No. 616 Squadron — South Yorkshire

No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron was formed in November 1938 at RAF Doncaster as an Auxiliary Air Force unit and entered the war flying Supermarine Spitfires. It flew defensive patrols over the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940, then participated in the Battle of Britain under No. 12 Group. From 1941 the squadron flew offensive sweeps over occupied France from RAF Tangmere, by which time veterans including Douglas Bader, Johnnie Johnson and Hugh Dundas had passed through its ranks. The squadron’s most singular distinction came in July 1944 when it became the first RAF squadron — and the first in the world — to operate jet aircraft in combat, flying Gloster Meteor Mk.Is from RAF Manston against V-1 flying bombs. It ended the war flying Meteors on ground-attack sorties over the Netherlands under 2nd Tactical Air Force.