No. 527 Squadron RAF explained

Unit Name:No. 527 Squadron RAF
Dates:15 Jun 1943 – 15 Apr 1946
1 Aug 1952 – 21 Aug 1958
Branch: Royal Air Force
Role:Radar calibration
Command Structure:No. 60 Group RAF, Fighter Command (43–46)
No. 90 (Signals) Group RAF, Home Command (52–58)
Motto:Silently we serve
Identification Symbol:In front of a flash of lightning, a crystal
Identification Symbol Label:Squadron Badge heraldry
Identification Symbol 2:WN (Jun 1943 – Apr 1946)
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Squadron Codes

No. 527 Squadron RAF was a radar calibration unit of the Royal Air Force between 1943 and 1958.

History

Formation

No. 527 Squadron was formed from various calibration flights at RAF Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire on 15 June 1943 for radar calibration duties with Bristol Blenheims and Hawker Hurricanes. The squadron was engaged with the calibration of radar stations in southern England and East Anglia. The need for calibration units lessened considerably in 1944, so the squadron absorbed No. 528 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1944, extending its coverage in the process to Lincolnshire, and No. 526 Squadron RAF on 1 May 1945, adding the de Havilland Hornet Moths, Airspeed Oxfords and de Havilland Dominies of these units to its strength. The squadron standardised hereafter on Spitfires, Wellingtons, Oxfords and Dominies, the latter -old aircraft of 526 Squadron- still being based at RAF Longman, Inverness for communications flying. In November 1945, the squadron moved to RAF Watton, Norfolk where it disbanded on 15 April 1946.

Reformation

The squadron reformed on 1 August 1952 at RAF Watton, when the 'N' and 'R' Calibration Squadrons of the Central Signal Establishment were redesignated to No. 527 Squadron. A great variety of types, amongst them Avro Lincolns, Avro Ansons, English Electric Canberras and Gloster Meteors, were flown for high-level calibration until 21 August 1958, when the unit was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 245 Squadron RAF.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 527 Squadron RAF, data from! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version
June 1943 May 1945 Mk.IV
June 1943 April 1944 Mk.I
December 1943 September 1944
February 1944 April 1945 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
July 1944 April 1946 Mk.Vb
September 1944 April 1946 Mk.II
April 1945 April 1946 Mk.X
May 1945 April 1946 Mk.I
August 1952 March 1954 C.19
August 1952 January 1954 B.35
August 1952 May 1957 B.2
June 1953 July 1955 NF.11
June 1954 August 1958 T.1
August 1954 October 1955 Gloster Meteor NF.14
December 1954 August 1958 B.2
April 1956 June 1956 English Electric Canberra PR.7
September 1957 November 1957 Gloster Meteor NF.11

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 527 Squadron RAF, data from! From !! To !! Base !! Remark
15 June 1943 28 February 1944
28 February 1944 28 April 1944
28 April 1944 8 November 1945 Dets at RAF Longman, Inverness and RAF Tealing, Angus
8 November 1945 15 April 1946
1 August 1952 21 August 1958 RAF Watton, Norfolk

References

Bibliography

External links