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No.77 Sqn RAF Founded : 1st October 1916
Ease potius quam videri - To be, rather than seen No. 77 Squadron was formed on 1 October 1916 at Edinburgh, and was equipped with B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft. The squadron disbanded at RAF Turnhouse on 13 June 1919. In June 1937, No. 77 Squadron was re-formed at Finningley, Yorkshire, as a bomber unit. No. 77 was employed on reconnaissance and Security Patrols during the early months of the war and in the course of some of its Security Patrols dropped bombs on what appeared to be harbour and seaplane base landing lights at or near Borkum, Sylt and Nordeney. The spring of 1940 saw the squadron start bombing in earnest and during the period March to June it figured in several notable Bomber Command "firsts". On 19/2Oth March it took part in the first attack on an enemy land target (Hornum, on the island of Sylt); on 11/12th May it took part in the first big attack on the German mainland (the exits of Munchen-Gladbach); and on 11/12th June it took part in the first attack on Italy (primary target the Fiat works at Turin). No. 77 Squadron continued its offensive against enemy land targets until April 1941, and then, early in May, was posted to Chivenor, North Devon, for temporary duty with No. 19 Group, Coastal Command. From Chivenor the Whitleys were mainly employed on flying anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay and on 3rd September one of them attacked and sank with depth charges U-705. In October 1942, the squadron converted to Halifaxes at RAF Elvington, moving to RAF Full Sutton in May 1944. in addition to playing a prominent part in the bomber offensive, also participated in Bomber Command's highly-successful Gardening, or minelaying, campaign On 8 May 1945 the squadron joined Transport Command, and in July 1945 re-equipped with Douglas Dakotas. The squadron moved to Broadwell in August 1945 followed by a posting to India in October 1945. The squadron was disbanded by being renumbered as No. 31 Squadron on 1 November 1946. The squadron was again reformed - as 77(SM) Sqn. - on 1 September 1958 as one of 20 Strategic Missile (SM) squadrons associated with Project Emily. The squadron was equipped with three Thor Intermediate range ballistic missiles, and based at RAF Feltwell. |
No.77 Sqn RAF
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