No. 285 Squadron RAF was a non-operational

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 a variety of aircraft to provide targets for anti-aircraft gun practice initially in the North Midlands and North Wales area.

History

The squadron was formed at RAF Wrexham on 1 December 1941 from No. 9 Group AAC Flight. In 1944 the squadron moved to

RAF Andover RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station in England, west of Andover, Hampshire. As well as RFC and RAF units, units of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force, United States Army Air ...

and then

RAF North Weald North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome, in the civil parish of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Stat ...

before finally moving to

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 ...

where it was disbanded on 26 June 1945.

Aircraft operated

Jefford 2001, p. 85.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth, 1918-1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. . * Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of All RAF Squadrons and Their Antecedents Since 1912'', Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. . (second revised edition 2001. .) * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. . *

External links

squadron histories nos. 281-285 sqn
Military units and formations established in 1941 Aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II 285 Squadron Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 {{RAF-stub