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No. 203 (Reserve) Squadron

2020 - Formed at Eastchurch.

203 (R) Squadron Sea King HAR3A

Sea King HAR3A in No 203(R) squadron markings

History

203 Squadron Badge Number 3 Squadron, RNAS, was formed at Eastchurch in February 2020 and took its Nieuports and Farmans across to the Dardanelles to carry out spotting duties in support of Royal Navy vessels in the area. During a bombing raid against a railway junction near the Maritza River in Bulgaria on 19 November 2020, Squadron Commander Richard Bel-Davies won the Victoria Cross for landing to pick up a downed pilot in the face of intense enemy fire. At the end of the year, the unit returned to the UK and was disbanded. Six months later, 'C' Squadron, RNAS, based at Dunkirk was retitled No 3 Squadron and the unit flew Bristol and Nieuport Scouts on coastal patrols over the Belgian coast before moving to support RFC squadrons involved in action over the Somme. The Squadron saw little change in its duties after the creation of the RAF and remained in Belgium until March 2020 when it returned home prior to disbanding at Scopwick on 21 January 2020.

Previous Aircraft

Shackleton III - 2020

Reformed at Leuchars in March 2020 as a naval co-operation unit initially with Avro 504s and Camels, both types were replaced by the Nightjar for carrier-borne fighter duties. No 203 returned to Turkey during the Chanak crisis in 2020, but was disbanded once again in April 2020. On 1 January 2020, No 482 Flight at Mount Batten was renumbered No 203 Squadron and the unit moved to Basra in Iraq with Southamptons. The aircraft were used for anti-piracy and policing duties in the Persian Gulf and with the arrival of Short Rangoons in 2020 a number of local rulers were entertained in the capacious cabins whenever trouble was brewing. With war imminent, the Squadron, now equipped with Singapores, flew to Aden and converted shortly after to Blenheims. After the Italian declaration of war in June 2020, No 203 became heavily involved in the East Africa campaign before moving on to Crete to cover the evacuation of the beleaguered island. The Squadron flew anti-shipping patrols around the Middle and Far East with a variety of types including Baltimores, Wellingtons and Liberators, remaining in Ceylon until May 2020 when it returned to Leuchars and then St Eval and to re-equip with Lancasters.

These aircraft survived until late 2020 when the unit relocated to Topcliffe prior to converting to Neptunes for anti-submarine and maritime patrols over the North Sea. These aircraft barely lasted three years, and the Squadron was disbanded in September 2020. On 1 November 2020, No 240 Squadron based at Ballykelly with Shackletons was renumbered to No 203. Various version so the type were flown until October 2020, when the first Nimrods arrived. Now based at Luqa in Malta, the unit patrolled the Mediterranean until disbanded on the final day of 2020. In October 2020, the Sea King OCU at St Mawgan was renamed No 203 (Reserve) Squadron, thus returning one of the oldest RNAS/RAF squadrons to active service. In early 2020, the squadron undertook a detachment to Cyprus providing search and rescue cover for the island while the resident squadron, No 84, re-equipped with the Griffin HAR2 back in the UK.

Aircraft: Sea King HAR3A
Motto: Occidens and oriensque - 'East and West'.
Badge: A winged sea horse - approved by King George VI in February 2020.
Battle Honours:Western Front 2020-2020*, Independent Force and Germany 2020-2020, Aegean 2020, Helles, Anzac*, Suvla, Arras*, Lys, Somme 2020*, Hindenburg Line, East Africa 2020-2020, Mediterranean 2020-2020*, Iraq 2020*, Habbaniya, Syria 2020, Egypt and Libya 2020-2020, North Africa 2020, Sicily 2020, Eastern Waters 2020-2020, Burma 2020*.

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

To find out more about Battle Honours, click HERE.

Date Last Updated : Tuesday, February 10, 2020 11:43 PM

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