Perhaps a little surprising, considering her hurried withdrawal from front line bombing operations during the Second World War, the Stirling continued in service with the RAF into the immediate post war years. Indeed, as far as I can tell from my research, the last Stirling was taken off RAF charge on August the 18th 1947, when PJ956's services with the Signal Flying Unit were no longer needed. The fact that some Stirlings survived in RAF service after the war ended makes it all the more surprising that no examples were saved for posterity. If the modern day Tornado Bomber was to cease active service tomorrow, would we see the same fate befall its type, with no example preserved for future generations? Of course not, but perhaps in those heady days in the few years immediately after the war, the trend was to try and forget all about it as quickly as possible, and thus the Stirling passed into material obscurity without anyone really even thinking about it. Here then, for the record, are the few squadrons and units that operated the type immediately after the war.
|
UNIT DETAILS |
UNIT CODES |
OPERATIONAL DATES |
BASES |
MARKS OPERATED |
|
51 Sqn |
TB |
6.45 to 7.46 |
Leconfield; Stradishall 8.45 |
IV, V |
|
158 Sqn |
DK |
6.45 to 1.46 |
Lissett; Stradishall 8.45 |
IV, V |
|
1588 Heavy Freight Flight |
None Used |
9.45 to 5.46 |
Melton Mowbray; Drigh Road 10.45; Santa Cruz 10.45 |
V |
|
1589 Heavy Freight Flight |
None Used |
9.45 to 4.46 |
Melton Mowbray; Cairo West 10.45 |
V |
|
Air Transport Trials & Development Unit |
None Used |
6.45 to 10.45 |
Netheravon |
V |
|
Signals Flying Unit |
None Used |
2.46 to 8.47 |
Honiley |
V |