First World War No. 61 Squadron was formed at
RAF Rochford, on the outskirts of
Southend,
Essex, in July/August 1917 In 1918 the squadron was re-equipped with
SE5s, but before the
Armistice was signed it began to change over to
Sopwith Camels. The squadron used these and from January 1919 also some
Sopwith Snipes until disbanded on 13 June 1919.
Second World War No. 61 Squadron was re-formed on 8 March 1937 The squadron's last operational mission in World War II was on 25/26 April 1945, when 10 Lancasters bombed an oil refinery and tankerage at
Vallø (
Tønsberg), and four other Lancasters aborted. The last mission before
VE Day was on 6 May 1945, when the squadron's Lancasters ferried 336 ex-
POWs home to the UK from Europe.
Post-war No. 61 Squadron re-equipped with
Avro Lincolns in May 1946. These saw action in
Malaya as part of
Operation Firedog and in
Kenya during the
Mau Mau Uprising. The squadron became an
English Electric Canberra squadron at
RAF Wittering in 1954. These took part in the
Suez Crisis of 1956. No. 61 disbanded on 31 March 1958. ==Aircraft operated==