No. 187 Squadron RAF

Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 187 Squadron RAF
Active	1 April 1918–1919 1 February 1945 – 1 Dec 1946 1 February 1953 – 2 Sept 1957
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	Versatile^[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A buzzard carrying a propeller in its claws
Squadron codes	PU (Feb 1945 - Dec 1946)

Military unit

No. 187 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a transport unit towards the end of World War II.

History

Formation in World War I

The squadron formed on 1 April 1918 as a night training unit and disbanded in 1919 without acquiring its own aircraft.

Formation in World War II

The squadron reformed on 1 February 1945 at RAF Merryfield and equipped with Halifax transport aircraft. It then equipped with Dakotas for trooping flights to India and then destinations in Europe including Bari, Italy. The squadron disbanded in Austria on 1 November 1946 upon renumbering as No. 53 Squadron RAF.

Postwar period

On 7 February 1952 No. 2 Home Ferry Unit was established at Aston Down. On 1 February 1953 the unit was renamed No. 187 Squadron.

The squadron ferried aircraft in the UK and to Germany before it was finally disbanded on 2 September 1957.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 187 Squadron RAF^[2]
From	To	Aircraft	Variant
Feb 1945	Mar 1945	Handley Page Halifax	III
Mar 1945	Oct 1946	Douglas Dakota	II
Feb 1953	Sep 1957	Avro Anson	C.19
Mar 1955	Sep 1957	Vickers Varsity	T.1
Apr 1955	Sep 1957	Avro Anson	C.12

References

^ Pine, LG (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & K. Paul. p. 249. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
^ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 187 Squadron RAF.

History of No.'s 186–190 Squadrons at RAF Web
187 Squadron history on the official RAF website

Royal Air Force flying squadrons

Currently active

Inactive

Australian Flying Corps units
attached to the RAF
during the First World War

67 (1 Sqn AFC)
68 (2 Sqn AFC)
69 (3 Sqn AFC)
71 (4 Sqn AFC)

Article XV (Commonwealth) air force units attached to the RAF during the Second World War

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)	400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)	450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 466 467
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)	485 486 487 488 489 490

Squadrons formed from
non-Commonwealth personnel
during the Second World War

Argentine	164
Belgian	349 350
Czechoslovak	310 311 312 313
Dutch	320 (Netherlands) 321 (Netherlands) 322 (Dutch)
French	326 327 328 329 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347

Greek	13 335 336
Norwegian	330 331 332 333 334
Polish	300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 315 316 317 318 663
United States	71 121 133
Yugoslav	351 352

Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Special Reserve	500 501 502 503 504
Auxiliary Air Force	600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 622

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(1924–1939)

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