No. 110 Squadron

Motto: "Nec timeo nec sperno" ("I neither fear nor despise").
Badge: Issuant from an astral crown, a demi-tiger. The demi-tiger as the crest of the Nizam of Hyderabad who presented the squadron with its original service aircraft in 1918.
Authority: King George VI, August 1940.

No. 110 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Rendcombe, Gloucestershire, on 1st November 1917, crossed to France in late August/early September 1918, for duty with the Independent Force, and during the remainder of World War I was employed on long-distance day bombing with DH9A aircraft - the first squadron to employ this aircraft. Its original complement of DH9As were the gift of His Serene Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad. Each aircraft bore an inscription to that effect, and the unit became known as the Hyderabad Squadron.¹

Disbanded in 1919, No. 110 re-formed in 1937 - again as a bomber unit - and on 4th September 1939, led the RAF's first bombing raid of World War 2 when five of its Blenheims flew from the civil airport at Ipswich (to which No. 110 had been detached from its base at Wattisham on 2nd September) to attack German warships near Wilhelmshaven.² The squadron moved to India early in 1942.

1. On the outbreak of WW2 the Nizam contributed towards the cost of three squadrons, so No. 110 once more bore the name "Hyderabad".
2. The No. 110 Sqdn formation, which was followed by a similar-sized formation from No. 107 Sqdn, was led by Flight Lieutenant KC Doran flying in Blenheim IV N6204. One of Doran's formation failed to return. For his part in the operation Doran gained one of the first two awards made to any member of the British Services in WW2 (See also history of No. 139 Sqdn).

Bomber Command WWII Bases:

• Wattisham : May 1939-Mar 1942
  • Detached to Lossiemouth in Apr/May 1940.
  • Detached to Horsham St. Faith in Feb 1941 and Manston in May/Jun 1941.
  • Detachment in Malta in JuI/Aug 1941.
  • Detached to Lindholme in Sep 1941.
  • Detachment at Lossiemouth in Dec 1941.

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Bristol Blenheim I and IV : Jan 1938-Mar 1942

Code Letters:

• During the 1938 Munich crisis No. 110 was allotted the code letters "AY". In WW2 the squadron's Blenheims were coded "YE".

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 4th September 1939 : 5 Blenheims despatched at 1545 hrs to attack German warships reportedly in Schillig Roads near Wilhelmshaven. One failed to locate any targets, 3 bombed the Scheer, and the fifth a/c attacked another but subsequently failed to return.

 

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