51 Squadron and the existing Mission
Simulator Flight and certain support elements of the old Mission Support
Wing to form the new Squadron. In due course, the instructional elements
of 5 (AC) Squadron will also join 54(R) Squadron, and all RAF Intelligence
Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance training will be
undertaken by one single organization.
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