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No. 53 Squadron Royal Air Force
No. 53 Squadron was formed at Catterick on 15th May 1916. Originally intended to be a training squadron, in January 1917 it was sent to France as an army cooperation and reconnaissance squadron. The squadron was disbanded in October 1919.
It was reformed on 28th of June 1937 at Farnborough equipped with the Hawker Hector for Army Cooperation and specialising in night reconnaissance. The squadron was re-equipped with the Bristol Blenheim in January 1939 and was still at Farnborough at the outbreak of war.
They saw action in France with Fighter Command and in 1940 were transferred to Coastal Command.
1st Sep 1939 Orders
2nd Sep 1939 Transfer
3rd September 1939 On the Move
6th Sep 1939 Mobilisation
8th Sep 1939 Engineering
9th Sep 1939 Posting
11th Sep 1939 Orders
12th Sep 1939 Orders
13th Sep 1939 Advance Party
14th Sep 1939 Road Party
17th Sep 1939 Advance Party
18th Sep 1939 Main Party
20th Sep 1939 Difficulties
22nd Sep 1939 Arrival
23rd Sep 1939 Arrival
24th Sep 1939 Defence
25th Sep 1939 Orders
26th Sep 1939 Visit
28th Sep 1939 Recconaissance
29th Sep 1939 Orders
30th Sep 1939 Sorties
1st Oct 1939 Poor Weather
3rd Oct 1939 Reliefs
4th Oct 1939 Reliefs
6th Oct 1939 Recconaissance
7th Oct 1939 Recconaissance
8th Oct 1939 Recconaissance
9th Oct 1939 Convoy
10th Oct 1939 New Wing Formed
10th Oct 1939 Billets
11th Oct 1939 On the Move
12th Oct 1939 Arrivals
12th Oct 1939 Arrivals
13th Oct 1939 Aircraft
13th Oct 1939 Wet Ground
13th Oct 1939 Ceremony
14th Oct 1939 Hand Over
16th Oct 1939 Inspection
16th Oct 1939 Inspection
18th Oct 1939 Congratulations
18th Oct 1939 Air Raid Warning
19th Oct 1939 Conference
21st Oct 1939 Orders
21st Oct 1939 Emergency Landing Grounds
22nd Oct 1939 Advanced Landing Ground
22nd Oct 1939 Emergency Landing Grounds
24th Oct 1939 Visit
25th Oct 1939 Move
26th Oct 1939 Guns
28th Oct 1939 Promotions
29th Oct 1939 Battle Flight
31st Oct 1939 Strength
1st Nov 1939 New Station Commander
1st of November 1939 Reorganisation
2nd Nov 1939 Poor Conditions
3rd Nov 1939 Weather
4th Nov 1939 Weather
5th Nov 1939 Sorties
6th Nov 1939 Works
6th of November 1939 Conference
7th Nov 1939 Poor Weather
8th Nov 1939 Poor Weather
8th of November 1939 Reorganisation
9th Nov 1939 Maps
10th Nov 1939 Poor Weather
11th Nov 1939 Ceremony
12th Nov 1939 Survey
17th Nov 1939 Excerise
18th Nov 1939 Excerise
19th Nov 1939 Sport
20th Nov 1939 Badges
21st Nov 1939 Aircraft Recognition
22nd Nov 1939 Sorties
23rd Nov 1939 Sorties
24th Nov 1939 Poor Conditions
25th Nov 1939 Sorties
26th Nov 1939 Badge
27th Nov 1939 Weather
28th Nov 1939 Sorties
29th Nov 1939 Standards
30th Nov 1939 Strength
30th of April 1940 Monthly summary
3rd May 1940 Aircraft Lost
9th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
11th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
15th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
16th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
18th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
18th May 1940 Evacuation
19th May 1940 Withdrawal
24th May 1940 On the Move
26th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
31st May 1940 Back to Britain
1st Jun 1940 Arrival
8th June 1940 On the Move
12th June 1940 Move
13th Jun 1940 Departure
3rd July 1940 Change of Duty
13th August 1940 Eagle Day
31st August 1940 Bombing raids over Europe
November 1940 Move
February 1941 Patrols
11th June 1941 Aircraft Lost
July 1941 Detachments
October 1941 Return to Ops
December 1941 On the Move
February 1942 Off operations
May 1942 Patrols
23rd July 1942 Relocation
15th August 1942 Detachment
August 1942 On the Move
10th November 1942 U-Boat attacked
1st January 1943 Return
18th February 1943 Re-equipped
March 1943 Patrols
20th April 1943 Move
30th July 1943 U-Boat group attacked
25th September 1943 Move
October 1943 New Equipment
3rd January 1944
3rd January 1944 Return
13th June 1944 U-Boat damaged
14th Aug 1944 U Boat Sighted
13th September 1944 On the Move
1st June 1945 Transport
September 1945 Airfields No. 53 Squadron flew from during the war:
- RAF Farnborough
- RAF Odiham, Hampshire from 3rd September 1939
