stirlings

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Wartime Squadrons Operating The Stirling

Below is a list of the wartime squadrons that operated the Stirling, the RAF's rst four engined "heavy" bomber. Although removed from front line bombing operations before the war ended, it is a little known fact that they remained in service with the RAF until the Summer of 1947, when the last one was struck from the charge of the Signal Flying Unit. For squadrons and units that only operated the Stirling in post war years, please see the post war Stirlings page. OPERATIONAL BASES DATES MARKS OPERATED & NOTES I, III 7 MG 8.40 to 8.43 Leeming; Oakington 10.40; Converted to Lancasters 5.43 I, III 15 LS, DJ 3.41 to 12.43 Wyton; Bourn 8.42; Mildenhall Converted to 4.43; Lancasters 12.43 Stoney Cross Mildenhall; Newmarket 11.42; Mepal 6.43 Bottesford; Ridgewell 12.42; Wratting Common 5.43; Tuddenham 10.43 IV,V I, III 75 AA, JN 10.42 to 4.44 Converted to Lancasters 3.44 I, III Converted to Lancasters 5.44 IV 138 148 149 161 171 190 NF FS OJ, TK MA, JR 6Y G5, L9 6.44 to 3.45 early 1944 11.41 to 9.44 9.44 to 7.45 9.44 to 3.45 1.44 to 5.45 Tempsford Brindisi (Italy) Mildenhall; Lakenheath 4.42; Methwold 5.44; Tempsford North Creake Leicester East; Fairford 3.44; Great Dunmow 10.44 Converted to Lancasters 3.45 IV I, III Converted to Lancasters 8.44 IV III IV

SQN NO. SQN CODES

46

XK

1.45 to 4.46

90

WP, XY

12.42 to 6.44

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196

ZO, 7T

7.43 to 3.46

Witchford; Leicester East 11.43; Tarrant Rushton 1.44; Keevil III, IV, V 3.44; Wetherseld 10.44; Sheperds Grove 1.45 III Lakenheath; North Creake 5.44 Converted to Halifaxes 2.45 Stradishall; Chedburgh 10.42; Downham Market 12.43 Marham; Downham Market 7.42; Methwold 8.44 I, III I, III

199

EX

7.43 to 3.45

214

BU

4.42 to 7.44

218 242 295 299 513 525 570 620

HA KY 8Z, 8E 5G, X9 CS not known V8, E7 QS, D4

12.41 to 8.44 2.45 to 5.46 6.44 to 1.46 1.44 to 3.46 10.43 to 12.43 5.44 to 7.44 6.44 to 1.46 6.43 to 6.45

Converted to Lancasters 8.44

Stoney Cross; Merryeld 12.45 IV, V Harwell; Rivenhall 10.44; Tarrant Rushton 12.45 Stoney Cross; Keevil 2.44; Wetherseld 10.44; Sheperds Grove 1.45 Witchford Lynham Harwell; Rivenhall 10.44; IV IV, V III IV IV

Chedburgh; Leicster East 11.43; Fairford 3.44; Great Dunmow I, III, IV 10.44 III

622

GI

8.43 to 1.44

Mildenhall

Converted to Lancasters 12.43 III IV

623 624

IC not known

8.43 to 2.44 6.44 to 9.44

Downham Market Blida (North Africa)

Below is a list of all the non-operational Conversion Flights and various other units that operated the Stirling during the Second World War. It should be borne in mind that some of the units may well have only used a small number of Stirlings, sometimes just one. If anyone requires any further information or clarication on any of the Stirlings that served with any of the units below, please do not hesitate to email me (please replace the "AT" with an "@" before sending your email). The column headed "Unit Details" uses the following abbreviations:SCF - Squadron Conversion Flight HCU - Heavy Conversion Unit

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HTCU - Heavy Transport Conversion Unit ORTU - Operational and Refresher Training Unit CNS - Central Navigation School BDU - Bombing Development Unit PFNTU - Pathnder Force Navigation Training Unit RAE - Royal Aircraft Establishment SFU - Signal Flying Unit AAEE - Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment AFEE - Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment UNIT UNIT DETAILS CODES 7 SCF 15 SCF 101 SCF MG LS SR OPERATIONAL BASES DATES 1.42 to 10.42 Oakington Absorbed into 1657 HCU 10.42 1.42 to 10.42 4.42 to 10.42 Oakington Absorbed into 1657 HCU 10.42 12.42 only 115 SCF 149 SCF 214 SCF KO OJ BU Oakington Absorbed into 1657 HCU 23.42 1.42 to 10.42 4.42 to 8.42 Absorbed into 1651 HCU 8.42 2.42 to 10.42 218 SCF HA BS, GG, QQ, YZ Waterbeach; Stradishall 5.42; Waterbeach 8.42 I Lakenheath I I I Alconbury I I MARKS OPERATED

Marham 2.42; Lakenheath 3.42; Marham 3.42; Stradishall I Absorbed into 1657 HCU 10.42 10.42 1.42 to 1.45 12.43 to 2.45 11.43 to 12.44 Waterbeach; Wratting Common I, III 11.43; Woolfox Lodge 11.44 Marston Moor Chedburgh; North Luffenham 12.44 III I, III

1651 HCU

1652 HCU GV, JA 1653 HCU A3, H4

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1654 HCU JF, UG 1657 HCU AK, XT 1659 HCU FD, RV 1660 HCU TV, YW 1661 HCU GP, KB 1662 HCU KF, PE 1663 HCU OO, SV FO, OG, 1665 HCU NY 1332 HTCU YY, OG

11.43 to 3.45 10.42 to 2.45 6.43 to 12.43 11.43 to 3.45 11.43 to 2.45 8.43 only, then 2.45 to 3.45 6.43 to 11.43 5.43 to 3.46 9.44 to ?

Wigsley Oakington; Stradishall 10.42 Topcliffe Swinderby Winthorpe Blyton Rufforth Waterbeach; Woolfox Lodge 6.43; Tilstock (Glider tug training?) 1.44

I, III I, III I III III III I I, III, IV

Longtown; Nutts Corner 10.44; IV Riccall 4.45

ORTU

No unit codes used, only 3.45 to 4.46 individual a/c letters. none used 5.44 to 5.45 12.41 to 10.43

Matching; Wetherseld 10.45;

IV

CNS

Shawbury

IV

1427 Flight none used? Absorbed into 1657 HCU No unit codes used, only 10.42 to 2.44 individual a/c letters. No unit codes used, only 4.43 to 12.43 individual a/c letters. None used 10.41 to 4.44 None used 11.44 to 1.45 None Used 4.40 to 12.44 None Used 3.42 to 2.44

Thruxton; Hullavington 5.42; I? Marham 8.42; Stradishall 10.43

BDU

Gransden Lodge; Feltwell 4.43; I, III Newmarket 9.43

PFNTU

Gransden Lodge; Upwwod/Warboys 6.43; Warboys 3.44 Farnborough Honiley Boscombe Down Sherburn-in-Elmet and Beaulieu

I, III

RAE SFU AAEE AFEE

L7605 (2nd Prototype), I, III IV I, II (N3657), III I, III, IV

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