No. 3 Squadron RAF

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No. 3(F) Squadron RAF
Latin for 'The third shall be the first')[1]
AircraftEurofighter Typhoon FGR.4
Battle honours * Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron tail badge
Squadron badge heraldryA cockatrice on a monolith, chosen because in mythology it was the first creature to fly. Approved by King George VI in September 1937.
Squadron Roundel

Number 3 Squadron, also known as No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2006.[2] It was first formed on 13 May 1912 as one of the first squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps – being the first to fly heavier than air aircraft.

History

Foundation and First World War

No. 3 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, was formed at Larkhill on 13 May 1912 by the renaming of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company of the Air Battalion Royal Engineers, under the command of Major Robert Brooke-Popham. Being already equipped with aeroplanes and manned by pilots and air mechanics, No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company was thus the first British, Empire or Commonwealth independent military unit to operate heavier-than-air flying machines, hence the 3 Squadron motto Tertius primus erit, meaning "The third shall be the first". On 5 July 1912, two members of the squadron, Captain Eustace Loraine and Staff Sergeant Wilson were killed in an aircraft crash, making them the first RFC fatalities.[3] In 1913, No 3 Squadron deployed to Halton in Buckinghamshire to support the land manoeuvres of the Household Division. A temporary airfield was set up on what later became RAF Halton's Maitland Parade Square. During the exercise, No 3 Squadron flew a number of reconnaissance sorties and staged the first confrontation between an airship and an aeroplane.[4]

As well as training and reconnaissance duties, the squadron spent much of its time carrying out experimental work and working out tactics, including how to direct artillery fire from the air.[5] In late 1913, the squadron carried out trials in the use of machine guns from aircraft, which eventually resulted in the selection of the Lewis gun for use by the RFC and from early in 1914 carried out trials in airborne photography, helping to develop the cameras that would be used by the RFC in the First World War. Other trials included the first night flights carried by the RFC.[6]

The squadron was sent to France on the outbreak of the

Morane-Saulnier LA, which had ailerons instead of the wing warping of the earlier aircraft, in September 1915, and all its Parasols were Type LAs by December 1915.[11] In 1916 it supplemented its Parasols with a flight of four Morane-Saulnier BB biplanes,[12] and from the middle of 1916 replaced its Morane-Saulnier LAs with Morane-Saulnier P parasols.[13]

The English ace James McCudden served as a mechanic and occasional observer with 3 Squadron in the early part of the war, leaving the squadron in January 1916 for flying training.[14] Cecil Lewis, author of Sagittarius Rising joined the squadron in May 1915 and flew Morane Parasols with the squadron during the Somme offensive.[15][16] Later in October 1917, with the introduction of Sopwith Camels, a fighter/scout role was taken on, with 59 enemy aircraft being claimed by the end of the war. The squadron disbanded on 27 October 1919.[17][18]

There were nine

David Hughes, Neil Smuts and William H Maxted.[19]

Interwar

It reformed in India on 1 April 1920 as a fighter squadron equipped with Sopwith Snipes, being disbanded again 30 September 1921.[2] It was immediately reformed the next day at RAF Leuchars, Scotland, as a naval observation squadron equipped with the Airco DH.9A, receiving the Westland Walrus and Avro Bison before being disbanded to form two independent flights on 1 April 1923.[17][18]

It reformed as a fighter squadron with Snipes a year later on 1 April 1924, operating a succession of different types, based in the UK, including the Gloster Gladiator.[20] The only highlight of these years was the 1935 deployment to the Sudan during the Italian invasion of Abyssinia.[18]

Second World War

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc BD867 of No. 3 Squadron in 1942.

At the start of the

RAF Stapleford Tawney operating four-cannon Hurricane IIs in 'Rhubarb' attacks on defended ground targets and shipping in northern France and Belgium.[22]

The squadron then co-operated with "Turbinlite" searchlight equipped Douglas Havocs in the night fighter role.[18]

In February 1943 it re-equipped with the

Normandy beach-head and against German V1 flying bombs, claiming 288 V-1s shot down.[18]

It then deployed across the Channel, flying as part of the 2 TAF fighting through the low countries and into Germany. Amongst its pilots was F/L Pierre Clostermann, who flew with 3 Squadron from March 1945 until the end of the war in Europe.[17][18]

A Hawker Tempest of No. 3 Squadron being fueled and armed at Newchurch

Post-War

The squadron moved onto jets with the De Havilland Vampire during 1948, in Germany, where it had remained after moving there in the latter stages of the war. Sabres and Hunters replaced the Vampires during the 1950s, followed by Gloster Javelins and then a conversion onto Canberra bombers. Most of its time with Canberras was spent at RAF Geilenkirchen moving to RAF Laarbruch in January 1968.[23]

No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron's association with the

GR5 model Harriers successively at RAF Gütersloh, finally receiving the GR7 and relocating to RAF Laarbruch in the 1992. In 1999, with the drawdown of the RAF in Germany, the squadron moved back to the UK along with its sister squadron No. IV (AC) Squadron. The two squadrons operated at RAF Cottesmore, being joined by the other Harrier operator, No. 1 (F) Squadron, in summer 2000.[24]

As part of

Operation Telic over Iraq in 2003.[25] In August 2004, it was announced that 6 Harriers would be deployed to Afghanistan in support of NATO forces.[26]

Eurofighter Typhoon (2006–present)

RIAT
, July 2006.

After the Harrier GR7s had been passed to the Fleet Air Arm to be used by the recommissioned

No. 800 Naval Air Squadron, No. 3 Squadron moved to RAF Coningsby where it re-equipped with the Eurofighter Typhoon on 1 April 2006 and became the first operational front line RAF Typhoon squadron in July 2007.[27] The squadron began to take over Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) responsibilities from the Panavia Tornado F.3 on 29 June 2007.[28]

In March 2011, No. 3 (F) Squadron deployed to Southern Italy to take part in Operation Ellamy over Libya in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.[29]

In May 2012, four aircraft were deployed to RAF Northolt in an air defence role covering the duration of the Olympic Games, the first time RAF fighters had been stationed at the base since the Second World War.[30]

Between April and August 2017, four Eurofighter Typhoons of the squadron were deployed to the

Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania as part of Operation Biloxi. During this deployment, the squadron fighters flew on over 280 training sorties and one sortie in response to Russian Air Force activity over the Black Sea.[31]

During March 2018, six Typhoons from No. 3 Squadron deployed to

Exercise Iniochos 18. It was the first time that RAF Typhoons had participated in the annual NATO exercise.[32]

On 3 September 2019, No. 3 (F) Squadron deployed to Oman for two weeks to participate in Exercise Magic Carpet.[33][34]

Aircraft operated

Battle honours

The

squadron standard.[37]

