Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

No. 97 'Straits Settlments' Squadron, RAF

No. 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.  These men were known colloquially as 'Odd Bods' as they werved in RAF rather than RAAF Squadrons.  They represent the largest single cohort of Australia's losses in WW2.

No. 97 Squadron's motto, 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, had been formed in 1917, and in the following summer went to France equipped with Handley Page 0/400s (the world's largest bomber at that time). It made its first raid on 19/20th August 1918 and by the end of the war had flown 91 bombing sorties (the majority into Germany)and dropped 64 tons of bombs-including three 1,650-pounders.

Between the Wars, 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 to Karachi).

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

With the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the Squadron took up another deployment, with a move to Abingdon in Oxfordshire, as part of 6 (Training) Group within Bomber Command. Over the next six months, No. 97 Squadron did not undertake any operations, although some casualties were sustained in flying accidents during training flights, before the Squadron disbanded when it merged with No. 166 Squadron to become No 10 Operational Training Unit in April 1940.  No. 97 Squadron briefly re-formed in May 1940, at Driffield, as part of 4 Group, equipped with Whitley aircraft but was disbanded before the end of the month and, again, saw no active service.

It was re-designated as a night bomber unit in late 1940 and equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft.  They were in due course replaced by the more modern but unreliable Avro Manchester.  The Manchester's shortcomings revolved primarily around its engines.  Its airframe and configuration became the basis of the legendary Avro Lancaster Heavy Bomber.

Early in 1941, a large donation was made to the British Government by the Malay Straits Settlements for the purchase of some Avro Manchester bomber aircraft. In appreciation of this, No. 97 Squadron was authorised to assume the title of “97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron”, and it was reformed in February 1941, at Waddington flying Avro Manchesters. Squadron Codes of 'OF'.

The new squadron was to be No. 97 Squadron to be based at RAF Coningsby as part of 5 Group. The Squadron began to convert to Lancasters in January 1942.  In March 1942, No. 97 Squadron re-located to Woodhall Spa.

On 17th April, in conjunction with No. 44 Squadron, six of No. 97 Squadron's Lancasters made a low level attack, in daylight, on the MAN diesel engine works at Augsburg. Between June and July, the Squadron's crews took part in 1,000 bomber raids on Cologne, Essen and Bremen.

In April 1943, there was another move of station (to RAF Bourn) when 97 Squadron joined 8 Group as part of Bomber Command's Path Finder Force, in which capacity it was used to mark the targets for Main Force units.  For includion in the Pathfinder Force, crews were hand picked on the basis of demonstrated navigation skills in particular.

On the night of 16/17 December 1943, the Squadron along with Bomber Command in general, suffered one of its worst nights of the war, in what became known as 'Black Thursday'.  One aircraft, OP  was lost over the target, but another seven were lost returning to base in appalling weather and fog.  Two crews bailed out and all members survived.  The other five crashed trying to land. 

OF-R - Crashed on return  FO KIRKWOOD RAFVR pilot All seven crew listed as Missing

OF-Q - Lost Over Berlin. FLTLT BRILL RAFVR pilot   All seven crew killed

OF-C - Crashed on retur FSGT SCOTT RAAF pilot. All seven crew killed

OF-Y - Aircraft lost Crew bailed out all safe.  FO SMITH RAFVR pilot

OF-S - Aircraft lost Crew baled out All safe. PO MOONEY RAFVR pilot

OF-F - Crashed on return SQLDR MCKENZIE RAFVR pilot and two crew killed 

OF-E - Crashed on return FO THACKERAY RAFVR pilot and five crew killed

OF-P - Crashed on return SQLDR Deverill, DFC*, AFC, DFM, RAFVR and five crew killed 

Twelve months later the Squadron returned to Coningsby, rejoining a 'Main Force' formatioon, 5 Group, albeit as a "marker" squadron to help lead the Group against targets using PFF techniques.  On 25/26th April 1945, No. 97 Squadron completed its final operation of the Second World War.

Through the course of the war, No. 97 Squadron lost 123 aircraft on operations in the course of completing 4066 sorties. Personnel from the Squadron won 18 DSOs, one OBE, 228 DFCs, 41 Bars to the DFC, one BEM, 163 DFMs, 2 Bars to the DFM, 2 United States of America DFCs, 2 Belgian Croix de Guerres and one Russian Medal of Valour. 

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

More content to follow.......can you help?

Compiled by Steve Larkins May 2015 and updated June 2024

Sources:

97 Squadron Association Website http://97squadronassociation.co.uk/history.html (97squadronassociation.co.uk)

Aircrew Remembered Website - https://aircrewremembered.com/kirkwood-james-1.html (aircrewremembered.com)

History of War Website - http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/97_wwII.html (www.historyofwar.org)