No. 213 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force
. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service
. This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Seaplane Defence Flight which, since its creation in June 1917, had had the task of defending the seaplanes which flew out of Dunkirk.
s. When the Royal Naval Air Service
merged with the Royal Flying Corps
to form the Royal Air Force, it was renumbered as 213 Squadron. In this incarnation, it flew Sopwith Baby
floatplanes and transitioned to Sopwith Camel
s. It was during this time that the squadron derived its Hornet
insignia and motto for the squadron badge, after overhearing a Belgian
General refer to the squadron's defence of his trenches, "Like angry hornets attacking the enemy aircraft". The Hornet became affectionately known as "Crabro," latin
for hornet. The squadron's official motto became, "Irritatus Lacessit Crabro" (The Hornet Attacks When Roused). In March 1919 the squadron went back to the UK where it disbanded on 31 December 1919.
During its wartime existence, the squadron had 11 flying aces serve with it, including such notables as
John Edmund Greene
,
Colin Brown
,
George Chisholm MacKay
,
Leonard Slatter
,
Maurice Cooper
,
Miles Day
,
Ronald Graham
,
John Paynter
,
John Pinder
, and
George Stacey Hodson
.
, converting to Hurricanes
in January 1939 and flew throughout the war. It participated as part of the British Expeditionary Force
; then at Dunkirk; the Battle of Britain
and finally in the Middle East as part of the Desert Air Force
. It also flew Spitfires
and P-51 Mustang
s.
s and then De Havilland Vampire
s. It was stationed at Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone
from October 1948 till its disbandment there on 30 September 1954.
squadron, specialising in low level interdiction missions. It was the only squadron to fly the Canberra B(I).6 variant, still with the "Crabro" insignia adorning the tail fin, first from RAF Ahlhorn
and later form RAF Bruggen
, while a detachment was for a short time in 1956 stationed at Valkenburg Naval Air Base
in the Netherlands. The squadron finally disbanded on 31 December 1969.
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...
. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal 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...
. This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Seaplane Defence Flight which, since its creation in June 1917, had had the task of defending the seaplanes which flew out of Dunkirk.
World War I
Formed originally from the Seaplane Defence Flight, which was itself founded in June 1917 at Dunkirk, it was reorganized as No. 13 Squadron RNAS on 15 January 1918. As the SDF, it operated Sopwith PupSopwith Pup
The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very...
s. When the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal 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...
merged with the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
to form the Royal Air Force, it was renumbered as 213 Squadron. In this incarnation, it flew Sopwith Baby
Sopwith Baby
-See also:...
floatplanes and transitioned to 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. It was during this time that the squadron derived its Hornet
Hornet
Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps; some species can reach up to in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex , which is proportionally larger in Vespa and by the anteriorly rounded gasters .- Life cycle :In...
insignia and motto for the squadron badge, after overhearing a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
General refer to the squadron's defence of his trenches, "Like angry hornets attacking the enemy aircraft". The Hornet became affectionately known as "Crabro," latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for hornet. The squadron's official motto became, "Irritatus Lacessit Crabro" (The Hornet Attacks When Roused). In March 1919 the squadron went back to the UK where it disbanded on 31 December 1919.
During its wartime existence, the squadron had 11 flying aces serve with it, including such notables as
John Edmund Greene
John Edmund Greene
John Edmund Greene DFC was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 15 victories. Greene was shot down by Carl Degelow on 4 October 1918, but survived to be shot down and killed 10 days later....
,
Colin Brown
Colin Brown (aviator)
Air Vice Marshal Colin Peter Brown began his military career as a flying ace in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I, being credited with 14 aerial victories. He remained in the RAF postwar and served until invalided from the service on 15 March 1954.Colin Brown was educated at Dulwich...
,
George Chisholm MacKay
George Chisholm MacKay
George Chisholm MacKay DFC was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 18 victories.-Websites:...
,
Leonard Slatter
Leonard Slatter
Air Marshal Sir Leonard Horatio Slatter KBE, CB, DSC & Bar, DFC, RAF was a naval aviator during World War I and a senior Royal Air Force commander during World War II. Slatter ended his career as the commander-in-chief of Coastal Command.-Early life and World War I:Slatter was born in Durban,...
,
Maurice Cooper
Maurice Cooper
Captain Maurice Lea Cooper was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.Although Irish-born, Cooper was educated in York....
,
Miles Day
Miles Day
Flight Commander Miles Jeffery Game Day was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.Day was already an experienced test pilot when he joined 13 Squadron RNAS on 19 December 1917. He scored five victories while flying a Sopwith Camel. His first win came on 3 January 1918, and...
,
Ronald Graham
Ronald Graham (aviator)
Air Vice-Marshal Ronald Graham was a World War I flying ace of the Royal Naval Air Service. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after that war, he rose to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal during World War II.-World War I:...
,
John Paynter
John Paynter (aviator)
Captain John De Camborne Paynter was a World War I Royal Naval Air Service flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his valour before being killed in a bombing raid.-Early life:...
,
John Pinder
John Pinder (aviator)
Captain John William Pinder DFC was a World War I flying ace credited with 17 confirmed aerial victories.After the war, Pinder was an aviation pioneer in South America. In August 1920, he was part of a group attempting the first flight between Brazil and Buenos Aires. Pinder teamed with Brazilian...
, and
George Stacey Hodson
George Stacey Hodson
Air Vice Marshal George Stacey Hodson began his military career as an English World War I flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. In the course of his 34 years service to his nation, he rose to become a major commander during World War II....
.
