No. 185 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 185 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron formed in World War I
and reformed as a bomber and fighter unit in World War II
. It then reformed in Malta
in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron.
, East Lothian
, Scotland
on 21 August 1918 and was equipped with Sopwith Cuckoo
torpedo-bomber aircraft, it did not become operational and disbanded on 14 April 1919.
and was supplied with Harts
, then Battles
. It then operated from RAF Cottesmore
as a bomber squadron equipped with Hampdens
after having a training role. The squadron was absorbed into an OTU
on 8 April 1940 before re-forming in Malta on 12 May 1941 as a fighter squadron. It disbanded in 14 August 1945.
, Malta and was equipped with Vampires
. It moved to Iraq
in October 1952 and it finally disbanded there on 1 May 1953.
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 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 bomber and fighter 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...
. It then reformed in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron.
Formation and World War I
No. 185 Squadron was formed in East FortuneEast Fortune
East Fortune is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, located 2 miles north west of East Linton. The area is known for its airfield which was constructed in 1915 to help protect Britain from attack by German Zeppelin airships during the First World War. The RNAS airship station also included an...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 21 August 1918 and was equipped with Sopwith Cuckoo
Sopwith Cuckoo
-See also:-References:*Davis, Mick. Sopwith Aircraft. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: Crowood Press, 1999. ISBN 1-86126-217-5.*Layman, R.D. Naval Aviation In The First World War: Its Impact And Influence. London: Caxton, 2002. ISBN 1-84067-314-1....
torpedo-bomber aircraft, it did not become operational and disbanded on 14 April 1919.
Reformation in World War II
The squadron reformed on 1 March 1938 at RAF AbingdonRAF Abingdon
RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps....
and was supplied with Harts
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
, then Battles
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
. It then operated from RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
as a bomber squadron equipped with Hampdens
Handley Page Hampden
The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane...
after having a training role. The squadron was absorbed into an OTU
Operational Conversion Unit
An Operational Conversion Unit is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. OCUs teach pilots how to fly an aircraft and which tactics best exploit the performance of their aircraft and...
on 8 April 1940 before re-forming in Malta on 12 May 1941 as a fighter squadron. It disbanded in 14 August 1945.
Postwar period
The squadron reformed on 15 September 1951 at Hal FarHal Far
Ħal Far , is one of the main industrial estates in Malta. It is at the southern extreme of Malta, between the localities of Birżebbuġa and Żurrieq....
, Malta and was equipped with Vampires
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
. It moved to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in October 1952 and it finally disbanded there on 1 May 1953.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1918 | Apr 1919 | Sopwith Cuckoo Sopwith Cuckoo -See also:-References:*Davis, Mick. Sopwith Aircraft. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: Crowood Press, 1999. ISBN 1-86126-217-5.*Layman, R.D. Naval Aviation In The First World War: Its Impact And Influence. London: Caxton, 2002. ISBN 1-84067-314-1.... |
|
| Mar 1938 | Jul 1938 | Hawker Hind Hawker Hind -See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3.... |
|
| Jun 1938 | Jun 1939 | Fairey Battle Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed... |
|
| Jun 1939 | Apr 1940 | Handley Page Hampden Handley Page Hampden The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane... |
|
| Aug 1939 | Apr 1940 | Handley Page Hereford | |
| Aug 1939 | Apr 1940 | Avro Anson Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was... |
I |
| Apr 1940 | May 1940 | Handley Page Hampden | |
| May 1941 | Jun 1942 | 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... |
I |
| May 1941 | Jun 1942 | Hawker Hurricane | IIA & IIC |
| May 1942 | Sep 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
VC |
| Jun 1943 | Jul 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX |
| Aug 1944 | Sep 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | VIII |
| Sep 1944 | Aug 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX |
| Mar 1945 | Apr 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | VIII |
| Sep 1951 | May 1953 | de Havilland Vampire De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served... |
FB.5 |