No. 90 Squadron

Badge: A hind salient.
The Hind "representative of vigilance and great speed"
commemorates the fact that, at one time, the squadron was equipped with Hind aircraft.
Motto: "Celer" ("Swift").
Authority: King George VI, July, 1938.
Based at Upwood from: (September 1939 - April 1940)
Type of Aircraft:
Bristol Blenheim (May, 1937 - April 1940)

 

No. 90 squadron was formed at Shawbury in Shropshire on the 8th December 1917. The squadron was equipped with the Sopwith Dolphin, a single-seated fighter for the use in France, but it was never sent over seas, and on the 3rd of August, 1918, it dispanded. Eleven days later it was re-formed as a Home Defence unit. It was equipped with Sopwith Camels and Avro 504s and remained in existence until june 1919, when it became a casualty of post-war disarmament.
The squadron was re-formed as a bomber unit in March 1937, and equipped with Hawker Hinds. It was given the Bristol Blenheim Mk1 during the summer of 1937 and was selected to conduct Service development trails of these aircraft and also staged many flying demonstrations. In the spring of 1939 the "short-nosed" Blenheim 1s were replaced with the long nosed MkIV
Just after the outbreak of the war No. 90 squadron ceased to be a front line unit and became a training squadron. In April 1940 it was absorbed into No. 17 Operational Training Unit.

 

90 Squadron Blenheim Mk IVs at Upwood 1939

Thanks go to Ken Delve for the use of this picture

 

Sean Edwards