No.151 (F) Squadron

"Fidelity unto duty"  "Faith for duty"
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History:

12. June 1918

No. 151 Sqn formed at Hainault Farm

10. Sep. 1919

No. 151 Sqn disbanded at RAF Drem

4. August 1936

No. 151 Sqn reformed at RAF North Weald

10. October 1946

No. 151 Sqn disbanded at RAF Weston Zoyland

15. September 1951

No. 151 Sqn reformed at RAF Leuchars

19. September 1961

No. 151 Sqn disbanded at RAF Leuchars

1. January 1962

No. 151 Sqn reformed (re-numbered Signal Development Squadron)

25. May 1963

No. 151 Sqn disbanded at RAF Watton

18. September 1981

No. 151 Sqn reformed at RAF Chivenor

4. August 1992

No. 151 Sqn disbanded at RAF Chivenor
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Aircraft:
 

 

 

 Jun. 1918 - Sep. 1919
Camel F1		    
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 Aug. 1936 - Mar. 1939
 Gauntlet Mk.II		    
 

 

 

 Dec. 1938 - Jun. 1941
 Hurricane Mk.I		  
 

 

 

 Dec.1940 - Oct. 1941
Defiant Mk.I		  
 

 

 

 Jun. 1941 -Jan. 1942
Hurricane Mk.IIc		      
 

 

 

 Sep. 1941 -Jul. 1942
Defiant Mk.II		  
 

 

 

 Apr. 1942 - Jul. 1943
Mosquito Mk.II		    
 

 

 

 Jul. 1943 - Mar. 1944
Mosquito Mk.XII		    
 

 

 

 Dec. 1943 - Sep. 1944
Mosquito Mk.XIII		    
 

 

 

 Jul. 1944 - Sep. 1944
Mosquito Mk.VI		    
 

 

 

 Aug. 1944 - Oct. 1946
Mosquito Mk.XXX		      
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 Feb. 1952 - Aug. 1953
Vampire NF.10		      
 

 

 

 Mar. 1953 - Oct. 1955
Meteor NF.11		    
 

 

 

 Sep. 1955 - Jun. 1957
Venom NF.3		      
 

 

 

 Jun 1957 - Sep. 1961
 Javelin FAW.5		      
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 Jan. 1962 -Apr. 1963
Lincoln B.2		    
 

 

 

 Jan. 1962 - May 1963
 Hastings C.1 & C.2		    
 

 

 

 Jan. 1962 - May 1963
 Varsity T.1		      
 

 

 

 Jan. 1962 -May 1963
Canberra B.2		      
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 Sep. 1981 -Sep. 1992
Hawk T.1 & T.1A		      
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Air Base Assingment

 1918 - 1919

Hainault Farm

12. Jun. 1918

16. Jun. 1918

Marquise, Pas-de-Calais, France

16. Jun. 1918

21. Jun. 1918

Fontaine-sur-Maye, France

21. Jun. 1918

25. Jun. 1918

Famechon, Somme, France

25. Jun. 1918

2. Jul. 1918

Fontaine-sur-Maye, France

2. Jul. 1918

8. Sep. 1918

Vignacourt, France

8. Sep. 1918

24. Oct. 1918

Bancourt, France

24. Oct. 1918

5. Dec. 1918

Liettres, France

5. Dec. 1918

21. Feb. 1919

RAF Drem, Scotland

21. Feb. 1919

10. Sep.1919

 1936 - 1946

RAF North Weald

4. Aug. 1936

13. May 1940

RAF Martlesham Heath

13. May 1940

17. May 1940

RAF Manston

17. May 1940

18. May 1940

Vitry-en-Artois, France

18. May 1940

20. May 1940

RAF North Weald

20. May 1940

29. Aug. 1940

RAF Stapleford Tawney

29. Aug. 1940

1. Sep. 1940

RAF Digby

1. Sep. 1940

28. Nov. 1940

RAF Bramcote

28. Nov. 1940

6. Dec. 1940

RAF Wittering

6. Dec. 1940

30. Apr. 1943

RAF Colerne

30. Apr. 1943

16. Aug. 1943

RAF Middle Wallop

16. Aug. 1943

17. Nov. 1943

RAF Colerne

17. Nov. 1943

24. Mar. 1944

RAF Predannack

24. Mar. 1944

7. Oct. 1944

RAF Castle Camps

7. Oct. 1944

19. Nov. 1944

RAF Hunsdon

19. Nov. 1944

1. Mar. 1945

RAF Bradwell Bay

1. Mar. 1945

17. May 1945

RAF Predannack

17. May 1945

1. Jun. 1945

RAF Exeter

1. Jun. 1945

8. Jul. 1946

RAF Weston Zoyland

8. Jul. 1946

10. Oct. 1946

 1951 - 1961

RAF Leuchars

15. Sep. 1951

17. Jun. 1957

RAF Turnhouse

17. Jun. 1957

15. Nov. 1957

RAF Leuchars

15. Nov. 1957

19. Sep. 1961

 1962 - 1963

RAF Watton

1. Jan. 1962

25. May 1963

 1981 - 1992

RAF Chivenor

18. Sep. 1981

4. Aug. 1992
 
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Commanding Officers:

 1918 - 1919

Maj G W Murlis-Green DSO MC

12. Jun. 1918

 9. Jul. 1918

Maj Christopher J Q Brand DSO, MC, DFC;

 9. Jul. 1918

10. Sep.1919

 1936 - 1946

?

