No. 503 Squadron RAF

No. 503 (City of Lincoln) Squadron RAF was an auxiliary squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated as a bomber squadron in the 1920s and 1930s, but was disbanded before the outbreak of the Second World War.

No. 503 (City of Lincoln) Squadron RAF
Active5 October 1926 – 1 November 1938
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Auxiliary Air Force
TypeInactive
RoleBomber
Part ofNo. 6 (Auxiliary) Group RAF, Bomber Command
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryThe arms of the county of Lincoln with an eagle above (unofficial)[1]

History

The squadron was formed on 5 October 1926 at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire as No. 503 (Bombing) Squadron of the Special Reserve,[2] manned by part-time volunteers. It was at first equipped with Fairey Fawn light day bombers. It re-equipped with the partly wooden Handley Page Hyderabad heavy night bomber in 1929, receiving the improved, all-metal Handley Page Hinaidi from 1933. Some squadron members thought the Hyderabad superior to the Hinaidi, but when a squadron member discovered dry rot in the longeron of a Hyderabad they settled for the 'newcomer', some almost having spent their life of 700 flying hours already.[3]

In October 1935, it changed role again to become a day bomber squadron, receiving Westland Wallaces. These were replaced by the Hawker Hart in June 1936, these in turn starting to be replaced by the updated Hawker Hind in July 1938. However, in 1938 it was decided to switch the role of the Auxiliary Air Force to that of air defence, and on 1 November 503 Squadron was disbanded by renumbering it to No.616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron and moving it to RAF Doncaster.[2][4]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 503 Squadron RAF, data from[4][5][6]
FromToAircraftVersion
October 1926June 1929Fairey FawnMks.II & III
February 1929January 1934Handley Page Hyderabad
October 1933November 1935Handley Page Hinaidi
October 1935September 1936Westland WallaceMk.I
November 1935September 1936Westland WallaceMk.II
June 1936November 1938Hawker Hart
June 1938November 1938Hawker Hind

Squadron bases
Badge of RAF Waddington
Bases and airfields used by no. 503 Squadron RAF, data from[4][5][6]
FromToBaseRemark
October 1926November 1938RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 503 Squadron RAF, data from[7]
FromToName
November 1926S/Ldr. R.D. Oxland
15 February 1930W/Cdr. The Hon. L.J.E. Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes
15 February 193011 May 1931W/Cdr. H.P. Lale, DSO, DFC
11 May 19319 August 1933W/Cdr. H.I. Hanmer, DFC
9 August 1933January 1936W/Cdr. A.P.V. Daly, AFC
January 1936S/Ldr. A.F. James
30 May 1937S/Ldr. H. Power (acting)

See also

References

Notes
  1. Hunt 1972, pp. 267, 268, 278.
  2. Moyes 1976, p. 265.
  3. Hunt 1972, pp. 270–271.
  4. Jefford 2001, p. 96.
  5. Moyes 1976, p. 266.
  6. Halley 1988, p. 392.
  7. Hunt 1972, pp. 267–278.

Bibliography
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Hunt, Leslie (1972). Twenty-One Squadrons: The History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–1957. London: Garnstone Press. ISBN 0-85511-110-0.
  • Jackson, Robert (2006). The Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. Parragon Books Ltd. ISBN 1-4054-2465-6.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Lewis, Peter (1959). Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59. London: Putnam.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
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