No. 117 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 117 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I
and reformed as a transport and communications unit in World War II
.
was formed as a bomber squadron on 31 January 1918 and was based at Wyton
where it was equipped with the DH9
. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force
and was stationed in Ireland
for a time before it was merged with other squadrons on 31 January 1920.
, Sudan
and also operated a captured Italian Caproni Ca.133
aircraft that had been impressed into service with the Khartoum Communications Flight in 1940. Some of the squadron aircraft then moved to Egypt
in November 1941 to provide freight services operating the Dakota
. From November 1941 the whole squadron was equipped with the Lockheed Hudson
. In 1943 it was involved in Operation Husky as part of No. 216 Group RAF
and switched to Dakotas based at Castel Benito
, Libya
. In October 1943 the squadron moved to India
and in 1944 it provided transport and supplies for the Chindits
who operated behind the Japan
ese lines.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and reformed as a transport and communications unit in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation and World War I
No. 117 Squadron Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
was formed as a bomber squadron on 31 January 1918 and was based at Wyton
RAF Wyton
RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It...
where it was equipped with the DH9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
. The squadron became part of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and was stationed in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for a time before it was merged with other squadrons on 31 January 1920.
Reformation in World War II
No. 117 reformed as a communications squadron on 30 April 1941 at KhartoumKhartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and also operated a captured Italian Caproni Ca.133
Caproni Ca.133
|-See also:-References:*Ca.133 reconnaissance table, Storia militare magazine n.83. *Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 0-753714-60-4....
aircraft that had been impressed into service with the Khartoum Communications Flight in 1940. Some of the squadron aircraft then moved to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in November 1941 to provide freight services operating the Dakota
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
. From November 1941 the whole squadron was equipped with the Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
. In 1943 it was involved in Operation Husky as part of No. 216 Group RAF
No. 216 Group RAF
No. 216 Group was a command of the Royal Air Force during World War II established on May 21, 1942. The group was renamed No. 216 Group on September 9, 1942 and placed under the command of Air Commodore Whitney Straight the following day.No...
and switched to Dakotas based at Castel Benito
RAF Castel Benito
RAF Castel Benito was a Royal Air Force station near Tripoli in Libya between 1943 and 1966.-History:Originally a Regia Aeronautica airfield where later the first units of Italian parachutists were trained and formed shortly before the Second World War. The first Italian Military Parachute...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. In October 1943 the squadron moved to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and in 1944 it provided transport and supplies for the Chindits
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
who operated behind the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese lines.
Post War
The squadron was disbanded on 17 December 1945 shortly after the war with Japan ended.Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1918 | Jan 1920 | DH9 Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War... |
|
| Apr 1941 | May 1943 | Lockheed Hudson Lockheed Hudson The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter... |
|
| Jun 1943 | Dec 1945 | Douglas DC3 | Dakota |