4. Aug. 1936

31. Aug. 1936

Sqn Ldr/Wg Cdr W V Hyde

31. Aug. 1936

14. Nov. 1938

Sqn Ldr Edward M Donaldson

14. Nov. 1938

5. Aug. 1940

Sqn Ldr J A G Gordon

5. Aug. 1940

21. Aug. 1940

Sqn Ldr E B King

21. Aug. 1940

 4. Sep. 1940

Sqn Ldr West

 4. Sep. 1940

5. Dec. 1940

Sqn Ldr Adams, DFC

5. Dec. 1940

21. Feb. 1941

Sqn Ldr Blair (Temporary)

21. Feb. 1941

12. Apr. 1941

Sqn Ldr Adams, DFC

12. Apr. 1941

8. Oct. 1941

Sqn Ldr McDougall

8. Oct. 1941

19. Feb. 1942

Sqn Ldr/Wg Cdr I S Smith, DFC

19. Feb. 1942

Mar. 1943

Wg Cdr D V Ivins (KIA)

Mar. 1943

18 May 1943

Wg Cdr S P Richards, AFC

18 May 1943

10. Oct. 1943

Wg Cdr G H Goodman DSO, DFC

10. Oct. 1943

21. Dec. 1944

Wg Cdr W R L Beaumont

21. Dec. 1944

1946

Sqn Ldr P S Q Andersen

1946

10. Oct. 1946

 1951 - 1961

?

15. Sep. 1951

Nov. 1951

Sqn Ldr A D Boyle

Nov. 1951

Sep. 1953

Sqn Ldr D B Ainsworth

Sep. 1953

Nov. 1955

Wg Cdr I Cosby

Nov. 1955

26 Feb. 1958

Sqn Ldr John W Frost DFC

26 Feb. 1958

 6 Oct. 1958

Sqn Ldr Leslie G P Martin

 6 Oct. 1958

12 Dec. 1960

Sqn Ldr D O Luke

12 Dec. 1960

24 Jul. 1961

Maj H C Hancock USAF

24 Jul. 1961

19. Sep. 1961

 1962 - 1963

Sqn Ldr B F Hills

1. Jan. 1962

25. May 1963

 1981 - 1992

Sqn Ldr D Sharp

18. Sep. 1981

Feb. 1983

Sqn Ldr J Hall

Feb. 1983

Jan. 1984

Sqn Ldr R Burroughs

Jan. 1984

Jan. 1987

Sqn Ldr G P H Croasdale

Jan. 1987

4. Aug. 1992
 
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History:

Formed at Hainault Farm as a night fighter unit on 12 June 1918 by taking a flight from Nos 44, 78 and 112 Squadrons. The first flight moved to France on 16 June and ten days later the rest of the squadron was also in France. It operated Camels in defence of British bases in the area and by the end of the war had destroyed 26 enemy aircraft. It also introduced the principle of night intrusion, when it made attacks against German bombers returning to their airfields. Having returned to Britain in February 1919, it disbanded at Drem on 10. September 1919.

The squadron reformed on 4. August 1936 at North Weald, equipped with Gauntlets from a detachment of No 56 Squadron. Hurricanes began to arrive in December 1938 and conversion was completed in February 1939. Unlike many Hurricane units, it remained in Britain on defensive duties, instead of going to France. It then covered the Dunkirk evacuation and took part in most of the Battle of Britain, before moving to Digby in September 1940.

The following November, it was decided to transfer the squadron to the night fighting role and it moved to Bramcote where it also received Defiants. Night operations were commenced in February 1941 from its base at Wittering and a detachment at Coltishall. In April 1942, Mosquitos began to arrive and the Hurricanes were immediately retired although it was July before the Defiants left, leaving the squadron solely equipped with the Mosquito. From April 1943, as a result of the declining night interceptions being made, the squadron moved to Colerne, from where it began intruder operations. In October 1944, a move to Castle Camps led to it adopting the bomber support role and these were continued from East Anglia until the end of the war. A few days later the squadron moved back to the West Country, disbanding at Weston Zoyland on 10 October 1946.

From 11. February 1949 until 14. September 1951, the squadron number was linked to No 23 Squadron, but on the 15th, the squadron regained its independence, when it reformed at Leuchars as a Vampire night fighter unit. In April 1953 Meteor NF Mk 11s replaced the Vampires and in July 1955, these were replaced by Venom NF Mk 3s. The squadron's role changed in July 1957, when it became an all-weather fighter unit on re-
equipping with Javelins, these being retained until 19 September 1961, when the squadron disbanded, still being at Leuchars.

Its final incarnation lasted from 1. January 1962 to 25. May 1963, when the Signals Command Development Squadron was given the number. Bases at Watton, this unit operated a range of aircraft including Lincolns, Hastings, Varsities and Canberras on radar research and development. The squadron was disbanded by being renumbered No 97 Squadron.
 
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