No. 89 Squadron RAF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids No. 89 Squadron RAF
Active	1 Sep 1917 - 4 Jul 1918 25 Sep 1941 - 1 May 1946 15 Sep 1955 – 30 Nov 1958
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	Latin: Dei Auxilio Telis Meis ("By the help of God with my own weapons")
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A wyvern pierced by a flash of lightning
Squadron Roundel
Squadron Codes	WP (May 1942 - Jun 1942)

No. 89 Squadron was a special unit of the Royal Air Force, often called the RAF. This squadron was mostly known for flying fighter planes. They were active at different times, helping protect the UK and other places during important historical events.

History of No. 89 Squadron

Early Days and World War I

No. 89 Squadron first started on 1 September 1917. It was formed at Netheravon as a training unit. This means its main job was to teach pilots and crew. The squadron did not take part in any battles. It stayed a training unit until it was officially closed down on 4 July 1918.

Reforming for World War II

The squadron was brought back to life on 25 September 1941. This happened at RAF Colerne. This time, they were given Bristol Beaufighter planes. These were special "night fighters" designed to fight enemy planes in the dark.

The squadron then moved to the Middle East. Their mission was to protect important areas like the Nile delta and the Suez Canal. On 3 March 1942, they achieved their first victory. They shot down a German Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 plane.

No. 89 Squadron was very active around the Mediterranean Sea. They sent planes to places like Malta and Algiers. In 1943, they looked for enemy targets over Crete and later Sicily.

As German night fighter units moved further north, the squadron also moved. First, they went to Ceylon. Then, in the summer of 1944, they moved to Burma. Here, they flew "intruder missions," meaning they flew into enemy territory to attack.

Later, the squadron stopped operations to switch to a new plane, the de Havilland Mosquito. After this, there wasn't much for them to do. They did some leaflet dropping from Singapore. The squadron was officially closed down again on 1 May 1946.

The 1950s Era

In the mid-1950s, the RAF Fighter Command grew bigger. Because of this, No. 89 Squadron was formed for a third time. This happened on 15 September 1955 at RAF Stradishall. They were equipped with the de Havilland Venom NF.3.

Two years later, these planes were replaced with the Gloster Javelin. The squadron flew these planes for about a year. They served as an all-weather fighter squadron. On 30 November 1957, the squadron was closed down. It was then re-numbered as 85 Squadron.

Aircraft Used by the Squadron

No. 89 Squadron flew several types of aircraft during its time. Here are the main ones: