RAF No 150 Squadron

Motto: ?

By April 1918, there were two squadrons operating in Salonika, No 17 and No 47, both operating a variety of types and both carrying out reconnaissance and fighter operations. On 1 April the fighter flight of each squadron was withdrawn and combined to form a new unit, No 150 Squadron. The squadron remained in Macedonia after the war until disbanding on 18 September 1919.

When the squadron reformed at Boscombe Down on 8 August 1938, it was as a Battle equipped light bomber unit. Moving to Benson in April 1939, it became part of the Advanced Air Striking Force shortly before the outbreak of war and moved onto the continent on 2 September. Until the German attack of May 1940, it flew reconnaissance and leaflet dropping operations, but after the attack it was involved in offensive operations in an attempt to stem the German advance. Withdrawn from France in mid June 1940, by the beginning of July it was bases at Newton, where in October it re-equipped with Wellingtons. Until December 1942, the squadron flew night raids against a variety of targets in occupied Europe and Germany, initially from Newton before moving to Snaith in July 1941 and then Kirmington in October 1942.

In December 1942, the squadron was withdrawn from operations in Europe and sent to the Middle East. Operating from Blida, it carried out attacks against Axis targets in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. In December 1943 it moved to bases in Italy, where it remained until disbanding on 5 October 1944. However, the squadron was soon revived, when 'C' Flight of No 550 Squadron at Fiskerton was renumbered 150. In November the squadron moved to its final wartime base at Hemswell, operating its Lancasters from there until the end of the war, disbanding on 7 November 1945.

The squadron only re-appeared in the RAF's post-war order of battle once, when it became a Thor equipped Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile unit at Carnaby from 1 August 1959 to 9 April 1963.

Linked with No 83 Sqn, 1/2/49 - 1/1/56

Squadron Codes used: -

DG Oct 1938 - Sep 1939
JN Sep 1939 - Oct 1944
IQ Nov 1944 - Nov 1945

Web References:
History of RAF Organisation: http://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn146-150.htm
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/