No. 514 Squadron (RAF): Second World War

Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books

No.514 Squadron was a Lancaster bomber squadron that formed part of Bomber Command from its formation late in 1943 until the end of the Second World War.

The squadron was formed at Foulsham on 1 September 1943, and flew its first operation with No.3 Group on 3 November 1943. The squadron remained with Bomber Command for the rest of the war, and was disbanded on 22 August 1945. The squadron was unusual it that it was formed with the Lancaster II, a version of the aircraft powered by Bristol Hercules radial engines in place of the more famous Rolls Royce Merlins. By D-Day only No.514 and No.408 Squadrons were still using the type, and it was replaced in No.514 during that month. During this period the squadron took part in 218 bombing raids and four mine laying missions, flying a total of 3,675 sorties. Sixty six aircraft were lost on the raids.

Aircraft
September 1943-June 1944: Avro Lancaster II
June 1944-August 1945: Avro Lancaster I and III

Location
September-November 1943: Foulsham
November 1943-August 1945: Waterbeach

Squadron Codes: JI, A2

Duty
1943-1945: Bomber Command

Part of
1943-1945: No.3 Group, Bomber Command

Books

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)
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (10 January 2012), No. 514 Squadron (RAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/514_wwII.html

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