No. 208 Squadron RAF

No. 208 Squadron RAF
Armstrong Whitworth Atlas aeroplanes of 208 Squadron RAF in Egypt, circa 1932.
Active	Royal Naval Air Service 26 October 1916 – 1 April 1918 Royal Air Force 1 April 1918 – 7 November 1919 1 February 1920 - 30 March 1959 1 April 1959 - 10 September 1971 1 March 1974 - 31 March 1994 1 April 1994 -13 April 2016
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Advanced flying training Instructor training Conversion training
Base	RAF Valley
Nickname(s)	The Flying Shuftis
Motto(s)	Vigilant [1]
Aircraft	BAE Systems Hawk
Battle honours	Western Front 1915-1918* Arras* Ypres 1917* Lys Somme 1918* Egypt and Libya 1940-1942* Greece 1941* Iraq 1941 Syria 1941 El Alamein* Italy 1944-1945* Gustav Line Gothic Line Gulf 1991* Honours marked with an asterisk* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Commanders
Notable commanders	Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A sphinx affrontée proper [1] [2] The Gizah Sphinx commemorated the Squadron's long association with Egypt during the inter-war years. An unofficial 'winged eye' badge had been in use from July 1930 until 1937. [3]
Squadron roundel
Squadron Codes	GA (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) [4] [5] RG (Mar 1944 - 1949) [6] [7] S (Carried on Buccaneers) [8] D (1994 - present) [9]

No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft compared to the new-build Hawk T.2 aircraft of its sister unit, 4(R) Sqn, the squadron was disbanded in April 2016, in its 100th year of operations.

History

World War I

The squadron was established as part of the Royal Naval Air Service on 25 October 1916 ^{[10] [11]} at Dunkirk as No. 8 (Naval) Squadron. In its early days, the unit flew Sopwith Pups, 1½ Strutters and Nieuport Scouts. Later in World War I it re-equipped with Sopwith Camels and was assigned to artillery spotting. The squadron returned to the UK briefly before being sent back to France to face the German offensive. While in France a significant number of Camels belonging to the squadron were destroyed by the RAF to prevent the Germans capturing them during their advance. When the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918, the unit was renumbered to No. 208 Squadron RAF. After the war ended, 208 Squadron remained with the occupying forces until August 1919, when it again returned to the UK for disbandment on 7 November 1919 at Netheravon. ^[12] For some time the squadron was based at the aerodrome at the Beaupré-sur-la-Lys Abbey in La Gorgue in northern France. ^[13]

During the war, the squadron claimed 298 victories. Twenty-five aces had served in the squadron. Notable among them were Anthony Arnold, Charles Dawson Booker, Robert J. O. Compston, Harold Day, Stanley Goble, Edward Grahame Johnstone, William Lancelot Jordan, Robert A. Little, William E. G. Mann, Richard Munday, Guy William Price, George Simpson, Reginald Soar, Ronald Thornley, and James White. ^[14]

Interbellum

The squadron re-formed at RAF Ismailia in Egypt on 1 February 1920 by the renumbering of No. 113 Squadron RAF. ^[15] It was at first equipped with RE8s and from November 1920 till May 1930 with Bristol Fighters. In September 1922 the squadron was sent to Turkey for a year during the Chanak crisis, being stationed at San Stefano, a part of the Bakırköy district of Istanbul. ^[15] After the conflict, 208 Squadron went back to Egypt and in 1930 received Armstrong Whitworth Atlas aircraft to replace the old Bristol fighters. The Atlases in their turn were replaced five years later by Audaxes and for one flight by Demons. Just before the outbreak of World War II, in January 1939, these gave way for the Westland Lysander. ^[16]

World War II

No. 208 Squadron was still stationed in Egypt at the outbreak of World War II. It joined the war effort in mid-1940, flying Westland Lysander reconnaissance aircraft and Hawker Hurricane fighters on army co-operation duties in the North African Campaign ^[17] and the Greek Campaign of 1941. During the war it included a significant number of Royal Australian Air Force and South African Air Force personnel, along with other nationalities. Amongst the members of the squadron at this time was Robert Leith-Macgregor, shot down on more than one occasion, once ending up taxiing through a minefield, but managing not to trigger any mines. ^[18]

The unit was later stationed in Palestine, before returning to North Africa. It briefly converted to Curtiss Tomahawks, but received Supermarine Spitfires in late 1943 and flew them for the remainder of the war. From 1944, it took part in the Italian Campaign. ^[19]

