Brief History of No.54 (F) Squadron

1914-1919 - The Great War. Formation of the Squadron and service in France
1930-1939 - Interlude. Reformation and Biplanes between the Wars.
1939-1942 - The Battle of Britain. The Second World War in Europe.
1942-1945 - War in the Pacific. Australia and the Japanese.
1945-1955 - Odiham Wing. The Jet Age, and Atlantic conquest.
1955-1969 - Transonic. Hunter Squadron.
1969-1974 - Supersonic. The Phantoms.
1974-2000 - Ground Attack. Today's Jaguars.

 

 

 

1914-1919 - The Great War. Formation of the Squadron and service in France

1916 - No.54 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, was formed at Castle Bromwich on May 15th 1916 as a Home Defence squadron primarily responsible for the defence of Birmingham, Coventry. Nottingham and Lincoln, but later it was decided that it should be sent overseas. In July it provided the nucleus for No.38 Squadron, which was to take over the Home Defence duties, and in December went to France equipped with the Sopwith Pup, a single-seat scout which with an 80 hp Le Rhone engine had a maximum speed of 106 mph and could reach a height of 17,500 ft. It carried a single Vickers gun firing forward through the propeller disc by means of a synchronising gear.

1917 - The squadron arrived at St. Omer on December 24 and subsequently operated from Bertangles, Chipilly, Flez, Bray Dunes, Leffrinckoucke and Teteghem. During the winter of 1916-17 No.54 Squadron played a distinguished part in operations over the Western Front. It was specially notable in individual combats, as the Pup was then the only British aircraft comparable in performance with the German fighters. Flying throughout the battles of Arras, Messines, Ypres and Cambrai, the Pups also engaged in the difficult task of attacking kite balloons, which were hauled down so rapidly that the squadron pilots had to shoot from about 200 ft up, bringing them within range of fire from the ground. By the end of 1917 No.54 was operating with the Fifth Army.

1918 - The successor to the Pup, the well-known Sopwith Camel, was introduced to the squadron in December 1917, and during the German offensive of the following March, No.54 Squadron, operating from Champien, was mainly engaged in low-level bombing and Army contact patrols, later taking part in the defence of Chateau Thierry, the Battle of Champagne, and helping to reduce enemy pressure by escorting bombers making attacks on the bridges over the Marne. On the opening day of the Amiens battle No.54 was at Fienvilliers, and moved finally to Merchin. On October 30th 1918, No.54's Camels flew with other squadrons to make a low-level bombing attack on the aerodrome at Rebaix, a total of 62 aircraft, led by Lieutenant-Colonel L A Strange, bombing from below 1,000'. The attack was highly successful, resulting in the destruction of three hangars and almost all the aeroplanes on the ground.

1919 - In February 1919, after handing over its Camels to No.151 Squadron, No.54 returned to England. and was disbanded at Yatesbury on October 25 that year.

1930-1939 - Interlude. Reformation and Biplanes between the Wars.

1930/1939 - It came into being again on January 15th 1930 as No.54 (Fighter) Squadron at Hornchurch, Essex, and was equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIA single-seat fighter which, with two Vickers guns and a 450-h.p. Jaguar engine, was capable of 156 mph. A few months later this aircraft gave way to the 174-mph Bristol Bulldog (450-h.p. Jupiter engine), and then in September 1936, to the Gloster Gauntlet. This type was replaced by the Gladiator in April 1937, and in March 1939, the squadron was re-equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire I.

1939-1942 - The Battle of Britain. The Second World War in Europe.

1940 - When the Second World War began the squadron, as a unit of No.11 Group, maintained air cover over convoys in the Thames Estuary, and claimed its first victory over the Luftwaffe on February 13, 1940. At the time of Dunkirk No.54 Squadron helped to cover the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. During this Period two squadron pilots, Pilot Officer A C Deere and Pilot Officer J L Allen, escorted the squadron's Miles Master, piloted by Flight Lieutenant J A Leathart, to rescue a pilot of No.74 Squadron who had been stranded on Calais aerodrome. Twelve Messerschmitt Me 109s attacked them, but the two Spitfires fought them off to let the Master land, pick up the stranded pilot, and return safely to England. The Spitfires claimed the destruction of three Me 109s, plus three probables.

