SECOND WORLD WAR | BOMBER COMMAND
THE RAF’S 51 SQUADRON TOOK THE WAR TO THE HEART OF HITLER’S GERMANY, FROM THE FIRST DAY OF WORLD WAR TWO’S BOMBER OFFENSIVE TO THE LAST, AS ANDREW THOMAS DESCRIBES.
Number 51 Squadron first came into existence in 1916, protecting Britain from the menace of Germany’s deadly Zeppelin raids, its presence over home skies greatly reassuring the frightened population. The unit’s work was soon done, and after the Armistice it was stood down.
Less than two decades later, another world war loomed and 51 Squadron was reformed as part of the RAF’s expansion. The initial aircraft assigned was the Vickers Virginia, but in early 1938 it re-equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley IIs as part of 4 Group, Bomber Command, the only dedicated British night attack group at that time. The unit trained in flying in the dark and was declared operational at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire, in the spring of 1938. During the Munich Crisis in September of that year it went onto a war footing, thereafter working with renewed impetus. When war was declared on 3 September 1939, No.51 was ready and put onto standby for sorties to Germany. It did not have long to wait.
‘BUMPH’ RAIDS
The unit, which by earl…
