No. 117 Squadron RAF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids No. 117 Squadron RAF
Active	1 Jan 1918 – 6 Oct 1919 30 Apr 1941 – 17 Dec 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	"It shall be done"
Insignia
Squadron Heraldry	A terrestrial globe
Squadron Codes	EX (Apr 1937 - Sep 1939) LD (Jul 1943 - Sep 1943)

No. 117 Squadron RAF was a special group of the Royal Air Force. It was first created during World War I to fly bomber planes. Later, it was started again during World War II to move supplies and people, and help with communications.

The Story of No. 117 Squadron

Starting Up in World War I

No. 117 Squadron was first formed on January 31, 1918. Back then, it was part of the Royal Flying Corps, which was the air force before the RAF. Their job was to fly bomber planes.

The squadron was based at RAF Wyton and used planes called DH9s. After a while, the squadron became part of the new Royal Air Force. They even spent some time in Ireland. On October 6, 1919, No. 117 Squadron joined up with another group, No. 141 Squadron, and stopped being a separate unit.

Back in Action for World War II

No. 117 Squadron was started again on April 30, 1941. This time, they were in Khartoum, Sudan. They took over a small group called the Khartoum Communications Flight. This group already had a captured Italian Caproni Ca.148 plane that they were using!

The squadron needed planes that could fly very long distances. So, they borrowed four Bristol Bombay planes from another squadron, No. 216 Squadron. In May, they also got some Savoia-Marchetti S.79K planes that used to belong to Yugoslavia.

In November 1941, the squadron moved to Egypt. Their new job was to provide transport services. The communication planes stayed in Khartoum, and the borrowed Bombays were returned. From then on, the whole squadron used Lockheed Hudson planes.

In 1943, No. 117 Squadron helped in a big operation called Operation Husky. This was when Allied forces invaded Sicily. The squadron then started using Dakotas and was based in RAF Castel Benito, Libya.

In October 1943, the squadron moved all the way to India. In 1944, they played a very important role. They transported supplies for a special group of soldiers called the Chindits. These brave soldiers operated deep behind the Japanese lines, and the squadron's supplies were vital for their missions.

After the War

The squadron continued its important work until the war ended. No. 117 Squadron was officially disbanded on December 17, 1945. This happened shortly after VJ-Day, which marked the end of the war with Japan.

Planes Flown by No. 117 Squadron

Here are the different types of aircraft that No. 117 Squadron operated during its history: