97 Squadron formed in December 1917 and saw action in the last year of the war as a heavy bomber squadron. It was disbanded in 1920. It reformed in 1935 flying the Handley Page Heyford, but was again disbanded in April 1940. At the start of 1941 the reformed squadron started to received Manchesters, which were replaced with Lancasters which it flew for the rest of the war. Post war it operated Lincolns before becoming a Strategic Missile squadron equipped with the Thor intermediate range ballistic nuclear missile. It disbanded in 1967.