No. 99 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
was a bomber squadron in both first
and second world war
. At present it operates the Boeing
C-17 Globemaster III
from RAF Brize Norton
, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot
, Handley Page Hyderabad
, Handley Page Hinaidi
, Vickers Wellington
, Bristol Britannia
and Boeing Globemaster
. In case of the Avro Aldershot the squadron even was its only operator as it is now for the Globemasters.
, Wiltshire
in England on 15 August 1917 from elements supplied by No. 13 Training Squadron, RFC. It was equipped with de Havilland DH.9
bombers in 1918, deploying to France to form part of the Independent Air Force
, the RAF's strategic bombing force. It flew its first mission on 21 May, and continued to take part in large scale daylight raids against targets in Germany, sustaining heavy losses both due to the unreliable nature of the DH.9 and heavy German opposition. As an example, during one one raid against Saarbrücken
on 31 July 1918, seven out of nine aircraft from 99 Squadron were shot down. 99 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line on 25 September to be re-equipped with de Havilland DH.9A
bombers, and it was still being in the process of converting when the First World War ended. During the first World War it had taken part in 76 bombing raids, dropping 61 tons of bombs and claiming 12 German aircraft, of which eight alone on the raid of 31 July.
In 1919 it was sent to India, flying patrols over the North-West Frontier from Mianwali and Kohat
during the Mahsud and Waziristan
campaigns. It was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 27 Squadron RAF
on 2 April 1920.
, Wiltshire
, flying Vickers Vimy
s. In May 1924, it moved to RAF Bircham Newton
in Norfolk
, uniquely receiving the Avro Aldershot
single-engined heavy bomber. These were replaced at the end of 1925 by twin-engined Handley Page Hyderabad
s, the squadron moving to RAF Upper Heyford
in December 1927. In 1929, it again switched to new aircraft when it began receiving Handley Page Hinaidi
s, a radial engine
d derivative of the Hyderabad.
By 1933, the Hinaidi, which was little improvement over bombers in use during the First World War, was recognised as obsolete, and November, the unit received the first production Handley Page Heyford
heavy bombers. While these carried twice the bombload of the earlier aircraft, and had significantly better performance, it soon became outclassed, although 99 sqn was forced to retain the Heyford until October 1938, when it converted to Vickers Wellington
monoplane
s.
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
was a bomber squadron in both first
and second world war
. At present it operates the Boeing
C-17 Globemaster III
from RAF Brize Norton
, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot
, Handley Page Hyderabad
, Handley Page Hinaidi
, Vickers Wellington
, Bristol Britannia
and Boeing Globemaster
. In case of the Avro Aldershot the squadron even was its only operator as it is now for the Globemasters.
, Wiltshire
in England on 15 August 1917 from elements supplied by No. 13 Training Squadron, RFC. It was equipped with de Havilland DH.9
bombers in 1918, deploying to France to form part of the Independent Air Force
, the RAF's strategic bombing force. It flew its first mission on 21 May, and continued to take part in large scale daylight raids against targets in Germany, sustaining heavy losses both due to the unreliable nature of the DH.9 and heavy German opposition. As an example, during one one raid against Saarbrücken
on 31 July 1918, seven out of nine aircraft from 99 Squadron were shot down.Rawlings 1961, p. 339. 99 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line on 25 September to be re-equipped with de Havilland DH.9A
bombers, and it was still being in the process of converting when the First World War ended. During the first World War it had taken part in 76 bombing raids, dropping 61 tons of bombs and claiming 12 German aircraft, of which eight alone on the raid of 31 July.
In 1919 it was sent to India, flying patrols over the North-West Frontier from Mianwali and Kohat
during the Mahsud and Waziristan
campaigns. It was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 27 Squadron RAF
on 2 April 1920.
, Wiltshire
, flying Vickers Vimy
s. In May 1924, it moved to RAF Bircham Newton
in Norfolk
, uniquely receiving the Avro Aldershot
single-engined heavy bomber. These were replaced at the end of 1925 by twin-engined Handley Page Hyderabad
s, the squadron moving to RAF Upper Heyford
in December 1927. In 1929, it again switched to new aircraft when it began receiving Handley Page Hinaidi
s, a radial engine
d derivative of the Hyderabad.99 Squadron 99 Squadron Royal Air Force. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
By 1933, the Hinaidi, which was little improvement over bombers in use during the First World War, was recognised as obsolete, and November, the unit received the first production Handley Page Heyford
heavy bombers. While these carried twice the bombload of the earlier aircraft, and had significantly better performance, it soon became outclassed, although 99 sqn was forced to retain the Heyford until October 1938, when it converted to Vickers Wellington
monoplane
s.