After World War II

Shortly after the war, 208 Squadron moved back to Palestine where it was involved in operations against the Egyptian Air Force. In 1948, the squadron moved to the Egyptian Canal Zone. It saw action in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, losing four Spitfires in combat with Israeli Air Force aircraft (which also included Spitfires). ^[20]

The last officially recorded "Air to Air fighter pilot kill" (bullets only, without guidance systems) occurred on 22 May 1948. At 09:30 two Egyptian Spitfire LF.9s staged a third attack on Ramat David. This time Fg Off Tim McElhaw and Fg Off Hully of 208 Squadron had taken over the standing patrol. Fg Off McElhaw, flying Spitfire FR.18 TZ228, intercepted and shot down both LF.9s. ^[21]

In 1951, the squadron relocated to RAF Fayid where its Spitfires were replaced with Gloster Meteor jets. From there it moved to RAF Abu Sueir, relocating to RAF Takali, Malta, in August 1956, with interim spells earlier in the year at RAF Hal Far, Malta, and RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. It disbanded at Takhali in January 1958, but re-formed the same month in the UK at RAF Tangmere from a nucleus of No. 34 Squadron RAF. ^[22] In March 1958, re-equipped with Hunter FMk 6's, it returned to the Middle East, based at RAF Nicosia, with detachments to RAF Akrotiri and Aman, Jordan. The squadron disbanded at RAF Nicosia on 31 March 1959. ^[23]

The next day, 1 April 1959, it re-formed at RAF Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya, by the re-numbering of No. 142 Squadron RAF under Squadron Leader R. Ramirez. ^[24] It operated from Eastleigh from April 1959 to March 1960, being redeployed home to RAF Stradishall from March to June 1960, but returning to Eastleigh in June, sending detachments to Kuwait and Bahrain during the period. It was moved to RAF Khormaksar in Aden in November 1961, under Air Forces Arabian Peninsula, which became Air Forces Middle East the same year. ^[25] In June 1964 it moved to Muharraq in Bahrain. The squadron remained in the Middle East until September 1971 when it was disbanded as a consequence of British drawdown of armed forces from East of Suez. ^[26]

Flying Buccaneers

A 208 Sqn. RAF Buccaneer S.2B in 1981. Wrap-around camouflage was applied, as it would often be observed manoeuvring at low level

RAF Buccaneer S.2 with wings folded

Buccaneer airbrake detail

208 Squadron re-formed at RAF Honington in 1974 with Blackburn Buccaneer S2s, assigned to SACEUR in a low-level strike role. The squadron's twelve Buccaneers were declared operational to SACEUR from 1975 armed with 24 WE.177 nuclear weapons. ^[27] The squadron was tasked with supporting land forces resisting an advance by the Warsaw Pact into western Europe, by striking at enemy forces, logistics and infrastructure beyond the forward edge of the battlefield, initially with conventional munitions, and with nuclear weapons in the event of escalation. ^[28] The allocation of the British-owned WE.177 weapon freed the squadron from the time-consuming burden, at a critical time, of using US-owned nuclear weapons held in US custody at a central location. The squadron continued in this role, based at RAF Honington, until late 1983, ^[29] when it moved base to RAF Lossiemouth and was reassigned to SACLANT for maritime strike duties. At Lossiemouth it flew alongside No. 12 Squadron RAF with the same role. The squadron's allocation of WE.177 nuclear weapons was reduced to twelve, one per aircraft, ^[30] although the Buccaneer was able to carry two in its internal bomb bay. ^[31] The squadron continued in this role until late 1993 ^[32] when it relinquished its nuclear weapons. The unit was one of the last squadrons to operate the Buccaneer before it went out of service in 1994, and after the type's retirement the squadron again disbanded on 31 March 1994. ^[12]

Between 1 October 1991 and November 1992, the Buccaneer Training Flight was formed as part of 208 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth and operated the S.2B variant and some Hawker Hunter T.7's. ^[33]

Transition to Hawk

BAe Hawk of No. 208 Squadron

BAe Hawk of No. 208 Squadron in flight

208 Squadron re-formed again on 1 April 1994 from 234 (Reserve) Squadron, attached to No. 4 Flying Training School RAF. It moved to RAF Valley operating the BAe Hawk. The School was made up of two squadrons: 208 Squadron with the Hawk T Mk1 and No. 4(R) Squadron with the Hawk T Mk2. Both squadrons provided Advanced Jet Flying Training and Tactical Weapons Training to prepare pilots for the front line on either the Tornado or Typhoon. 208(R) Squadron's Hawk tasks included:

Advanced flying and tactical weapons training

• To train RAF, RN and some foreign ab-initio pilots to Operation Conversion Unit (OCU) entry standard.
• To re-train RAF and RN multi-engine and rotary pilots to OCU entry standard.
• To refresh Shorts Tucano QFIs to OCU entry standard.

