No. 1457 Flight RAF
An A-20 Havoc of the USAAF, like the ones used by the flight
Active	15 Sep 1941 – 8 Sep 1942
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Night Fighter (Turbinlite)
Part of	No. 10 Group RAF,Fighter Command[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	No known badge
Squadron Codes	No known identification code for the flight is known to have been carried

No. 1457 (Fighter) Flight was formed atRAF Colerne on 15 September 1941, and was equipped withTurbinliteDouglas Boston andDouglas Havoc aircraft.^[2] On operations they cooperated with theHawker Hurricanes of247 Squadron. By 15 November 1941 the flight moved toRAF Predannack,Cornwall.^[3] During its operational life the flight had three sightings of possible enemy aircraft. The first occasion was on 24 June 1942,^[4] when the flight lit up a suspectedJu 88 and the satellite fighters of 247 sqn fired - on a RAFShort Stirling.^[4] Others sightings occurred on 27 June and in August, but no enemy aircraft was shot down.^[4] The flight was replaced with536 Squadron on 8 September 1942^[3] (not on 2 September due to administrative reasons)^[5] but officially disbanded as late as 31 December 1942.^[3]

536 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943,^[6] when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.^[7]

Notes

Bibliography

• Aircraft and Markings of no. 511-598 sqn, amongst them 536 sqn, the successor of 1457 flt.

• Royal Air Force independent flights
• Military units and formations established in 1941

• Use dmy dates from July 2017
• Use British English from July 2017
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata