No. 141 Squadron

No. 141 Squadron was re-formed on 4 October 1939 at RAF Turnhouse, initially operating Gloster Gladiators and Bristol Blenheims before re-equipping with Boulton Paul Defiants in April 1940. Following a disastrous daylight engagement on 19 July 1940 in which six of nine Defiants were shot down over the Channel, the squadron was withdrawn to Scotland and re-designated as a night fighter unit — a role well suited to the Defiant’s characteristics. It subsequently transitioned through Bristol Beaufighters and, from October 1943, de Havilland Mosquitoes, using the Serrate radar-homing device to hunt Luftwaffe night fighters defending against Bomber Command raids. In December 1943 the squadron transferred to No. 100 Group, Bomber Command’s dedicated electronic warfare and support group, flying long-range intruder sorties over occupied Europe from RAF West Raynham in Norfolk. Its motto, Caedimus Noctu — “We slay by night” — precisely captures this sustained nocturnal role across five years of the war. The squadron was finally disbanded on 7 September 1945, having pioneered the transition from daytime to night operations that influenced RAF night-fighter doctrine throughout the conflict.