No. 533 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the

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 ...

during the Second World War.

History

No. 533 Squadron was formed at

RAF Charmy Down RAF Charmy Down is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Somerset, England, approximately north-northeast of Bath and west of London. Opened in 1941, it was used initially by the RAF and from 1943 by the United States Army Air Forces, prim ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

on 8 September 1942, from No. 1454 (Turbinlite) Flight, as part of

No. 10 Group RAF No. 10 Group RAF was a former operations group of the Royal Air Force which participated in the Second World War. History It was formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. On 8 May of the next year it was transferred to South-Western Area. In 1 ...

Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War World War II or the Second World War, oft ...

. Instead of operating only Turbinlite and – rudimentary – Airborne Intercept (AI) radar-equipped aircraft ( Havocs and Bostons) and working together with a normal nightfighter unit, such as in their case with the

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...

s of

No. 87 Squadron RAF No. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War. World War I 87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was first formed on 1 September 1917 at Upavon from elements of the Central Flyi ...

in the Flight, the unit now also flew with their own Hurricanes. It was disbanded at Charmy Down on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.

Aircraft operated

Squadron bases

Commanding officers

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Squadron.cfm 533 Squadron history on MOD site

{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 533 Squadron Raf 533 Squadron Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943