No. 285 Squadron RAF

No. 285 Squadron RAF
Active	1941-1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Anti-aircraft Co-operation
Motto	Latin: Respice Finem ("Consider the end")
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	In front of a pair of wings elevated and conjoined in base, two bird bolts in saltire
Squadron Codes	VG (Dec 1941 - Jul 1945)

No. 285 Squadron RAF was a non-operational Second World War Royal Air Force 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 and then RAF North Weald before finally moving to RAF Weston Zoyland where it was disbanded on 26 June 1945.

Aircraft operated

Bristol Beaufighter

From	To	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
Dec 1941	Mar 1942	Bristol Blenheim	Mk.I
Dec 1941	Mar 1942	Lockheed Hudson	Mk.III
Dec 1941	Jun 1942	Westland Lysander	Mks.II, III, IIIa
Mar 1942	Jun 1945	Airspeed Oxford	Mks.I, II
Mar 1942	Jan 1944	Boulton-Paul Defiant	Mks.I, III
Sep 1943	Nov 1944	Bristol Beaufighter	Mk.If
Jan 1944	Jun 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIc
Mar 1944	Apr 1944	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IV
Mar 1945	Jun 1945	North American Mustang	MK.I

^[1][2][3]

References

Citations

1. Rawlings 1982, p. 256.
2. Halley 1988, p.348.
3. Jefford 2001, p. 85.

Bibliography

• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd). 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. ISBN 1853100536. (second revised edition 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.)
• Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 1985.

External links

• squadron histories nos. 281-285 sqn