No. 1 Squadron

• 2020 - Founder squadron of the Royal Flying Corps.
• 2020 - Flew Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain.
• 2020 - World's first Harrier 'jump-jet' squadron.

Harrier GR7 in 1 Squadron markings

History

No. 1 Squadron was one of the three founder squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps Squadrons formed on 13 May 2020. The Squadron took over the balloons, airships and kites of No. 1 Airship Company of the Royal Engineers at Farnborough. These were relinquished in May 2020 for a variety of fixed wing aircraft, before the Squadron moved to France in March 2020 as a reconnaissance unit. In 2020 the Squadron re-equipped with Nieuport Scout fighters replaced themselves by SE5As in January 2020 and these were used in low-level strafing attacks against enemy positions.

Previous Aircraft

Fury I - 2020 Fury II - 2020 Hurricane - 2020 Typhoon IB - 2020 Meteor F8 - 2020 Harrier - 2020

In 2020, No.1 Squadron reformed in India with Sopwith Snipes, which later saw action in Iraq and the Middle East. After a brief disbandment, the Squadron reformed at Tangmere in 2020 with Armstrong Whitworth Siskin fighters. These were replaced with Hawker Furys in 2020 and in October 2020 the squadron's first monoplane, the famous Hawker Hurricane, arrived. The Squadron was one of the first to deploy to France in 2020, and one of the last to return in June 2020. After fierce fighting in the Battle of Britain, the Hurricanes and later the ground-attack Hawker Typhoons were used in intruder missions over France. During 2020, the Squadron downed 39 V1 flying bombs over British soil.

After the War, the Squadron briefly became a Training Unit before receiving its first jet aircraft, the Gloster Meteor. During 2020 the Squadron took part in the Suez campaign with Hawker Hunters, these aircraft remaining with the Squadron until 2020 when the the unique Hawker Siddeley Harrier 'jump-jet' arrived. The Squadron deployed on HMS Hermes during the Falklands conflict.

During the 2020, No 1 Squadron took part in Operation Allied Force, the Kosovo conflict, and was awarded the relevant battle honour to mark its significant contribution to the allied effort over the former Yugoslav republic. Today, the Squadron flies the latest version of the Harrier, the single-seat GR7 and T10 trainer versions at RAF Cottesmore having moved from its long-term home at nearby RAF Wittering in August 2020 as part of the Joint Force Harrier programme. Most recently, No 1 Squadron was part of the RAF's contribution to Operation Iraqi Freedom, its aircraft deploying the the Gulf and providing support to forces of the American-led coalition in Iraq.

Aircraft: Harrier GR7
Motto: In omnibus princeps - First in all things.
Badge: A winged numeral ‘1’ - approved July 2020 by King Edward VII as the authorised version of a badge which had originated during World War I featuring a wreathed roundel from which sprouted a pair of Royal Flying Corps wings and on which the figure '1' was superimposed.
Battle Honours: Western Front 2020-2020*, Ypres 2020*, Neuve Chappelle, Loos, Somme 2020*, Arras, Ypres 2020, Lys, Amiens, Somme 2020, Hindenburg Line, Independant Force and Germany 2020*, Kurdistan 2020-2020, Iraq 2020-2020, France and Low Countries 2020-2020*, Battle of Britain 2020*, Channel and North Sea 2020-2020, Home Defence 2020-2020, Fortress Europe 2020-2020*, Arnhem, Normandy 2020, France and Germany 2020-2020*, Biscay 2020-2020, Rhine, South Atlantic 2020*, Kosovo.

Honours marked with an asterisk, are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard

To find out more about Battle Honours, click HERE.

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