7November1915(1915-11-07) – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 20 January 1920 (RAF) 1 April 1920 – 2 January 1967 1 March 1968 – 3 June 1997 17 July 2001 – present
* Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry
In front of a demi-Pegasus, a fasces. The demi-Pegasus represents the white horse on the downs near Yatesbury, the squadron's first operational base, while the fasces commemorates service in Italy during the First World War. Approved by King Edward VIII in October 1936.
No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 November 1915 at RAF Gosport.[2] Initially it was a training squadron equipped with a variety of different aircraft,[3] although in June 1916, it was also recorded as having home defence duties, for which it had a few Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12s, although it lost this role in July that year.[4] On 9 June, part of the squadron was split off to form the nucleus of the new 56 Squadron.[5][6] In July 1917, 28 Squadron moved to Yatesbury in Wiltshire for conversion to the fighter role,[7] receiving the Sopwith Camel from September 1917.[2][3]
The squadron moved to France on 8 October 1917,[8] and flew its first operational sortie on 20 October, during the Battle of Passchendaele, when 19 of the squadron's aircraft provided cover during an attack by Camels of 70 Squadron on a German airfield at Rumbeke, Belgium, with 28 Squadron claiming three German aircraft shot down.[9] On 26 October, as a result of the Austro-German offensive against Italy at the Battle of Caporetto, the British government agreed to send troops and aircraft to reinforce the Italians, and 28 Squadron was one of the squadrons ordered to Italy, arriving at Milan by rail on 12 November, with its aircraft uncrated and reassembled by 14 November.[10][11] The squadron's aircraft flew escort missions for army cooperation patrols over the front lines, as well as for longer-range strategic reconnaissance missions and for bombing raids.[11][12]
From February 1918, the squadron added attacks against enemy airfields to its duties, and in March, a flight of Bristol F.2 Fighters was attached to the squadron for long-range reconnaissance, although they were soon passed in to 34 Squadron.[13] On 1 April 1918, the squadron became part of the newly established Royal Air Force.[14] On 15 June 1918, Austria-Hungary launched a major offensive on the Italian front. As the weather on the sector of the front (on the Asiago plateau) held by British troops was too poor for air power to be useful, the RAF squadrons' efforts were diverted to help the Italians on the Piave front, where Austro-Hungarian forces had crossed the River Piave. All available British aircraft were employed against the Austro-Hungarian forces, and in particular against the crossings over the Piave, and when the offensive had been stopped, against the retreating Austro-Hungarian troops.[15] On 27 October 1918, the Italians launched their final, successful, offensive of the war, at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. RAF squadrons, including 28 Squadron, were employed in attacking the retreating Austro-Hungarian troops until the Armistice of Villa Giusti ended the fighting on 4 November.[16]
The squadron returned to Britain in February 1919, first to its old home at Yatesbury, then to Leighterton in Gloucestershire and to Eastleigh in Hampshire in October 1919. It was disbanded on 20 January 1920 at Eastleigh.[8][7] On 1 April 1920, however, it was reformed at RAF Ambala in Northern India by renumbering 114 Squadron, an army cooperation squadron equipped with the Bristol F2b Fighter.[18][19][a] The squadron operated over the North-West Frontier, moving to Kohat in December 1921.[20] While the squadron had an authorised establishment of 12 aircraft, the actual number of aircraft possessed by the squadron was usually considerably less, with the squadron recorded as having 7 aircraft on 30 June 1922.[21] Serviceability of the RAF's India-based aircraft was also poor, with many of the aircraft old and worn out. In an August 1922 report on the state of the RAF in India Air Vice MarshallJohn Salmond noted that of an authorised establishment of 70 aircraft in India, only 7 were operational, with aircraft flying without equipment essential to safety, and concluded that "...the Royal Air Force in India is to all intents and purposes non-existent as a fighting force at this date."[22]
In April 1923, the squadron moved to Peshawar, with a detachment at Tank, and in January 1925, moved to RAF Quetta. As well as its normal duties, the squadron operated an experimental air mail service from Quetta to Shimla in 1925. In January 1927, the squadron returned to Ambala, where it remained based for the next 10 years.[23] In September 1931, the squadron replaced its Bristol Fighters with Westland Wapitis.[3][24] The squadron flew relief flights into Quetta after the city had been devastated by an earthquake on 31 May 1935.[23] The squadron re-equipped again with the Hawker Audax during June 1936.[2] In April 1937, the squadron was forward deployed to Manzai in response to an uprising by supporters of Mitza Ali Khan in Waziristan.[23][25] The squadron returned to Ambala in July 1937, although it continued to maintain detachments at Miranshah. It moved to Kohat in March 1939.[23]
Second World War
A 28 Squadron Hurricane IIC being armed, 1943.
