No. 90 Squadron

Group
3 Group
Home station
RAF Tuddenham

About

No. 90 Squadron had an unusually chequered war, passing through three separate existences. At the outbreak it served as a training unit flying the Bristol Blenheim. Reformed in May 1941, it became Bomber Command’s only squadron to operate the American Boeing Fortress — the four-engined B-17 Flying Fortress — flying early high-altitude raids that exposed the type’s shortcomings in European conditions, beginning with an attack on Wilhelmshaven in July 1941.

Reformed once more in November 1942 as a night-bomber squadron in No. 3 Group, it took the Short Stirling and operated from stations including RAF Ridgewell and RAF Tuddenham. In the summer of 1944 it converted to the Avro Lancaster, which it flew until the end of the war; its final raid was against Bremen in April 1945. Across the conflict the squadron flew over 4,600 sorties and lost 86 aircraft.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including History of War — No. 90 Squadron (RAF) in the Second World War and Wikipedia: No. 90 Squadron RAF. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Photographs

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1939-1941. A Boeing Fortress Mark I of No. 90 Squadron RAF, taking off from Polebrook, Northamptonshire, to attack the German battlecruiser GNEISENAU docked at Brest, France. Three of the Squadron's Fortresses accompanied the attacking force, bombing the vessel from 30,000 feet in an effort to draw enemy fighters from the other bombers.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer, Woodbine G (Mr) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boeing_Fortress_Mk.I_of_No._90_Squadron_Bomber_Command,_Royal_Air_Force,_1939-1941._CH3086.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1939-1941. Aircrew of No. 90 Squadron RAF, board their Boeing Fortress Mark I at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, for an attack on the German Battlecruiser GNEISENAU, docked at Brest, France.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer, Woodbine G (Mr) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boeing_Fortress_Mk.I_-_Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1939-1941._CH3084.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1939-1941. The crew of Boeing Fortress Mark I, 'WP-G' of No. 90 Squadron RAF, climb out of their aircraft at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, after a daylight attack on the German battlecruiser GNEISENAU docked at Brest, France, which they bombed from 30,000 feet. The crews of the three Fortresses involved found that the Sperry Model 'O' bombsight, with which the Fortresses were equipped, was too inaccurate at that height, and that the Wright Cyclone engines had difficulty in maintaining such an altitude.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer, Woodbine G (Mr) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boeing_Fortress_Mk.I_Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1939-1941._CH3121.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. The crew of a Short Stirling Mark III of No. 90 Squadron RAF are interrogated by an intelligence officer on their return to West Wickham/Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire, after the costly night raid on Berlin , Germany of 23/24 August 1943.
ⓘ licence & creditBellamy W (Fg Off), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH10804.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. The crew of a Short Stirling B Mark III of No. 90 Squadron RAF relax by their aircraft on a hard standing north of the main runway at West Wickham/Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire, while other Stirlings of the Squadron are prepared for the night's operation, a raid on Berlin, Germany.
ⓘ licence & creditBellamy W (F/O), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH10900.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command in the Second World War Short Stirling bombers and crews of No. 90 Squadron lined up on the perimeter track at Ridgewell, Cambridgeshire, circa May 1943.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command_in_the_Second_World_War_TR1284.jpgView source & full licence →
ⓘ licence & creditPa3ems / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vollenhove_-_cemetery_-_A.E._LLoyd.JPGView source & full licence →
Vickers Valiant B.1 of 90 Squadron displaying at Blackpool Squires Gate airport
ⓘ licence & creditRuthAS / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vickers_Valian_B.1_WZ393_90_Sqn_SGT_10.06.57.jpgView source & full licence →
[Australian War Memorial description] ID number UK0837 Collection Photograph Object type Black & white Place made United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London Date made 9 December 1943 Physical description Black & white Description Portrait of 415270 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) John Verdun Newton, Mingenew, WA, a member of the Western Australian Parliament, at RAAF Overseas Headquarters. He is a pilot in the RAAF serving in the UK, and the only flying Australian member of Parliament. Flt Lt Newton was killed in operations over Germany on 14 January, 1944 while attached to RAF 90 Squadron, and is buried in the Hanover War Cemetery.
ⓘ licence & creditPublic domainPublic domainfalsefalse This work has been released into the public domain by its author, the Government of Australia. This applies worldwide.In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:the Government of Australia grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpoView source & full licence →
Boeing B-29A Washington B.1 of 90 Squadron Royal Air Force based at RAF Marham. Displayed at the 1952 Battle of Britain show at RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire. Ex 44-62231.
ⓘ licence & creditRuthAS / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boeing_B-29A_Washington_B.1_WF502_90_Sqn_Hooton_20.09.52_edited-2.jpgView source & full licence →

Operations flown

Aircraft (2)

SerialCodeTypeFate
BK627 WP-P Short Stirling Lost on operations
R9276 WP-G Short Stirling Lost on operations

No service records linked to this squadron yet. Aircraft, crews and sorties will appear here soon.

Further reading & sources

External sites — facts only are reused here; their text and images remain their authors'.