No. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (later as Royal Air Force) was formed at Cramlington on February 1 1916 and was disbanded for the last time in 1975.

History

No. 36 Squadron was first formed in March 1916 at Cramlington, Northumberland as an anti-Zeppelin and later, training squadron, disbanded in June 1919.

In October 1928, No. 36 Squadron was reformed by redesignating the the Coast Defence Torpedo Flight, flying Hawker Horsleys and later moving to Singapore. The squadron was re-equipped with Vickers Vildebeests in July 1935, disbanding due to attrition in March 1942. Reformed with Vickers Wellington bombers later that year in India, it moved to Algeria the following year and returned to RAF Chivenor in September 1944.

In October 1946, the squadron was reformed at Thorney Island by renumbering No. 248 Squadron, flying De Havilland Mosquitos. The squadron was again reformed in July 1953 as a maritime reconnaissance unit at RAF Topcliffe, flying Lockheed Neptunes until 1957. The following year marked a switch to transport duties, moving to RAF Colerne and flying HP Hastings. In 1967 the Hastings were replaced by Lockheed Hercules and the squadron relocated to RAF Lyneham until it was disbanded in November 1975.

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

• Royal Air Force History: History of No. 36 Squadron