No. 210 Squadron RAF | |
---|---|
Active | 12 February 1917(RNAS)– 24 June 1919 1 February 1920 – 1 April 1923 1 March 1931 – 31 December 1943 1 January 1944 – 4 June 1945 1 June 1946 – 31 January 1957 1 December 1958 – 31 October 1970 1 November 1970 – 17 November 1971 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Role | Maritime patrol |
Motto(s) | Welsh: Yn y nwyfre yn hedfan ("Hovering in the Heavens") [1] |
Battle honours | Western Front, 1916–18 Ypres 1917 Lys Atlantic 1939–45 Arctic 1945 Bismarck North Africa, 1942–43 Biscay 1943 All these honours are emblazoned on the squadron standard |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Wg Cdr R. Leckie Wg Cdr A.T. Harris |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge heraldry | A griffin segreant [1] |
Squadron Codes | VG (May 1939 – Sep 1939) [2] [3] DA (Sep 1939 – Mar 1944) [4] [5] OZ (Apr 1946 – 1951) [6] [7] L (1951–1956) [8] [9] |
No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in the First World War. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during the First World War and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War and the Cold War before it was last deactivated in 1971.
No. 210 Squadron was formed from No. 10 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), when the Royal Air Force was established on 1 April 1918. No. 10 (Naval) Squadron had been raised on 12 February 1917, flying Nieuports and later Sopwith Triplanes, which were in turn replaced by Sopwith Camels in late 1917. One of its pilots was Raymond Collishaw, the RNAS's highest-scoring ace and later an Air Vice-Marshal. The unit remained in Europe after the war, until February 1919. It then returned to the UK and was disbanded on 24 June 1919. [1]
The squadron was reformed on 1 February 1920 from No. 186 Squadron, equipped with the Sopwith Cuckoo torpedo bomber. It was again disbanded on 1 April 1923. [1]
The squadron reformed on 1 March 1931, equipped with Supermarine Southampton flying boats. The squadron initially operated out of Felixstowe before moving three months later to Pembroke Dock in Wales, June 1931. One of its pilots at this time was Don Bennett, the future commanding officer of the Pathfinder Force. In 1935 the squadron converted to the Short Rangoon, a three-engined biplane flying boat, and was posted to Gibraltar. A year later, the squadron returned home to be re-equipped with the Short Singapore, during August 1936.
In 1937 the squadron was posted to Algeria as part of an Anglo-French force charged with countering submarine attacks on neutral shipping during the Spanish Civil War. The squadron returned home in December 1937. In June 1938 the squadron converted to the Short Sunderland.
When World War II began, detachments from No. 210 Squadron were sent to Invergordon and Sullom Voe. On April 9 1940 the first RAF aircraft, a Sunderland was shot down over Sylling, Norway. In July 1940 the squadron moved to RAF Oban and began to re-equip with the Consolidated Catalina. The squadron returned to Pembroke Dock in October 1942, with a detachment based at Gibraltar. In April 1943, squadron headquarters moved to RAF Hamworthy. The Gibraltar detachment was transferred to No. 202 Squadron on 31 December 1943 and the remainder of the squadron at Hamworthy disbanded.
The squadron reformed the day after at Sullom Voe, when No. 190 Squadron was renumbered on 1 January 1944. During this time, Flying Officer John Cruickshank, a pilot with the squadron, was awarded the Victoria Cross for flying his aircraft home despite extensive wounds received during an attack on a German U-boat. This was one out of a total of eight German U-boats that fell victim to the Catalinas of 210 squadron. [10] When the war ended 210 sqn flew a month postal runs to Norwegian ports but shortly thereafter officially disbanded on 4 June 1945 at Sullom Voe. The squadron's history however has a flight with the RAF Film Unit along the Norwegian coast as flown as late as on 10 June 1945. [10]
On 1 June 1946, No. 210 Squadron reformed again when one flight ('Y') of No. 179 Squadron was renumbered. Eventually the other flight of no. 179 sqn ('X') was absorbed later in September 1946. [11] It operated Lancaster GR.3s from RAF St Eval until September 1952, then moved to RAF Topcliffe, re-equipping with Neptune MR.1 aircraft in February 1953. The squadron disbanded at Topcliffe on 31 January 1957.
