No. 207 Squadron RAF


Number 207 Squadron is an historic bomber squadron and, latterly, a communications and flying training squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was announced on 5 July 2017 that No. 207 Squadron will again reform to become the Operational Conversion Unit for the UK F-35B Lightning Force and will return to RAF Marham in Norfolk where it was last based in 1965. No. 207 Squadron arrived at RAF Marham with six F-35Bs on 16 July 2019 before officially standing up on 1 August.

History

Formation and World War I

The main contingent of No. 7 Squadron RNAS was formed from "B" Squadron of No. 4 Wing RNAS on 31 December 1916 at Petite-Synthe, France. However, it is noteworthy that an earlier contingent of the Squadron had previously formed in Kondoa Irangi, Tanganyika, in May 1916, flying Aéroplanes Voisins and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2cs for seven months on reconnaissance and bombing duties until disbanding there in January 1917, thus leaving the component in France to endure thereafter. Formed as a specialist night bomber squadron in France in December 1916, No. 7 RNAS flew its first missions on 3 February 1917, with four Short Bombers setting out against the Brugge docks. In April of that year it re-equipped with Handley Page O/100s, using them for night raids, including attacks against rail targets and ammunition dumps during the Second Battle of Ypres. The squadron then split into two in July 1917, with eight O/100s forming the initial equipment of 7A Squadron - later becoming 14 Squadron RNAS - while 7 Squadron continued with 10 O/100s.
On the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918 it became No. 207 Squadron, RAF, moving back to Netheravon in England for re-equipping with the more advanced version of the O/100, the Handley Page O/400, returning to France in July as part of 54 Wing and continuing to fly night raids against railway targets. It moved to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation in January 1919, serving there until August, when it handed its aircraft to No. 100 Squadron RAF and returned to England where it disbanded on 20 January 1920 at RAF Uxbridge.

Inter-war period

The squadron re-formed on 1 February 1920 at RAF Bircham Newton. Its Airco DH.9As saw service in Turkey in 1922, when it was deployed to Constantinople under the command of Arthur Tedder as part of the British intervention in the Greco-Turkish War ; the Squadron returned to England in September 1923. It re-equipped with Fairey IIIFs in December 1927, and with the radial engined development of the IIIF, the Fairey Gordon in August 1932. In 1935, as a response to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, it was sent to Sudan. The Gordon's Armstrong Siddeley Panther engine proved unreliable in desert conditions, however, and they were replaced with Vickers Vincents. The following year, the squadron, again re-equipped with Gordons, returned home to RAF Worthy Down, joining RAF Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Vickers Wellesleys in 1937, only for them to be replaced with Fairey Battles early the following year. Based at RAF Cottesmore, the squadron took the role of an Operational Training Unit.

Second World War

On 19 April 1940 the squadron's training role was assumed by No. 12 Operational Training Unit, allowing No. 207 Squadron to re-form on 1 November of that year as part of Bomber Command's No. 5 Group. At RAF Waddington, the squadrons's crews were assigned the task of introducing the ill-fated Avro Manchester into service. Later moving to RAF Bottesford, the Manchesters were replaced by the much improved Avro Lancaster in March 1942. The squadron relocated to RAF Langar on 21 September, owing to the Bottesford runway surface breaking up and needing urgent repairs. In October 1943, No. 207 Squadron became the first occupant of the newly opened RAF Spilsby bomber station.
The squadron was scheduled to form part of the Tiger Force against Imperial Japan. With the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Tiger Force plans were dropped and in November 1945, No. 207 Squadron relocated to RAF Methwold in Norfolk.

Post-war

Bombing role

After moving to RAF Mildenhall in 1949 and briefly replacing the Lancaster with the Avro Lincoln, the Squadron was disbanded on 1 March 1950. Re-formed on 4 June 1951 at RAF Marham, No. 207 Squadron flew the Boeing Washington B.1 until March 1954, when it was replaced by the English Electric Canberra, which remained in service with the squadron until it disbanded on 27 March 1956.
, Bristol, in the 1960s. On 1 April 1956, the squadron re-formed again at RAF Marham and was now equipped with the Vickers Valiant B.1. In October the same year, No. 207 Squadron deployed to RAF Luqa, Malta, to take part in the Suez Campaign, flying 11 sorties over Egypt between October and November. On 1 May 1965, the squadron disbanded with the grounding of the Valiant fleet.

Communications role

No. 207 Squadron was re-formed on 3 February 1969 at RAF Northolt by redesignating the Strike Command Communications Squadron, which had been till 1 January 1969 the Southern Communications Squadron based at RAF Bovingdon. It was equipped with Devon C.2s, Basset CC.1s and Pembroke C.1s, with the squadron first retiring the Bassets in 1974, and its last Pembroke being transferred to No. 60 Squadron in Germany in November 1975, leaving 207 with 14 Devons. Detachments of the squadron were located at RAF Wyton and RAF Turnhouse. No. 207 Squadron was once more disbanded on retirement of the remaining Devons on 30 June 1984, VP952 ending up at the RAF Museum St Athan. In its last years it was part of No. 1 Group RAF.

