1. April 1918

No. 137 Sqn formed at RAF Shawbury

4. July 1918

No. 137 Sqn disbanded at RAF Shawbury

20. September 1941

No. 137 Sqn reformed at RAF Sharmy Down

25. August 1945

Disbanded at RAF Warmwell by renumbering No. 174 Sgn.

RAF Shawbury, Shropshire

1 Apr. 1918

4. Jul. 1918

RAF Charmy Down, Somerset

20. Sep. 1941

8. Nov. 1941

RAF Coltishall, Norfolk

8. Nov. 1941

1. Dec. 1941

RAF Matlaske, Norfolk

1. Dec. 1941

24. Aug. 1942

RAF Snailwell, Cambridgeshire

24. Aug. 1942

17. Sep. 1942

RAF Manston, Kent

17. Sep. 1942

12. Jun. 1943

RAF Rochford, Essex

12. Jun. 1943

8. Aug. 1943

RAF Manston, Kent

8. Aug. 1943

14. Dec. 1943

RAF Lympne, Kent

14. Dec. 1943

2. Jan. 1944

RAF Colerne, Wiltshire

2. Jan. 1944

4. Feb. 1944

RAF Lympne , Kent

4. Feb. 1944

1. Apr. 1944

RAF Manston, Kent

1. Apr. 1944

13. Aug.1944

Coulombs, France (B.6)

13. Aug.1944

29. Aug. 1944

Créton, France (B.30)

29. Aug. 1944

3. Sep.1944

Amiens/Glisy, France (B.48)

3. Sep.1944

6. Sep. 1944

Melsbroek, Belgium (B.58)

6. Sep. 1944

22. Sep. 1944

Eindhoven-Welschap, Netherlands (B.78)

22. Sep. 1944

13. Jan. 1945

Helmond, Netherlands (B.86)

13. Jan. 1945

11. Apr. 1945

Twente, Netherlands (B.106)

11. Apr. 1945

13. Apr. 1945

Hopsten, Germany (B.112)

13. Apr. 1945

17. Apr. 1945

Langenhagen, Germany (B.120)

17. Apr. 1945

30. Apr. 1945

Lüneburg, Germany (B.156)

30. Apr. 1945

7. May 1945

RAF Celle, Germany (B.118)

7. May 1945

9. May 1945

Kastrup, Germany (B.160)

9. May 1945

21. Jun. 1945

Husum, Germany (B.172)

21. Jun. 1945

11. Jul. 1945

Lübeck, Germany (B.158)

11. Jul. 1945

20. Aug. 1945

RAF Warmwell, Dorchester

20. Aug. 1945

25. Aug. 1945

Sqn/Ldr J. Sample, DFC

20. Sep. 1941

Nov. 1941

Sqn/Ldr H.St.J. Coghlan

Nov. 1941

May 1943

Sqn/Ldr J.B. Wray, DFC

May 1943

Dec. 1943

Sqn/Ldr J.R. Dennehey, DFC

Dec. 1943

Apr. 1944

Sqn/Ldr G. Piltingsrud, DFC

Apr. 1944

Sep. 1944

Sqn/Ldr E. T. Brough, DFC

Sep. 1944

Dec. 1944

Sqn/Ldr R.G.V. Barraclough

Dec. 1944

Mar. 1945

Sqn/Ldr D. Murray, DFC

Mar. 1945

25. Aug 1945

No. 137 Squadron RAF existed briefly as a unit working up to be a day bomber unit on Airco DH.9s during World War I, but it never became operational. It was formed at Shawbury on 1 April 1918 and was disbanded there on 4. July 1918, together with 12 other such units. Plans to reinstate the squadron in September as laid out in Air Organisation Memorandum 939 of 13. July 1918 came to nought as Air Organisation Memorandum 999 of 17 August 1918 cancelled these.
 

The squadron was reformed at RAF Charmy Down on 20. September 1941 and equipped with the then brand new two-engined Westland Whirlwind four-cannon fighter. The squadron became operational with them on 20. October 1941 and flew its first mission four days afterwards. Unfortunately the new CO, Sqn/Ldr Sample, was killed four days after this in a mid-air collision with a new pilot. Two days later another pilot crashed into the sea. After this bad start, No. 137 became non-operational for a period before resuming with coastal missions on 11 November. On one such mission on 12. February 1942, to escort some destroyers, they met by accident the fighter screen around the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, losing four pilots in the event.
 

In June 1943 the by now worn-out Whirlwinds were replaced with Hurricane Mk.IV fighter-bombers and in July the squadron flew operationally with them again until February 1944 when the Hurricane was exchanged for the more modern and higher performance Hawker Typhoon. 137 flew this new fighter-bomber operationally from 8. February 1944 until 25. August 1945, when it was disbanded at RAF Warmwell by being renumbered to 174 Squadron.