The squadron remained at Kohat, on the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe. It re-equipped with the Westland Lysander monoplane in September 1941.[3][23] In early January 1942, as a response to the Japanese invasion of Burma, two of the squadron's Lysanders were sent to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, with the remainder of the squadron preparing to move to Burma.[26] Nineteen Lysanders reached Lashio in the Shan States on 26 January,[27] with the squadron, together with the similarly equipped 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force, moved forward to Taungoo, and being fitted with racks to carry 250lb (110kg) bombs for direct support of the Army.[28] On 2 February 1942, two Lysanders set out from Mingaladon carrying Lieutenant-GeneralThomas Hutton, General Officer Commanding Burma Command and his aide to Lashio, in the first part of Hutton's planned journey to Chungking to meet Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek. The two aircraft became lost however and the Lysander carrying Hutton crashed and caught fire. While Hutton managed to escape the burning aircraft, the pilot, Flight lieutenant E. W. Tate was badly injured and Hutton was unable to free him, with Tate dying from his wounds six days later.[29] The squadron's Lysanders carried out a number of bombing attacks against Japanese-held airfields, rail targets, river traffic and troops,[30][31] but losses were heavy,[23] and the squadron was ordered to withdraw back to India on 17 February, leaving a detachment of three Lysanders behind in Burma.[32] The two aircraft detached to the Andaman Islands were destroyed by their crews on 18 February before the detachment evacuated the Andamans, while the surviving two aircraft of the Burma-based detachment were evacuated to India on 26 February.[33]
In March 1942, the squadron had moved to Lahore to rebuild its strength,[3][23] but in April it moved to Ranchi, in North-East India.[34] In July, the squadron moved to its old base at Kohat for operations over the North-West Frontier,[35] supporting operations by a mobile column of the Indian Army against followers of Mitza Ali Khan, who had cut the road between Miramshah and Datta Khel. Following the successful relief of Datta Khel and the dispersal of the rebels,[36] the squadron returned to Ranchi in August.[35] In December 1942 it was re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane IIb aircraft in the fighter-reconnaissance role.[37][8] By January 1943 the squadron was operating over Burma, with detachments at Maungdaw and Imphal.[38] The Maungdaw-based detachment moved to Ramu, Cox's Bazar in April and to Cox's Bazar in May 1943.[39] Operations included both tactical reconnaissance and high-level photo reconnaissance, together with offensive patrols against Japanese river traffic. The squadron flew at least 100 operational sorties per month throughout 1943, including during the Monsoon season.[23]
In March 1944, the squadron began to replace its machine-gun armed Hurricane IIbs with cannon-armed Hurricane IIcs,[40] while the squadron's operational tempo picked up in the early part of the year, reaching 12 sorties per day in March, while in April it supplemented its normal duties with carrying mail between Dimapur and besieged Imphal during the Battles of Imphal and Kohima.[23] The squadron was pulled out of the front line in July 1944, returning to operations over Burma in December that year.[23] In May 1945, it started to receive Hurricane IVs to supplement its IIcs.[41] On 1 August 1945, the squadron received three Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIs,[42] flying a few sorties with them before the end of the war.[23][42]
Post-War (1946–1967)
After the end of the Second World War the squadron continued as a fighter-reconnaissance unit as part of the Far East Air Force.[23] In October 1945, the squadron replaced its Hurricanes with more Spitfires, (Mk VIIIs and Mk XIVEs), concentrating on the Spitfire XIVE by the end of the year.[34] It moved to Penang, Malaya in November 1945 and to RAF Kuala Lumpur in April 1946, and then to RAF Tengah, Singapore in February 1947.[34] The squadron received Spitfire FR.18s in 1947.[34] In January 1948, six of the squadron's Spitfires took part in Operation Snapdragon, an experimental deployment to Hong Kong, to test the ability to reinforce the colony in an emergency. They flew via Kuching, Sarawak, Labuan and Clark Field in the Philippines, arriving at Hong Kong after 2 days, flying 2,305 miles (3,710km).