Commanders

Date appointed Name
13 May 1912 Major H R M Brooke-Popham
12 Aug 1914 Major J M Salmond DSO
Apr 1915 Major D S Lewis DSO
1 Nov 1915 Major E R Ludlow-Hewitt MC
Jan 1916
H D Harvey-Kelly DSO
Sep 1916 Major D E Stodart
May 1917 Major E D Horsfall
Jun 1917 Major J A De Courcy
Sep 1917 Major R Raymond-Barker
Apr 1918 Major R St Clair-McClintock MC
Dec 1920
Sqn Ldr
G G A Williams
Jun 1922
Sqn Ldr
D G Donald
Feb 1923
Sqn Ldr
C C Miles
Apr 1924
Sqn Ldr J C Russel DSO
Apr 1926
Sqn Ldr J M Robb DFC
Sep 1927
Sqn Ldr E D Johnson AFC
Aug 1930
Sqn Ldr C A Stevens MC
Mar 1934
Sqn Ldr
G Martyn
Mar 1936
Sqn Ldr
H L P Lester
Aug 1938
Sqn Ldr
H H Chapman
Nov 1939
Sqn Ldr P Gifford DFC
May 1940
Sqn Ldr W M Churchill DSO DFC
Jun 1940
Sqn Ldr
S F Godden
Sep 1940
Sqn Ldr G F Chater DFC
Nov 1940
Sqn Ldr
A W Cole
Jan 1941
MBE
Jan 1941
Sqn Ldr
E P P Gibbs
Apr 1941
R F Aitken
Apr 1942
Sqn Ldr A E Berry DFC
Aug 1942
Sqn Ldr L F De Soomer DFC
Aug 1943
Sqn Ldr S R Thomas DFC AFC
Sep 1943
Sqn Ldr R Hawkins MC DFC
Oct 1943
Sqn Ldr A C Dredge DFC AFC
Aug 1944
Sqn Ldr K A Wigglesworth DFC
Sep 1944
Sqn Ldr H N Sweetman DFC
Jan 1945
Sqn Ldr K F Thiele DSO DFC
**
Feb 1945
Sqn Ldr R B Cole DFC
*
May 1947
Sqn Ldr C H Macfie DFC
Nov 1949
Sqn Ldr D R Griffiths DFC
Jun 1952
Sqn Ldr
W J S Sutherland
Dec 1953
CBE AFC
Dec 1954
Sqn Ldr
T H Hutchinson
15 Jun 1957 Sqn Disbanded
Jan 1959
Wg Cdr D W B Farrar DFC AFC
May 1960
Wg Cdr A F Peers DFC
Jan 1961
Wg Cdr D G Walker AFC
Jan 1961
Wg Cdr D F C Ross DFC
Jul 1963
CBE
Jul 1965
OBE
May 1967
Wg Cdr
R Hollingworth
Dec 1969
Wg Cdr
M R T Chandler

See also

References

Notes

  1. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X
    .
  2. ^ a b "No.3 Squadron". Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  3. ^ Airmen's Cross Air Vice-Marshal Barry Newton Archived 8 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Finn, C. J. et al. (2004). Air Publication 3003 – A Brief History of the Royal Air Force. p. 331. HMSO.
  5. ^ Raleigh 1922, pp. 238–240
  6. ^ Raleigh 1922, pp. 249–250
  7. ^ a b Rawlings 1982, p. 12
  8. ^ Raleigh 1922, p. 298, 300
  9. ^ Halley 1988, p. 23
  10. ^ Bruce 1982, p. 290
  11. ^ Bruce 1982, pp. 290, 292–293
  12. ^ Bruce 1982, p. 305
  13. ^ Bruce 1982, pp. 308–312
  14. ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 268
  15. ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 238
  16. ^ Lewis 1936, pp. 80, 96–97, 102–105
  17. ^ a b c Lewis 1959, p. 13
  18. ^ a b c d e f Ashworth 1989, p. 30
  19. ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 30
  20. ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Gloster Gladiator in 3 RAF Squadron service". Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  21. ^ Photo evidence shows A Flight based at St Andrews dated 1 July 1941 under group training
  22. ^ Squadron logs, National Record Office
  23. ^ "Stations-L". www.rafweb.org. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  24. doi:10.1002/wea.6080570405. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help
    )
  25. ^ "Collection: Ministry of Defence: RAF Cottesmore". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  26. ^ "Afghanistan: Deployment of Raf Harrier G R7s". Hansard. 9 September 2004. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  27. ^ "Typhoon Goes Operational". Ministry of Defence. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  28. ^ Hoyle, Craig (13 March 2007). "Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons are to provide air policing duties over the southern UK from mid-year". FlightGlobal. London. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Typhoon factbox: £70m-a-piece jets which fly at twice the speed of sound". The Telegraph. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  30. ^ "An Olympics Vigil, From 30,000 Feet". The New York Times. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  31. ^ "RAF Typhoons hand over NATO Romania duties to Canada". Royal Air Force. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  32. ^ "RAF Typhoons fly to Greece for Exercise Iniochos". Royal Air Force. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  33. ^ "Royal Air Force Typhoons Head East". Royal Air Force. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  34. ^ "Magic Carpet Flights for Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  35. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 24.
  36. ^ March 1991, p. 82.
  37. ^ "3 (F) Squadron". RAF. Retrieved 18 February 2022.

Bibliography

External links

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