85 Squadron RAF
No. 85 Squadron was formed at Upavon on 1 August 1917 deploying to France in May 1918 equipped with SE5As. It flew fighter patrols and ground attack sorties over the Western Front until the Armistice. Returning to the UK in February 1919 and disbanding on 3rd July 1919. On the 1st June 1938 a flight of 87 Squadron was renumbered at Debden trading its Gladiators for Hurricanes. In September 1938 it moved to France as part of the Air Component of the BEF. The German invasion of May 1940 gave it the opportunity to give fighter cover to the Allied armies until its bases were overrun with just four aircraft returning to the UK
It re-equipped and resumed operations in June and took part in the first half of the Battle of Britain over southern England before moving to Yorkshire in September and converting to night fighter operations in October. In November it returned south to fly night patrols but the Hurricanes lack of radar gave little chance of success. In January 1941 it received its first Defiants but these were soon replaced by Havocs, although the last Hurricanes were not retired until July. Its first Mosquitoes arrived in August 1942 and in March 1943 the Squadron began flying intruder missions over France.
It became part of 100 Group on 1 May 1944 and flew bomber support missions, intruding over German night-fighter airfields and intercepting enemy fighters while accompanying the main bomber force. The squadron remained operational at the end of the war and in September 1951 converted to Meteor night-fighters which it flew until the squadron disbanded on 31 October 1958.
On 30 November 1958, 89 Squadron at Stradishall, was renumbered 85 and flew Javelins until its disbandment on 31 March 1963. The next day the Target Facilities Squadron at West Raynham was renumbered 85 Squadron moving to Binbrook later that month to provide aircraft for fighter interception training. It disbanded again on the 19th December 1975, reforming the same day as a Bloodhound missile unit at West Raynham where it remained until 31st July 1991.