British Squadrons that never existed---what are their numbers?

[Daryl J.]

If one was to model a RAF machine and put it in a spurious Squadron, what numbers could be used?    I have no clue as to where to find this sort of thing out for myself.  (Heh heh heh, that's not a surprise!  )


TIA,
Daryl J.

[NARSES2]

This will help Daryl, but you need to use the rest of the site to et at the current active squadrons.

Chris

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/sqn_hist.html

[Radish]

I've got the book "RAF Squadrons" so will provide a list of unused numbers later today.
Some might have been used for a short time, so I'll include these with the dates of use.

[Martin H]

have look here as well

http://www.rafweb.org/Menu.htm

[Daryl J.]

Many thanks.    Will check it all out after work today.
,
Daryl J.

[Radish]

Oh stuff....my time got hijacked yesterday, and then I was out with 7 lovely women last night for a meal, so I'll try again today. But I have governor meetings from 4pm onwards followed by a model club meeting, so posting might be tomorrow.
There's quite a few units though that can be built up.
I remember a "City of Lichfield" Squadron I invented but I can't remember the number I used. It had a "Three Spires" badge...based on Lichfield Cathedral.
It was very much an "oddball" squadron (what a surprise!!) with almost an evaluation role, developed post-war into an aggressor training role too.
Wartime equipment included various things like RAF Corsairs in High Altitude camouflage of PR Blue, as well as pink ones too.
Lots of other stuff.....I'll see if I can find my notes too.

[PR19_Kit]

It's a pity Mike McEvoy isn't a regular here, he knows every RAF Squadron by its first name, and probably its inside leg measurement too! 

As he'll almost certainly be at the Shuttleworth Show on Sunday (and it looks like I won't, sadly....) you get someone to ask him about the 'unused numbers', he'll probably recite them off by heart.

Conversely you could try this Wikipedia - List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons and extrapolate.

That list gives the 'missing' nos. as 314, 319, 323, 324, 325, 337, 338, 339, 348, then a big gap from 362 - 399, thrn 444 - 449, 468 - 484, 491 - 499, 505 - 509, 599, 606, and then a whole bunch in the 600s (PLEASE don't pick 633 Squadron....) so there's lots to chose from. 



***Repaired the Wikipedia link (it was missing a couple of important items which redirected it to a cyber-squatter)***

[Maverick]

It's worth remembering that the 300 series were foreign national squadrons whilst 400 series were Commonwealth squadrons, so any using those unused numbers should realistically be foreign or Commonwealth squadrons where apporpirate.

Regards,

Mav

[PR19_Kit]

***Repaired the Wikipedia link (it was missing a couple of important items which redirected it to a cyber-squatter)***

It didn't when I tested it just before I posted the thread.

As I've said elsewhere, someone is messing with us in here............ 

[Radish]

The "missing" squadrons....

314, 319, 323, 324, 325, 337, 338, 339, 359, 362>399, 465, 468>484, 491>499
505>509, 522, 523, 545, 546, 551>566, 568, 572, 573, 574, 579>581
583, 584, 585, 588>599
606, 629, 632, 633, 634, 636, 637, 638, 641, 642, 643, 645>649
There are others too, but that's surely enough.

Some units also weren't reformed until after the Battle of Britain, and these are shown with the reforming date afterwards. So they could be "what ifs" prior to the reformation....

89 (25/09/41), 120 > 129 (all formed in May/June 1941)..

Others weren't formed until mostly May/June1942:
161>165, 167>173.
189 was formed 15/10/44 and 666 "The Beast?" Squadron wasn't formed until 5th March 1945!!!

[upnorth]

Conversely you could try this Wikipedia - List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons and extrapolate.

That list gives the 'missing' nos. as 314, 319, 323, 324, 325, 337, 338, 339, 348, then a big gap from 362 - 399, thrn 444 - 449, 468 - 484, 491 - 499, 505 - 509, 599, 606, and then a whole bunch in the 600s (PLEASE don't pick 633 Squadron....) so there's lots to chose from. 

Worth noting is that numbers 400 to 450 are Canadian units.