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> Units and Formations
Flying Squadrons
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527 Sqn
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Heavy
Conversion Units
1654
HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
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1668 HCU
21 HGCU
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Flying Schools
201
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12
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15 AFU
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1 FTS
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6 FTS
7
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12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School
Operational
Training/
Conversion Units (Fighter)
6
OTU
53 OTU
56 OTU
Air
Armament Schools
1
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2 AAS
Empire Central AS
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schools
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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: 8 Sep 08
Formed: 1 Dec 1917, Waddington
Renumbered: 1 Apr 1920
Reformed: Sep 1935, Catfoss
Absorbed: Jun 1938 by Air Observers School
Merged: Apr 1940 with 166 Sqn and SHQ Abingdon to form 10 OTU
Reformed: May 1940, RAF Driffield
Disbanded: May 1940
Reformed (3rd): 25 Feb 1941
Disbanded: 31 Dec 1955
Reformed: 1 Dec 1959
Disbanded: 24 May 1963
Reformed: 25 May 1963 (renumbering of 151 Sqn)
Disbanded: 2 Jan 1967
Squadron was based at:
RAF Waddington :: 1 Dec 1917 - 1918; 25 Feb 1941 - 10 Mar 1941
Catfoss :: Sep 1935 -
RAF Driffield :: May 1940 - May 1940
RAF Coningsby :: 10 Mar 1941- 2 Mar 1942; 18 Apr 1944 -
RAF Woodhall Spa :: 2 Mar 1942 - 18 Apr 1943
RAF Bourn :: 18 Apr 1943 - 18 Apr 1944
RAF Hemswell :: 1 Dec 1959 - 24 May 1963
Squadron code: OF, ZT
Aircraft operated:
Handley Page 0/400 :: Dec 1917 - 1919
DH10 :: 1919 - 1 Apr 1920
Whitley :: May 1940
Manchester :: Feb 1941 -
Hampden :: Jul 1941 - Aug 1941
Lancaster Mk I, Mk III :: Jan 1942 - Jul 1946
Lincoln :: Jul 1946 - 31 Dec 1955
Canberra :: May 1963 - Jan 1967
Varsity :: May 1963 - Jan 1967
97 Sqn RFC formed at Waddington on 1 Dec 1917, taking its Handley Page 0/400 to France for night bombing with the Independent Force in 1918. It then passed to India to operate the first air mail services before renumbering on 1 Apr 1920.
Reformed in Sep 1935, it spend time in various training guises unto May 1940. On 25 Feb 1941 part of the 207 Sqn complement of Avro Manchester heavy bombers became the third reformation of 97 Sqn. It finally stayed with one role as a heavy bomber sqn in 5 Gp, moving to RAF Coningsby in Mar 1941. During July and August 1941 the Sqn was also equipped with the Hampden to supplement the Manchester which was suffering from poor reliability. Unserviceability of the Manchester led to it being known as the "97th Foot".
On 17 Apr 1942, 97 Sqn was to make its first major Lancaster-equipped attack when it participated on a rare 2 x 6-ship, tree-top height, daylight attack on the MAN diesel works in Augsburg with 44 Sqn. This is considered one of Bomber Command's milestone operations. In Jun/Jul 1942 it participated in the 1000 bomber raids on Cologne, Bremen and Essen.
In Apr 1943 it was transferred to 8 (Pathfinder Force) Group. In Jun, in the marker squadron role, it marked the Friedrichshafen Zeppelin works and Spezia naval base in Italy in the first shuttle bombing raid. It was transferred back to 5 Gp and Coningsby to lead the Group against its own targets.
97 Sqn reformed at RAF Hemswell on 1 Dec 1959 as 97 (SM) Sqn, manning 3 Thor IRBM launchers. They stayed until disbandment on 24 May 1963.
97 Sqn is commemorated at the Thorpe Camp Visitors' Centre - see the RAF Woodhall Spa memorials page
97 Sqn history on RAF site
97 Sqn website
97 Sqn Association
A navigator's story on 97 Sqn website
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