No. 105 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War

No. 105 Squadron began the war as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, making it one of the first squadrons to be sent to France. The Fairey Battle squadrons suffered very heavy loses during the Battle of France, and No. 105 Squadron was no exception. It suffered so badly that on its return to Britain in June 1940 it immediately converted to the Bristol Blenheim, while many other Battle squadrons were simply re-equipped with the Fairey aircraft.

No. 105 Squadron used its Blenheims to attack German ports and airfields in occupied Europe, before shipping out to Malta in July 1941 to attack Axis shipping in the Mediterranean.

On its return from Malta, the squadron converted to the De Havilland Mosquito, receiving the unarmed bomber version of the Wooden Wonder. In May 1942 the squadron began to carry out the low level daylight raids that made this version of the Mosquito famous, but in June 1943 it was transferred to No.8 Group, and spent the rest of the war operating at night, acting as a Pathfinder squadron, using the Oboe radar system to guide the main bomber stream to its targets.

Location
26 April 1937-3 September 1939: Harwell
3-12 September 1939: Reims/ Champagne
12 September 1939-16 May 1940: Villeneuve-les-Vertus
16-22 May 1940: Echemines
22 May-14 June 1940: Nantes/ Chateau Bougon
14 June-10 July 1940: Honington
10 July-31 October 1940: Watton
31 October 1940-28 July 1941: Swanton Morley
28 July 1941-11 October 1942: Luqa (Malta)
8 December 1941-28 September 1942: Horsham St. Faith
28 September 1942-23 March 1944: Marham
23 March 1944-29 June 1945: Bourn

Group and Duty
26 September 1939-June 1940: Bomber squadron with No.1 Group, 72 Wing, Advanced Air Striking Force
June 1940-July 1941: Bomber Command
July-October 1941: Malta
October 1941-June 1943: Bomber Command
June 1943-May 1945: No.8 Group as Pathfinder Squadron

Bomber Offensive, Sir Arthur Harris. The autobiography of Bomber Harris, giving his view of the strategic bombing campaign in its immediate aftermath. Invaluable for the insights it provides into Harris’s approach to the war, what he was trying to achieve and the problems he faced. Harris perhaps overstates his case, not entirely surprisingly given how soon after the end of the war this book was written (Read Full Review)

Blenheim Squadrons of World War Two, Jon Lake. This book looks at the entire RAF service career of the Bristol Blenheim, from its debut as a promising fast bomber, through the deadly disillusionment of the blitzkrieg, on to its work in the Middle East and Mediterranean, where the aircraft found a new lease of life. Lake also looks at the use of the Blenheim as an interim fighter aircraft and its use by Coastal Command.

Mosquito Bomber/ Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2, Martin Bowman. The first of three books looking at the RAF career of this most versatile of British aircraft of the Second World War, this volume looks at the squadrons that used the Mosquito as a daylight bomber, over occupied Europe and Germany, against shipping and over Burma. [see more]

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (24 March 2007), No. 105 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/105_wwII.html