The Order of Battle was a list of all the squadrons in Bomber Command, by Group, that were available for active service at any given time during the war. The list was constantly updated, and here we present the Order of Battle for April 1945, just before the war in Europe's cessation. They Order is broken down into Group order, and includes the types being operated as at April 1945. The codes in the last two columns can be translated thus:-
"S.E." - The nominal amount of aircraft allotted to that squadron by HQ Bomber Command
"A.E." - The actual number of aircraft held on
charge by that squadron.
1 Group. Headquarters - Bawtry Hall, Bawtry,
Yorkshire.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRFAT TYPE
OPERATED S.E A.E 12 Wickenby Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 23 100 Elsham Wolds Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 21 101 Ludford Magna Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 45 103 Elsham Wolds Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 21 150 Hemswell Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 21 153 Scampton Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 19 166 Kirmington Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 33 170 Hemswell Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 20 300 (Polish) Faldingworth Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 21 460 (RAAF) Binbrook Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 37 550 North Killingholme Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 30 576 Fiskerton Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 31 625 Scampton Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 19 626 Wickenby Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 22
3 Group. Headquarters - Exning, Suffolk.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE
OPERATED S.E. A.E 15 Mildenhall Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 24 75 Mepal Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 33 90 Tuddenham Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 26 115 Witchford Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 33 138 Tuddenham Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 22 149 Methwold Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 32 186 Stradishall Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 34 195 Wratting Common Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 35 218 Chedburgh Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 30 514 Waterbeach Lancaster Mks. I and III 30 39 622 Mildenhall Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 23
4 Group. Headquarters - Heslington Hall, York.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE
OPERATED S.E. A.E 10 Melbourne Halifax Mk.III 20 30 51 Leconfield Halifax Mk.III 20 32 76 Holme Halifax Mks.III and VI 30 13 (III) 29(VI) 77 Full Sutton Halifax Mks.III and VI 20 1 (III) 24 (VI) 78 Breighton Halifax Mks.III and VI 20 34 (III) 11 (VI) 102 Pocklington Halifax Mks.III and VI 20 1 (III) 21 (VI) 158 Lissett Halifax Mks.III and VI 30 31 (III) 10 (VI) 346 (FFAF) Elvington Halifax Mks.III and VI 20 12 (III) 19 (VI) 347 (FFAF) Elvington Halifax Mks.III and VI 20 15 (III) 18 (VI) 466 (RAAF) Driffield Halifax Mk.III 20 23 640 Leconfield Halifax Mks.III and VI 20 6 (III) 19 (VI)
5 Group. Headquarters - Morton Hall, Swinderby,
Lincolnshire
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE
OPERATED S.E. A.E. 9 Bardney Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 19 44 Spilsby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 22 49 Fulbeck Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 20 50 Skellingthorpe Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 23 57 East Kirkby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 15 61 Skellingthorpe Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 22 83* Coningsby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 97* Coningsby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 23 106 Metheringham Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 189 Bardney Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 22 207 Spilsby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 227 Strubby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 463 (RAAF) Waddington Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 19 467 (RAAF) Waddington Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 617 Woodhall Spa Lancaster Mks.I and III; Mosquito Mk.VI 30 N/K 25 1 619 Strubby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 627* Woodhall Spa Lancaster Mks.I and III; Mosquito Mks.IV, XX, XXV N/K 20 1 27 630 East Kirkby Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21
* Note: 83, 97, and 627 Squadrons were ostensibly part of No.8
Group (Pathfinder Force) but in April 1945 were on-loan to 5 Group.
6 Group. Headquarters - Allerton Park, Knaresborough,
Yorkshire.
This Group was the Royal Canadian Air Force Group, and included all of the Canadian squadrons that had entered Bomber Command service during the war. Predominantly flying the Halifax, several of the squadrons were in the process of converting to the Lancaster, with the Canadian-built Mk.Xs equipping many of these. The conversion to the Lancaster would not be complete by the end of the war, and many of the squadrons went back to Canada and continued to fly the Lancaster for several years.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED S.E. A.E. 408 Linton-on-Ouse Halifax Mk.VII 20 20 415 East Moor Halifax Mks.III and VII Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 (all types) 16 (III) 5 (VII) 1 Lanc (unknown Mk.) 419 Middleton St. George Lancaster Mk.X 20 27 420 Tholthorpe Lancaster Mks.I, III, and X Halifax Mk.III 20 (all types) Lanc X-2 Lanc III-1 Hal III-19 424 Skipton-on-Swale Lancaster Mks. I and III 20 23 425 Tholthorpe Halifax Mk.III 20 19 426 Linton-on-Ouse Halifax Mk.VII 20 20 427 Leeming Lancaster Mks.I and III Halifax Mk.III 20 (all types) 21 Lancs 1 Halifax 428 Middleton St. George Lancaster Mk.X 20 25 429 Leeming Lancaster Mks.I and III Halifax Mk.III 20 (all types) 23 Lancs 3 Halifax 431 Croft Lancaster Mk.X 20 25 432 East Moor Halifax Mk.VII 20 22 433 Skipton-on-Swale Lancaster Mks.I and III Halifax Mk.III 20 (all types) 21 Lancs 1 Halifax 434 Croft Lancaster Mk.X 20 22
8 Group. Headquarters - Castle Hill House, Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire.
8 Group had been formed in August 1942 as a specialist target-marking force. Although formed of 20 squadrons at the time of this Battle Order, three of them (83, 97, and 627) were "on loan" to 5 Group, and thus don't appear in the listing for 8 Group. Readers should refer to the listing for 5 Group where they will be found.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPES OPERATED S.E. A.E. 7 Oakington Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 35 Graveley Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 25 105 Bourn Mosquito Mks.IX and XVI 30 31 109 Little Staughton Mosquito Mks.IX and XVI 30 31 128 Wyton Mosquito Mk.XVI 20 24 139 Upwood Mosquito Mks.XVI, XX, XXV 20 11 (XVI) 8 (XX & XXV) 142 Gransden Lodge Mosquito Mk.XXV 20 20 156 Upwood Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 21 162 Bourn Mosquito Mks.XX and XXV 20 20 163 Wyton Mosquito Mk.XXV 20 18 405 (RCAF) Gransden Lodge Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 22 571 Oakington Mosquito Mk.XVI 20 21 582 Little Staughton Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 22 608 Downham Market Mosquito Mks.XVI, XX, and XXV 20 16 (XVI) 10 (XX & XXV) 635 Downham Market Lancaster Mks.I and III 20 20 692 Graveley Mosquito Mk.XVI 20 28
100 Group. Headquarters - Bylaugh Hall, Swanton Morley,
Norfolk.
100 Group was formed on November the 23rd 1943, and operated for the rest of the war in the "Bomber Support" role. Chiefly their duties were to confuse the enemy ground and air defences with a mix of electronic coutermeasures and direct combat with Luftwaffe nightfighters by the Group's intruder aircraft.
SQN AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE OPERATED S.E. A.E. 23 Little Snoring Mosquito Mk.VI 18 21 85 Swannington Mosquito Mk.XXX 18 17 141 West Raynham Mosquito Mk.XXX 18 15 157 Swannington Mosquito Mks.XIX and XXX 18 10 (XIX) 9 (XXX) 169 Great Massingham Mosquito Mks.VI, XIX, and XXX 18 16 (XIX) 3 (VI) 1(XXX) 171 North Creake Halifax Mk.III 24 20 192 Foulsham Halifax Mk.III
17
18
199 North Creake Halifax Mk.III 24 19 214 Oulton Flying Fortress Mk.III 20 22 223 Oulton Flying Fortress Mk.III Liberator 16 (all types) 2 Fortress 16 Lib 239 West Raynham Mosquito Mk.XXX 18 16 462 (RAAF) Foulsham Halifax Mk.III 20 23 515 Little Snoring Mosquito Mk.VI 18 20 BSDU* Swanton Morley Mosquito Mk.II
nil
1
*BSDU - The Bomber Support Development Unit. The BSDU was an
operational unit, but also undertook development of new electronic countermeasures
and tactics, testing them in combat
situations.
Mosquito Mks.IV and XVI
7
1 (IV) 8(XVI)
Mosquito Mk.VI
Mosquito Mk.XIX
Mosquito Mk.XXX
4
2
3
5
2
4
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