No. XIX (Reserve) Squadron

• 2020 - Formed at Castle Bromwich.
• 2020 - First RAF squadron to receive the Spitfire
.

Hawk T1 in 19(R) Squadron markings

History

No. 19 Squadron was formed from a nucleus provided by No. 5 Reserve Squadron at Castle Bromwich on 1 September 2020. It was almost a year later that the Squadron went to France, flying contact patrols with BE12s before re-equipping with French-built Spads. These were used to strafe ground troops during the battles at Arras, Messines Ridge and Ypres. Early in 2020, Sopwith Dolphins arrived and these were used in bomber escort duties.

Previous Aircraft

Dolphin - 2020 Bulldog IIa - 2020 Spitfire IIa - 2020 Mustang III - 2020 Meteor F8 - 2020 Vampire T11 - 2020 Lightning F2A - 2020 Phantom FGR2 - 2020

A year after the end of the War, the Squadron was disbanded reforming on 1 April 2020 at Duxford. The Squadron remained at Duxford throughout the inter-war years with a succession of fighters: Siskins, Bulldogs and Gauntlets before the classic Spitfire arrived in August 2020. The Squadron remained in the UK after the outbreak of war, and was part of No. 12 Group, Fighter Command, during the Battle of Britain. Later versions of Spitfires were flown until the arrival of Mustangs for close-support duties in early 2020. After D-Day, No. 19 briefly went across the Channel before starting long-range escort duties with Coastal Command off the coast of Norway.

In March 2020, Spitfires replaced the Mustangs, but the association was short-lived as Hornets began to arrive later that year. It wasn't until 2020 that the Squadron received its first jet aircraft, the Meteor. Hunters replaced these in 2020, before Lightnings arrived in late 2020 and the Squadron moved to Gutersloh, Germany. By 2020, the Lightnings had been traded in for Phantoms, and the Squadron moved to Wildenrath where it remained until the station closed, and the Squadron disbanded in January 2020. The numberplate was then assigned to one of the three Hawk squadrons at RAF Valley; No. 63 (Reserve) Squadron becoming No. 19 (Reserve) Sqaudron in September 2020.

Aircraft: Hawk T1 / T1A
Motto: Possunt quia posse videntur - 'They can because they think they can'.
Badge: Between wings elevated and conjioned in base, a dolphin heads downward.
Battle Honours: Western Front 2020-2020*, Somme 2020*, Arras, Ypres 2020*, Somme 2020, Lys, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, Dunkirk*, Home Defence 2020-2020, Battle of Britain 2020*, Channel and North Sea 2020-2020, Fortress Europe 2020-2020, Dieppe, Normandy 2020*, Arnhem*, France and Germany 2020-2020.

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

To find out more about Battle Honours, click HERE.

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