The squadron reformed one more time on 1 December 1958 when No. 269 Squadron was renumbered, taking over that squadron's maritime patrol tasks from RAF Ballykelly, equipped with the Shackleton MR.2. The tasks included taking part in the UN sanctions against Rhodesia, flown by two detachments from Sharjah in the Trucial States and Majunga, Madagascar. [12] This lasted until 31 October 1970, when the Squadron disbanded. On 1 November 1970 the squadron's former detachment at Sharjah reformed as the new 210 sqn, but this did not last for long, as the squadron disbanded there for the last time at Sarjah on 17 November 1971. [13] [14]
From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
---|---|---|---|
Feb 1917 | May 1917 | Nieuport 12 | |
Feb 1917 | May 1917 | Nieuport 17 | |
Feb 1917 | Jul 1917 | Sopwith Triplane | |
August 1917 | Jun 1919 | Sopwith Camel | |
Feb 1920 | Apr 1923 | Sopwith Cuckoo | |
May 1931 | Jul 1935 | Supermarine Southampton | Mk.II |
Jan 1935 | Aug 1935 | Short Singapore | Mk.III |
Sep 1935 | Aug 1936 | Short Rangoon | Mk.I |
Oct 1935 | Nov 1935 | Saro London | Mk.II |
Oct 1935 | Nov 1935 | Supermarine Stranraer | Mk.I |
Sep 1936 | Nov 1938 | Short Singapore | Mk.III |
Jun 1938 | Apr 1941 | Short Sunderland | Mk.I |
Apr 1941 | Mar 1944 | Consolidated Catalina | Mks.I and Ib |
Aug 1942 | Dec 1943 | Consolidated Catalina | Mks.IIa and III |
Mar 1944 | Jun 1945 | Consolidated Catalina | Mk.IV |
Jun 1946 | Oct 1952 | Avro Lancaster | ASR.3 |
Feb 1953 | Jan 1957 | Lockheed Neptune | MR.1 |
Dec 1958 | Nov 1971 | Avro Shackleton | MR.2 |
From | To | Base |
---|---|---|
12 Feb 1917 | 27 Mar 1917 | Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France |
27 Mar 1917 | 15 May 1917 | Furnes, Belgium |
15 May 1917 | 4 Oct 1917 | Droglandt, France |
4 Oct 1917 | 27 Nov 1917 | Leffrinckoucke, France |
27 Nov 1917 | 31 Mar 1918 | Téteghem, France |
31 Mar 1918 | 9 Apr 1918 | Treizennes, France |
9 Apr 1918 | 27 Apr 1918 | Liettres, France |
27 Apr 1918 | 30 May 1918 | Saint-Omer, France |
30 May 1918 | 8 Jul 1918 | Sainte-Marie-Cappel, France |
8 Jul 1918 | 22 Jul 1918 | Téteghem, France |
22 Jul 1918 | 23 Oct 1918 | Eringhem, France |
23 Oct 1918 | 17 Feb 1919 | Boussières, France |
17 Feb 1919 | 24 Jun 1919 | RAF Scopwick, Lincolnshire |
1 Feb 1920 | 1 Apr 1923 | RAF Gosport, Hampshire |
1 Mar 1931 | 15 Jun 1931 | RAF Felixstowe, Suffolk |
15 Jun 1931 | 28 Sep 1935 | RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
28 Sep 1935 | 7 Aug 1936 | RAF Gibraltar |
7 Aug 1936 | 22 Sep 1937 | Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
22 Sep 1937 | 18 Dec 1937 | Arzeu, Algeria |
18 Dec 1937 | 29 Sep 1938 | Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
29 Sep 1938 | 8 Oct 1938 | Tayport, Fife, Scotland |
8 Oct 1938 | 23 Oct 1939 | Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
23 Oct 1939 | 6 Nov 1939 | RAF Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland |
6 Nov 1939 | 24 Nov 1939 | Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
24 Nov 1939 | 21 May 1940 | Invergordon (Det. at Sullom Voe, Shetland, Scotland) |
21 May 1940 | 13 Jul 1940 | Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
13 Jul 1940 | 28 Feb 1942 | RAF Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland (Dets. at Reykjavík, Iceland, Sullom Voe and Stranraer |