World War II
The squadron was reformed on 8 March 1937 flying Gauntlet IIsGloster Gauntlet
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Crawford, Alex. Bristol Bulldog, Gloster Gauntlet. Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2005. ISBN 83-89450-04-6....
, converting to Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
in January 1939 and flew throughout the war. It participated as part of the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
; then at Dunkirk; the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
and finally in the Middle East as part of the Desert Air Force
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force , also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, AHQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force , was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No...
. It also flew Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s.
Post World War II
After the war, the squadron remained in the Middle East, first flying Hawker TempestHawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
s and then De Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
s. It was stationed at Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
from October 1948 till its disbandment there on 30 September 1954.
With Bomber Command to RAF Germany
The squadron reformed once again on 1 September 1955 as an English Electric CanberraEnglish Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
squadron, specialising in low level interdiction missions. It was the only squadron to fly the Canberra B(I).6 variant, still with the "Crabro" insignia adorning the tail fin, first from RAF Ahlhorn
RAF Ahlhorn
The former Royal Air Force Station Ahlhorn, commonly known as RAF Ahlhorn, was a Royal Air Force airbase in Germany situated in the southern suburbs of Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony....
and later form RAF Bruggen
RAF Bruggen
The former Royal Air Force Station Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, in Germany was a major station of the Royal Air Force until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately west of Düsseldorf near the German-Netherlands border. The base was named after...
, while a detachment was for a short time in 1956 stationed at Valkenburg Naval Air Base
Valkenburg Naval Air Base
Valkenburg Naval Air Base is a former air base located just south of Valkenburg, which is part of Katwijk and close to the city of Leiden, that was used by the Royal Netherlands Navy up until 2006, being their base for the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft, which were sold to Germany and Portugal,...
in the Netherlands. The squadron finally disbanded on 31 December 1969.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1918 | December 1919 | 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... |
F1 |
| March 1937 | February 1939 | Gauntlet Gloster Gauntlet -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Crawford, Alex. Bristol Bulldog, Gloster Gauntlet. Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2005. ISBN 83-89450-04-6.... |
Mk.II |
| January 1939 | February 1942 | Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
Mk.I |
| August 1941 | March 1944 | Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
Mks.IIa, IIc |
| February 1944 | May 1944 | Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
Mk.Vc |
| February 1944 | June 1944 | Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
Mk.IX |
| May 1944 | February 1947 | Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... |
Mk.III |
| February 1945 | February 1947 | Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... |
Mk.IV |
| January 1947 | January 1950 | Tempest Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war.... |
F.6 |
| November 1949 | April 1952 | Vampire De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served... |
FB.5 |
| April 1952 | September 1954 | Vampire De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served... |
FB.9 |
| March 1956 | December 1969 | Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957... |
B(I).6 |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 3 July 1917 | 21 November 1918 | S/Cdr. R. Graham |
| 21 November 1918 | 31 December 1919 | Maj. A.G. Tayler |
| 3 May 1937 | 27 May 1940 | S/Ldr. J.H. Edwardes Jones Humphrey Edwardes-Jones Air Marshal Sir Humphrey Edwardes-Jones KCB CBE DFC AFC RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:... |
| 27 May 1940 | 25 August 1940 | S/Ldr. H. McGregor Hector McGregor Air Marshal Sir Hector Douglas McGregor, KCB, CBE, DSO, RAF, was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:... , 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... |
| 25 August 1940 | 14 November 1941 | S/Ldr. D.S. MacDonald |
| 14 November 1941 | 16 January 1942 | S/Ldr. R. Lockhart |
| 16 January 1942 | 18 May 1942 | S/Ldr. G.V.W. Kettlewell |
| 18 May 1942 | 12 October 1942 | S/Ldr. M.H. Young, 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... |
| 12 October 1942 | 1 January 1943 | S/Ldr. P. Olver |
| 1 January 1943 | 24 August 1943 | S/Ldr. V.C. Woodward, DFC |
| 24 August 1943 | 16 September 1944 | S/Ldr. S.R. Whiting, DFC |
| 16 September 1944 | 17 December 1944 | S/Ldr. C.S. Vos, DFC |
| 17 December 1944 | 17 January 1946 | S/Ldr. P.E. Vaughan-Fowler, DFC & Bar Medal bar A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the... |
| 17 January 1946 | 4 November 1946 | S/Ldr. R.S. Nash, DFC |
| 4 November 1946 | 2 January 1947 | S/Ldr. M.C. Wells |
| 2 January 1947 | 18 March 1948 | S/Ldr. D.C. Colebrook |
| 18 March 1948 | 18 April 1949 | S/Ldr. P.J. Kelley, DFC |
| 18 April 1949 | 14 September 1951 | S/Ldr. D.J.A. Roe, DSO, DFC |
| 14 September 1951 | 31 March 1954 | S/Ldr. D.M. Finn, DFC |
| 31 March 1954 | 30 September 1954 | S/Ldr. A.J.H. Kitley |
| 1 September 1954 | 29 December 1957 | W/Cdr. H.J. Dodson, 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"... |
| 29 December 1957 | 10 August 1959 | W/Cdr. I.R. Campbell, AFC |
| 10 August 1959 | 7 June 1961 | W/Cdr. P.T. Bayley |
| 7 June 1961 | 24 April 1964 | W/Cdr. S. Slater, DSO, 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... , DFC |
| 24 April 1964 | 13 June 1966 | W/Cdr. R.H. Arscott |
| 13 June 1966 | 23 May 1968 | W/Cdr. T.E. Benson |
| 23 May 1968 | 31 December 1969 | W/Cdr. M.R.T. Chandler |