Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

No. 77 Squadron (RAF)

77 Squadron RAF is listed on this site because it was one of many RAF units in WW2 to which RAAF personnel were posted, and in which they flew and died in service.   Aircrew were trained via the Empire Aircrew Training Scheme which was specifically created to generate the aircrew from candidates drawn from around the Commonwealth, that Britain knew it would need to take the fight for Europe to Germany 

77 Squadron was formed on 1 October 1916 at Edinburgh, as part of the Royal Flying Corps, equipped with B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft. It disbanded following the Armistice on June 13, 1919.

It reformed on 14 June 1937, as a bomber squadron, as a result of increasing tension arising from Nazi militarism.  Based at RAF Finningley it was 'spawned' from 102 Squadron and in 1938 the squadron moved to RAF Driffield, as part of 4 Group in Bomber Command, flying Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys.  It tranferred to Coastal Command in May 1942 and was engaged in anti-submarine patrols, based at RAF Chivenor.

In October 1942, the squadron converted to Halifaxes at RAF Elvington and re-located to RAF Full Sutton in May 1944.

On the night of 16/17 June the Squadrom took part in a raid to Sterkrade in Germany to bomb a synthetic oil works.  Seven aircraft from the squadron were lost alonmg with most of the crews, including a large number of the Australians listed here.

On 8 May 1945 the squadron joined Transport Command, and in July 1945 re-equipped with Douglas Dakotas.

77 Squadron was assigned to India in October 1945 after the end of WW2 in the Pacific / SE Asia.  The squadron was disbanded on 1 November 1946.

It was reformedback in the UK in December 1946 and operated Dakotas during theBerlin Airlift, and then disbanded yet again on 1 June 1949 at RAF Waterbeach.

It underwent another iteration in the late 1950s until 1963, equipped with Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles.