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  81 Squadron Royal Air Force
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> Units and Formations

Flying Squadrons
5 Sqn
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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

(Bomber)
228 OCU
230 OCU

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: 17 Aug 11

Formed: 7 Jan 1917

Disbanded: 4 Jul 1918

Reformed: 1 Dec 1939

Disbanded: 15 Jun 1940

Reformed: 29 Jul 1941

Disbanded: 20 Jun 1945

(Reformed): 20 Jun 1945

Disbanded: 30 Jun 1946

Reformed: 1 Sep 1946

Squadron was based at:

Gosport :: Jan 1917 - Jul 1918

RAF Leconfield :: 29 Jul 1941 -

RAF Turnhouse :: Feb 1942

RAF Wellingore :: 1 Sep 1942 - 30 Oct 1942

Gibraltar :: Oct 1942

Malta :: Jun 1943

Italy

India :: Nov 1943

Ceylon :: - Jun 1945

Squadron was equipped with:

Hurricane :: Jul 1941 -

Spitfire :: Feb 1942 - 20 Jun 1945

Thunderbolt :: 20 Jun 1945 - Sep 1946

Mosquito PR :: Sep 1946 - 15 Dec 1955

Spitfire PR :: Sep 1946 - < Apr 1954

Spitfire (ftr/recce) :: Aug 1947 - 1 Apr 1954

Meteor PR10 :: Sep 1953 - 1960

Canberra :: 1960 - Jan 1970

After an 18 month existence as a training unit at Gosport during the Great War, 81 Sqn reformed on 1 Dec 1939 by the redesignation of a Communications Squadron at Mountjoie, Amiens. After the German invasion of France it returned to England and disbanded. It reformed a year later in Jul 1941 at Leconfield with Hurricane. In September it operated the type in North Russia for a few weeks before handing them over to the Russians and returning to the UK. It was re-equipped with Spitfire in Jan 1942 which it took to the African theatre via Gibraltar, then on to India. 123 Sqn was renumbered to 81 Sqn on the same day that 81 Sqn was disbanded in Ceylon, 29 Jun 1945. The new reformation of 81 Sqn was employed in tac recce missions in Java before disbanding on 20 Jun 1945.

The next formation of 81 Sqn was created by the renumbering of 684 Squadron on 1 Sep 1946. It was equipped with Mosquito and Spitfire photo recce aircraft, adding the fighter-recce Spitfire in August 1947. Although converted to Meteor PR10 from Sep 1953, 81 Sqn flew the last operational RAF Spitfire mission on 1 April 1954. They repeated this with the last Mosquito mission on 15 Dec 1955. The final type flown was the Canberra, from 1960 until disbandment on 16 Jan 1970.

81 Sqn history on RAF site

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