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
was a bomber squadron in both first
and second world war
. At present it operates the Boeing
C-17 Globemaster III
from RAF Brize Norton
, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot
, Handley Page Hyderabad
, Handley Page Hinaidi
, Vickers Wellington
, Bristol Britannia
and Boeing Globemaster
. In case of the Avro Aldershot the squadron even was its only operator as it is now for the Globemasters.
, Wiltshire
in England on 15 August 1917 from elements supplied by No. 13 Training Squadron, RFC. It was equipped with de Havilland DH.9
bombers in 1918, deploying to France to form part of the Independent Air Force
, the RAF's strategic bombing force. It flew its first mission on 21 May, and continued to take part in large scale daylight raids against targets in Germany, sustaining heavy losses both due to the unreliable nature of the DH.9 and heavy German opposition. As an example, during one one raid against Saarbrücken
on 31 July 1918, seven out of nine aircraft from 99 Squadron were shot down.Rawlings 1961, p. 339. 99 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line on 25 September to be re-equipped with de Havilland DH.9A
bombers, and it was still being in the process of converting when the First World War ended. During the first World War it had taken part in 76 bombing raids, dropping 61 tons of bombs and claiming 12 German aircraft, of which eight alone on the raid of 31 July.
In 1919 it was sent to India, flying patrols over the North-West Frontier from Mianwali and Kohat
during the Mahsud and Waziristan
campaigns. It was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 27 Squadron RAF
on 2 April 1920.
, Wiltshire
, flying Vickers Vimy
s. In May 1924, it moved to RAF Bircham Newton
in Norfolk
, uniquely receiving the Avro Aldershot
single-engined heavy bomber. These were replaced at the end of 1925 by twin-engined Handley Page Hyderabad
s, the squadron moving to RAF Upper Heyford
in December 1927. In 1929, it again switched to new aircraft when it began receiving Handley Page Hinaidi
s, a radial engine
d derivative of the Hyderabad.99 Squadron 99 Squadron Royal Air Force. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
By 1933, the Hinaidi, which was little improvement over bombers in use during the First World War, was recognised as obsolete, and November, the unit received the first production Handley Page Heyford
heavy bombers. While these carried twice the bombload of the earlier aircraft, and had significantly better performance, it soon became outclassed, although 99 sqn was forced to retain the Heyford until October 1938, when it converted to Vickers Wellington
monoplane
s.Rawlings 1961, p. 340.
s, just before the start of World War II
. It was stationed first at RAF Newmarket
, Suffolk
, and then at RAF Waterbeach
, assigned to No. 3 Group RAF
, Bomber Command
. The squadron bombed targets in Norway
and Germany
.
In February 1942 the squadron was posted to India
, operating at first Wellingtons and later Consolidated Liberators. During this period, the squadron included a significant number of Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) aircrew personnel, attached to it under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
. The squadron moved to the Cocos Islands in August 1945, where it remained until the end of the war. On 15 November 1945 the squadron disbanded.
as a transport squadron, equipped with Avro York
. In that role it operated amongst others as part of the Berlin Airlift, operating from RAF Wunstorf
in Germany. It continued in the transport role, from 1994 to 1959 with the Handley Page Hastings
, which were normally used as normal transport aircraft but, as the squadron also had a tactical support role, were also used in 1956 to drop paratroops on Gamil Airfield
during the Suez crisis
. Later, from 1959 to 1976, the squadron flew the Bristol Britannia
, putting it to use to evacuate citizens from troublespots all over the worldd such as Congo 1960
, Kuwait 1961, Belize 1961
and Aden 1967
. The squadron moved to RAF Brize Norton
in June 1970 and was disbanded almost six years later, on 7 January 1976, following the 1974 Defence White Paper.
s. The first of the squadron's four initial C-17s was delivered to the RAF on May 17, 2001, arriving at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
on May 23. One of the first high profile missions of the squadron was the deployment of Lynx
helicopters and support equipment to Macedonia
as part of a NATO peacekeeping force. This deployment was codenamed Operation Bessemer.
Since then the Squadron has supported military exercises "Saif Sareea II" in Oman
, the War on Terror
in Afghanistan
, and the Invasion of Iraq (Operation Telic
.) More routine tasks have gone largely unpublicised, for example the replacement of 1435 Flight's
Tornado F3s in the Falkland Islands
. Previously the RAF had to lease commercial heavy lifters such as the Antonov An-124
to return the aircraft to the UK, or launch a major logistical effort to allow a ferry flight. In any case the C-17 has proved invaluable to the RAF, so much so that the original seven year lease has been bought out, and an additional aircraft was purchased. On 26 July 2007, the order for a sixth was confirmed, delivered in June 2008.
In December 2009, the Ministry of Defence announced its intention to acquire a seventh. This was received by the RAF at Boeing's Long Beach, California
facility on 16 November 2010.
