Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

97 Squadron RAF is listed on this site as one of the many RAF Squadrons in which RAAF personnel served fought and died during WW2.

Its motto "Achieve Your Aim" was exemplified by its WW2 role as a Pathfinder Force unit.  Its nickname "Straits Settlements" was derived from an affiliation between the Straits Settlements in Malacca, on the Malay Peninsula (The Straits of Malacca) from whence a large donation of funds was provided for the purchase of Avro Manchester aircraft in 1941.  The Settlements were occupied by the Japanese from 1942.

No. 97 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Waddington, Lincolnshire, on 1st December 1917, and in the following summer went to France equipped with Handley Page 0/400s (the world's largest bomber at that time)  to undertake night-bombing operations with the Independent Force. It made its first raid on 19/20th August and by the end of the war had flown 91 bombing sorties (the majority into Germany), dropped 64 tons of bombs-including three 1,650-pounders.

Re-equipped with DH10s, No. 97 went to India in the summer of 1919 and subsequently operated on the Waziristan frontier and flew the first air mail services in India (Bombay-Karachi).

It was later re-designated a night-bomber squadron, although by the outbreak of WW2 it had become a training unit.  

It was re-designated as a night bomber unit in late 1940 equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft, which were in due course replaced by the more modern but unreliable Avro Manchester.  The Manchester's shortcomings revolved primarily around its engines but it was to be the fore-runner of the famous Lancaster, wearing four Rolls Royce Merlin engines which gave it power and lifting capacity to burn.  The Lancaster became the backbone of the RAF's Bomber Command.  97 Squadron was re-equipped with Lancasters in 1942 and saw out the war with the type.

97 Squadron was designated a Pathfinder Force unit in 8 Group, under which guise it was used to mark the targets for Main Force units.

A detailed history is contained on the Association website HERE (www.97squadronassociation.co.uk)

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Compiled by Steve Larkins May 2015