1416 Flight was formed at RAF Hendon in London, equipped with six Supermarine Spitfire I PR Type G fighter-reconnaissance aircraft.

The flight worked up and trained its crews during the spring and summer of 1941, supplementing its Spitfires with twin-engine Bristol Blenheims for longer-range operations from July.

1 PRU and on 14 September it flew its first operational sortie when a single Spitfire photographed the town of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue on the Cotentin Peninsula and nearby beaches.

[2][4] The squadron flew photo reconnaissance sorties over northern France, using the Spitfire during the day for both high- and low-level operations.

[2] To support the forthcoming invasion of France the squadron was involved in detailed photography of coastal installations as well as photographing other targets and general mapping.