Caption: Bristol Blenheim IV RAF 40Sqn being armed at Wyton Cambridgeshire IWM CH761

 Caption: Bristol Blenheim IV RAF 40Sqn BLV R3612 in flight July 1940 IWM CH787

RAF No 40 Squadron

RAF No 40 Squadron

Motto: Hostem coelo expellere (To drive the enemy from the sky)

Formed at Gosport on 26 February 1916, it was equipped with FE8 fighters which it took to France in August. When in March 1917 a patrol of nine FE8s was shot down the squadron was immediately re-equipped with Nieuport Scouts. SE5As arrived in October 1917 and it continued to use these until the end of war. Returning to Tangmere in February 1919 the squadron disbanded on 4 July 1919.

When it reformed on 1 April 1931, the squadron adopted the day bomber role equipped with Gordons at Upper Heyford. Harts arrived in November 1935, by which time it was stationed at Abingdon and on 7 January 1936 'C' Flight became No 104 Squadron. Hinds replaced the Harts in March 1936 and Battles arrived in July 1938. On the outbreak of war the squadron became part of the AASF and moved to France but in December it returned to Wyton where it converted to Blenheims continuing to operate over France but from its UK base instead of the continent. In November 1940 the squadron moved over the night bombing role when it received Wellingtons.

From October 1941 it began to send aircraft over to Malta on a rotational basis whilst continuing to operate from the UK, but on 14 February 1942 the detachment in Malta took over the No 40 numberplate when the element in the UK was re-numbered No 156. It then withdrew to Egypt where it was able to re-equip and then operated from the Canal Zone against targets in the rest of North Africa. Following the capture of airfields in Tunisia it moved further forward and in December 1943 moved over to Italy, where it was now able to add the Balkan and Northern Italy to its target list. Liberators arrived in March 1945 and it remained in Italy until October when it returned to Egypt, where the Liberators were replaced by Lancasters in January 1946, the squadron disbanding on 1 April 1947.

No 40 was reformed, this time in the transport role, on 1 December 1947 at Abingdon. It flew its Yorks constantly throughout the Berlin airlift, moved to Bassingbourn in June 1949 but disbanded there on 15 March 1950. Its final incarnation, so far began on 28 December 1953 as a light bomber unit equipped with Canberra B Mk 2 aircraft. It operated these from Coningsby, Wittering (Feb 1954) and finally Upwood (Nov 1956) but on 1 February 1957 it disbanded, although the number was linked to No 50 Squadron which lasted until 1 October 1959, since when the number 40 has not appeared in the RAF's order of Battle.

Known Individual Aircraft loses for RAF No.40 Squadron

Date	Aircraft	Code	Incident	Crew
14th April 1940	Blenheim L9207	BL-?	Crashed in Thames estuary after unauthorised flight	AC2 J F B Lewis killed
10th May 1940	Blenheim L8833	BL-?	Attacked by Ju88 but returned to England and crash landed	Squadron Leader B Paddon ok Sergeant J A D Beattie ok Pilot Officer W G Edwards ok
10th May 1940	Blenheim L8828	BL-?	Crashed into sea off the Dutch coast	Sergeant P J H Rowan killed Sergeant G Beardwood killed Corporal T F S Clark killed
10th May 1940	Blenheim L8831	BL-?	Crashed near The Hague	Sergeant I L Thomas killed Sergeant V Spurr killed Leading Aircraftsman H Brison killed
10th May 1940	Blenheim P6901 Mk.IV	BL-?	Crashed near Voorburg	Sergeant A J Robertson killed Sergeant F Checkley killed AC1 J A Webster taken prisoner
10th May 1940	Blenheim L8776 Mk.IV	BL-K	Shot down near den Haag	Flying Officer R M Burns taken prisoner Sergeant J R Brooker taken prisoner Corporal J Hurford taken prisoner
15th May 1940	Blenheim P4913 Mk.IV	BL-?	Shot down near Mons	Flying Officer J E Edwards killed Sergeant C T White killed Leading Aircraftsman S J Johnson killed
15th May 1940	Blenheim N6217 Mk.IV	BL-?	Shot down near Mons	Wing Commander E C Barlow killed Sergeant E Clarke killed Leading Aircraftsman A E Millard killed
23rd May 1940	Blenheim L8834 Mk.IV	BL-?	Shot down at Miraumont	Flying Officer R H Jacoby taken prisoner Sergeant P A M Burrell killed LAC P R Whittle killed
23rd May 1940	Blenheim P4909 Mk.IV	BL-?	Shot down by flak and crashed near Bethune	Wing Commander J G Llewelyn killed Sergeant J A D Beattie ok Pilot Officer W G Edwards killed
25th May 1940	Blenheim P4920 Mk.IV	YH-?	Shot down near Rety	Sergeant S I Tonks taken prisoner Sergeant J L Alexander killed LAC D Goffe killed
6th June 1940	Blenheim P4927 Mk.IV	BL-?	Crashed	Sergeant D J Rice taken prisoner Sergeant R C Moffatt taken prisoner Sergeant D E Peters taken prisoner
6th June 1940	Blenheim P9417 Mk.IV	BL-?	Damaged in combat and force landed in Allied territory	Pilot Officer P F T Wakeford injured Sergeant Wallace injured Sergeant Baker injured
6th June 1940	Blenheim R3692 Mk.IV	BL-?	Force landed near St Valery	Pilot Officer V G W Engstrom injured but evaded capture Sergeant M R Chouler taken prisoner Sergeant D Liddle taken prisoner
6th June 1940	Blenheim L9410 Mk.IV	BL-?	Lost without trace	Pilot Officer B B James killed Sergeant J E Garcka killed Sergeant W Furby killed
6th June 1940	Blenheim L8827 Mk.IV	BL-?	Lost	Squadron Leader B Paddon taken prisoner Sergeant V C Salvage taken prisoner Sergeant T A Foreman taken prisoner
12th June 1940	Blenheim R3893 Mk.IV	BL-?	Shot down by flak at Eletot	Sergeant C D W Bartlam taken prisoner Sergeant D L Dorris killed Sergeant E Rodgers taken prisoner
26th July 1940	Blenheim R3763 Mk.IV	BL-?	Lost	Sergeant P H Steele taken prisoner Sergeant J Moore taken prisoner Sergeant R Peacock taken prisoner
15th August 1940	Blenheim R3609 Mk.IV	BL-?	Lost	Pilot Officer G Parker taken prisoner Sergeant G H Easton evaded capture Sergeant E Watson evaded capture
15th August 1940	Blenheim P4908 Mk.IV	BL-?	Lost	Sergeant K Newton injured Sergeant F M Hotchkiss taken prisoner Sergeant C A McGreary taken prisoner

Standards: Award of Standard originally announced on 15 Oct 1957, effective from 1 Apr 1957 but was never presented.

Battle Honours:

Whilst the announcement of the award of a standard to the squadron appeared as shown opposite, no battle honours were ever determined owing to the standard never being produced.

Squadron Codes used: - OX Oct 1938 - Sep 1939 | BL Sep 1939 - Apr 194 | LE Jun 1949 - Mar 1950