No. 285 Squadron RAF was a non-operational Second World War 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...

 squadron that operated a variety of aircraft to provide targets for anti-aircraft gun practice initially in the North Midlands and North Wales area.

History

The squadron was formed at RAF Wrexham

RAF Wrexham

RAF Wrexham was a World War II Royal Air Force station at Borras, on the outskirts of Wrexham North Wales and east of the city centre.Initially opened as a municipal aerodrome the airfield was used by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and the Royal Air Force in World War II...

 on 1 December 1941 from No. 9 Group AAC Flight. In 1944 the squadron moved to RAF Andover

RAF Andover

Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...

 and then RAF North Weald before finally moving to RAF Weston Zoyland

RAF Weston Zoyland

thumb|C-47s of the 306th Troop Carrier SquadronRAF Station Weston Zoyland is a former World War II airfield in Somerset, England. The airfield is located approximately east-southeast of Bridgwater; about west-southwest of London...

 where it was disbanded on 26 June 1945.

Aircraft operated

From	To	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
Dec 1941	Mar 1942	Bristol Blenheim Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...	Mk.I
Dec 1941	Mar 1942	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...	Mk.III
Dec 1941	Jun 1942	Westland Lysander Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...	Mks.II, III, IIIa
Mar 1942	Jun 1945	Airspeed Oxford Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...	Mks.I, II
Mar 1942	Jan 1944	Boulton-Paul Defiant	Mks.I, III
Sep 1943	Nov 1944	Bristol Beaufighter Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...	Mk.If
Jan 1944	Jun 1945	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...	Mk.IIc
Mar 1944	Apr 1944	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IV
Mar 1945	Jun 1945	North American Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...	MK.I

External links

• squadron histories nos. 281-285 sqn