28 Feb 1942 | 4 Oct 1942 | RAF Sullom Voe, Shetland, Scotland (Det. at Grasnaya, Russia) |
4 Oct 1942 | 21 Apr 1943 | Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales (Det. at Gibraltar) |
21 Apr 1943 | 31 Dec 1943 | RAF Hamworthy, Dorset (Det. at Gibraltar) |
1 Jan 1944 | 4 Jun 1945 | Sullom Voe, Shetland, Scotland (Det. at Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales) |
1 Jun 1946 | 15 Apr 1952 | RAF St Eval, Cornwall (Dets. at Ein Shemer, Israel, RAF Gibraltar and RAF Luqa, Malta |
15 Apr 1952 | 26 May 1952 | RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall |
26 May 1952 | 15 Apr 1952 | RAF St Eval, Cornwall |
10 Sep 1952 | 26 Sep 1952 | RAF Ballykelly, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland |
26 Sep 1952 | 31 Jan 1957 | RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire |
1 Dec 1958 | 31 Oct 1970 | RAF Ballykelly, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland (Dets. at Sharjah, Trucial States and Majunga, Madagascar |
1 Nov 1970 | 15 Nov 1971 | Sharjah, Trucial States (United Arab Emirates) |
From | To | Name |
---|---|---|
Feb 1917 | Apr 1917 | Squadron Commander (S/Cdr.) C. D. Breese |
Apr 1917 | Sep 1917 | S/Cdr. Bertram Charles Bell (acting) |
Sep 1917 | Apr 1918 | S/Cdr. B.C. Bell |
Apr 1918 | Oct 1918 | Maj. B.C. Bell |
Oct 1918 | Jun 1919 | Cpt. A.W. Carter, DFC |
Feb 1920 | Apr 1920 | S/Ldr. J.A.G. de Courcy |
Apr 1920 | Sep 1920 | S/Ldr. C. W. H. Pulford |
Sep 1920 | Apr 1923 | W/Cdr. N.J. Gill |
Mar 1931 | Mar 1933 | W/Cdr. R. Leckie, DSO, DSC, DFC |
Mar 1933 | Jul 1933 | W/Cdr. A.T. Harris |
Jul 1933 | May 1934 | W/Cdr. R.H. Kershaw |
May 1934 | Oct 1935 | S/Ldr. A.F. Lang |
Oct 1935 | Dec 1938 | W/Cdr. W.N. Plenderlieth |
Dec 1938 | Jan 1939 | S/Ldr. G.A. Bolland |
Jan 1939 | Jan 1940 | W/Cdr. W.J. Daddo-Langlois |
Jan 1940 | Jan 1941 | W/Cdr. F.J. Fressanges |
Jan 1941 | Nov 1941 | W/Cdr. G.G. Barret |
Nov 1941 | Jun 1942 | W/Cdr. W.H. Hutton |
Jun 1942 | Jan 1943 | W/cdr. H.B. Johnson |
Jan 1943 | Nov 1943 | W/Cdr. C.H. Brandon |
Nov 1943 | Jan 1944 | W/Cdr. S.R. Gibbs, DFC |
Jan 1944 | Mar 1944 | W/Cdr. P.H. Allington |
Mar 1944 | Oct 1944 | W/Cdr. L.W. Burgess |
Oct 1944 | Nov 1944 | S/Ldr. Smallman |
Nov 1944 | Jun 1945 | W/cdr. R.W. Whittome |
Jun 1946 | Jan 1947 | S/Ldr. A. Henderson, AFC |
Jan 1947 | Oct 1947 | S/Ldr. F.G. Paisley, DFC |
Oct 1947 | Apr 1949 | S/Ldr. W.D. Hodgkinson, DFC, AFC |
Apr 1949 | Jun 1951 | S/Ldr. P.R. Casement, DSO, DFC |
Jun 1951 | Nov 1951 | S/Ldr. P.J. Cundy |
Nov 1951 | Aug 1952 | S/Ldr. E.F.J. Odoire, DFC, AFC |
Aug 1952 | Jan 1954 | S/Ldr. H.H. Eccles |
Jan 1954 | Dec 1955 | S/Ldr. H.R. Kerr, OBE |
Dec 1955 | Jan 1957 | W/Cdr. J.L. Nunn, DFC |
Dec 1958 | W/Cdr. J.F. Halton | |
1961 | 1962 | W/Cdr. A.F. Carvosso |
W/Cdr. J.W. King | ||
W/Cdr. D.G.F. Palmer | ||
Nov 1970 | Nov 1971 | S/Ldr. G. Moule |
No. 206 Squadron is a Test and Evaluation Squadron of the Royal Air Force. Until 2005 it was employed in the maritime patrol role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120 and 201 Squadrons, also stationed at Kinloss. This was a part of the UK Defence Review called Delivering Security in a Changing World; the Nimrod MR.2 fleet was reduced in number from 21 to 16 as a consequence.
