No. 1409 Flight RAF

{{Short description|Former Royal Air Force meteorological reconnaissance flight}}

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name= No. 1409 Flight RAF

| image= MosquitoPRmarkIX.jpg

| image_size = 350

|caption=Mosquito PR Mark IX ML897 of 1409 Flight in 1944.

|dates= 1 April 1943 – 13 May 1946

|country= {{Flag icon|UK}} United Kingdom

|allegiance=

|branch= 23px Royal Air Force

|type=

|role= meteorological

|size=

|command_structure= No. 8 Group RAF, Bomber Command
No. 47 Group RAF, Transport Command

|notable_commanders=

|equipment= de Havilland Mosquito 1943–1946
Consolidated Liberator 1945–1946

|identification_symbol=

|identification_symbol_label=

|identification_symbol_2= AE{{cite journal|last=Sturtivant|first=R. C.|title=Below Squadron Status|journal=Flight|date=15 February 1957|volume=71|issue=2508|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%200216.html|page=218|accessdate=24 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821182943/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%200216.html |archive-date=21 August 2016 |url-status=dead}}

|identification_symbol_2_label= Squadron Codes

}}

1409 (Meteorological) Flight was formed on 1 April 1943 to provide meteorological information for RAF Bomber Command and the USAAF. Equipped with unarmed de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, the crews of the Flight undertook long range meteorological reconnaissance flights until the end of the Second World War in Europe and continued in this role until 1946.

Formed at RAF Oakington{{Cite book|last=Ogden|first=R. J.|title=Meteorological Services leading to D-Day|series=Occasional Papers on Meteorological History No. 3|publisher=Royal Meteorological Society|url=http://www.rmets.org/sites/default/files/hist03.pdf|isbn=0-948090-17-0|accessdate=24 July 2010|page=11|date=July 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827091654/https://www.rmets.org/sites/default/files/hist03.pdf|archive-date=27 August 2016|url-status=dead}} as part of the disbandment of 521 Squadron,{{Cite web|last=McNeill|first=Ross|title=No.521 Squadron RAF|url=http://www.rafcommands.com/Coastal/521C.html|work=RAF Commands|accessdate=24 July 2010|date=August 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211175553/http://www.rafcommands.com/Coastal/521C.html|archive-date=11 December 2010|url-status=dead}} the Flight was part of No. 8 Group RAF, the Pathfinders. Flying singly the missions were codenamed PAMPA (Photo-recce And Meteorological Photography Aircraft).

In January 1944 the Flight moved to RAF Wyton{{Cite web|title=PFF Squadrons and Bases|url=http://www.ww2-pathfinders.co.uk/Squadron%20List.html|work=Bennett & The Pathfinders|accessdate=24 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172638/http://www.ww2-pathfinders.co.uk/Squadron%20List.html|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}} where it remained until July 1945 when it moved to RAF Upwood.{{Cite web|last=Edwards|first=Sean|title=Squadrons at RAF Upwood|url=http://www.rafupwood.co.uk/sau.html|work=Raf Upwood|accessdate=24 July 2010|date=22 August 2006}} In October 1945 the Flight was transferred to No. 47 Group RAF and partially re-equipped with Consolidated Liberator aircraft in addition to its Mosquitos at RAF Lyneham. The Flight was disbanded at Lyneham in May 1946.

During the war the Flight flew 1,364 operations for a loss of only 3 aircraft.{{Cite web|title=Bomber Command, Campaign Diary April 1943 |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/apr43.html |work=Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=24 July 2010 |date=6 April 2005 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607040716/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/apr43.html |archivedate=7 June 2007 }}