| No. 240 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 20 Aug 1918 - 15 May 1919 30 Mar 1937 - 31 May 1946 1 May 1952 - 1 Nov 1958 1 Aug 1959 – 8 Jan 1963 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Anti-submarine warfare Maritime patrol Strategic Missile Force |
| Motto(s) | Icelandic:Sjo-Vordur Lopt-Vordur (Translation: "Guardian of the sea, guardian of the sky")[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | Aviking helmet[1] |
| Squadron Codes | SH (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939)[2] BN (Sep 1939 - Jun 1942)[3] L (May 1952 - 1956)[4] 240 (1956 - Nov 1958) |
No. 240 Squadron RAF was aRoyal Air Forceflying boat andseaplane squadron duringWorld War I,World War II and up to 1959. It was then reformed as a strategic missile squadron, serving thus till 1963.
No. 240 Squadron of theRoyal Air Force was formed atRAF Calshot on 20 August 1918 to provide anti-submarine protection, using itsShort 184sseaplanes andFelixstowe F2Aflying boats. It was disbanded on 15 May 1919.[1][5]
The squadron was re-formed at RAF Calshot on 30 March 1937. It was at initially equipped withSupermarine Scapas and after a year converted toShort Singapores, which were followed a year later by theSaro London, planning to convert later toSaro Lerwicks, but gettingSupermarine Stranraers in June 1940 instead. During March 1941 these were replaced withConsolidated Catalinas, to carry outanti-submarine patrols over theAtlantic Ocean. It then moved toIndia in March 1942 where it flew anti-shipping and submarine patrols fromRed Hills Lake, where it was disbanded on 1 July 1945.[1][5] The squadron reformed that same day, 1 July 1945, from elements of212 Squadron and 240 Squadron's Special Duties Flight. The squadron was continuing "special duties" into September 1945, evacuating Operation "Lunch" from the Andaman Islands on 7 September 1945.[6] The squadron began converting toShort Sunderland Mk.Vs from 01 August 1945 before moving toCeylon in January 1946, where it disbanded on 31 March 1946 atRAF Koggala.[1][5]
On 1 May 1952 the squadron re-formed again atRAF Aldergrove and was equipped withAvro Shackleton Mk.1a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The squadron moved toNorthern Ireland in June 1952, where it disbanded on 1 November 1958 atRAF Ballykelly by being renumbered to203 sqn.[1][5]
The squadron reformed once again on 1 August 1959, as one of 20 Thor Strategic Missile (SM) Squadrons, associated withProject Emily. The squadron was equipped with threeThorIntermediate range ballistic missiles, and stationed atRAF Breighton.[1][5] In October 1962, during theCuban Missile Crisis, the squadron was kept at full readiness, with the missiles aimed at strategic targets in theUSSR. The squadron was disbanded with the termination of the Thor Programme in Great Britain, on 8 January 1963.
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1918 | May 1919 | Curtiss H-12 | |
| Aug 1918 | May 1919 | Fairey Campania | |
| Aug 1918 | May 1919 | Felixstowe F.2 | a |
| Aug 1918 | May 1919 | Short 320 | |
| Aug 1918 | May 1919 | Short Type 184 | b |
| Mar 1937 | Jan 1939 | Supermarine Scapa | |
| Nov 1938 | Jan 1939 | Short Singapore | Mk.III |
| Jul 1939 | Jun 1940 | Saro London | Mk.II |
| Jun 1940 | Jan 1941 | Supermarine Stranraer | Mk.I |
| Mar 1941 | Dec 1945 | Consolidated Catalina | Mks.I, Ib & II |
| Jul 1945 | Mar 1946 | Short Sunderland | Mk.V |
| May 1952 | Nov 1958 | Avro Shackleton | MR.1a |
| Jul 1953 | Aug 1954 | Avro Shackleton | MR.2 |
| Aug 1959 | Jan 1963 | Douglas Thor | SM.75 |
| From | To | Base | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 August 1918 | 15 May 1919 | RAF Calshot,Hampshire | |
| 30 March 1937 | 12 August 1939 | RAF Calshot, Hampshire | |
| 12 August 1939 | 4 November 1939 | RAF Invergordon,Ross and Cromarty,Scotland | |
| 4 November 1939 | 1 April 1940 | RAF Sullom Voe,Shetland, Scotland | |
| 1 April 1940 | 27 May 1940 | RAF Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland | |
| 27 May 1940 | 30 July 1940 | RAF Pembroke Dock,Pembrokeshire,Wales | |
| 30 July 1940 | 28 March 1941 | RAF Stranraer,Wigtownshire, Scotland | Also flyingStranraer |
| 28 March 1941 | 25 August 1941 | RAF Killadeas,County Fermanagh,Northern Ireland | |
| 25 August 1941 | 6 June 1942 | RAF Castle Archdale (Lower Lough Erne), County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland | Ground echelon left 29 March 1942 |
| 29 March 1942 | 4 July 1942 | En route toBritish India | |
| 4 July 1942 | 1 July 1945 | RAF Red Hills Lake,Madras, British India | |
| 1 July 1945 | 10 January 1946 | RAF Red Hills Lake, Madras, British India | Reformation asShort Sunderland unit |
| 10 January 1946 | 31 March 1946 | RAF Koggala,Ceylon | |
| 1 May 1952 | 25 May 1952 | RAF Aldergrove,County Antrim, Northern Ireland | |
| 25 May 1952 | 5 June 1952 | RAF St Eval,Cornwall | |
| 5 June 1952 | 1 November 1958 | RAF Ballykelly,County Londonderry, Northern Ireland | |
| 1 August 1959 | 8 January 1963 | RAF Breighton,East Riding of Yorkshire | as No. 240 (SM) Squadron |
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