No. 542 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 542 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron formed as a photographic reconnaissance
squadron in World War II
that reformed in the post war period.
Formation in World War II
The squadron formed at RAF Benson
on 19 October 1942 and was equipped with Spitfires
to fly missions over Europe, until it disbanded on 27 August 1945 after hostilities ceased.
on 15 May 1955 and operated Canberras
before disbanding again on 1 October 1955. It reformed the following month and was detached to Australia
to conduct nuclear test surveys before it disbanded again upon renumbering on 1 October 1958.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Squadron formed as a photographic reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
squadron in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that reformed in the post war period.
Formation in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
The squadron formed at RAF BensonRAF Benson
RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in South Oxfordshire, England. It is home to the Royal Air Force's support helicopters, the Aérospatiale Puma and the EH-101 Merlin, known as the Puma HC.Mk 1 and the Merlin HC.Mk 3 and Mk 3a....
on 19 October 1942 and was equipped with Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
to fly missions over Europe, until it disbanded on 27 August 1945 after hostilities ceased.
Postwar
The squadron reformed at RAF WytonRAF Wyton
RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It...
on 15 May 1955 and operated Canberras
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
before disbanding again on 1 October 1955. It reformed the following month and was detached to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to conduct nuclear test surveys before it disbanded again upon renumbering on 1 October 1958.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1942 | Jul 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
IV |
| Mar 1943 | Aug 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | XI |
| May 1944 | Aug 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | X |
| Jun 1944 | Aug 1945 | Supermarine Spitfire | XIX |
| May 1954 | Oct 1955 | English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957... |
PR 7 |
| Nov 1955 | Oct 1958 | English Electric Canberra | B.2 |
| Nov 1955 | Oct 1958 | English Electric Canberra | B.6 |