[43] It moved to RAF Sembawang, also in Singapore in February 1949. It moved to RAF Kai Tak, Hong Kong in 1949 still with Spitfires, in order to strengthen Hong Kong's defences as a result of the ongoing Chinese Civil War,[3] with the squadron's role changing from fighter-reconnaissance to pure fighter.[11] From then on the squadron was regularly moved between Kai Tak and Sek Kong.[2] In February 1951, the squadron was re-equipped with jet aircraft, as de Havilland Vampire FB.5s replaced the Spitfires,[34][11] with 28 Squadron being the last front-line RAF squadron equipped with the Spitfire.[44] From February 1952, it began receiving Vampire FB.9s, which were fitted with air conditioning, which made operations in the hot climate of Hong Kong more tolerable for the pilots.[34][11] In February 1956, the squadron discarded its Vampires, again being the last front-line RAF squadron to operate the type,[44] receiving de Havilland Venom FB.1s as replacements, exchanging them for Venom FB.4s in November 1959.[34] In June 1957, as a result of the 1957 Defence Review, Sek Kong was handed over the army, with 28 Squadron returning to Kai Tak.[44] While at Kai Tak from May 1962 the squadron changed to flying Hawker Hunter FGA.9s, until 2 January 1967 when it was disbanded.[2]
Helicopters (1968–present)
A 28 Squadron Wessex HC2 takes off at Hong Kong in 1983.
The squadron was reformed on 1 March 1968 at Kai Tak from a detachment of No. 103 Squadron RAF operating Westland Whirlwind HC 10s. The Westland Wessex HC.2 was introduced to the squadron from January 1972 and the Whirlwinds operated until August 1972. On 17 May 1978 the squadron moved to RAF Sek Kong[2] and stayed until 1 November 1996. The squadron returned to Kai Tak from then until disbanded on 3 June 1997 prior to the British withdrawal on 1 July, with the squadron's Wessexes being sold to Uruguay. It was the last RAF squadron to leave the territory.[45]
The RAF ordered 22 Westland Merlin HC3 helicopters in March 1995, the first of which was received from GKNWestland, now AgustaWestland, on 7 March 2001. The squadron officially reformed on 17 July 2001 at RAF Benson, the first time in its recent history that the squadron had been stationed in the UK.[46]
The squadron's first operational role with the Merlin was in support of SFOR at Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aircraft and personnel deployed on 1 April 2003, the same day that an initial operational capability was declared for the Merlin. The detachment ceased on 31 March 2004 and the squadron then began to prepare for operations in Iraq.[46]
In 2009, the squadron returned from Operation Telic and later on in the year deployed on Operation Herrick keeping the designation of 1419 Flight. The squadron returned during May 2013. In July 2015, the squadron handed over its Merlin helicopters to 845 Naval Air Squadron and re-roled as No. 28 (Reserve) Squadron OCU whose role is to train Chinook Mk4 and Puma Mk2 helicopters crews.[49]
On 1 February 2018, the RAF rescinded all (Reserve) suffixes leading to No. 28 (Reserve) Squadron becoming No. 28 Squadron.[50]
In March 2020, the squadron was awarded the right to emblazon a battle honour on its squadron standard, recognising its role in the War in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014.[51]
On 28 October 2021, No. 28 Squadron was re-awarded its historical designation of No. 28 (Army Co-operation) Squadron.[52]
No. 11 or XI Squadron, is "the world's oldest, dedicated fighter unit" and continues the traditions established by the similarly numbered Royal Flying Corps squadron, established in 1915. After a history of equipment with numerous different aircraft types, the squadron most recently operated the Tornado F3 until 2005 when it was disbanded. It was reactivated in 2006 to operate the Typhoon F2, receiving its first aircraft on 9 October 2006.
No. 4 Squadron, normally written as No. IV Squadron, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Since November 2011, it has operated the BAE Hawk T2 from RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. The squadron provides weapons and tactics training for student pilots after they have completed their conversion to jet aircraft with No. XXV(F) Squadron. Between 1970 and January 2011, No. IV Squadron operated various marks of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and British Aerospace Harrier II.