Instructor training

• To train Hawk QFIs to B2 standard in accordance with the current Central Flying School (CFS) syllabuses.
• To upgrade Hawk QFIs to B1, A2 and A1 standard in accordance with 208(R) Squadron staff training requirements and CFS syllabuses.
• To train Hawk IREs in accordance with the current CFS syllabuses.

  

  A Hawk painted to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Squadron in 2006

Conversion training

• To provide a common conversion course for all qualified pilots re-roling to the Hawk.
• To provide United Kingdom Orientation training for Foreign and Commonwealth pilots destined for fast-jet appointments.
• To provide conversion training for pilots destined for the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team.

Incidents and accidents

On 20 April 2007, a BAE Hawk from the squadron crashed near RAF Mona. The pilot was taken to hospital and discharged soon after. The accident was caused by a solo student stalling the aircraft on an overshoot. ^[34]

Centenary and disbandment

XX188 and XX256 Centenary Photoshoot

208(R) Sqn Hawks XX188 and XX256 on their last flight, 13 April 2016

Despite conducting parallel training alongside the advanced Hawk TMk2 aircraft of 4(R) Squadron for several years, once 4(R) Squadron reached full output capacity, in January 2016 the Royal Air Force took a decision to disband 208(R) Squadron.

The Squadron celebrated its centenary on 1 April 2016 ^[35] with the final student course graduation, a families' day and a formal dinner. Shortly afterwards the Squadron disbanded, making its last flight on 13 April 2016 where three aircraft (two in centenary markings) led by OC 208(R) Squadron and the RAF Valley Station Commander overflew several landmarks linked with the Hawk TMk1. ^[36] When it was handed back, it was estimated that over 1000 student pilots had been trained in the 208(R) Squadron building during its 22-year tenure at RAF Valley. The Squadron Standard was lodged in the RAF church, St Clement Danes, at a ceremony on 22 May 2016, attended by squadron personnel, members of the 208 Squadron Association, Air Officer Commanding 22(Trg) Group and the Director of Flying Training.

Squadron badge

The original badge adorned by the aircraft was designed by one of the aircrew and featured the Eye of Horus with wings either side. This was said to have been approved locally and by Middle-East Command, as all the 208 Squadron aircraft were emblazoned with the design. However, when the badge went up for approval by the Chester Herald as part of the heraldic badge approval process, the design was disallowed as the Eye of Horus had connotations of evil spirits so a newer design with the Sphinx in the background was approved instead. The Arabic phrase to look is pronounced shouf, which became shufti, and this lent itself to the squadron's nickname of the Flying Shuftis. ^{[37] [38] [39]}

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 8 Squadron RNAS and no. 208 Squadron RAF ^{[12] [16] [40]}

From	To	Aircraft	Variant		From	To	Aircraft	Variant
October 1916	November 1916	Sopwith 1½ Strutter			May 1942	September 1942	Curtiss Tomahawk	Mk IIb
October 1916	December 1916	Nieuport Scout			May 1942	December 1943	Hawker Hurricane	Mks. Ia, IIb, IIc
October 1916	February 1917	Sopwith Pup			December 1943	July 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk Vc
February 1917	September 1917	Sopwith Triplane			March 1944	June 1947	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk IX
September 1917	November 1918	Sopwith Camel			August 1944	October 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk VIII
November 1918	September 1919	Sopwith Snipe			August 1946	March 1957	Supermarine Spitfire	FR18
February 1920	November 1920	Royal Aircraft Factory RE8			March 1951	January 1958	Gloster Meteor	FR9
November 1920	May 1930	Bristol F2 Fighter	F2b		January 1958	February 1958	Hawker Hunter	F5
May 1930	August 1935	Armstrong Whitworth Atlas			January 1958	March 1959	Hawker Hunter	F6
August 1935	January 1939	Hawker Audax			April 1959	March 1960	de Havilland Venom	FB4
September 1935	March 1936	Hawker Demon			March 1960	September 1971	Hawker Hunter	FGA9
January 1939	May 1942	Westland Lysander	Mrs I, II		October 1974	March 1994	Blackburn Buccaneer	S2A, S2B
November 1940	September 1942	Hawker Hurricane	Mk I		April 1994	April 2016	BAe Hawk	TMk1, TMk1A
May 1941	June 1941	Hawker Audax