When Hornchurch was attacked by the Luftwaffe on August 31 1940, three pilots of No.54 had remarkable escapes as they were taking off; all three aircraft were severely hit and damaged by blast from the exploding bombs, but the pilots were flying again next day.

1941 - After flying through most of the Battle of Britain the squadron was moved to Catterick in September for a much-needed rest. In March, 1941, it was brought south again, to Rochford, Essex, and two months later returned to Hornchurch. It was then engaged on fighter sweeps over France and the Low Countries, and on June 17th 1941, took part in the biggest daylight fighter and bomber offensive then launched against enemy-occupied France. The Squadron was transferred to Castletown, Caithness, in November 1941, to re-form, and it flew on fleet protection and convoy-patrol work.

1942-1945 - War in the Pacific. Australia and the Japanese.

1942-44 - In June 1942, No.54 was withdrawn from active operations and prepared for overseas service in the South-West Pacific. It arrived (via South Africa) at Darwin, Australia, in January 1943, and worked up an intensive training programme with Spitfire Mk.Vs. For two years No.54 Squadron - the only R A.F. squadron operating from Australian soil - was based at Darwin (Night Cliff and Livingstone), flying in defence of that city and on active operations against the Japanese. With Nos 453 and 459 Squadrons, RAAF, it formed No.1 Fighter Wing, and No.54 had the honour of destroying the first Japanese aircraft in the area. In March, 1944, it exchanged its Spitfire Vs for Mk.VIIIs. From Darwin frequent attacks were made against the retreating Japanese, including strikes on Babar Island and Timor.

1945-1955 - Odiham Wing. The Jet Age, and Atlantic conquest.

1945 - After the War. the squadron was disbanded at Melbourne on October 31st 1945, but came into being again at Chilbolton, Hants, on November 15th 1945, equipped with the Hawker Tempest II single-seat fighter. This type was flown until the squadron moved to Odiham, Hants, in July 1946, and was re-equipped with the de Havilland Vampire single-seat jet fighter, forming, with Nos 72 and 247 Squadrons, RAF Fighter Command's first Vampire Wing,

1947 - In 1947 No.54 Squadron provided the RAF's first jet aerobatic team, led by Sqn.Ldr M Lyne, and gave numerous shows with three aircraft.

1948 - An important feature in the squadron's history is that in July 1948, it made the first crossing of the Atlantic by jet aircraft. This flight took the form of a goodwill tour of Canada and the United States, and six Vampires, led by Wg.Cdr D S Wilson-MacDonald, DSO, DFC, flew by way of Stornoway, Iceland and Labrador to Montreal. They gave formation aerobatic displays at many places, including Idlewild and Mitchell Field in connection with the New York City Golden Anniversary celebrations. No.54 Squadron was then commanded by Sqn.Ldr R W Oxspring, DFC, whose father, Capt R Oxspring, had flown Pups with No.54 Squadron in the First World War.

1949-57 - The squadron represented the RAF at the 1949, 1950 and 1951 displays of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors at Farnborough, and at the Paris Aero Show in 1949. In 1953 the Vampires were replaced by the Gloster Meteor, the F.Mk.III, T.Mk.7 and F.Mk.8 versions being flown until the Hawker Hunter F.1 was received in March 1955.

1955-1969 - Transonic. Hunter Squadron.

That year the squadron put up the official aerobatic team of No.11 Group. Hunter F.4s were issued in 1956, when the aerobatic team was led by Capt R G Immig, USAF, on exchange posting with the RAF. The team was unofficially known as the "Black Knights", flying black-and-gold aircraft. In 1957 the Hunter F.6, with up-rated Avon turbojet, was issued to the squadron, followed by the Hunter F(GA).9 ground attack version, based at Stradishall, Cambs.

1969-1974 - Supersonic. The Phantoms.

The Hunter Squadron disbanded in September 1969, becoming No.4 Sqn (echelon), and simultaneously reformed from No.228 OCU at Coningsby with the Phantom FGR.2. A similar shuffle occurred in March 1974, when the Phantoms became No.111 Sqn.

1974-2000 - Ground Attack. Today's Jaguars.

No.54 immediately reformed at Lossiemouth, equipped with the Jaguar GR.1A. In August, the Squadron moved to its present base at Coltishall, and has a fine record of rapid reaction to many of the international emergencies which have plagued the intervening years. March 1999 saw the 25th anniversary of the Jaguar Squadron - one third of its chequered (blue and yellow) history!