The sqn is currently under the command of Wg Cdr David "Manners" Manning.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was a bomber squadron in both first
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and second world war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At present it operates the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
from RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot
Avro Aldershot
-See also:-External links:*...
, Handley Page Hyderabad
Handley Page Hyderabad
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
, Handley Page Hinaidi
Handley Page Hinaidi
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
, Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
, Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
and Boeing Globemaster
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
. In case of the Avro Aldershot the squadron even was its only operator as it is now for the Globemasters.
World War I
What would later become No. 99 (Madras Presidency) Squadron was originally formed at YatesburyYatesbury
Yatesbury is a village adjacent to Cherhill, 1 mile north of the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. Yatesbury forms part of The Oldbury Benefice, which comprises the five parishes of Cherhill, Compton Bassett, Heddington, Calstone Wellington and Yatesbury.-RAF...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
in England on 15 August 1917 from elements supplied by No. 13 Training Squadron, RFC. It was equipped with de Havilland DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
bombers in 1918, deploying to France to form part of the Independent Air Force
Independent Air Force
The Independent Air Force , also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a World War I strategic bombing force which was part of the British Royal Air Force and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes...
, the RAF's strategic bombing force. It flew its first mission on 21 May, and continued to take part in large scale daylight raids against targets in Germany, sustaining heavy losses both due to the unreliable nature of the DH.9 and heavy German opposition. As an example, during one one raid against Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
on 31 July 1918, seven out of nine aircraft from 99 Squadron were shot down. 99 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line on 25 September to be re-equipped with de Havilland DH.9A
Airco DH.9A
The Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial...
bombers, and it was still being in the process of converting when the First World War ended. During the first World War it had taken part in 76 bombing raids, dropping 61 tons of bombs and claiming 12 German aircraft, of which eight alone on the raid of 31 July.
In 1919 it was sent to India, flying patrols over the North-West Frontier from Mianwali and Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
during the Mahsud and Waziristan
Waziristan campaign 1919–1920
The Waziristan campaign 1919–1920 was a military campaign conducted in Waziristan by British and Indian forces against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region...
campaigns. It was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC2 from RAF Odiham.-The Great War:27 Squadron formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 5 November 1915, soon being equipped with Martinsyde Elephant fighter aircraft, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge...
on 2 April 1920.
Inter-war Period
No. 99 Squadron reformed on 1 April 1924 at NetheravonNetheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, flying Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
s. In May 1924, it moved to RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, uniquely receiving the Avro Aldershot
Avro Aldershot
-See also:-External links:*...
single-engined heavy bomber. These were replaced at the end of 1925 by twin-engined Handley Page Hyderabad
Handley Page Hyderabad
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
s, the squadron moving to RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
in December 1927. In 1929, it again switched to new aircraft when it began receiving Handley Page Hinaidi
Handley Page Hinaidi
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
s, a radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
d derivative of the Hyderabad.
By 1933, the Hinaidi, which was little improvement over bombers in use during the First World War, was recognised as obsolete, and November, the unit received the first production Handley Page Heyford
Handley Page Heyford
The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine British biplane bomber of the 1930s. Although it had a short service life, it equipped several squadrons of the RAF as one of the most important British bombers of the mid-1930s, and was the last biplane heavy bomber to serve with the RAF.-Design and...
heavy bombers. While these carried twice the bombload of the earlier aircraft, and had significantly better performance, it soon became outclassed, although 99 sqn was forced to retain the Heyford until October 1938, when it converted to Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
s.
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was a bomber squadron in both first
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and second world war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At present it operates the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
from RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot
Avro Aldershot
-See also:-External links:*...
, Handley Page Hyderabad
Handley Page Hyderabad
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
, Handley Page Hinaidi
Handley Page Hinaidi
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
, Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
, Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
and Boeing Globemaster
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
. In case of the Avro Aldershot the squadron even was its only operator as it is now for the Globemasters.
World War I
What would later become No. 99 (Madras Presidency) Squadron was originally formed at YatesburyYatesbury
Yatesbury is a village adjacent to Cherhill, 1 mile north of the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. Yatesbury forms part of The Oldbury Benefice, which comprises the five parishes of Cherhill, Compton Bassett, Heddington, Calstone Wellington and Yatesbury.-RAF...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
in England on 15 August 1917 from elements supplied by No. 13 Training Squadron, RFC. It was equipped with de Havilland DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
bombers in 1918, deploying to France to form part of the Independent Air Force
Independent Air Force
The Independent Air Force , also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a World War I strategic bombing force which was part of the British Royal Air Force and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes...
, the RAF's strategic bombing force. It flew its first mission on 21 May, and continued to take part in large scale daylight raids against targets in Germany, sustaining heavy losses both due to the unreliable nature of the DH.9 and heavy German opposition. As an example, during one one raid against Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
on 31 July 1918, seven out of nine aircraft from 99 Squadron were shot down.Rawlings 1961, p. 339. 99 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line on 25 September to be re-equipped with de Havilland DH.9A
Airco DH.9A
The Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial...
bombers, and it was still being in the process of converting when the First World War ended. During the first World War it had taken part in 76 bombing raids, dropping 61 tons of bombs and claiming 12 German aircraft, of which eight alone on the raid of 31 July.
In 1919 it was sent to India, flying patrols over the North-West Frontier from Mianwali and Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
during the Mahsud and Waziristan
Waziristan campaign 1919–1920
The Waziristan campaign 1919–1920 was a military campaign conducted in Waziristan by British and Indian forces against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region...
campaigns. It was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC2 from RAF Odiham.-The Great War:27 Squadron formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 5 November 1915, soon being equipped with Martinsyde Elephant fighter aircraft, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge...
on 2 April 1920.
Inter-war Period
No. 99 Squadron reformed on 1 April 1924 at NetheravonNetheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, flying Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
s. In May 1924, it moved to RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, uniquely receiving the Avro Aldershot
Avro Aldershot
-See also:-External links:*...
single-engined heavy bomber. These were replaced at the end of 1925 by twin-engined Handley Page Hyderabad
Handley Page Hyderabad
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
s, the squadron moving to RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
in December 1927. In 1929, it again switched to new aircraft when it began receiving Handley Page Hinaidi
Handley Page Hinaidi
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
s, a radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
d derivative of the Hyderabad.99 Squadron 99 Squadron Royal Air Force. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
By 1933, the Hinaidi, which was little improvement over bombers in use during the First World War, was recognised as obsolete, and November, the unit received the first production Handley Page Heyford
Handley Page Heyford
The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine British biplane bomber of the 1930s. Although it had a short service life, it equipped several squadrons of the RAF as one of the most important British bombers of the mid-1930s, and was the last biplane heavy bomber to serve with the RAF.-Design and...
heavy bombers. While these carried twice the bombload of the earlier aircraft, and had significantly better performance, it soon became outclassed, although 99 sqn was forced to retain the Heyford until October 1938, when it converted to Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
s.
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was a bomber squadron in both first
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and second world war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At present it operates the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
from RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot
Avro Aldershot
-See also:-External links:*...
, Handley Page Hyderabad
Handley Page Hyderabad
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
, Handley Page Hinaidi
Handley Page Hinaidi
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
, Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
, Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
and Boeing Globemaster
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
. In case of the Avro Aldershot the squadron even was its only operator as it is now for the Globemasters.
World War I
What would later become No. 99 (Madras Presidency) Squadron was originally formed at YatesburyYatesbury
Yatesbury is a village adjacent to Cherhill, 1 mile north of the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. Yatesbury forms part of The Oldbury Benefice, which comprises the five parishes of Cherhill, Compton Bassett, Heddington, Calstone Wellington and Yatesbury.-RAF...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
in England on 15 August 1917 from elements supplied by No. 13 Training Squadron, RFC. It was equipped with de Havilland DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
bombers in 1918, deploying to France to form part of the Independent Air Force
Independent Air Force
The Independent Air Force , also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a World War I strategic bombing force which was part of the British Royal Air Force and used to strike against German railways, aerodromes...
, the RAF's strategic bombing force. It flew its first mission on 21 May, and continued to take part in large scale daylight raids against targets in Germany, sustaining heavy losses both due to the unreliable nature of the DH.9 and heavy German opposition. As an example, during one one raid against Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
on 31 July 1918, seven out of nine aircraft from 99 Squadron were shot down.Rawlings 1961, p. 339. 99 Squadron was withdrawn from the front line on 25 September to be re-equipped with de Havilland DH.9A
Airco DH.9A
The Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial...
bombers, and it was still being in the process of converting when the First World War ended. During the first World War it had taken part in 76 bombing raids, dropping 61 tons of bombs and claiming 12 German aircraft, of which eight alone on the raid of 31 July.
In 1919 it was sent to India, flying patrols over the North-West Frontier from Mianwali and Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
during the Mahsud and Waziristan
Waziristan campaign 1919–1920
The Waziristan campaign 1919–1920 was a military campaign conducted in Waziristan by British and Indian forces against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region...
campaigns. It was disbanded by being renumbered to No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC2 from RAF Odiham.-The Great War:27 Squadron formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 5 November 1915, soon being equipped with Martinsyde Elephant fighter aircraft, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge...
on 2 April 1920.
Inter-war Period
No. 99 Squadron reformed on 1 April 1924 at NetheravonNetheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, flying Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
s. In May 1924, it moved to RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, uniquely receiving the Avro Aldershot
Avro Aldershot
-See also:-External links:*...
single-engined heavy bomber. These were replaced at the end of 1925 by twin-engined Handley Page Hyderabad
Handley Page Hyderabad
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
s, the squadron moving to RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
in December 1927. In 1929, it again switched to new aircraft when it began receiving Handley Page Hinaidi
Handley Page Hinaidi
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
s, a radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
d derivative of the Hyderabad.99 Squadron 99 Squadron Royal Air Force. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
By 1933, the Hinaidi, which was little improvement over bombers in use during the First World War, was recognised as obsolete, and November, the unit received the first production Handley Page Heyford
Handley Page Heyford
The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine British biplane bomber of the 1930s. Although it had a short service life, it equipped several squadrons of the RAF as one of the most important British bombers of the mid-1930s, and was the last biplane heavy bomber to serve with the RAF.-Design and...
heavy bombers. While these carried twice the bombload of the earlier aircraft, and had significantly better performance, it soon became outclassed, although 99 sqn was forced to retain the Heyford until October 1938, when it converted to Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
s.Rawlings 1961, p. 340.
World War II
The squadron was to be the first unit to equipped with Vickers WellingtonVickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
s, just before the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was stationed first at RAF Newmarket
RAF Newmarket
RAF Newmarket was an RAF station near Newmarket, Suffolk, England, near the border with Cambridgeshire.The RAF station was actually a grass-strip on Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, and then at RAF Waterbeach
Waterbeach
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :...
, assigned to No. 3 Group RAF
No. 3 Group RAF
Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.-The 1930s and World War II:...
, Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
. The squadron bombed targets in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In February 1942 the squadron was posted to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, operating at first Wellingtons and later Consolidated Liberators. During this period, the squadron included a significant number of Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF) aircrew personnel, attached to it under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. The squadron moved to the Cocos Islands in August 1945, where it remained until the end of the war. On 15 November 1945 the squadron disbanded.
Post War
The Squadron was reformed again on 17 November 1947 at RAF LynehamRAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No...
as a transport squadron, equipped with Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
. In that role it operated amongst others as part of the Berlin Airlift, operating from RAF Wunstorf
Wunstorf
Wunstorf is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the city of Wunstorf: Blumenau , Bokeloh, Grossenheidorn, Idensen , Klein Heidorn, Kolenfeld, Luthe, Mesmerode, Steinhude, Wunstorf....
in Germany. It continued in the transport role, from 1994 to 1959 with the Handley Page Hastings
Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force...
, which were normally used as normal transport aircraft but, as the squadron also had a tactical support role, were also used in 1956 to drop paratroops on Gamil Airfield
El Gamil
El Gamil is a fortress with an airfield in Port Said Governorate, Egypt. It was the landing site of British paratroopers in the 1956 war....
during the Suez crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
. Later, from 1959 to 1976, the squadron flew the Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
, putting it to use to evacuate citizens from troublespots all over the worldd such as Congo 1960
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
, Kuwait 1961, Belize 1961
Hurricane Hattie
Hurricane Hattie was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the strongest, reaching a peak intensity equivalent to Category 5 hurricane intensity...
and Aden 1967
Aden Emergency
The Aden Emergency was an insurgency against the British crown forces in the British controlled territories of South Arabia which now form part of the Yemen. Partly inspired by Nasser's pan Arab nationalism, it began on 10 December 1963 with the throwing of a grenade at a gathering of British...
. The squadron moved to RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
in June 1970 and was disbanded almost six years later, on 7 January 1976, following the 1974 Defence White Paper.
Today
The squadron was reformed again in November 2000, to operate the RAF's C-17C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
s. The first of the squadron's four initial C-17s was delivered to the RAF on May 17, 2001, arriving at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
on May 23. One of the first high profile missions of the squadron was the deployment of Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopters and support equipment to Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
as part of a NATO peacekeeping force. This deployment was codenamed Operation Bessemer.
Since then the Squadron has supported military exercises "Saif Sareea II" in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and the Invasion of Iraq (Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
.) More routine tasks have gone largely unpublicised, for example the replacement of 1435 Flight's
No. 1435 Flight RAF
No. 1435 Flight is a Eurofighter Typhoon unit of the Royal Air Force, based at RAF Mount Pleasant, providing air defence for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.During the Second World War, No...
Tornado F3s in the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. Previously the RAF had to lease commercial heavy lifters such as the Antonov An-124
Antonov An-124
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. It was designed by the Ukrainian SSR's Antonov design bureau, then part of the Soviet Union. It is the world's largest ever serially-manufactured cargo airplane and world's second largest operating cargo aircraft...
to return the aircraft to the UK, or launch a major logistical effort to allow a ferry flight. In any case the C-17 has proved invaluable to the RAF, so much so that the original seven year lease has been bought out, and an additional aircraft was purchased. On 26 July 2007, the order for a sixth was confirmed, delivered in June 2008.
In December 2009, the Ministry of Defence announced its intention to acquire a seventh. This was received by the RAF at Boeing's Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
facility on 16 November 2010.
The sqn is currently under the command of Wg Cdr David "Manners" Manning.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1918 | November 1918 | de Havilland DH.9 Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War... |
Single-engined biplane bomber | |
| August 1918 | March 1920 | de Havilland DH.9A Airco DH.9A The Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial... |
Single-engined biplane bomber | |
| April 1924 | December 1924 | Vickers Vimy Vickers Vimy The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop... |
Twin-engined biplane bomber | |
| August 1924 | December 1925 | Avro Aldershot Avro Aldershot -See also:-External links:*... |
Mk.III | Single-engined heavy bomber |
| December 1925 | January 1931 | Handley Page Hyderabad Handley Page Hyderabad |-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8.... |
Twin-engined biplane heavy bomber | |
| October 1929 | December 1933 | Handley Page Hinaidi Handley Page Hinaidi |-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8.... |
Twin-engined biplane heavy bomber | |
| November 1933 | September 1937 | Handley Page Heyford Handley Page Heyford The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine British biplane bomber of the 1930s. Although it had a short service life, it equipped several squadrons of the RAF as one of the most important British bombers of the mid-1930s, and was the last biplane heavy bomber to serve with the RAF.-Design and... |
Mk.I | Twin-engined biplane heavy bomber |
| November 1934 | August 1938 | Handley Page Heyford | Mk.II | Twin-engined biplane heavy bomber |
| December 1935 | November 1938 | Handley Page Heyford | Mk.III | Twin-engined biplane heavy bomber |
| October 1938 | December 1939 | Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a... |
Mk.I | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| September 1939 | April 1940 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.Ia | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| March 1940 | February 1942 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.Ic | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| July 1941 | October 1941 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.II | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| October 1942 | May 1943 | Vickers Wellington | | Mk.Ic | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| April 1943 | August 1944 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.III | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| April 1943 | August 1944 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.X | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| September 1944 | November 1945 | Consolidated Liberator B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber... |
Mk.VI | Four-engined heavy bomber |
| November 1947 | September 1949 | Avro York Avro York The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:... |
C.1 | Four-engined transport |
| August 1949 | June 1959 | Handley Page Hastings Handley Page Hastings The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force... |
C.1 | Four-engined transport |
| May 1952 | June 1959 | Handley Page Hastings | C.2 | Four-engined transport |
| June 1959 | January 1976 | Bristol Britannia Bristol Britannia The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire... |
C.1 and C.2 | Four-engined transport |
| 2002 | Present Day | Boeing Globemaster C-17 Globemaster III The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout... |
C-17A | Four-engined strategic transport |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August 1917 | 30 August 1917 | RAF Yatesbury Yatesbury Yatesbury is a village adjacent to Cherhill, 1 mile north of the A4 road between Calne and Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. Yatesbury forms part of The Oldbury Benefice, which comprises the five parishes of Cherhill, Compton Bassett, Heddington, Calstone Wellington and Yatesbury.-RAF... , Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers... |
First formation |
| 30 August 1917 | 25 April 1918 | RAF Ford Farm Old Sarum Airfield Old Sarum Airfield is located north northeast of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.The aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee . The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.The site is a... , Wiltshire |
|
| 25 April 1918 | 3 May 1918 | St. Omer Saint-Omer Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area.... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
|
| 3 May 1918 | 5 June 1918 | Tantonville Tantonville Tantonville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.... , France |
|
| 5 June 1918 | 16 November 1918 | Azelot Azelot Azelot is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.... , France |
|
| 16 November 1918 | 29 November 1918 | Auxi-le-Chateau Auxi-le-Château Auxi-le-Château is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:A farming town located 28 miles northwest of Arras at the junction of the D938, D933 and D941 roads. The Authie river flows through the town, which once divided the commune into two parts, one in the... , France |
|
| 29 November 1918 | 12 December 1918 | St. André-aux-Bois, France | |
| 12 December 1918 | 1 May 1919 | Aulnoye Aulnoye-Aymeries Aulnoye-Aymeries is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.Before the opening of the high-speed railway line between Brussels and Paris, it was a major railway crossing, where the lines Paris-Brussels and Calais-Lille-Thionville connected.... , France |
|
| 1 May 1919 | 15 June 1919 | en route to British India via SS Magwa and SS Syria | |
| 15 June 1919 | 30 September 1919 | Ambala Ambala Air Force Base Ambala Air Force Station is an air base east of the urban Ambala area. It is used for military and government flights. It is also used to fly in politicians and other key people.-History:... , Haryana Haryana Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south... , British India |
|
| 30 September 1919 | 2 April 1920 | Mianwali, Punjab Punjab region The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi... , British India |
Det. at Kohat Kohat Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge... , North-West Frontier Province |
| 1 April 1924 | 31 May 1924 | RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire | Second formation |
| 31 May 1924 | 5 January 1928 | RAF Bircham Newton RAF Bircham Newton RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:... , Norfolk Norfolk Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county... |
|
| 5 january 1928 | 15 November 1934 | RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training... , Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire .... |
|
| 15 November 1934 | 2 September 1939 | RAF Mildenhall RAF Mildenhall RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing... , Suffolk Suffolk Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east... |
|
| 2 September 1939 | 8 March 1941 | RAF Newmarket RAF Newmarket RAF Newmarket was an RAF station near Newmarket, Suffolk, England, near the border with Cambridgeshire.The RAF station was actually a grass-strip on Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse... , Suffolk |
Det. at RAF Lossiemouth RAF Lossiemouth RAF Lossiemouth is a Royal Air Force station to the west of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland. It is one of the RAF's biggest bases and is currently Britain's main base for Tornado GR4s. From 2013 the Northern QRA force of Typhoon F2 will relocate to Lossiemouth following the closure of... , Moray Moray Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... on loan to Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive... Nov/Dec 1939 Det. at Salon Salon-de-Provence Salon-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is the location of an important air base.-History:Salon was a Gallo-Roman oppidum well positioned on the salt trade routes between Adriatic, Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, hence its name... , France, June 1940 |
| 8 March 1941 | 12 february 1942 | RAF Waterbeach Waterbeach Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :... , Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west... |
|
| 12 february 1942 | 1 June 1942 | en route to British India | |
| 1 June 1942 | 12 September 1942 | Ambala, Haryana, British India | Re-formed here. Dets at Solan Solan Solan is a town and a municipal council in Solan district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located south of state capital Shimla. The place is named after the Hindu goddess Shoolini devi. Solan was the capital of erstwhile princely state, Bhagat... , Punjab Punjab region The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi... , British India and Pandaveswar Pandaveswar Pandabeswar is an administrative division in Durgapur subdivision of Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Andal and Pandabeswar police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this block is at Pandabeswar... , Bengal Bengal Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous... , British India |
| 12 September 1942 | 24 October 1942 | Pandaveswar, Bengal, British India | |
| 24 October 1942 | 3 April 1943 | Digri Digri Digri is a town In District Mirpurkhas, Sindh, Pakistan.Digri is named after then lived taller lady which was renowned as "dighi" in Sindhi means taller.*Geographical location: Mirpurkhas, Sind, Pakistan, Asia... , Bengal Bengal Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous... , British India |
|
| 3 April 1943 | 14 June 1943 | Chaklala PAF Base Chaklala PAF Base Chaklala is an active Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. It also forms part of Islamabad International Airport.-History:The base was originally operated by the Royal Air Force as R.A.F... , Punjab, British India |
|
| 14 June 1943 | 27 August 1944 | Jessore, Bengal, British India | Dets. at Argatala Agartala Airport -World War II:During World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Force Tenth Air Force 4th Combat Cargo Group, which flew C-46 Commando transport aircraft over Burma... , Twipra Kingdom Twipra Kingdom Twipra Kingdom was one of the largest ancient kingdom of the Tipra people of the Bodo-Kachari ethnicity in the Northeastern region of the Indian Subcontinent having a chronicle of 186 Kings till the present times .- Geographical spread :The present political... and Kumbhirgram Silchar Airport Silchar Airport is located in Silchar in the state of Assam, India. It was constructed by the British during the World War. The airport is situated on the foothills of the Barail range. It is the fourth busiest airport of the north-eastern India next to Guwahati, Agartala and Imphal... , Assam Assam Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country... , British India |
| 27 August 1944 | 1 August 1945 | RAF Dhubalia Dhubulia Dhubulia is a village in Nadia district of West Bengal, India. It has the biggest tuberculosis Hospital in Asia. Belpukur is the oldest neighborhood in the village.- History :... , Bengal, British India |
|
| 1 August 1945 | 15 November 1945 | RAF Cocos Islands Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka.... , Straits Settlements Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867... |
|
| 17 November 1947 | 16 June 1970 | RAF Lyneham RAF Lyneham RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No... , Wiltshire |
Third formation. Det. at RAF Wunstorf Wunstorf Wunstorf is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the city of Wunstorf: Blumenau , Bokeloh, Grossenheidorn, Idensen , Klein Heidorn, Kolenfeld, Luthe, Mesmerode, Steinhude, Wunstorf.... , Germany during Berlin Blockade Berlin Blockade The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first resulting in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied... |
| 16 June 1970 | 7 January 1976 | RAF Brize Norton RAF Brize Norton RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney.... , Oxfordshire |
|
| 1 January 2002 | present | RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire | Fourth formation |
Commanding Officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 15 August 1917 | 11 March 1918 | Capt. A.M. Swyny |
| 11 March 1918 | 5 November 1918 | Maj. Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... L.A. Pattinson Lawrence Pattinson Air Marshal Sir Lawrence Arthur Pattinson KBE CB DSO MC DFC was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command.-RAF career:... , MC Military Cross The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.... , DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| 5 November 1918 | 2 April 1920 | Maj. C.R. Cox, AFC Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"... |
| 23 April 1924 | 4 September 1925 | S/Ldr. Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... G.R.M. Reid, DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... , MC |
| 4 September 1925 | 1 October 1925 | S/Ldr. L.T.N. Gould, MC, DFC |
| 1 October 1925 | 3 April 1927 | S/Ldr. W.J. Ryan, CBE Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... |
| 3 April 1927 | 26 July 1929 | W/Cdr. Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... B.E. Smithies, DFC |
| 26 July 1929 | 19 November 1929 | W/Cdr. W.B. Hargreaves, OBE Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... |
| 19 November 1929 | 19 February 1930 | S/Ldr. G.H. Cock |
| 19 February 1930 | 1 August 1932 | W/Cdr. H.G. Smart, CBE, DFC, AFC |
| 1 August 1932 | 13 January 1934 | W/Cdr. E.D. Johnson, AFC |
| 13 January 1934 | 1 January 1936 | W/Cdr. F.J. Linnell, OBE |
| 1 January 1936 | 21 June 1937 | W/Cdr. H.N. Drew, OBE, AFC |
| 21 June 1937 | 26 September 1939 | W/Cdr. H.E. Walker, MC, DFC |
| 26 September 1939 | 29 June 1940 | S/Ldr. J.F. Griffiths, DFC |
| 29 June 1940 | 16 January 1941 | W/Cdr. R.J.A. Ford |
| 16 January 1941 | 12 December 1941 | W/Cdr. F.W. Dixon-Wright, DFC |
| 12 December 1941 | 14 June 1942 | W/Cdr. P. Heath |
| 14 June 1942 | 25 April 1943 | W/Cdr. J.B. Black, OBE, DFC |
| 25 April 1943 | 11 June 1943 | S/Ldr. C.L.M. Schräder |
| 11 June 1943 | 15 March 1944 | S/Ldr. R.G. Maddox, AFC |
| 15 March 1944 | 24 May 1944 | S/Ldr. A.S.R. Ennis, DSO, AFC |
| 24 May 1944 | 3 September 1944 | S/Ldr. P.R. O'Connor, DFC |
| 3 September 1944 | 23 April 1945 | W/Cdr. L.B. Ercolani, DSO, DFC |
| 23 April 1945 | 15 November 1945 | W/Cdr. A. Webster, DSO, DFC |
| 17 November 1947 | 6 May 1949 | S/Ldr. G.V. Ridpath, DFC |
| 6 May 1949 | 10 June 1950 | S/Ldr. S.E. Pattinson, DFC |
| 10 June 1950 | 3 May 1951 | S/Ldr. W.G. James |
| 3 May 1951 | 14 September 1952 | W/Cdr. B.C. Bennett, AFC |
| 14 September 1952 | 17 July 1954 | S/Ldr. K.B. Orr |
| 17 July 1954 | 27 April 1956 | S/Ldr. R.F.B. Powell |
| 27 April 1956 | 27 May 1957 | S/Ldr. D.R. Ware, DFC, AFC |
| 27 May 1957 | 9 January 1959 | S/Ldr. T.M. Stafford |
| 9 January 1959 | 5 October 1959 | W/Cdr. J.O. Barnard, OBE |
| 5 October 1959 | 28 September 1961 | W/Cdr. W.E.F. Grey, AFC |
| 28 September 1961 | 12 November 1963 | W/Cdr. P. Barber, DFC |
| 12 November 1963 | 27 December 1965 | W/Cdr. R.M. Jenkins, AFC |
| 27 December 1965 | 1 August 1967 | W/Cdr. T.L. Kennedy, AFC |
| 1 August 1967 | 21 June 1969 | W/Cdr. F.B. Yetman |
| 21 June 1969 | 25 June 1971 | W/Cdr. W.C. Milne |
| 25 June 1971 | 3 September 1973 | W/Cdr. F. Appleyard |
| 3 September 1973 | 7 January 1976 | W/Cdr. C.E. Bowles |