Wartime Squadrons Operating The Lancaster
Below is a list of the wartime squadrons that operated the Lancaster. Several other squadrons operated the Lancaster in post war years only - click here to visit the page that deals with those squadrons. SQN NO. SQN CODES OPERATIONAL
DATES WARTIME BASES
NOTES AND POST WAR BASES MARK OPERATED 7 MG, XU 5.43 to 1.50 Oakington Mepal 7.45; Upwood 7.46 I, III 9 WS 8.42 to 7.46 Waddington; Bardney 14.4.43; Waddington 7.45; Salbani 1.46; Binbrook 4.46 I, III, VII 12 PH, GZ 11.42 to 8.46 Wickenby Binbrook 9.45; Waddington 7.46 I, III
15 LS, DJ 12.43 to 3.47 Mildenhall Wyton 8.46 I, III
35 TL 3.44 to 10.49 Graveley Stradishall 9.46; Mildenhall 2.49 I, III 44 KM 12.41 to 9.47 Waddington; Dunholme Lodge 31.5.43; Spilsby 30.9.44; Mepal 7.45; Mildenhall 8.45; Wyton 8.46 I, III 49 EA 7.42 to 3.50 Scampton; Fiskerton 2..43; Fulbeck 16.10.44 Mepal 9.45; Upwood 7.46 I, III 50 VN 5.42 to 11.46 Skellingthorpe; Swinderby 20.6.42; Skellingthorpe 17.10.42 Sturgate 6.45; Waddington 1.46 I, III 57 DX, QT 9.42 to 5.46 Scampton; East Kirkby 28.8.43 Elsham Wolds 11.45; Scampton 12.45; Lindholme 5.46 I, III
61 QR 6.42 to 5.46 Syerston; Skellingthorpe 16.11.43; Coningsby 1.2.44; Skellingthorpe 15.4.44 Sturgate 6.45; Waddington 1.46 I, II, III
75 AA, JN 3.44 to 10.45 Mepal Spilsby 7.45 I, III
83 OL 5.42 to 7.46
Scampton; Wyton 15.8.42; Coningsby 18.4.44
I, III
90 WP, XY 5.44 to 12.47 Tuddenham Wyton 11.46 I, III
97 OF, ZT 1.42 to 7.46 Coningsby; Woodhall Spa 2.3.42; Bourn 18.4.43; Coningsby 18.4.44 I, III 100 HW, FZ 12.42 to 5.46 Grimsby (Waltham); Elsham Wolds 1.4.45 Scampton 3.12.45 I, III 101 SR, MW 10.42 to 8.46 Holme-in-Spalding Moor; Ludford Magna 15.6.43
Binbrook
1.10.45 I, III
103 PM 11.42 to 11.45 Elsham Wolds I, III
106 ZN 5.42 to 2.46 Coningsby; Syerston 1.10.42; Metheringham 11.11.43 I, III 109 HS 8.42 to 10.42 Wyton Only a few Lancasters were allocated to this squadron, and remained in use there for only a short time.
I
115 KO, IL, A4 3.43 to 1.50
East Wretham; Little Snoring 6.8.43; Witchford 26.11.43; Graveley 9.45; Stradishall 9.46; Mildenhall 2.49 I, II, III
138 NF, AC 3.45 to 9.47 Tuddenham Wyton 11.46 I, III
149 OJ, TK 8.44 to 11.49 Methwold Tuddenham 4.46; Stradishall 11.46; I, III
Mildenhall 2.49
150 IQ, JN 11.44 to 11.45 Hemswell I, III
153 P4 10.44 to 9.45 Scampton I, III 156 GT 1.43 to 9.45 Warboys; Upwood 5.3.44 Wyton 6.45 I, III 166 AS 9.43 to 11.45 Kirmington I, III 170 TC 10.44 to 11.45 Dunholme Lodge; Hemswell 29.11.44 I, III 186 XY 10.44 to 7.45 Tuddenham; Stradishall 17.12.44 I, III 189 CA 10.44 to 11.45 Bardney; Fulbeck 2.11.44; Bardney 8.4.45 Metheringham 10.45 I, III
195 A4, JE 10.44 to 8.45 Witchford; Wratting
Common 13.11.44 I, III 207 EM 3.42 to 8.49 Bottesford; Langar 20.9.42; Spilsby 12.10.43; Methwold 10.45; Tuddenham 4.46; Stradishall 11.46; Mildenhall 2.49 I, III
218 HA, XH 8.44 to 8.45 Methwold; Chedburgh
5.12.44 I, III
227 9J 10.44 to 9.45 Balderton; Strubby
5.4.45 Graveley 6.45 I, III
300 BH 4.44 to 10.46 Faldingworth I, III
405
RCAF LQ 8.43 to 11.55 Gransden Lodge
Linton-on-Ouse 5.45; Greenwood (Novia Scotia) 3.51 III, VI, X 408
RCAF EQ 8.43 to 9.45 Linton-on-Ouse II, X
419
RCAF VR 4.44 to 9.45 Middleton St. George X
420