- Plivot, France from 17th September 1939
- Poix, France from 11th October 1939
- Vitry, France from 11th May 1940 (detachment)
- Crecy, France from 19th May 1940
- RAF Lympne, Kent from 19th May 1940
- RAF Andover from 20th May 1940
- Coummier, France from 20th May 1940 (detachment )
- RAF Hawkinge, Kent from 21st May 1940 (detachment )
- RAF Eastchurch, Kent from 31st May 1940
- Rouen, France from 3rd June 1940 (detachment)
- RAF Gatwick, Surrey from 13th June 1940
- RAF Detling, Kent from 3rd July 1940
- RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk from 19th September 1940 (detachment)
- RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire from 20th September 1940
- RAF Manston, Kent from 14th November 1940 (detachment)
- RAF St. Eval, Cornwall from February 1941
- RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk from July 1941
- RAF St. Eval from July 1941 (detachment)
- RAF Limavady, Londonderry from July 1941 (detachment)
- RAF St. Eval from October 1941
- RAF Limavady, Londonderry from December 1941
- RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire from February 1942
- RAF St. Eval from May 1942
- RAF Zandery from 15th August 1942 (detachment)
- Quonset Point, USA from November 1942
- Waller Field, Trinidad from August 1942
- Edinburgh Field, Trinidad from 15th August 1942
- Norfolk, USA from November 1942 to December 1942
- RAF Davidstow Moor, Cornwall, February 1943
- RAF Docking, Norfolk from 15th February 1943
- RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk from March 1943
- RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire from April 1943
- RAF St. Eval, Cornwall from April 1943 (detachment)
- RAF Beaulieu, Hampshire from September 1943
- RAF St. Eval from January 1944
- RAF Ballykelly, Londonderry from January 1944 to September 1944 (detachment)
- Reykjavik, Iceland from 13th September 1944
- RAF St. David's, Pembrokeshire from 1st June 1945
September 1945
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Logbooks
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If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you.
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Those known to have served with No. 53 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Corns Harry Ashley. WO. (d.7th Jun 1944)
- Duncan Edmund Albert.
- Mather Robert. Cadet
- Stigner Jack Hubert. Flt.Lt.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of No. 53 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 53 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2125 items tagged No. 53 Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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WO. Harry Ashley Corns No.53 Squadron (d.7th Jun 1944) My uncle, Harry Corns, was reported missing in action after failing to return from an operational flight on 7th of June 1944. The squadron formed part of Coastal Command based at St. Eval in Cornwall. It performed anti-submarine patrols and, as the date indicates, was supporting the D-Day landings. Even though no wreckage was found, the body of one of the crew washed up on the French coast. At his death, my uncle was 26 years old and had been married for only 3 weeks.
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Cadet Robert Mather 2053 Sqd. As an air cadet in 1942 I was stationed at Hawarden as a cadet sergeant and later Flt/Sgt I was attached there for three periods during 1943/4 before entering the RAF. I remember there was a very active ATA pool at Hawarden a number of who were women. My squadron visited RAF Ringway for my first flying experience and I was lucky enough to be allocated to the crew of an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber dropping paratroopers over Tatton Park. It was a terrific thrill for a young teenager and I remember well the raucous humour of the trainee paras, some of which I suspect was borne of nervousness. After the exercises we adjourned to the NAAFI. I didn't drink at the time but the NAAFI had lemonade (made from crystals) at 1d (old penny)a pint. I imbibed enthusiastically. Some people were sick flying. Not me! But that lemonade almost made it!
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