Active 21 October 1918 – 14 April 19191 March 1938 – 17 May 194012 May 1941 – 14 August 194515 September 1951 – 1 May 1953 Squadron Codes ZM (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939)GL (Sep 1939 - Apr 1940, May 1942 - Aug 1945) | ||
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.
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Formation and World War I
No. 185 Squadron was formed in East Fortune, 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.
Reformation in World War II
The squadron reformed on 1 March 1938 at RAF Abingdon 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. The Squadron served all its time in the Mediterranean Theatre. It disbanded on 14 August 1945.
Postwar period
The squadron reformed on 15 September 1951 at Hal Far, Malta and was equipped with Vampires. It moved to Iraq in October 1952 and it finally disbanded there on 1 May 1953.