Training role

On 12 July 2002 one of the Flying Training Squadrons operating Shorts Tucanos at No. 1 Flying Training School, RAF Linton-on-Ouse was renumbered as No. 207 Squadron. The squadron was later disbanded on 13 January 2012 as a result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
No. 207 Squadron arrived at RAF Marham from MCAS Beaufort on 16 July 2019 with six Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightnings shortly before its reformation date of 1 August. No. 207 Squadron made their first sortie from Marham on 29 July. Wing Commander Scott Williams is the new squadron's first Officer Commanding who raised the squadron pennant when it stood up on 1 August. On 28 January 2020, No. 207 Squadron became the first UK unit in a decade to operate jets in home waters from a British carrier – flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Aircraft operated

FromToAircraft
June 1916January 1917Voisin III
June 1916January 1917Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
December 1916December 1916Caudron G.4
December 1916April 1917Sopwith 1½ Strutter
December 1916June 1917Short Bomber
April 1917April 1918Handley Page O/100
April 1918August 1919Handley Page O/400
February 1920December 1927Airco DH.9A
December 1927September 1932Fairey IIIF
September 1932April 1936Fairey Gordon Mk.I
April 1936August 1936Vickers Vincent Mk.I
August 1936August 1937Fairey Gordon Mk.I
August 1937April 1938Vickers Wellesley
April 1938April 1940Fairey Battle
July 1939April 1940Avro Anson Mk.I
November 1940March 1942Avro Manchester Mk.I
July 1941August 1941Handley Page Hampden Mk.I
March 1942August 1949Avro Lancaster Mk.I
May 1943December 1947Avro Lancaster Mk.III
August 1949March 1950Avro Lincoln B.2
July 1951March 1954Boeing Washington B.1
March 1954March 1956English Electric Canberra B.2
July 1956February 1965Vickers Valiant B.1
February 1969July 1974Beagle Basset CC.1
February 1969March 1977Percival Pembroke C.1
February 1969February 1984de Havilland Devon C.2
July 2002January 2012Short Tucano T.1
July 2019PresentLockheed Martin F-35B Lightning

Squadron bases

FromToBaseRemark
June 191612 January 1917Kondoa Irangi, Tanganyika1st no. 7 RNAS
31 December 19164 April 1917Petite-Synthe, France2nd no 7 RNAS
4 April 191822 April 1918Coudekerque, France1 April 1918 as No. 207 Squadron RAF
22 April 191813 May 1918RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire
13 May 19187 June 1918RAF Andover, Hampshire
7 June 191826 October 1918Ligescourt, France
26 October 19181 December 1918Estrées-en-Chaussée, France
1 December 19181 January 1919Carvin, France
1 January 191910 May 1919Merheim, Germany
10 May 191923 August 1919Hangelar, GermanyPresent Bonn-Hangelar airfield
23 August 19198 October 1919RAF Tangmere, West Sussex
8 October 191916 January 1920RAF Croydon, Surrey
16 January 192020 January 1920RAF Uxbridge, Middlesex
1 February 192029 September 1922RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk
29 September 192211 October 1922en route to Turkey
11 October 192222 September 1923San Stephano, Turkey
22 September 19233 October 1923en route to UK
3 October 19237 November 1929RAF Eastchurch, Kent
7 November 19294 October 1935RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk
4 October 193520 October 1935en route to Sudan
20 October 193528 October 1935Port Sudan, Sudan
28 October 19356 April 1936Ed Damer, Sudan
6 April 193614 August 1936Gebeit, Sudan
14 August 193629 August 1936en route to UK
29 August 193620 April 1938RAF Worthy Down, Hampshire
20 April 193824 August 1939RAF Cottesmore, Rutland
24 August 19399 December 1939RAF Cranfield, Bedfordshire
9 December 19395 April 1940RAF Cottesmore, Rutland
5 April 194019 April 1940RAF Cranfield, BedfordshireMerged here into no. 12 OTU
1 November 194017 November 1941RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
17 November 194120 September 1942RAF Bottesford, LeicestershireDet. at RAF Syerston,
Nottinghamshire 24 August 1942
20 September 194212 October 1943RAF Langar, Nottinghamshire
12 October 194330 October 1945RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire
30 October 194529 April 1946RAF Methwold, Norfolk
29 April 19468 November 1946RAF Tuddenham, Suffolk
8 November 194628 February 1949RAF Stradishall, Suffolk
28 February 19491 March 1950RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
4 June 195127 March 1956RAF Marham, NorfolkWashington-Canberra period
1 April 19561 May 1965RAF Marham, NorfolkVickers Vailant period
3 February 196930 June 1984RAF Northolt, MiddlesexDets. at RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire
and RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh
12 July 200213 January 2012RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire
16 July 2019PresentRAF Marham, NorfolkSquadron personnel return from MCAS Beaufort, SC USA