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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 0605.PDF
485 Exercise Red Lion Avro Lincoln Us of No. 97 Squadron on the move atHemsweli before setting out for Singapore A Famous R.A.F. Bomber Squadron is Transplanted, as a Self-contained Unit, to Singapore SIX Avro Lincoln II heavy bombers of No. 97 (StraitsSettlements) Squadron, No. 1 Group, Bomber Com-mand, and two Avro Yorks of Transport Command, left R.A.F. Station, Hemswell, Lines., on April 28th forSingapore, having been preceded on the previous day by three additional Yorks carrying an advance party of groundpersonnel. These movements initiated exercise "Red Lion ''—the despatch of a completely self-contained heavy-bomber squadron, with its spares and ground staff, to the Far East. I The first leg of the flight was to Castel Benito, inI Tripolitania, and landings were to be made at Habbaniya ! and Malipur. Eight days will be spent at Negombo (Cey-I Ion), and the arrival at Singapore [ is scheduled for May 9th. Whileoverseas, the squadron will come • under the operational control ofJK Command, Far East, and by we time they return to base, aftera month's stay, the aircraft will have covered 26,500 miles. Wish-ing the crews success, Air Vice- Marshal C. E. N. Guest, C.B.,C.B.E., the Air Officer Command- ing No. 1 Group, said that thewar proved how dependent the British Empire was on airmobility. "This flight," he said, "will provide vital informa-tion on, the subject." The selection of the StraitsSettlements Squadron for this sig- nificant exercise is a happy one.Formed on December 1st, 1917, at Waddington, No. 97 Squadronwas equipped with Handley Page °/4°os in May, 1918. In August r Flight Lieutenant Vines, Captain of • one of the Transport Command 1 Yorks, which accompanied the Lin- co/ns, gives fmai instructions to his passengers. of that year came a move to France, and after a distin-guished period of operation, the squadron returned to England in March, 1919, prior to service in India, whereit was in action on the Waziristan Frontier. In March, 1920, No. 97 was absorbed into No. 60 Squadron and ceasedto function as a separate unit, but in September, 1935, was re-formed at Catfoss, later being equipped with Heyfordsand moving to Boscombe Down. After a period of observer-training at Leconfield, " 97 " moved to Abingdon,but in April, 1940, was once again disbanded and absorbed into No. 10 O.T.U. Re-formed in 1941, at Waddington,the squadron was equipped with Manchesters, purchased with a large donation from the Straits Settlements, in
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