No. 203 Squadron RAF
No. 203 Squadron RAF | |
---|---|
Active | Latin: Occidens oriensque ("West and east")[1] |
Battle honours | Western Front, 1914-1918 Independent Force & Germany, 1914-1918 Aegean, 1915 Helles ANZAC Suvla Arras Lys Somme, 1918 Hindenburg Line East Africa, 1940-1941 Mediterranean, 1941-1943 Iraq, 1941 Habbaniya Syria, 1941 Egypt & Libya, 1941-1942 North Africa, 1943 Sicily, 1943 Eastern Waters, 1944-1945 Burma, 1945 |
Insignia | |
Squadron codes | PP (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[2] NT (Sep 1939 – Mar 1940)[2] CJ (Feb 1945 – Apr 1951)[2] B (Apr 1951 - 1956)[2] 203 (1956 – Sep 1956, Nov 1956 - 1966)[2] |
No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.
History
First World War
The squadron can be traced to The Eastchurch Squadron, which formed
A new No. 3 Squadron was formed at Saint Pol on 5 November 1916 from elements of No. 1 Wing RNAS. It then served as a fighter squadron on the Western Front. Among the numerous types of aircraft it was equipped with were the Nieuport 17, Nieuport 21, and Sopwith Pup, followed later by the Sopwith Camel.[5]
Among its notable Officers Commanding were Canada's first ace,
Eleven of the squadron's 23 aces were Canadian. The squadron claimed about 250 aerial victories during World War I.[6]
Interwar perIod
Following the
Second World War
Shortly before the start of the war the squadron was re-equipped with
Post war
The squadron returned to the UK in 1947 and re-equipped with Avro Lancasters. In July 1954, the squadron was flying Neptune MR.2s from RAF Topcliffe, along with No.s No. 36 and No. 210 Squadrons as part of No. 19 Group, RAF Coastal Command.[9] The squadron remained a Maritime Reconnaissance squadron for the remainder of its existence operating Avro Shackletons and then Hawker Siddeley Nimrods from RAF Luqa between July 1971 and December 1977.[10] The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1977 at RAF Luqa in Malta, by which time it was part of No. 18 Group within RAF Strike Command.[11]
Sea Kings
The squadron was reformed in October 1996, when the Westland Sea King Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall was redesignated 203(R) Squadron as a reserve unit. In 2008, 203(R) Squadron relocated to RAF Valley in Anglesey, maintaining its role as the Sea King OCU and operating the Sea King HAR.3 until it was disbanded on 14 September 2014 following the withdrawal of the Sea King from RAF service.[12][13]
References
Citations
- ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ a b "203(R) Squadron". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ISSN 1328-2727.
- ^ a b Sturtivant, Page & Cronin (1992), p. 433.
- ^ a b Shores, Franks & Guest (1990), p. 41.
- ^ McNeill, Ross (July 1999). "No.203 Squadron RAF". RAF Commands. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ^ "Stations-S". Rafweb.org. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- ^ Rawlings (1984), p. 219.
- ^ Halley (1988), p. 263.
- ^ Rawlings (1984), pp. 206–207.
- ^ Cotter 2008, p. 34.
- ^ "Sqn Histories 201-205_P". Rafweb.org. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
Bibliography
- Cotter, J. (2008). Royal Air Force celebrating 90 years. ISBN 978-0-946219-11-7.
- Halley, J. J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. ISBN 978-0-85130-164-8.
- Rawlings, J. D. R. (1984). History of the Royal Air Force. New York: Crescent Books. ISBN 978-0-517-46249-2.
- Shores, C.; Franks, N.; Guest, R. (1990). Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
- "Short Rangoon". Aeromilitaria. No. 2. Air-Britain. 1994. pp. 31–36.
- Sturtivant, R.; Page, G.; Cronin, D. (1992). Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911 to 1919. ISBN 978-0-85130-191-4.
External links
- "RAF Search and Rescue (SARF) - 203(R) Squadron". Royal Air Force. 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- "Squadron Commander Raymond Collishaw and pilots of No. 203 Squadron, Royal Air Force, July 1918". Canadian Military Heritage. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2015.