Did RAF Pilots Ever Return Their Old Squadron?

[percydanvers]

American and British pilots had a tour system that would take them off combat flying after a certain number of missions. Very often it seems like American fliers would be posted back to their former unit when they resumed combat flying, but my impression is that this almost never happened in the RAF. Every account I’ve read seems to have pilots being sent back to the front as part of totally different squadrons. Is this impression accurate? Is there a reason for this policy or was this just how things normally worked out?

[busdriver]

I agree with your assessment (in the grand scheme of RAF personnel policies). I can only relate what I've read the Mosquito squadron ORBs. Typically the cases of pilots/navigators returning to their squadron seemed to be after they spent time in hospital prior to becoming "tour expired." Once they were posted off for instructor duty (or otherwise "rested"), they didn't return to their previous squadron. There are frequent mentions of former squadron members attending parties or dropping in for lunch in the Mess.

[357th_KW]

As far as I know, cases of American pilots returning to their units were the result of “tour extensions”.  These started coming up a lot in mid-1944, and in order to avoid a mass turnover, pilots were offered a short extension, or a couple months leave in the US followed by a slightly longer extension.  There were a number of cases of pilots who started their career early in the war in the Pacific, and either completed their tour or were wounded and sent back to the US, and then ended up in different units in Europe.

[percydanvers]

Belated thanks for the answers! I wonder if there was a particular reason for this policy or if it was just too much of a hassle to send people back to the same units they left.