No. 83 Squadron RAF

No. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.

Establishment and early service
Founded on 7 January 1917 at Montrose, the squadron trained at Spittlegate and Wyton, where it equipped with FE2bs and FE2ds for its role as a night bomber squadron. The squadron moved to France in March 1918, being initially used to carry out attacks on German troop concentrations to try and disrupt the German Spring Offensive,before operating for the remainder of the war in the night bombing (mainly against railway targets) and reconnaissance role. It disbanded on 31 December 1919.

Reinstatement and World War II
The squadron re-formed at Turnhouse in Scotland on 4 August 1936, equipped with Hawker Hinds in preparation for a day bomber role as part of 2 Group. On 14 March 1938 the squadron joined No 5 Group at Scampton and re-equipped with Handley Page Hampdens in October 1938.

Unlike many Bomber Command squadrons, No. 83 Squadron went into action on the first day of the Second World War, carrying out a sweep over the North Sea looking for German warships. The squadron continued with ‘precision’ raids against German naval and coastal targets but, as the daylight operations became more costly, No 83, along with the majority of Bomber Command, switched to night operations. No. 83 flew against concentrations of Invasion shipping in the Channel Ports in the late summer/autumn of 1940, with a raid on Antwerp on the night of 15 September resulting in the award of a Victoria Cross to Flight Sergeant John Hannah, a Wireless Operator/Gunner for extinguishing a serious fire while receiving severe burns. In December 1941, the squadron was re-equipped with Avro Manchesters but, due to their underpowered and unreliable engines, these were quickly replaced with Avro Lancasters.

In August 1942, the squadron was transferred to the No 8 Group Pathfinder Force at RAF Wyton, operating as a marker unit for the main force of Bomber Command. However, in April 1944, No 83 was returned to No 5 Group at Coningsby, where it became the ‘Pathfinder’ unit for independent operations by the Group.

In May 1946, the squadron re-equipped with Avro Lincolns, relocating in October to Hemswell. It deployed to Singapore in September 1953, flying bombing missions against the supposed hiding places of Communist Terrorists during the Malayan Emergency, returning to Hemswell in January, where it remained until disbanding again in December 1955.

Post-World War II and disbandment
In May 1957, the squadron re-formed at Waddington as the RAF’s first Vulcan squadron. In August 1960, it handed over its Mk1 aircraft to No 44 Squadron and moved to Scampton where it became the first squadron to receive the Mk2 Vulcan. Initially these were armed with Yellow Sun megaton weapons, later to be replaced by Blue Steel stand-off bombs. The squadron remained at Scampton in this role until finally disbanded in August 1969.