RAF No 541 Squadron

RAF No 541 Squadron

Motto: Alone above all

Formed from B & F Flights of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit at Benson on 19 October 1942.

Equipped with Spitfires, it operated over Europe throughout the rest of the war, although some Mustangs were received and operated alongside the Spitfires from June 1944.

After the war it was intended to send the a detachment of the squadron to Africa for survey work, for which it received some Lancasters. However, this plan was cancelled and the squadron disbanded at Benson on 1 October 1946, the Lancaster element forming the nucleus of a reformed No 82 Squadron.

The squadron reformed at Benson on 1 November 1947, again in the PR role, equipped with Spitfire XIXs, which were replaced by Meteor PR 10s in December 1950. The squadron moved to Germany in June 1951 joining 2 TAF, initially at Buckeburg and from May 1957, Wunstorf, where it disbanded on 6 September 1957.

Squadron Codes used: - ES Oct 1945 - Dec 1946 - WY Nov 1947 - 1951 - A 1951 - 1954