No. 23 Squadron RAF
No. 23 Squadron RAF | |
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Latin: Semper Aggressus ("Always on the attack")[3] | |
Battle honours |
|
Insignia | |
Squadron badge | An King George VI in April 1937.[4] |
Squadron roundel | |
Squadron Codes | MS Sep 1938 – Sep 1939 YP (Sep 1939 – May 1945;Sep 1946 – Apr 1951) EA–EZ (Nov 1988–Feb 1994) |
Number 23 Squadron is a squadron of the
History
First World War
No. 23 Squadron of the
By the end of the year the "Fee" was obsolete, and the Squadron started to receive
Reformation
The squadron was re-formed on 1 July 1925 at RAF Henlow with the Sopwith Snipe,[13] under command of the First World War air ace Raymond Collishaw. The squadron re-equipped with more modern Gloster Gamecock fighters in May 1926,[10] and moved to RAF Kenley in February 1927.[14]
In April 1931 the squadron partly re-equipped with
The Abyssinia Crisis in September 1935 led to the squadron being stripped of both aircraft and men in order to reinforce squadrons that were temporarily deployed overseas, with the squadron inventory dropping to a single aircraft in March 1936 before returning to full strength.[18] It moved to RAF Northolt in December 1936, moving again in May 1938, this time to RAF Wittering.[14] In December 1938 the squadron replaced its obsolete Demon biplanes with the Bristol Blenheim twin-engine monoplane, another bomber converted to a fighter.[18]
Second World War
On the outbreak of the
In July 1942 the squadron re-equipped with the more capable
Postwar operations
The squadron was reformed on 1 September 1946 as a night fighter squadron operating the de Havilland Mosquito.[13] It received jet aircraft in the form of de Havilland Vampire NF.10s in 1953, replacing them with de Havilland Venom NF.2s in June 1954.[11] The squadron acquired Venom NF.3 in 1957.[22]
In 1957 the squadron converted to the
The squadron assumed the Airborne Early Warning role upon reformation in April 1996, sharing the RAF's Sentry AEW1 fleet with No. 8 Squadron. The squadron disbanded on 2 October 2009, when it amalgamated with No 8 Squadron.[13]
Future
At the Air & Space Power Conference on 17 July 2019 it was announced that the squadron would reform as the RAF's first dedicated squadron to deal with space.[25][26] And in early January 2021, the squadron was reformed as a 'space squadron', which will be "responsible for day-to-day space command-and-control".[5][6]
Notable squadron members
Wing Commander A J 'Red' Owen DFC and Bar, AFC, DFM, was 23 Squadron's commanding officer between May 1962 and October 1964. He was one of the RAFs most successful night fighter pilots during World War II, credited with destroying at least 15 enemy aircraft.[29]
Air Commodore Charles Kingsford Smith MC, Australian Aviation pioneer was assigned to the Squadron in July 1917, while in the Squadron he shot down four German fighters before being shot down himself, he would go on to hold a training role within the Squadron.[30]
Aircraft operated
- Bleriot XI
- Caudron G.III
- Farman Shorthorn
- Avro 504
- Martinsyde S1
- BE2c
- FE2b
- Martinsyde G.100
- SPAD S.VII
- SPAD S.XIII
- Sopwith Dolphin
- Sopwith Snipe
- Gloster Gamecock
- Bristol Bulldog
- Hawker Hart
- Hawker Demon
- Bristol Blenheim
- Douglas Havoc I
- Douglas Boston III
- De Havilland Mosquito
- De Havilland Vampire NF.10
- De Havilland Venom
- Gloster Javelin
- English Electric Lightning
- McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FGR2
- Panavia Tornado F3
- Boeing Sentry AEW1
See also
Notes
- ^ "ADS Advance - The space domain and UK security". www.adsadvance.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Chuter, Andrew (15 January 2020). "Former fighter pilot picked to lead British military's space command". Defense News. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 58.
- ^ "23 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ a b "ADS Advance - The space domain and UK security". www.adsadvance.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ a b Chuter, Andrew (15 January 2020). "Former fighter pilot picked to lead British military's space command". Defense News. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Halley 1971, pp. 29–30.
- ^ Halley 1971, pp. 30–31.
- ^ Halley 1971, pp. 31–32.
- ^ a b c Halley 1971, p. 32.
- ^ a b Lewis 1959, p.22.
- ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 32
- ^ a b c d e "RAF – 23 Squadron Archived 14 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine" Organisation. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
- ^ a b c Halley 1980, p. 52.
- ^ Halley 1973, pp. 32, 36, 41.
- ^ Halley 1980, pp. 51–52.
- ^ Mason 1992, p. 234.
- ^ a b c d e Halley 1973, p. 36.
- ^ Halley 1973, pp. 38–39.
- ^ Halley 1973, p. 39.
- ^ Halley 1980, p. 51.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 32.
- ^ "Wattisham Mk2 Bloodhound Missile Site – Subterranea Britannica". www.subbrit.org.uk.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 35.
- ^ Jennings, Gareth (17 July 2019). "RAF announces AEW&C, space, 'drone' test squadrons". IHS Janes. London. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- ^ Chuter, Andrew (15 January 2020). "Former fighter pilot picked to lead British military's space command". DefenseNews. Gannett. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Royal Air Force: 2nd Tactical Air Force, 1943–1945". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
- ^ "Air Marshal Sir Peter Wykeham (33211)". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
- ^ "Wing Commander Alan "Red" Owen". The Telegraph. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Howard, Frederick, "Kingsford Smith, Sir Charles Edward (1897–1935)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 4 December 2022
Bibliography
- Foster, Peter. "Farewell No.23 Squadron". Aviation News, 11–24 March 1994, Vol. 22, No. 19. pp. 884–887, 891, 899.
- Halley, James J. Famous Fighter Squadrons of the RAF: Volume 1. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Hylton Lacey Publishers Ltd., 1971. ISBN 0-85064-100-4.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1980. ISBN 0-85130-083-9
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Lewis, Peter. Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59. London: Putnam, 1959.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- Rawlings, John. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1969 (second edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell. Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London: Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
External links
Media related to No. 23 Squadron RAF at Wikimedia Commons