No. 50 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force
. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War
. It disbanded for the last time in 1984.
founded at Dover
on 15 May 1916. It was equipped with a mixture of aircraft, including Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12
s in the home defence role, having flights based at various airfields around Kent
. It flew its first combat mission in August 1916, when its aircraft helped to repel a German Zeppelin
. On 7 July 1917 a 50 Squadron Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8
shot down a German Gotha
bomber off the North Foreland
of Kent. In February 1918, it discarded its miscellany of aircraft to standardise on the more capable Sopwith Camel
fighter, continuing to defend Kent. By October 1918, it was operating its Camels as night fighter
s. It was during this period that the squadron started using the running dogs device
on squadron aircraft, a tradition that continued until 1984. The device arose from the radio call sign
Dingo
that the squadron was allocated as part of the Home Defence network. It disbanded on 13 June 1919. The last CO
of the squadron before it disbanded was Major Arthur Harris
later to become Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command
during the Second World War.
on 3 May 1937, equipped with Hawker Hind
biplane
light bombers. It started to convert to the Handley Page Hampden
monoplane
medium bomber in December 1938, discarding its last Hinds in January 1939. It was still equipped with Hampdens when the Second World War broke out, forming part of 5 Group
, Bomber Command
. It flew its first bombing raid on 19 March 1940 against the seaplane base at Hörnum
on the island of Sylt
. On 12 April 1940, in attempt to attack German warships off Kristiansand
returning from the German invasion of Norway
, 50 Squadron took part in what was the largest British air raid of the war so far, with a total of 83 RAF bombers attempting to attack the German fleet. When 12 Hampdens of 50 and 44 Squadron
spotted a German warship and attempted to attack, they lost 6 of their number to beam attacks by German fighters, with 13 officers and men from 50 Squadron dead or missing. After these losses, daylight attacks with Hampdens were abandoned.
50 Squadron continued operations by night, taking part in the RAF's strategic bombing offensive
against the Germans through the remainder of 1940 and 1941. It re-equipped with Avro Manchester
s from April 1942. The Manchester was disappointing, however, with unreliable engines and had a lower ceiling than the Hampden it replaced. Despite these problems, 50 Squadron continued in operations, contributing 17 Manchesters to Operation Millienium
the "1,000 aircraft" raid against Cologne
on 30/31 May 1942. It lost two aircraft that night, one of which piloted by Flying Officer
Leslie Thomas Manser
who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
for pressing on with the attack after his aircraft was heavily damaged, and when a crash became inevitable, sacrificing his own life by remaining at the controls to allow the rest of his crew to parachute to safety.
The Squadron soon re-equipped with the four-engined Avro Lancaster
, which it used for the rest of the war against German targets, flying its last mission of the war against an Oil Refinery at Vallø in Norway on 25/26 April 1945. The squadron flew 7,135 sorties during the war with a loss of 176 aircraft. It replaced its Lancasters with Avro Lincoln
s in 1946, disbanding at Waddington on 31 January 1951.
on 15 August 1952, equipped with the English Electric Canberra
light jet bomber. It moved to RAF Upwood
in January 1956, disbanding on 1 October 1959. It reformed again at RAF Waddington on 1 August 1962 on the Avro Vulcan
V bomber
, using ex-617 Squadron
Vulcan B.1s made surplus after 617 Squadron re-equipped with Vulcan B.2s. It received Vulcan B.2s in December 1966, and was still operating them when the Falklands War
broke out in April 1982, with two Vulcan crews from 50 Squadron selected for Operation Black Buck
missions. The Falklands War, and the continuing need to maintain supply flights to the South Atlantic after the end of the war, resulted in a shortage of air-to-air refuelling
tankers, and it was decided to convert six of 50 Squadron's Vulcans to single point tankers, the first conversion flying on 18 June 1982 and entering service on 23 June. The squadron was the last unit to operate the Vulcan which remained in service in the tanking role until the squadron disbanded on 31 March 1984.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. It disbanded for the last time in 1984.
World War I
No. 50 Squadron of the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
founded at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
on 15 May 1916. It was equipped with a mixture of aircraft, including Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12
|-See also:-External links:*...
s in the home defence role, having flights based at various airfields around Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. It flew its first combat mission in August 1916, when its aircraft helped to repel a German Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
. On 7 July 1917 a 50 Squadron Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8
The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 was a British two-seat general-purpose biplane built by Armstrong Whitworth during the First World War. The type served alongside the better known R.E.8 until the end of the war, at which point 694 F.K.8s remained on RAF charge....
shot down a German Gotha
Gothaer Waggonfabrik
Gothaer Waggonfabrik was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Gotha. During the two world wars, the company expanded into aircraft building.-World War I:...
