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     9 Squadron

History

Motto: "Per noctum volamus" ("Throughout the night we fly")

After its initial formation at St Omer, France on 8 Dec 1914 by renaming the Wireless Flight of the RFC Headquarters, No. 9 Sqn was disbanded in March 1915 when its various elements were absorbed into other RFC Squadrons. Reformed a month later at Brooklands, the Squadron then joined the effort in France with its BE2Cs on reconnaissance and bombing tasks and subsequently with RE8s. Like many other Squadrons, it was disbanded in 1919 after a brief period in occupied Germany.

It wasn’t until 1 April 1924 that it was reformed, this time with Vickers Vimy night bombers at Upavon before moving to Manston where the hangars could accommodate the aircraft. In January 1925, the squadron received the first in a long line of Virginia heavy bombers which were followed by Heyfords in 1936.

In February 1939, the Squadron moved to Honington received Wellingtons, and it was with these that it was involved in anti-shipping sorties in the early stages of World War II. These were replaced in turn by the famous Lancaster bomber in September 1942 and the unit became part of Bomber Command’s strategic offensive against German targets and was now based at Waddington. Following a move to nearby Bardney, No. 9 Sqn specialised in dropping large bombs and the 12,000lb (5,440kg) ‘Tallboy’ in particular. During the attack on the Dortmund-Ems canal in January 1945, the Lancaster of Fg Off H Denton was hit and caught fire. The Squadron also took part in the successful mission to sink the German battleship Tirpitz in 1944.

(Source and ©: RAF Website)

Acknowledgements:
RAF Squadron crest © Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

Relevant Websites

IX Squadron Association

Casualties of the squadron, buried in the Netherlands.