No.83 Squadron
- Badge
- An attire
- Motto
- Strike to defend
- Formed
- 07 January 1917
- Disbanded
- 31 August 1969
Formed at Montrose on 7 January 1917, No 83 Squadron was a night bomber unit. It moved to France in March 1918 and undertook night bombing and reconnaissance missions for the rest of the war. In February 1919 the unit returned to the UK and was disbanded on 31 December 1919.
On 4August 1936 the unit reformed at RAF Turnhouse as a day bomber squadron. The unit undertook one of the first RAF missions of World War Two when, on 3 September 1939, it flew and anti-shipping sweep across the North Sea. It began bombing missions in April 1940 and it formed a part of Bomber Command’s strategic bombing offensive for the rest of the war. In August 1942 it joined the Pathfinder Force as a target marking squadron. It remained a part of the post war RAF but on 1 January 1956 it disbanded. In that post war period its role had changed; on 14 June 1954 it became a radar aids training squadron.
On 21 May 1957 the squadron reformed at RAF Waddington as a V-bomber unit. On 31 August 1969 it disbanded.
AIRCRAFT
Various types 1917 - 1917
FE2b/d 1917 - 1919
Hind 1936 – 1938
Hampden 1938 – 1942
Manchester 1941 – 1942
Lancaster I/III 1942 – 1946
Lincoln 1946 – 1955
Vulcan 1/2 1957 – 1969
Reference Sources
The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force James J Halley Air Britain (Historians) Ltd 1988
RAF Squadrons Wg Cdr C G Jefford Airlife 2001
Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft Phillip J R Moyes Macdonald & Jane’s 1976
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