No. 537 Squadron RAF

No. 537 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 537 Squadron RAF
Active8 Sep 1942 – 25 Jan 1943[1]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleTurbinlite nightfighter squadron
Part ofNo. 10 Group RAF, Fighter Command[2]

History

No. 537 Squadron was formed at RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire on 8[1] September 1942, from No. 1458 (Turbinlite) Flight,[3][4] as part of No. 10 Group RAF in Fighter Command. Instead of operating only Turbinlite and -rudimentary- Airborne Intercept (AI) radar equipped aircraft (Havocs and Bostons) and working together with a normal nightfighter unit, such as in their case No. 245 Squadron RAF while still 1458 Flight,[3] the unit now also flew with their own Hawker Hurricanes. It was disbanded at Middle Wallop on 25 January 1943,[1] when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.[5]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by No. 537 Squadron RAF, data from[1][3][5]
FromToAircraftVersion
8 September 194225 January 1943Douglas HavocMk.I (Nightfigter)
8 September 194225 January 1943Douglas HavocMk.I (Turbinlite)
8 September 194225 January 1943Douglas HavocMk.II (Nightfigter)
8 September 194225 January 1943Douglas BostonMk.III (Turbinlite)
8 September 194225 January 1943Hawker HurricaneMk.IIb
8 September 194225 January 1943Hawker HurricaneMk.IIc

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by No. 537 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2][3][5]
FromToBase
8 September 194225 January 1943RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire

Commanding officers
Officers commanding No. 537 Squadron RAF, data from[3]
FromToName
8 September 194225 January 1943S/Ldr. P.L. Burke, AFC
gollark: That's basically when it's most important even.
gollark: Fascinating. I don't think this excludes civility when discussing controversial stuff.
gollark: Civil is polite and *formal* now?
gollark: I don't know exactly what you're redacting, but it sounds like you're redefining "civil" wrong.
gollark: Free speech *the principle* is at the extreme end something like "you can say anything ever", which doesn't really work, so mostly I think we should have something like "you can say anything legal, civil, and non-horribly-infohazardous".

References

Notes
  1. Jefford 2001, p. 97.
  2. www.rafcommands.com
  3. Rawlings 1978, p. 466.
  4. Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p. 123.
  5. Halley 1988, p. 403.

Bibliography
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians), 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers), 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
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