No. 1409 Flight RAF explained

Unit Name:No. 1409 Flight RAF
Dates:1 April 1943 – 13 May 1946
Country: United Kingdom
Branch: Royal Air Force
Role:meteorological
Command Structure:No. 8 Group RAF, Bomber Command
No. 47 Group RAF, Transport Command
Equipment:de Havilland Mosquito 1943 - 1946
Consolidated Liberator 1945 - 1946
Identification Symbol 2:AE[1]
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Squadron Codes

1409 (Meteorological) Flight was formed on 1 April 1943 to provide meteorological information for RAF Bomber Command and the USAAF. Equipped with unarmed de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, the crews of the Flight undertook long range meteorological reconnaissance flights until the end of the Second World War in Europe and continued in this role until 1946.

Formed at RAF Oakington[2] as part of the disbandment of 521 Squadron,[3] the Flight was part of No. 8 Group RAF, the Pathfinders. Flying singly the missions were codenamed PAMPA (Photo-recce And Meteorological Photography Aircraft).[2]

In January 1944 the Flight moved to RAF Wyton[2] [4] where it remained until July 1945 when it moved to RAF Upwood.[5] In October 1945 the Flight was transferred to No. 47 Group RAF and partially re-equipped with Consolidated Liberator aircraft in addition to its Mosquitos at RAF Lyneham.[1] The Flight was disbanded at Lyneham in May 1946.

During the war the Flight flew 1,364 operations for a loss of only 3 aircraft.[6]

Stations

See also

Notes and References

  1. Sturtivant. R. C.. Below Squadron Status. Flight. 15 February 1957. 71. 2508. 218. 24 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160821182943/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%200216.html . 21 August 2016 . dead.
  2. Book: Ogden, R. J.. Meteorological Services leading to D-Day. Occasional Papers on Meteorological History No. 3. Royal Meteorological Society. 0-948090-17-0. 24 July 2010. 11. July 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827091654/https://www.rmets.org/sites/default/files/hist03.pdf. 27 August 2016. dead.
  3. Web site: McNeill. Ross. No.521 Squadron RAF. RAF Commands. 24 July 2010. August 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20101211175553/http://www.rafcommands.com/Coastal/521C.html. 11 December 2010. dead.
  4. Web site: PFF Squadrons and Bases. Bennett & The Pathfinders. 24 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172638/http://www.ww2-pathfinders.co.uk/Squadron%20List.html. 3 March 2016. dead.
  5. Web site: Edwards. Sean. Squadrons at RAF Upwood. Raf Upwood. 24 July 2010. 22 August 2006.
  6. Web site: Bomber Command, Campaign Diary April 1943 . Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary . . 24 July 2010 . 6 April 2005 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070607040716/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/apr43.html . 7 June 2007 .