No. 1454 Flight RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 1454 Flight was formed at RAF Colerne
, Wiltshire
on 27 June 1941, equipped with Turbinlite
Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. By 26 January 1942 the flight moved to RAF Charmy Down
, Somerset
. On operations they co-operated with the Hawker Hurricane
s of 87 Squadron
, which also flew from Charmy Down. The flight was replaced with 533 Squadron
on 8 September 1942 (not on 2 September due to administrative reasons) but officially disbanded as late as 31 January 1943.
533 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.
RAF Colerne
RAF Colerne now known as Colerne Airfield or AEF Colerne is a former World War II RAF Fighter Command and Bomber Command airfield located on the outskirts of the village of Colerne, Wiltshire...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
on 27 June 1941, equipped with Turbinlite
Turbinlite
The Helmore/GEC Turbinlite was a 2,700 million candela searchlight fitted in the nose of a number of British Douglas Havoc night fighters during the early part of the Second World War and around the time of The Blitz....
Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft. By 26 January 1942 the flight moved to RAF Charmy Down
RAF Charmy Down
RAF Station Charmy Down is a former World War II airfield in Somerset, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Bath; about west of London...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. On operations they co-operated with the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s of 87 Squadron
No. 87 Squadron RAF
No. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War.-World War I:87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was first formed on 1 September 1917 at Upavon from elements of the Central Flying School...
, which also flew from Charmy Down. The flight was replaced with 533 Squadron
No. 533 Squadron RAF
No. 533 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 533 Squadron was formed at RAF Charmy Down, Somerset on 8 September 1942, from No. 1454 Flight, as part of No. 10 Group RAF in Fighter Command...
on 8 September 1942 (not on 2 September due to administrative reasons) but officially disbanded as late as 31 January 1943.
533 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.I (Turbinlite) |
| 27 June 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.I |
| 27 June 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.II (Turbinlite) |
| 27 June 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.II (Turbinlite) |
| 27 June 1941 | 8 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.III (Turbinlite) |
Flight bases
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1941 | 26 January 1942 | RAF Colerne RAF Colerne RAF Colerne now known as Colerne Airfield or AEF Colerne is a former World War II RAF Fighter Command and Bomber Command airfield located on the outskirts of the village of Colerne, Wiltshire... , Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers... |
| 26 January 1942 | 8 September 1942 | RAF Charmy Down RAF Charmy Down RAF Station Charmy Down is a former World War II airfield in Somerset, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Bath; about west of London... , Somerset Somerset The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the... |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1941 | September 1941 | S/Ldr. Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... C.L. Gomm, DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| September 1941 | October 1941 | S/Ldr. B.H.M. Winslett |
| October 1941 | March 1942 | S/Ldr. W.G. Moseby |
| March 1942 | 8 September 1942 | S/Ldr. D.P. McKeown, AFC Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"... |