RAF squadrons using the Handley page

b_wilkin · 22 March 2005, 11:42 PM

Hello,

I would need a list of the RAF squadrons which were using the Handley Page during the years 1918-1919. Do you know where I could find it ?

Thank you

Graeme · 23 March 2005, 12:27 AM

The O/100 was used by Nos 207, 214 and 215 Squadrons, the O/400 was used by Nos 58, 70, 97, 100, 115, 134, 144, 207, 214, 215 and 216 Squadrons and the V/1500 by Nos 166, 167 and 274 Squadrons.

Graeme

b_wilkin · 23 March 2005, 01:04 AM

Thank you very much. Do you know who were the squadron leaders for these units ?

snafu · 23 March 2005, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b_wilkin

Hello,

I would need a list of the RAF squadrons which were using the Handley Page during the years 1918-1919. Do you know where I could find it ?

Thank you

1 squadron A.F.C used a Handley Page 0/400 in Palestine in September 1918.

Graeme · 23 March 2005, 01:13 PM

Never got round to collecting information on squadron commanders. There's information on the "naval" squadron in Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911-1919 by Ray Sturtivant and Gordon Page. If you haven't access to this tome, I'll see if I can weed out the relevant bits. As for the others, maybe somebody else on the forum, with a "bomber bent" , can offer advice.

Graeme

Dan_San_Abbott · 23 March 2005, 06:15 PM

Graeme:
Do you know what squadrons in addition to No.166 and No.167 were to be formed in Britain as part of the No.27 Group of the

Independent Force? I know that No.27 Group was to be made up of No. 86th and No.87th Wings. No.86th Wing to be based in England and No.87th Wing in France. The two Wings were formed for the purpose of bombing Berlin. I would like to know the planned composition of these two Wings.
Blue Skies,
Dan-San

b_wilkin · 23 March 2005, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graeme

Never got round to collecting information on squadron commanders. There's information on the "naval" squadron in Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911-1919 by Ray Sturtivant and Gordon Page. If you haven't access to this tome, I'll see if I can weed out the relevant bits. As for the others, maybe somebody else on the forum, with a "bomber bent" , can offer advice.

Graeme

Unfortunalty I don't have a hand on that book. I would love you forever if you were able to give me the information needed.

Another question : Do you know if one of these Handley Page squadron was based in belgium directly after the war ?

Graeme · 30 March 2005, 10:17 AM

Dan-San

No 27 Group was formed on 29 August 1918 as part of the

Independent Force, RAF, at Bircham Newton and comprised Nos 86 and 87 Wings. The Group was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Redford H Mulock; Mulock received his orders direct from Trenchard.

No 86 Wing formed up on 29 September 1918 and until 10 December 1918 was a night bombing unit. As some time in February 1919 it became a communications Wing, disbanding on 28 October 1919.

No 87 Wing formed up on 29 August 1918 as a night bombing unit, disbanding on 10 December 1918.

No 166 Squadron was originally supposed to form up as a Snipe squadron on 9 May 1918, for a deployment to France on 28 September, but these plans were cancelled on 4 July. It eventually did form, as a Handley Page V/1500 bomber unit, at Bircham Newton on 13 June 1918. Its aircraft arrived just before the Armistice and although the squadron did not become operational, it was 31 May 1919 before it was disbanded.

No 167 Squadron formed at Bircham Newton on 18 November 1918 as the second V/1500 bomber unit of No 27 Group. It began to receive some aircraft but following the Armistice formation was slowed down and the squadron disbanded on 21 May 1919.

The formation of a number of bomber squadrons was anticipated in the summer of 1918, mostly to be equipped with DH9/9As, but the personnel of many of these were deployed to existing units on the Western Front to make good losses being suffered by the RAF and IF units using these types.

Unfortunately, I have nothing here that suggests which, if any, of the proposed squadrons was to have joined No 27 Group. In fact, it would appear that none became operational before the Armistice, following which formation of new units was cancelled.

Ultimately, none of the V/1500s saw service on the Western Front and, according to S F Wise in "Canadian Airmen and the First World War", p 320, "Except for a single aircraft which bombed Kabul in early 1919 during the Afghan War, the Handley-Page V 1500 was never to be employed on operations."

Graeme