No. 170 Squadron RAF was a

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

squadron that operated the

North American Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

in the fighter-reconnaissance role and later the

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stir ...

as part of Bomber Command.

History

The squadron was formed at

RAF Weston Zoyland RAF Westonzoyland is one of the country's oldest airfields being established in the early 1920s. Somerset, England. The airfield is located approximately east-southeast of Bridgwater; about west-southwest of London. It was opened in 1925 ...

on 15 June 1942 as a fighter-reconnaissance squadron equipped with the American-built North American Mustang I. After a few months' training with the Army it began operations over continental Europe in January 1943. In the first few months of action it had a speciality for attacking and destroying rail traffic. It eventually operated defensive patrols against German fighter-bombers until it was disbanded at

RAF Sawbridgeworth Royal Air Force Sawbridgeworth or RAF Sawbridgeworth is a former Royal Air Force station located north of Harlow, Essex and east of Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. The airfield was used during the First World War as a night landing ground ...

on 15 January 1944. No. 170 Squadron was re-formed on 15 October 1944 at RAF Kelstern from C Flight of 625 Squadron, moving shortly to

RAF Dunholme Lodge Royal Air Force Dunholme Lodge or more simply RAF Dunholme Lodge was a Royal Air Force station located between the parishes of Welton and Dunholme in Lincolnshire, England. History The grass airfield was first used by the Royal Air Force during ...

then again to

RAF Hemswell Royal Air Force Hemswell or more simply RAF Hemswell is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located east of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Located close to the village of Hemswell in Lincolnshire, England the disestablished airfield ...

. Equipped with the four-engined

heavy bomber it was soon operating as part of the Bomber Command offensive over Germany through the winter of 1944/45. As the risk from German fighters grew less it also operated daylight raids. It only operated as a heavy bomber unit for six months but flew 980 sorties with the loss of 13 Lancasters. Following its last raid on 25 April 1945 against Berchtesgaden it concentrated on dropping relief supplies into the Netherlands and transporting prisoners of war and troops back to England from Germany. With its job done it was disbanded on 14 November 1945. There is a 170 Sqn. memorial at the former RAF Hemswell site.

Aircraft operated

Jefford 1988, page 64

Squadron Commanders

1945 - Sqn Ldr Basil Templeman-Rooke

Pilots

1944-1945 - Pilot Officer Robert Byron Pattison 1944-1945 - Flight Lieutenant Donald Edward Thomas Hudson DFC 1944-1945 Flight Lieutenant Denis Michael Evans

References

Citations

Bibliography

* *

External links

RAF History 170 Sqn site

Obituary of Wg Cdr Basil Templeman-Rooke

Wilfred Earl Weber and the Crew of Lancaster Bomber ME320
{{Royal Air Force

170 Year 170 ( CLXX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Clarus and Cornelius (or, less frequently, year 923 ''Ab urbe condita ...