No. 26 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 26 Squadron of the Royal Air Force
was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976.
The squadron motto is N Wagter in die Lug (Afrikaans) (A guard in the sky), and the squadrons badge is a springbok's head couped.
on 8 October 1915 from personnel of the South African Flying Unit. It was equipped with B.E.s and Farmans and sent to East Africa in 1915, arriving in Mombasa
at the end of January 1916. In February 1918 it was dispatched back to the UK where it was disbanded in July 1918.A small gem of information this squadron is the only one I have been able to find that was issued a block of service numbers for its members.
as a single flight of Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
army co-operation aircraft. and on 1 September 1938 a second flight was added. In July 1933 Hawker Audaxes were received which were replaced by Hawker Hector
s in August 1937.
, the Squadron had been equipped with Westland Lysander
s and in October 1939 it was moved to France. When the Germans invaded Belgium in May 1940 No. 26 was forced to move to Lympne
where it flew reconnaissance, bombing and supply missions over northern France. Coastal patrols began in June and training with the army occupied most of the Squadrons time for the next few years. In February 1941 Curtiss Tomahawks began to arrive to replace the Lysanders for tactical reconnaissance missions. In October 1941 the Tomahawks began to fly low-level ground attack sorties over northern France but they lacked the performance required for operations of this nature so in January 1942 they were replaced by Mustangs
. The tactical reconnaissance and day intruder missions continued until July 1943, when the Squadron moved to Yorkshire
and then in March 1944 to Scotland
. In preparations for the Normandy landings, No. 26 trained in spotting naval guns, a task it carried out on and after D-Day
. For this role the Squadron was equipped with Supermarine Spitfire
s although they reverted back to Mustangs in December 1944 for reconnaissance missions over the Netherlands
. In April 1945 the Squadron spent two weeks spotting for French warships bombarding pockets of German resistance before being transferred to Germany in August. No. 26 remained here until 1 April 1946 when it was disbanded.
and it flew Spitfires and Hawker Tempest
s until April 1949 when it was re-equipped with De Havilland Vampire
s. In November 1953, now at RAF Oldenburg, No. 26 was converted to Sabres, converting again to Hunters in July 1955, and remained a day-fighter unit until it was disbanded on 10 September 1957. It was reformed with Hawker Hunter
s at RAF Gutersloh
on 7 June 1958 but was disbanded again on 30 December 1960. Reformed again at RAF Odiham
on 1 June 1962, No. 26 became a helicopter Squadron flying Bristol Belvedere
s. An advance party was moved to Aden
in March 1963 and the remainder to RAF Kuching
, Borneo
in November 1963 for a one year unaccompanied tour. The aircraft remaining in Khormakser in 1965 went to Singapore
on 30 November 1965 where they were merged with No. 66 Squadron RAF
, the ground crew going to No. 74 Squadron
. On 3 February 1969 the Northern Communication Squadron at RAF Wyton
was re-designated No. 26 Squadron until it was disbanded on 1 April 1976.
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 formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1976.
The squadron motto is N Wagter in die Lug (Afrikaans) (A guard in the sky), and the squadrons badge is a springbok's head couped.
1915 to 1918
No. 26 Squadron was formed 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...
on 8 October 1915 from personnel of the South African Flying Unit. It was equipped with B.E.s and Farmans and sent to East Africa in 1915, arriving in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
at the end of January 1916. In February 1918 it was dispatched back to the UK where it was disbanded in July 1918.A small gem of information this squadron is the only one I have been able to find that was issued a block of service numbers for its members.
Between the wars
On 11 October 1927 No. 26 was reformed at CatterickCatterick
Catterick could be*Catterick, North Yorkshire, England, commonly known as Catterick Village**Catterick Bridge, a hamlet near Catterick Village**Catterick Garrison, a British Army garrison near Catterick Village...
as a single flight of Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
|-See also:-External links:* *...
army co-operation aircraft. and on 1 September 1938 a second flight was added. In July 1933 Hawker Audaxes were received which were replaced by Hawker Hector
Hawker Hector
-See also:-Bibliography:* Air Transport Auxiliary Ferry Pilots Notes . Elvington, York, UK: Yorkshire Air Museum, 1996. ISBN 0-9512379-8-5....
s in August 1937.
Second World War
By the out-break of World War IIWorld 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...
, the Squadron had been equipped with Westland Lysander
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
s and in October 1939 it was moved to France. When the Germans invaded Belgium in May 1940 No. 26 was forced to move to Lympne
Lympne
Lympne is a village situated on the former sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. It lies approximately west of Folkestone, 2 miles west of Hythe and east of Ashford....
where it flew reconnaissance, bombing and supply missions over northern France. Coastal patrols began in June and training with the army occupied most of the Squadrons time for the next few years. In February 1941 Curtiss Tomahawks began to arrive to replace the Lysanders for tactical reconnaissance missions. In October 1941 the Tomahawks began to fly low-level ground attack sorties over northern France but they lacked the performance required for operations of this nature so in January 1942 they were replaced by Mustangs
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...
. The tactical reconnaissance and day intruder missions continued until July 1943, when the Squadron moved to Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and then in March 1944 to 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...
. In preparations for the Normandy landings, No. 26 trained in spotting naval guns, a task it carried out on and after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. For this role the Squadron was equipped with Supermarine 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...
s although they reverted back to Mustangs in December 1944 for reconnaissance missions over the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In April 1945 the Squadron spent two weeks spotting for French warships bombarding pockets of German resistance before being transferred to Germany in August. No. 26 remained here until 1 April 1946 when it was disbanded.
Post war
On the same day, No. 41 Squadron was renumbered as No. 26 Squadron at WunstorfWunstorf
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....
and it flew Spitfires and Hawker 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....
s until April 1949 when it was re-equipped with 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. In November 1953, now at RAF Oldenburg, No. 26 was converted to Sabres, converting again to Hunters in July 1955, and remained a day-fighter unit until it was disbanded on 10 September 1957. It was reformed with Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
s at RAF Gutersloh
RAF Gütersloh
The former Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airbase, the nearest Royal Air Force airbase to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was constructed by the Germans prior to World War II...
on 7 June 1958 but was disbanded again on 30 December 1960. Reformed again at RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the historic small village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook HC2, HC2A and HC3...
on 1 June 1962, No. 26 became a helicopter Squadron flying Bristol Belvedere
Bristol Belvedere
The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere is a British twin-engine, tandem rotor military helicopter built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was designed for a variety of transport roles including troop transport, supply dropping and casualty evacuation...
s. An advance party was moved to Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in March 1963 and the remainder to RAF Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
in November 1963 for a one year unaccompanied tour. The aircraft remaining in Khormakser in 1965 went to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 30 November 1965 where they were merged with No. 66 Squadron RAF
No. 66 Squadron RAF
No. 66 Squadron was a Royal Flying Corps and eventually Royal Air Force aircraft squadron.-In World War I:It was first formed at Filton on 30 June 1916 as a Training Squadron equipped with BE2c,d & e, BE12 and Avroe 504A machines. The squadron received its first Sopwith Pup on 3 February 1917,...
, the ground crew going to No. 74 Squadron
No. 74 Squadron RAF
No. 74 Squadron RAF, also known as a "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger head motif, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s.-First World War:...
. On 3 February 1969 the Northern Communication Squadron at RAF Wyton
RAF Wyton
RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It...
was re-designated No. 26 Squadron until it was disbanded on 1 April 1976.