RCAF PT 5.45 to 9.45 Tholthorpe
Debert (Novia Scotia) 6.45 X 424
425 RCAF KW 5.45 to 9.45 Tholthorpe Debert (Novia Scotia) 6.45 X 426 RCAF OW 6.43 to 5.44 Linton-on-Ouse II 427
RCAF ZL 3.45 to 5.46 Leeming I, III
428
RCAF NA 6.44 to 9.45 Middleton St. George X
429
RCAF AL 3.45 to 5.46 Leeming I, III
431 RCAF SE 10.44 to 9.45 Croft Debert (Novia Scotia) 6.45 X 432 RCAF QO 10.43 to 2.44 Eastmoor II 433
RCAF BM 1.45 to 10.45 Skipton-on-Swale I, III
434
RCAF IP, WL 12.44 to 3.45 Croft
Dartmouth (Novia Scotia) 6.45 I, X 460 RAAF UV, AR 10.42 to 10.45 Breighton; Binbrook 14.5.43 East Kirkby 7.45 I, III 463 RAAF JO 11.43 to 9.45 Waddington Skellingthorpe 7.45 III 467 RAAF PO 11.42 to 9.45 Scampton; Botesford 24.11.42; Wadington 13.11.43 Metheringham 6.45 I, III
514 A2, JI 9.43 to 8.45 Waterbeach I, II, III
550 BQ 10.43 to 10.45 Grimsby (Waltham); North Killingholme 3.1.44 I, III 576 UL 11.43 to 9.45 Elsham Wolds; Fiskerton 31.10.44 I, III
582 6O 4.44 to 9.45 Little Staughton I, III
617 AJ, YZ, KC 3.43 to 9.46 Scampton; Coningsby 30.8.43; Woodhall Spa 10.1.44 Waddington 6.45; Digri 1.46; Binbrook 4.46 I, III, VII 619 PG 4.43 to 7.45 Woodhall Spa; Coningsby 9.1.44; Dunholme Lodge 17.4.44; Strubby 28.9.44 Skellingthorpe 6.45 I, III
622 GI 12.43 to 8.45 Mildenhall I, III
625 CF 10.43 to 10.45 Kelstern; Scampton
5.4.45 I, III
626 UM 11.43 to 10.45 Wickenby I, III
630 LE 11.43 to 7.45 East Kirkby I, II
635 F2 3.44 to 9.45 Downham Market I, III, VI
As well as the operational squadrons, there were the Heavy Conversion Units, Lancaster Finishing Schools, and several other wartime units that operated the Lancaster, and a summary of those units can be found
below:-HEAVY CONVERSION UNITS (HCU'S)
HCU NUMBER
UNIT
CODE BASES
1651 BS, QQ Woolfox Lodge
1653 A3, H4 Lindholme, North Luffenham
1654 UG, JF Wigsley, Woolfox Lodge
1656 EK, BL Lindholme
1659 FD, RV Topcliffe
1660 TV, YW Swinderby
1661 GP, KB Waddington; Scampton; Winthorpe
1662 KF, PE Blyton
1666 ND, QY Dalton
1667 GG, LR Lindholme; Faldingworth; Sandtoft
1668 J9, 2K Balderton; Syerston; Bottesford; Cottesmore
1669 not known Langar
1678 SW East Wretham; Foulsham
1679 not known East Moor
LANCASTER FINISHING SCHOOLS (LFS)
LFS UNIT CODE BASES
1 LFS 3C Lindholme; Faldingworth; Hemswell
3 LFS A5 Feltwell
5 LFS CE, RC Syerston
OTHER LANCASTER UNITS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Many other units and establishments operated the Lancaster during the war, and below is a list of the ones that i am aware of. If you know of any other unit that operated the Lancaster, please
e-mail me (please replace the "AT" with an "@" before sending your email) with as many details as you can. Thank you.
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Air Photography Development Unit
Bomber Command Film Unit Bombing Development Unit
Bomber Command Instructors School Central Flying School
Central Gunnery School Central Navigation School
Central Photographic Establishment Empire Air Navigation School
Electronic Countermeasures Development Unit Empire Test Pilots School
G-H Training Flight
Pathfinder Force Navigation Training Unit Blind Landing Experimental Unit
Royal Aircraft Establishment No.1 Ferry Unit
No.16 Ferry Unit
Central Signals Establishment