No. 541 Squadron
- Group
- No. 106 Group
- Command
- Photo Reconnaissance
History
No. 541 Squadron formed in 1942 as a photographic reconnaissance squadron and became one of the main RAF units for strategic photographic intelligence from Britain. It flew Spitfires and Mosquitoes on deep reconnaissance sorties over occupied Europe, photographing ports, airfields, V-weapons sites, railways and bombing targets. The squadron’s imagery was central to operational planning and post-strike assessment through the later war years.
Stations operated from
Airfields this squadron flew from during the Second World War.
Photographs
Aerial photograph of Ashford airfield. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron on 1 May 1946, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1449. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Ashford_-_1_May_1946_3135.jpgView source & full licence →Aerial photograph of Merston airfield the control tower and technical site are on the left (west), 21 September 1946. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/CPE/UK/1751. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Merston_-_21_Sep_1946_Airphoto.jpgView source & full licence →Aerial photograph of Milton Ernest (Twinwood Farm) airfield looking north, the control tower and airfield code are beneath the runway intersection, 28 March 1948. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/CPE/UK/2546. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Twinwood_Farm_-_28_Mar_1948_Airphoto.jpgView source & full licence →Aerial photograph of Aldermaston airfield looking south, C-47 Skytrains are parked on grass and Horsa gliders in the revetments; T2 hangars are to the upper right, 10 July 1946. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1646. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Aldermaston_-_10_July_1946_3079.jpgView source & full licence →Aerial photograph of Aldermaston airfield looking south. This is post WW2 shot when the airfield had been taken over by BOAC as an aircrew training base. Dakotas, Vikings and Yorks were in use. The control tower is in the centre with T2 hangars above, 10 July 1946. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1646. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Aldermaston_-_10_July_1946_3080.jpgView source & full licence →Aerial photograph of Exeter airfield looking north east, the technical site is to the right of the airfield; there are blister hangars on the hard standings around the perimeter, 15 March 1944. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/CT/91/541. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Exeter_15_Mar_1944_3032.jpgView source & full licence →Aerial photograph of Kimbolton airfield looking north , the bomb dump and technical site with a T2 hangar is on the lower right, 10 August 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/635. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
ⓘ licence & credit
United States Army Air Forces / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAF_Kimbolton_-_10_Aug_1945_-_Airphoto.jpgView source & full licence →Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1939-1945- Supermarine Spitfire. Spitfire PR Mark XI, PL775 ‘A’, of No. 541 Squadron RAF based at Benson, Oxfordshire, in flight.
ⓘ licence & credit
Forward (F/O), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aircraft_of_the_Royal_Air_Force,_1939-1945-_Supermarine_Spitfire._CH13493.jpgView source & full licence →Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk XI of No. 541 Squadron RAF based at Benson, Oxfordshire, July 1944. Supermarine Spitfire PR Mark XI, PL775 ‘A’, of No. 541 Squadron RAF based at Benson, Oxfordshire, flys over the photographer’s aircraft, showing the ‘split-pair’ camera ports under the fuselage, aft of the wing roots.