Commanding Officers

Name	Commenced		Name	Commenced
Squadron Commander G R Bromet, DSO	25 October 1916		Squadron Leader R Ramirez	1 April 1959
Squadron Commander C Draper, DSC	28 October 1917		Squadron Leader M Goodfellow	1 April 1961
Major H G Smart	14 January 1919		Squadron Leader G N Lewis, AFC	7 March 1963
Squadron leader W J Guilfoyle, OBE, MC	1 February 1920		Squadron Leader D J Rhodes, AFM	1 April 1965
Squadron Leader A ap Ellis	17 February 1922		Squadron Leader A J Chaplin	8 January 1966
Wing Commander A C Winter	14 November 1923		Squadron Leader C Taylor AFC	1 June 1968
Squadron Leader H M Probyn	8 March 1924		Squadron Leader G E Ord	25 May 1970
Squadron Leader A S C MacLaren, OBE, NC, DFC, AFC	12 December 1925		Squadron Leader I C H Dick, AFC	25 May 1971
Squadron Leader V S E Lindop	14 March 1927		Wing Commander P F Rogers	1 July 1974
Squadron Leader M Moore, OBE	14 April 1930		Wing Commander P G Pinney MVO	27 November 1976
Squadron Leader J Whitworth-Jones	29 April 1933		Wing Commander G R Pitchfork, MBE, BA, FRAeS	15 June 1979
Squadron Leader A H Flower	1 November 1934		Wing Commander B C Laite	4 December 1981
Squadron Leader W A D Brook	2 February 1936		Wing Commander J A F Ford	6 July 1984
Squadron Leader G N J Stanley-Turner	2 December 1938		Wing Commander B S Mahaffey, BA	6 March 1987
Squadron Leader R A Sprague	10 April 1940		Wing Commander A W Cope, MBE, AFC	9 September 1989
Squadron Leader J R Wilson	16 December 1940		Wing Commander N M Huckins, MBE, BSc	27 March 1992
Squadron Leader L G Burnand, DFC	6 October 1941		Squadron Leader G Brough	4 April 1994
Wing Commander J K Rogers	23 June 1942		Squadron Leader M P Christy	25 September 1996
Wing Commander M A Johnson, DFC	12 September 1942		Squadron Leader P K Comer	27 March 1998
Wing Commander E P H Wheller	21 September 1943		Squadron Leader S C Stocker BSc	11 September 2000
Lieutenant Colonel J P D Blaauw, DFC	23 January 1944		Wing Commander N Meadows, MA, BSc, MRAeS	5 March 2001
Wing Commander J B A Fleming, OBE	10 March 1945		Wing Commander N Clifford MA LLB	9 September 2003
Squadron Leader J F Norton, DFC	22 October 1945		Wing Commander G S Kelly BSc	20 March 2005
Squadron Leader R T Llewellyn, DFM	28 February 1946		Squadron Leader M A Simmonds BEng	10 April 2008
Squadron Leader F J Roder	26 June 1946		Wing Commander J H Hunter MA BSc	19 June 2008
Squadron Leader C F Ambrose, DFC	15 May 1947		Squadron Leader A V Dow	19 July 2010
Squadron Leader J M Morgan, DFC	8 July 1948		Wing Commander E P Moriarty	6 October 2010
Squadron Leader F V Morello	4 November 1950		Squadron Leader P K Harrison	15 October 2012
Squadron Leader T F Neil	24 May 1953		Wing Commander N J Gatenby BSc	3 December 2012
Squadron Leader J N Thorne	10 November 1955		Wing Commander C R Kidd BEng	1 May 2015
Squadron Leader J H Granville-White	21 March 1958		Disbanded	22 May 2016