Number 201 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray.
No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service. This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Seaplane Defence Flight which, since its creation in June 1917, had had the task of defending the seaplanes which flew out of Dunkirk.
No. 119 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, flying with RAF Coastal Command during the Second World War. It was the only RAF unit flying the Short G class and Short C class flying boats.
No. 515 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force formed during the Second World War. It ushered in Electronic countermeasures (ECM) warfare, jamming enemy radar installations from October 1942 as the only such squadron in the RAF initially. Later in the war 515 Sqn was joined by other squadrons as part of No. 100 Group RAF. The squadron disbanded after VE day, when the need for such a specialised squadron had reduced.
No. 607 Squadron is an auxiliary squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1930 as a bomber unit in the Auxiliary Air Force and changed in 1936 to the fighter role. It fought in that role during the Second World War in Europe and Asia. After the war, in 1946, the squadron reformed as a fighter unit. Awarded the title Royal Auxiliary Air Force by King George in 1947, 607 Sqn was disbanded with all the other flying units of the RAuxAF on 10 March 1957. It reformed on 5 January 2015, as a General Service Support Squadron (GSS).
No. 190 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron with a relatively short existence, but a very broad career. It served as a trainer squadron during the first World War and as convoy escort, airborne support and transport squadron during World War II.
No. 598 Squadron RAF was an Anti-aircraft Co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
No. 205 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit formed on 1 April 1918. Prior to this it had existed as No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In 1929, it became the first RAF squadron to be permanently based in Singapore, taking as its motto Pertama di Malaya. No. 205 Squadron operated during the Second World War and the Cold War before disbanding on 31 October 1971.
No. 228 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force active at various times between 1918 and 1964. It spent the greatest part of its existence flying over water, doing so in the First, and Second World Wars and beyond, performing anti-submarine, reconnaissance and air-sea rescue tasks.
No. 520 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
No. 204 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit first formed in March 1915 as No.4 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service.
No. 549 Squadron RAF was a fighter squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) operating in Australia from 1943 to 1945.
No 295 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces and transport squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was the first unit to be equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle transport and glider tug aircraft.
No. 612 Squadron RAF was originally formed in 1937 as an Army Co-operation unit, and flew during the Second World War in the General Reconnaissance role. After the war the squadron was reformed and flew in the Day Fighter role until disbanded in 1957. At present the squadron has a non-flying role as a RAF Medical Reserves unit.
No. 240 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force flying boat and seaplane squadron during World War I, World War II and up to 1959. It was then reformed as a strategic missile squadron, serving thus till 1963.
No 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946.
No. 157 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron active as a night fighter unit in the Second World War.
No. 662 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC) which flies the Boeing AH-64E Apache from Wattisham Flying Station as part of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 662 Squadron, a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the 21st Army Group during the Second World War and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
No. 661 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It was formerly No. 661 Squadron, a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.