No. 58 Squadron RAF

No. 58 Squadron RAF. It is a squadron of the Royal Air Force with a long and varied history, first formed during the First World War. The squadron has operated in roles ranging from bomber and reconnaissance to training, seeing service in major conflicts including the Second World War and the Cold War. Currently based at RAF Waddington, it serves as the Standards Evaluation and Training squadron for the RAF Air Surveillance and Control System Force.

History

The squadron was originally formed at Cramlington on 8 December 1916 as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps. Initially equipped with the F.E.2b, it moved to France in 1917 to conduct night bombing raids against targets such as German airfields and railway junctions along the Western Front. Disbanded after the Armistice of 11 November 1918, it was reformed in 1937 at RAF Worthy Down as a bomber squadron operating the Vickers Wellesley. During the Second World War, it transitioned to the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and later the Handley Page Halifax, conducting strategic bombing as part of RAF Bomber Command's Main Force. Post-war, it was re-formed in 1954 as a photo-reconnaissance unit flying the English Electric Canberra before its final disbandment in 1970. The squadron number was revived in 2007 to fulfil its current training and evaluation role.

Aircraft operated

Throughout its service, the squadron has operated a diverse fleet. Its early years featured the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 and the Airco D.H.4 during the First World War. In the interwar and early Second World War period, it flew the Vickers Wellesley and the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Its primary heavy bomber from 1942 was the Handley Page Halifax, used extensively during the Combined Bomber Offensive. In the post-war era, it operated the English Electric Canberra PR.7 and PR.9 variants for high-altitude reconnaissance. Since its 2007 reformation, its sole aircraft type has been the Beechcraft King Air B200, designated the Shadow R1 in RAF service.

Notable personnel

Several distinguished airmen have served with the squadron. Wing Commander John Nettleton was awarded the Victoria Cross for his leadership during the famous Augsburg raid of 1942 while flying a Avro Lancaster with No. 44 Squadron RAF, having previously served with No. 58 Squadron. Renowned aviation author and pilot Nevil Shute served as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officer seconded to the squadron during the First World War. Air Vice-Marshal Donald Bennett, later the founder of the Pathfinder Force, flew Handley Page Halifax aircraft with the squadron early in the Second World War. Squadron Leader John L. Mitchell was a notable commander during the Cold War Canberra reconnaissance era.

Squadron bases

The squadron has been based at numerous Royal Air Force stations across the United Kingdom and overseas. Its first home was Cramlington in Northumberland. Significant Second World War bases included RAF Linton-on-Ouse, RAF Boscombe Down, and RAF Snaith in Yorkshire, from where it launched many Bomber Command operations. Post-war reconnaissance duties were conducted from RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. After reformation, it was initially based at RAF Cranwell before moving to its current and permanent home at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in 2011.

Operations and deployments

The squadron's operational history is extensive. In the First World War, it conducted night bombing sorties over France and Belgium. During the Second World War, as part of No. 4 Group RAF, it participated in major raids on targets like Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen, and in key campaigns such as the Battle of the Ruhr. It also dropped propaganda leaflets over Occupied Europe and supported D-Day by bombing coastal defences. In the 1950s and 1960s, its English Electric Canberra aircraft performed vital photographic reconnaissance missions across Europe and the Middle East during the Cold War. Its modern incarnation is non-deployable, focused on evaluating and training crews for the RAF's Airborne Warning and Control System and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities.

Category:Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons Category:Military units and formations established in 1916