No. 514 Squadron RAF

No. 514 Squadron RAF (514 Sqn) was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 514 Squadron RAF
No. 514 Squadron Avro Lancaster heavy bombers taxiing on the airfield at RAF Waterbeach
Active	1 September 1943 – 22 August 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Bomber Squadron
Part of	No. 3 Group RAF, Bomber Command[1]
Motto(s)	Latin: Nil Obstare Potest (Translation: "Nothing can withstand")[2][3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A cloud pierced by a sword[3] The design indicates the function of the squadron, i.e. its role of a GH-equipped blind-bombing squadron[2]
Squadron Codes	JI (Sep 1943 – Aug 1945)[4][5] A2 (Dec 1943 – Aug 1945, 'C' Flt only)[6][7]
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Avro Lancaster

History

Members of 514 Sqn were awarded 1 DSO, 84 DFCs, one Bar to the DFC and 26 DFMs.^[2]

514 Squadron was part of 3 Group, RAF Bomber Command. It operated between September 1943 and August 1945, initially from RAF Foulsham, and then, from December 1943 onward, from RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire. 437 aircrew were killed flying with the Squadron.^{[8][page needed]}

A lineup of Avro Lancaster heavy bombers of No. 514 Squadron at RAF Waterbeach, July 1944

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 514 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][3][9]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
September 1943	July 1944	Avro Lancaster	Mk.II
June 1944	August 1945	Avro Lancaster	Mks.I and III

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 514 squadron RAF, data from^[2][3][9]

From	To	Base
1 September 1943	23 November 1943	RAF Foulsham, Norfolk
23 November 1943	22 August 1945	RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire

Reunions

From 1988 to 2012, the Squadron held an annual reunion in June at Waterbeach Barracks hosted by the Royal Engineers. A service of remembrance was held in the parish church, and the BBMF Lancaster made a flypast over the former RAF airfield.^[10]

In 2013, following the barracks' closure, a reunion was held in the village on 15 June with the Lancaster flypast over the Recreation Ground.^[11]

In 2015, a reunion was again held in Waterbeach Barracks in a new community building.^[12]

Museum

The 514 Squadron Association and the Army established a museum in Waterbeach Barracks in 1985. This museum closed in September 2012, as the barracks closed permanently in March 2013, although the contents have been saved.^[13] It expected that the new Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum will return to its building at the Barracks, and re-open in early summer 2016.^{[14][needs update]}

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons