No. 206 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 206 Squadron was a Royal Air Force
unit employed, until 2005, in the maritime patrol
role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss
, Moray
. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120
and 201
Squadrons, also stationed at Kinloss. This was a part of the UK Defence Review called Delivering Security in a Changing World
; the Nimrod MR.2 fleet was reduced in number from 21 to 16 as a consequence.
, a fighter
unit operating Nieuport 17
s and later Sopwith Camel
s over the Western Front before disbanding on 27 August 1917. The squadron was reformed in 1 January 1918 as a bomber
and reconnaissance
unit, operating Airco DH9s. With the establishment of the RAF in 1918 the squadron was renumbered No. 206 Squadron, RAF, being used for photo-reconnaissance in support of the British Second Army and for bombing support during the Allies final offensive. Following the Armistice
it was used to operate an air mail service for the British occupying army in Germany, before being deployed to Helwan, Egypt
in June 1919. It was renumbered as 47 Squadron
on 1 February 1920.
Flying ace
Major (later Group Captain) Ernest Norton
served in the squadron during World War I, as did Albert Gregory Waller
.
s as part of the new RAF Coastal Command
, initially as a training squadron but later assigned to maritime patrol
s. It operated from RAF Bircham Newton
in the early years of World War II
, managing to shoot down a Heinkel He 115
floatplane
and attack a German submarine before re-equipping with the Lockheed Hudson
in March 1940. It converted to the Boeing Fortress Mk.II in July 1942, allowing long range patrols over the Atlantic, moving to the Azores
during October 1943, before returning to the United Kingdom for re-equipping with the Consolidated Liberator Mk.VI
, later augmented by the Liberators Mk.VIII
. The Squadron's Liberators were based at RAF St Eval
until after D-Day, when the unit moved North to RAF Leuchars
. A section was detached to West Africa for anti-submarine
and convoy patrols as No. 200 Squadron RAF
. Detachments also operated from bases such as RAF St Eval
in Cornwall
and RAF Aldergrove
in County Antrim
. The squadron was disbanded on 25 April 1946.
transport aircraft, but again disbanded on 31 August 1949. It was soon reformed on 1 December 1949, flying Douglas Dakota
s, the military transport version of the well-known Douglas DC-3
airliner. This lated only till 20 February 1950 however. Reformed yet again on 27 September 1952 on Avro Shackleton
s, the squadron moved to RAF Kinloss
in 1965 and was equipped with Hawker-Siddeley Nimrods in 1970. It continued to operate the Nimrod until disbanding on 1 April 2005.
) gained the 206 Squadron numberplate, as 206 (Reserve) Squadron.
Currently split between RAF Boscombe Down and RAF Brize Norton 'B Flt' C130 specialists moved from RAF Lyneham in June 2011 to their new home at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to continue the Hercules Test and Evaluation process.
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...
unit employed, until 2005, in the maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force station near Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north of Scotland. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to watch over Russian ships and submarines in...
, 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 :...
. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120
No. 120 Squadron RAF
No. 120 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, Scotland until the type's withdrawal in March 2010.-Formation in WWI:...
and 201
No. 201 Squadron RAF
No. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, until March 2010, operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even...
Squadrons, also stationed at Kinloss. This was a part of the UK Defence Review called Delivering Security in a Changing World
Delivering Security in a Changing World
The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the...
; the Nimrod MR.2 fleet was reduced in number from 21 to 16 as a consequence.
Formation and early years
No. 206 Squadron was formed on 31 December 1916 as No. 6 Squadron, Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
, a fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
unit operating Nieuport 17
Nieuport 17
|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153....
s and later Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
s over the Western Front before disbanding on 27 August 1917. The squadron was reformed in 1 January 1918 as a bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
unit, operating Airco DH9s. With the establishment of the RAF in 1918 the squadron was renumbered No. 206 Squadron, RAF, being used for photo-reconnaissance in support of the British Second Army and for bombing support during the Allies final offensive. Following the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
it was used to operate an air mail service for the British occupying army in Germany, before being deployed to Helwan, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in June 1919. It was renumbered as 47 Squadron
No. 47 Squadron RAF
No. 47 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.-First formation:No. 47 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire on 1 March 1916 as a home defence unit, protecting Hull and East Yorkshire against attack by German...
on 1 February 1920.
Flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
Major (later Group Captain) Ernest Norton
Ernest Norton (aviator)
Air Commodore Ernest William Norton DSC began his military career as a World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories....
served in the squadron during World War I, as did Albert Gregory Waller
Albert Gregory Waller
Captain Albert Gregory Waller MC was an Irish-born World War I flying ace credited with 11 confirmed victories. He would return to Britain's military service during World War II.- Personal life :...
.
Interbellum and World War II
The squadron was again reformed on 15 June 1936, with Avro AnsonAvro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s as part of the new RAF 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...
, initially as a training squadron but later assigned to maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
s. It operated from 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 the early years 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...
, managing to shoot down a Heinkel He 115
Heinkel He 115
The Heinkel He 115 was a World War II Luftwaffe seaplane with three seats. It was used as a torpedo bomber and performed general seaplane duties, such as reconnaissance and minelaying. The plane was powered by two 720 kW BMW 132K nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines...
floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
and attack a German submarine before re-equipping with the Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
in March 1940. It converted to the Boeing Fortress Mk.II in July 1942, allowing long range patrols over the Atlantic, moving to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
during October 1943, before returning to the United Kingdom for re-equipping with the Consolidated Liberator Mk.VI
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...
, later augmented by the Liberators Mk.VIII
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...
. The Squadron's Liberators were based at RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval was a strategic airbase for the RAF Coastal Command in the Second World War . St Eval's primary role was to provided anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast of England...
until after D-Day, when the unit moved North to RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
. A section was detached to West Africa for anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
and convoy patrols as No. 200 Squadron RAF
No. 200 Squadron RAF
No. 200 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated during the Second World War.It was formed in May 1941 from a section of No. 206 Squadron RAF, at Bircham Newton in Norfolk, operating Lockheed Hudson bombers...
. Detachments also operated from bases such as RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval was a strategic airbase for the RAF Coastal Command in the Second World War . St Eval's primary role was to provided anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast of England...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove was a Royal Air Force station situated northwest of Belfast. It adjoined Belfast International Airport, sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of the surrounding area...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. The squadron was disbanded on 25 April 1946.
Post-war
It was reformed on 17 November 1947, flying Avro York C.1Avro 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:...
transport aircraft, but again disbanded on 31 August 1949. It was soon reformed on 1 December 1949, flying Douglas Dakota
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
s, the military transport version of the well-known Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
airliner. This lated only till 20 February 1950 however. Reformed yet again on 27 September 1952 on Avro Shackleton
Avro Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force. It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber with a new fuselage...
s, the squadron moved to RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force station near Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north of Scotland. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to watch over Russian ships and submarines in...
in 1965 and was equipped with Hawker-Siddeley Nimrods in 1970. It continued to operate the Nimrod until disbanding on 1 April 2005.
Present
On 1 April 2009, the Heavy Aircraft Test & Evaluation Squadron at Boscombe Down (Air Warfare CentreAir Warfare Centre
The Air Warfare Centre, known as the AWC, is a Royal Air Force research and testing organization based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom...
) gained the 206 Squadron numberplate, as 206 (Reserve) Squadron.
Currently split between RAF Boscombe Down and RAF Brize Norton 'B Flt' C130 specialists moved from RAF Lyneham in June 2011 to their new home at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to continue the Hercules Test and Evaluation process.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1916 | Jun 1917 | Nieuport 17 Nieuport 17 |-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153.... |
|
| Jun 1917 | Aug 1917 | Sopwith Camel Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult... |
|
| Jan 1918 | Mar 1918 | Airco D.H.4 | |
| Feb 1918 | Jan 1920 | Airco D.H.9 | |
| Jun 1936 | Jun 1940 | Avro Anson Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was... |
Mk.I |
| Mar 1940 | Aug 1942 | Lockheed Hudson Lockheed Hudson The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter... |
Mk.I |
| Apr 1941 | Jun 1941 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.II |
| Apr 1941 | Aug 1942 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.III |
| Apr 1941 | Aug 1941 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.IV |
| Jun 1941 | Aug 1942 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.V |
| Jul 1942 | Apr 1944 | Boeing Fortress | Mks.II, IIA |
| Apr 1944 | Apr 1946 | 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 |
| Mar 1945 | Apr 1946 | Consolidated Liberator | Mk.VIII |
| Nov 1947 | Feb 1950 | 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 |
| Jan 1950 | Feb 1950 | Douglas Dakota C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and... |
C.4 |
| Sep 1952 | May 1958 | Avro Shackleton Avro Shackleton The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force. It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber with a new fuselage... |
MR.1A |
| Feb 1953 | Jun 1954 | Avro Shackleton | MR.2 |
| Jan 1958 | Oct 1970 | Avro Shackleton | MR.3 |
| Nov 1970 | Sep 1979 | Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod | MR.1 |
| Oct 1979 | Apr 2005 | Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod | MR.2 |