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook from RAF Odiham.
No. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft and is based at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, using the Westland/Airbus Helicopters Puma HC Mk.2 helicopter. The squadron transitioned from the previously operated Bell Griffin HAR.2 to the Puma HC.2 in 2023.
No. 488 Squadron was the name given to two distinct Royal New Zealand Air Force squadrons during the Second World War. Both were formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme and served under the operational command of the Royal Air Force.
No. 34 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. During the First World War it operated as a reconnaissance and bomber squadron and in the 1930s operated light bombers. It was re-equipped with fighter-bombers in the later half of the Second World War and in the post-war period was reformed four times; first as a photo-reconnaissance unit, then anti-aircraft co-operation, then as a jet fighter squadron through the 1950s. It was last active in the 1960s, as a Blackburn Beverley transport squadron.
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.
No. 451 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force army cooperation and fighter squadron of World War II. It was formed at Bankstown, New South Wales, on 12 February 1941 and began flying operations on 1 July as part of the North African Campaign in Egypt and Libya. No. 451 Squadron was withdrawn for refitting in early January 1942 and spent the remainder of the year performing garrison duties in Syria. In January 1943, it was transferred to Egypt to contribute to local air defence but saw almost no combat. This inactivity caused morale among the squadron's personnel to greatly deteriorate.
No. 453 Squadron is an air traffic control unit of the Royal Australian Air Force. It was established at Bankstown, New South Wales, in 1941 as a fighter squadron, in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme for overseas service with the Royal Air Force during World War II. No. 453 Squadron saw combat first in the Malayan and Singapore campaigns of 1941–42. Severe aircraft losses effectively destroyed the squadron and it was disbanded in March 1942. A successor unit by the same name was raised in Britain from mid-1942, to take part in fighting against Nazi Germany in Europe until 1945. The squadron was disbanded in 1946. It was re-formed in its current role in 2011.
No. 26 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976.
No. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed in 1916 at Cramlington Aerodrome, just north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in order to defend a section of the North East coast from German Zeppelin attacks at night. Disbanded shortly after the end of WWI, it was reformed as a torpedo bomber unit and served in Singapore and Burma in the 1930s, seeing action in 1941–42 when Japan entered the war. After re-equipping with Vickers Wellingtons, it served the remainder of the war as an anti-submarine unit, in the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, and later in UK home waters. After WWII the squadron operated intermittently in various roles, including maritime reconnaissance, and later as a transport unit flying C-130 Hercules until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.
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. 681 Squadron RAF was a photo-reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
No. 613 Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force later Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron formed on 1 February 1939 at the then new municipal airport at Ringway, nine miles south of Manchester. The squadron served at first in the army cooperation role, and later during the Second World War became a tactical bomber unit. After the war the squadron reformed as a fighter unit and as such flew until its last disbandment in March 1957.
No. 62 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was originally established as a Royal Flying Corps squadron in 1916 and operated the Bristol F2B fighter in France during the last year of the First World War. After the war the squadron was disbanded and it was re-established in 1937 as part of the buildup of the RAF in the late 1930s. During the Second World War the Squadron was deployed to the Far East, operating the Bristol Blenheim from Singapore and Malaya. In 1942 No. 62 Squadron was re-equipped with the Lockheed Hudson and it moved to Sumatra, then Burma and then India. After the close of World War II the squadron disbanded for the second time. It was briefly re-established from 1946 to 1947 as a Dakota squadron and operated out of Burma and India. It final incarnation was as a Bristol Bloodhound missile unit in the early 1960s.
Number 209 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was originally formed from a nucleus of "Naval Eight" on 1 February 1917 at Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France, as No. 9 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and saw active service in both World Wars, the Korean War and in Malaya. The use of the squadron number ceased in 1968 and it has not been reused since by an RAF squadron. However the number, badge and motto is in current service within the RAF Air Cadets at 209 Squadron ATC in Nottinghamshire.
Number 80 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was reformed on 15 April 2024 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, after the numberplate was awarded to the British team at the Australia, Canada and United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory (ACURL). It was a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both the First and Second World Wars.
No. 614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-operation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron. Upon reformation it served as a fighter squadron until the disbandment of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 10 March 1957.
No. 287 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1941 to 1946.
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