No. 163 Squadron RAF

Summary

No. 163 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a communications and light bomber unit in World War II.

No. 163 Squadron RAF
Active1 Jun 1918 – 17 Aug 1918
10 Jul 1942 – 16 Jun 1943
15 Jan 1945 – 10 Aug 1945
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Motto(s)No motto

History edit

Formation and World War I edit

No. 163 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 June 1918, but it was not equipped with any aircraft and was disbanded on 17 August 1918 without becoming operational.

Reformation in World War II edit

 
de Havilland Mosquito

The squadron reformed on 10 July 1942 at Asmara, Egypt, and equipped with Hudson aircraft that operated a mail and communications service to Khartoum, Sudan, and other African countries. It was disbanded on 16 June 1943 and reformed at RAF Wyton on 15 January 1945 as a Mosquito Squadron on operations over Germany as part of the Night Striking Force, it finally disbanded on 10 August 1945.

Aircraft operated edit

Aircraft operated by No. 163 Squadron RAF[1]
From To Aircraft Variant
Jul 1942 Aug 1942 Lockheed Hudson IIIA
Jul 1942 Dec 1942 Lockheed Hudson VI
Jan 1945 Aug 1945 de Havilland Mosquito XXV
May 1945 Aug 1945 de Havilland Mosquito XVI

References edit

  1. ^ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

External links edit

  • History of No.'s 161–165 Squadrons at RAF Web
  • 163 Squadron history on the official RAF website
  • 163 Squadron and KB476 raid on Berlin March 13th 1945