References

Notes

1. Halley 1988, p. 270.
2. "208 Sqn". RAF. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
3. "2007 Hawk Display Fact Sheet". RAF. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
5. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 50.
6. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 89.
7. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 104.
8. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 198.
9. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 199.
10. Marr 1966, pp. 1, 105, 109.
11. Johnstone 1972, pp. 10, 183, 189.
12. Jefford 2001, p. 72.
13. "Beaupré-sur-la-Lys (Abbey)". European Charter of the Cistercian Abbeys and Sites. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
14. Shores, Franks & Guest 1990 , pp. 41–42
15. Marr 1966, p. 13.
16. Marr 1966, p. 111.
17. Playfair Vol. I , p. 113
18. "Obituaries: Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Leith-Macgregor, Pilot who won an MC and was pulled from his burning cockpit by German troops after one of several crashes". www.telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
19. Pitchfork 2016, pp. 141–159.
20. Pitchfork 2016, p. 169.
21. Marr 1966, p. 79.
22. Marr 1966, p. 89.
23. Pitchfork 2016, p. 184.
24. Rawlings 1978, p. 323.
25. Rawlings 1984, p. 261.
26. Pitchfork 2016, p. 204.
27. Burnell, Brian. "RAF nuclear front line Order-of-Battle 1975". nuclear-weapons.info. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
28. Burnell, Brian (7 November 2010). "WE.177" . Retrieved 31 March 2011.
29. Burnell, Brian. "RAF nuclear front line Order-of-Battle 1983". nuclear-weapons.info. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
30. Burnell, Brian. "RAF nuclear front line Order-of-Battle 1984". nuclear-weapons.info. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
31. Rotating bomb door animation with WE.177 ^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
32. Burnell, Brian. "RAF nuclear front line Order-of-Battle 1993". nuclear-weapons.info. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
33. Lake 1999, p. 41.
34. "RAF jet crash at island airfield". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
35. "208(R) Squadron celebrates its 100th at RAF Valley". Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
36. "RAF Valley Hawks jet to make last ever flight today". Daily Post. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
37. Pitchfork 2016, pp. 79–80.
38. Ashworth, Chris (1989). Encyclopaedia of modern Royal Air Force Squadrons. Wellingborough: Stephens. p. 194. ISBN   1852600136.
39. "208 Sqn | RAF Heraldry Trust". rafht.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
40. Halley 1988, p. 271.

Bibliography

• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN   0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1998 (second edition 2001). ISBN   1-84037-141-2.
• Johnstone, E.G., DSC (Editor). Naval Eight: A history of No.8 Squadron R.N.A.S. - afterwards No. 208 Squadron R.A.F - from its formation in 1916 until the Armistice in 1918. Naval and Military Press, 2006 (Reprint of the 1931, The Signal Press (London) Original Edition). ISBN   1-84342-986-1.
• Johnstone, E.G. Naval Eight. The signal Press Ltd., 1931 (2nd edition Arms and Armour Press, 1972). ISBN   978-0-85368-469-5.
• Marr, D.S.B., BSc. A History of 208 Squadron. Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK: RAF/Eden Fisher (Southend) Ltd., 1966.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). ISBN   0-354-01027-1.
• Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN   1-84037-086-6.
• Pitchfork, Graham (2016). Forever vigilant: Naval 8/208 Squadron RAF: a centenary of service from Camels to Hawks. London: Grub Street. ISBN   9781910690147.
• Playfair, Major-General I.S.O.; Molony, Brigadier C.J.C.; with Flynn, Captain F.C. (R.N.) & Gleave, Group Captain T.P. (2009) [1st. pub. HMSO:1954]. Butler, Sir James (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume I: The Early Successes Against Italy, to May 1941. History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Uckfield, UK: Naval & Military Press. ISBN   978-1-84574-065-8.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, republished 1978). ISBN   0-354-01028-X.
• Rawlings, John D.R. The History of the Royal Air Force. Feltham, Middlesex, UK: Temple Press/Aerospace, 1984. ISBN   0-600-34990-X.
• Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London: Grub Street. ISBN   0-948817-19-4.
• Styles, Dr. David G. 75 Years on - "The Flying Shuftis": Number 208 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Deerfield, Illinois: Dalton Watson, 1991. ISBN   1-85443-101-3.
• Styles, Dr. David G. All the eights: Eight decades of Naval Eight/208. Loughborough, White Owl Press, 1996. ISBN   1-85443-131-5.

External links

• 208 Sqn on RAF website
• Air of Authority Squadron history
• Squadron website