Country United Kingdom | Branch Royal Air Force | |
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Active 31 December 1916 (RNAS) – 20 January 1920
1 February 1920 – 19 April 1940
1 November 1940 – 1 March 1950
4 June 1951 – 27 March 1956
1 April 1956 – 1 May 1965
3 February 1969 – 30 June 1984
12 July 2002 – 13 January 2012 Role Bomber
Communications
Training Nickname(s) "Black Cat Squadron" (WW1)
"City of Leicester" (After 1939) Motto(s) Latin: Semper paratus
("Always prepared") | ||
No. 207 Squadron Royal Air Force was a former bomber, communications and training squadron of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, operating Short Tucano T.1 trainer aircraft. Before the RAF was formed it was part of the Royal Naval Air Service as No. 7 Squadron.
Contents
Formation and World War I
No. 7 Squadron RNAS was formed from "B" Squadron of No. 4 Wing RNAS on 31 December 1916 at Petite-Synthe, France. Note that another No. 7 Squadron RNAS had been sent to East Africa in May 1916, flying Voisins and BE.2cs for seven months on reconnaissance and bombing duties until disbanding there in January 1917, when the other 7 Squadron RNAS had already been formed in France. Thus, formed as a specialist night bomber squadron in France in December 1916, No. 7 RNAS flew its first mission there on 3 February 1917, with four Short Bombers setting out against the Brugge (Bruges) docks. In April that year it re-equipped with Handley Page O/100s, using them for night raids, including attacks against rail targets and ammunition dumps during the Second Battle of Ypres. The squadron split into two in July 1917, with eight O/100s forming the initial equipment of 7A Squadron, which later became 14 Squadron RNAS, while 7 Squadron continued with 10 O/100s.
On the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918 it became No. 207 Squadron, RAF, moving back to Netheravon in England for re-equipping with the more advanced version of the O/100, the Handley Page O/400, returning to France in July as part of 54 Wing and continuing to fly night raids against railway targets. It moved to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation in January 1919, serving there until August, when it handed its aircraft to No. 100 Squadron RAF and returned to England where it disbanded on 20 January 1920 at RAF Uxbridge.
Inter-war period
The squadron re-formed on 1 February 1920 at RAF Bircham Newton. Its Airco DH.9As saw service in Turkey in 1922, when it was deployed to Constantinople under the command of Arthur Tedder as part of the British intervention in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922); the Squadron returned to England in September 1923. It re-equipped with Fairey IIIFs in December 1927, and with the radial engined development of the IIIF, the Fairey Gordon in August 1932. In 1935, as a response to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, it was sent to Sudan. The Gordon's Armstrong Siddeley Panther engine proved unreliable in desert conditions, however, and they were replaced with Vickers Vincents. The following year, the squadron, again re-equipped with Gordons, returned home to RAF Worthy Down, joining RAF Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Vickers Wellesleys in 1937, only for them to be replaced with Fairey Battles early the following year. Based at RAF Cottesmore, the squadron took the role of an Operational Training Unit. In April 1939 the squadron was "adopted" by the City of Leicester.
Second World War
On 19 April 1940 the squadron's training role was assumed by No. 12 Operational Training Unit (OTU), allowing 207 Squadron to re-form on 1 November of that year as part of Bomber Command's No. 5 Group. At RAF Waddington, the squadrons's crews were assigned the task of introducing the ill-fated Avro Manchester into service. Later moving to RAF Bottesford, the Manchesters were replaced by the much improved Avro Lancaster in March 1942. The squadron relocated to RAF Langar on 21 September, owing to the Bottesford runway surface breaking up and needing urgent repairs. In October 1943, 207 Squadron became the first occupant of the newly opened RAF Spilsby bomber station.
The squadron was scheduled to form part of the Tiger Force against Imperial Japan. With the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Tiger Force plans were dropped and in November 1945, No. 207 Squadron relocated to RAF Methwold in Norfolk.
Bombing role
After moving to RAF Mildenhall in 1949 and briefly replacing the Lancaster with the Avro Lincoln, the Squadron was disbanded on 1 March 1950. Re-formed on 4 June 1951 at RAF Marham, 207 flew the Boeing Washington until March 1954, when it was replaced by the English Electric Canberra, which remained in service with the squadron until it disbanded on 27 March 1956.
On 1 April 1956 the squadron re-formed again at RAF Marham and was now equipped with the Vickers Valiant. Later that year no. 207 took part in the Suez Campaign. On 1 May 1965 the squadron disbanded with the grounding of the Valiant fleet.
Communications role
207 Squadron was re-formed on 3 February 1969 at RAF Northolt by redesignating the Strike Command Communications Squadron, which had been till 1 January 1969 the Southern Communications Squadron based at RAF Bovingdon. It was equipped with Devon C.2s, Basset CC.1s and Pembroke C.1s, with the squadron first retiring the Bassets in 1974, and its last Pembroke being transferred to No. 60 Squadron in Germany in November 1975, leaving 207 with 14 Devons. Detachments of the squadron were located at RAF Wyton and RAF Turnhouse. 207 Squadron was once more disbanded on retirement of the remaining Devons on 30 June 1984, VP952 ending up at the RAF Museum St Athan.
Training role
On 12 July 2002 one of the Flying Training Squadrons operating Shorts Tucanos at No. 1 Flying Training School, RAF Linton-on-Ouse was renumbered as No. 207 (Reserve) Squadron. The squadron was later disbanded on 13 January 2012 as a result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.