page_title: No. 550 Squadron RAF
section_title: Formation at RAF Waltham
hierarchical_section_title: No. 550 Squadron RAF / History / Formation at RAF Waltham
caption_attribution_description: English: IWM caption&#160;: The crew of Avro Lancaster B Mark III, ED905 'BQ-F' "Press on regardless", of No. 550 Squadron RAF, pose on their aircraft after it had completed 70 operational sorties, at RAF North Killingholme, Yorkshire. They were to fly ED905's hundredth successful sortie on 4 November 1944. The crew consisted of: captain and pilot, Flight Lieutenant D A Shaw; navigator, Sergeant R Harris; engineer, Pilot Officer C Bruce; air bomber, Flight-Sergeant A Llanwarne; mid-upper gunner, Flight-Sergeant A Buckingham; and rear gunner, Flight-Sergeant E Griffiths.
context_page_description: No. 550 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Formed at RAF Waltham on 25 November 1943, 550 Squadron flew Avro Lancaster bombers as part of No. 1 Group RAF. In early 1944, the squadron was moved to RAF North Killingholme, Lincolnshire where it continued operations until May 1945, when it began dropping food over the Netherlands as a relief effort as part of Operation Manna. The squadron was disbanded on 31 October 1945. Today, a surviving Lancaster bomber continues to fly in the markings of BQ-B "Phantom of the Ruhr" EE139 from 550 squadron as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
context_section_description: No. 550 squadron was formed at RAF Waltham (near Grimsby), Lincolnshire on 25 November 1943 from 'C' Flight of 100 Squadron. Equipped with Avro Lancasters, they began operating in the same month, as part of No. 1 Group RAF. The squadron's commanding officer, until 17 May 1944, was Wing Commander James Johnson Bennett.  The squadron motto was "Per Ignem Vincimus", meaning "through fire we conquer".
  From RAF Waltham, 550 Squadron attacked Berlin on seven different occasions, and also participated in raids on Leipzig and Frankfurt. 
  On 26/27 November 1943, 8 of their Lancasters were dispatched to make bombing runs over Berlin; 7 succeeded, with the other failing to return after the mission.
caption: 550 Squadron aircrew with Lancaster "Press on Regardless" at RAF North Killingholme
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