98 Squadron RFC was formed on 30 August 1917 at RFCS Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, but soon moved to Old Sarum, Wiltshire.

[3] During the first nine months of World War II it served as a reserve squadron and from April–June 1940 was based at Nantes, France,[2] though it flew no combat missions.

Evacuated back to England during the Battle of France, the Squadron lost 90 of its personnel when the ship RMS Lancastria was bombed and sunk off Saint-Nazaire on 17 June 1940.

[3][5] In August 1999, melting ice on a remote glacier on Iceland revealed the wreck of Battle P2330 and its crew, the aircraft having disappeared whilst on a ferry flight from Kaldrarnes on 26 May 1941.

The remains of the four airmen on board, two crew and two passengers, were recovered and buried at the Fossvogur War Cemetery in Reykjavik on 27 August 2000.

[3][8] Relocating to Foulsham in mid-October, the Squadron continued training on the Mitchell, being declared operational on 8 December 1942, at first flying Air Sea Rescue (ASR) missions.

[8] In August 1943 the Squadron moved to Dunsfold to take part in pre-invasion attacks on Northern France and on V1 flying bomb launching sites in the Pas-de-Calais.

In April 1955 the Squadron received the Hawker Hunter and became a day fighter unit until disbanding on 15 July 1957.

The squadron was equipped with three Thor Intermediate range ballistic missiles and based at RAF Driffield.