bomber off the North Foreland
North Foreland
North Foreland is a chalk headland on the Kent coast of southeast England.North Foreland forms the eastern end of the Isle of Thanet. It presents a bold cliff to the sea, and commands views over the southern North Sea.-Lighthouse:...
of Kent. In February 1918, it discarded its miscellany of aircraft to standardise on the more capable Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
fighter, continuing to defend Kent. By October 1918, it was operating its Camels as night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
s. It was during this period that the squadron started using the running dogs device
Heraldic badge
A heraldic badge is an emblem or personal device worn as a badge to indicate allegiance to or the property of an individual or family. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance...
on squadron aircraft, a tradition that continued until 1984. The device arose from the radio call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
Dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
that the squadron was allocated as part of the Home Defence network. It disbanded on 13 June 1919. The last CO
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the squadron before it disbanded was Major Arthur Harris
Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet GCB OBE AFC , commonly known as "Bomber" Harris by the press, and often within the RAF as "Butcher" Harris, was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command during the latter half of World War...
later to become Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command
Bomber Command
Bomber Command is an organizational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. Many countries have a "Bomber Command", although the most famous ones were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for Strategic bombing , and is composed of bombers...
during the Second World War.
Reformation and World War II
No. 50 Squadron reformed at RAF WaddingtonRAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
on 3 May 1937, equipped with Hawker Hind
Hawker Hind
-See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3....
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
light bombers. It started to convert to the Handley Page Hampden
Handley Page Hampden
The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
medium bomber in December 1938, discarding its last Hinds in January 1939. It was still equipped with Hampdens when the Second World War broke out, forming part of 5 Group
No. 5 Group RAF
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.-History:The Group was formed on 1 September 1937 with headquarters at RAF Mildenhall....
, Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. It flew its first bombing raid on 19 March 1940 against the seaplane base at Hörnum
Hörnum
Hörnum is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the southern headland of the island of Sylt...
on the island of Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
. On 12 April 1940, in attempt to attack German warships off Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
returning from the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, 50 Squadron took part in what was the largest British air raid of the war so far, with a total of 83 RAF bombers attempting to attack the German fleet. When 12 Hampdens of 50 and 44 Squadron
No. 44 Squadron RAF
No. 44 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is no longer operational. For most of its history it served as a heavy bomber squadron.-History:...
spotted a German warship and attempted to attack, they lost 6 of their number to beam attacks by German fighters, with 13 officers and men from 50 Squadron dead or missing. After these losses, daylight attacks with Hampdens were abandoned.
50 Squadron continued operations by night, taking part in the RAF's strategic bombing offensive
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
against the Germans through the remainder of 1940 and 1941. It re-equipped with Avro Manchester
Avro Manchester
|-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950. Hickley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1857801798....
s from April 1942. The Manchester was disappointing, however, with unreliable engines and had a lower ceiling than the Hampden it replaced. Despite these problems, 50 Squadron continued in operations, contributing 17 Manchesters to Operation Millienium
Bombing of Cologne in World War II
The City of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II, including 31 times by the Royal Air Force . Air raid alarms went off in the winter/spring of 1940 as enemy bombers passed overhead. However, the first actual bombing took place on 12 May 1940...
the "1,000 aircraft" raid against Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
on 30/31 May 1942. It lost two aircraft that night, one of which piloted by Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Leslie Thomas Manser
Leslie Thomas Manser
Leslie Thomas Manser VC was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for pressing on with the attack after his aircraft was heavily damaged, and when a crash became inevitable, sacrificing his own life by remaining at the controls to allow the rest of his crew to parachute to safety.
The Squadron soon re-equipped with the four-engined Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
, which it used for the rest of the war against German targets, flying its last mission of the war against an Oil Refinery at Vallø in Norway on 25/26 April 1945. The squadron flew 7,135 sorties during the war with a loss of 176 aircraft. It replaced its Lancasters with Avro Lincoln
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
s in 1946, disbanding at Waddington on 31 January 1951.
Jet operations
No 50 Squadron re-formed at RAF BinbrookRAF Binbrook
RAF Binbrook was a Bomber Command station during World War II. After the war it was amongst others the home of the Central Fighter Establishment...
on 15 August 1952, equipped with the English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
light jet bomber. It moved to RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood was a United States Air Force installation adjacent to the village of Upwood, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom.It is a non-flying station which was under the control of the United States Air Force, and one of three RAF stations in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States...
in January 1956, disbanding on 1 October 1959. It reformed again at RAF Waddington on 1 August 1962 on the Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
V bomber
V bomber
The term V bomber was used for the Royal Air Force aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear strike force known officially as the V-force or Bomber Command Main Force...
