# No. 540 Squadron RAF

No. 540 Squadron RAF was a photoreconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1956.

## History
### Formation and World War II

The squadron was formed on 19 October 1942 from 'H' and 'L' flights of No. 1 PRU at RAF Leuchars as a photoreconnaissance unit with the de Havilland Mosquito. It operated from Leuchars to carry out missions over Norway and Germany, while a detachment based at RAF Benson carried out similar missions over France and Italy. Another detachment, based at RAF Gibraltar covered the south of France and Algeria, but from 1944 on the unit was wholly based at RAF Benson, the range of the later Mosquito permitting missions deep in Austria or to the Canary Islands. In March 1945 the squadron went overseas, to Coulommiers in France, coming back to the UK in November, again at RAF Benson where the unit was disbanded on 30 September 1946, when it was renumbered to 58 Squadron.

### Post-war

On 1 December 1947 No. 540 squadron was reformed at Benson, from the Mosquito element of 58 Squadron, taking up its old role and flying Mosquitoes again. In December 1952 these gave way to English Electric Canberras, the last Mosquito leaving in September 1953. By that time the squadron had moved to RAF Wyton, where the unit disbanded on 31 March 1956.

## 1953 London to Christchurch air race

In 1953 the squadron formed a "NZ Air Race Flight" to train and carry out the RAF participation in the 1953 London to Christchurch air race, Flight Lieutenant Monty Burton won the race in Canberra PR3 WE139 now on public display at the Royal Air Force Museum.

## Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 540 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
| October 1942 | December 1942 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.IV |
| October 1942 | May 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.I |
| October 1942 | September 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.IV |
| December 1942 | September 1943 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.VIII |
| July 1943 | March 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.IX |
| May 1944 | September 1946 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XVI |
| November 1944 | September 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.VI |
| November 1944 | November 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XXXII |
| November 1945 | October 1946 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XXXIV |
| December 1947 | October 1951 | de Havilland Mosquito | PR.34 |
| April 1951 | September 1953 | de Havilland Mosquito | PR.34a |
| December 1952 | March 1956 | English Electric Canberra | PR.3 |
| June 1953 | September 1954 | English Electric Canberra | B.2 |
| May 1954 | March 1956 | English Electric Canberra | PR.7 |

## Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 540 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Base | Remark |
| 19 October 1942 | 29 February 1944 | RAF Leuchars, Fife | Dets. At RAF Benson, Oxfordshire and RAF North Front, Gibraltar |
| 29 February 1944 | 29 March 1945 | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire | Dets. at RAF North Front, Gibraltar; RAF Agadir, Morocco; RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire; Yagodnik, Russia; RAF Dyce, Aberdeenshire and RAF Leuchars, Fife |
| 29 March 1945 | 23 September 1945 | Coulommiers, France | |
| 23 September 1945 | 6 November 1945 | RAF Mount Farm, Oxfordshire | |
| 6 November 1945 | 30 September 1946 | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire | |
| 1 December 1947 | 26 March 1953 | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire | |
| 26 March 1953 | 31 March 1956 | RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire | |

## Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 540 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Name |
| October 1942 | May 1943 | W/Cdr. M.J.B. Young, DFC |
| May 1943 | March 1944 | W/Cdr. Lord M. Douglas-Hamilton, OBE |
| March 1944 | September 1944 | W/Cdr. J.R.H. Merifield, DSO, DFC |
| September 1944 | | W/Cdr. A.H.W. Ball, DSO, DFC |