, using ex-617 Squadron
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
Vulcan B.1s made surplus after 617 Squadron re-equipped with Vulcan B.2s. It received Vulcan B.2s in December 1966, and was still operating them when the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
broke out in April 1982, with two Vulcan crews from 50 Squadron selected for Operation Black Buck
Operation Black Buck
During the Falklands War, Operations Black Buck 1 to Black Buck 7 were a series of seven extremely long-range ground attack missions by Royal Air Force Vulcan bombers planned against Argentine positions in the Falkland Islands...
missions. The Falklands War, and the continuing need to maintain supply flights to the South Atlantic after the end of the war, resulted in a shortage of air-to-air refuelling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
tankers, and it was decided to convert six of 50 Squadron's Vulcans to single point tankers, the first conversion flying on 18 June 1982 and entering service on 23 June. The squadron was the last unit to operate the Vulcan which remained in service in the tanking role until the squadron disbanded on 31 March 1984.
Aircraft operated
| Dates | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|
| May 1916 – September 1917 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 | B.E.2c |
| May 1916 – May 1918 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 |-See also:-External links:*... |
|
| June 1916 – July 1917 | Vickers E.S.1 Vickers E.S.1 |-See also:-Notes: Also sometimes called Vickers E.S.2, although contemporary reports all refer to these aircraft as E.S.1s.-References:* Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London:Putnam, Second edition, 1988. ISBN 0 85177 815 1.... |
|
| December 1916 – August 1917 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 |-See also:-External links:*... |
B.E.12a |
| December 1916 – February 1918 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 | B.E.2e |
| March 1917 – March 1917 | Bristol M.1 Bristol M.1 |-See also:-External links:* * * * *... |
M.1B |
| May 1917 – June 1917 | Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed by John Kenworthy. Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was more difficult to fly, and was regarded with great suspicion at first in the Royal... |
|
| May 1917 – January 1918 | Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 was a British two-seat general-purpose biplane built by Armstrong Whitworth during the First World War. The type served alongside the better known R.E.8 until the end of the war, at which point 694 F.K.8s remained on RAF charge.... |
|
| June 1917 – July 1917 | Sopwith Pup Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very... |
|
| January 1918 – June 1918 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 |-See also:-External links:*... |
B.E.12b |
| May 1918 – July 1918 | Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S... |
S.E.5a |
| July 1918 – June 1919 | Sopwith Camel Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult... |
|
| May 1937 – January 1939 | Hawker Hind Hawker Hind -See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3.... |
|
| December 1938 – April 1942 | Handley Page Hampden Handley Page Hampden The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane... |
|
| April 1942 – June 1942 | Avro Manchester Avro Manchester |-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950. Hickley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1857801798.... |
|
| May 1942 – October 1946 | Avro Lancaster Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other... |
I & III |
| July 1946 – January 1951 | Avro Lincoln Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II... |
B.2 |
| August 1952 – October 1959 | English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957... |
B.2 |
| August 1961 – October 1966 | Avro Vulcan Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,... |
B.1 |
| January 1966 – March 1984 | Avro Vulcan | B.2 |
| June 1982 – March 1984 | Avro Vulcan | K.2 |
Stations operated from
- Swingate Down: 1916
- Harrietsham: 1916–1918
- Bekesbourne: 1918–1919
- RAF WaddingtonRAF WaddingtonRAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
: 1937–1940 - RAF LindholmeRAF LindholmeRAF Lindholme is a former Royal Air Force base near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England and was initially called RAF Hatfield Woodhouse.-Early years:...
: 1940–1941 - RAF SwinderbyRAF SwinderbyRAF Swinderby was a Royal Air Force Bomber Command airfield opened in 1940, one of the last of the stations completed under the RAF's expansion plans started in the 1930s...
: 1941–1942 - RAF SkellingthorpeRAF SkellingthorpeThe former Royal Air Force Station Skellingthorpe, more commonly known as RAF Skellingthorpe was a station of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was located in the city of Lincoln, England...
: 1942–1945 - RAF SturgateRAF SturgateRoyal Air Force Station Sturgate was an airfield located 10 miles north of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.-Royal Air Force:The airfield was opened in 1944 at Royal Air Force Station Sturgate. Originally used for blind flying training two operational Lancaster squadrons arrived in June 1945 but both...
: 1945–1946 - RAF Waddington: 1946–1951
- RAF BinbrookRAF BinbrookRAF Binbrook was a Bomber Command station during World War II. After the war it was amongst others the home of the Central Fighter Establishment...
: 1952–1956 - RAF UpwoodRAF UpwoodRAF Upwood was a United States Air Force installation adjacent to the village of Upwood, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom.It is a non-flying station which was under the control of the United States Air Force, and one of three RAF stations in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States...
: 1956–1959 - RAF Waddington: 1961–1984
External links
- "50 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- Photographs depicting the destruction at Vallø after the bombing raid