No. 201 Squadron RAF

No. 201 Squadron RAF
Official Squadron crest for No. 201 Squadron RAF
Active	17 Oct 1914(RNAS) - 21 Jun 1915 6 Dec 1916 - 1 Apr 1918 1 Apr 1918(RAF) - 31 Dec 1919 1 Jan 1929 - 28 Feb 1957 1 Oct 1958 - 31st Mar 2010
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Maritime Patrol
Base	RAF Kinloss
Motto	Latin: Hic et ubique ("Here and everywhere")[1][2]
current aircraft	Nimrod MRA4
Battle honours	Western Front 1915-1918* Arras* Ypres, 1917* Somme, 1918* Amiens Hindenburg Line Channel & North Sea, 1939-1945 Norway, 1940* Atlantic, 1941-1945* Bismarck* Biscay, 1941 1945 Normandy, 1944* South Atlantic, 1982 Gulf, 1991 Iraq, 2003 Honours marked with an asterix(*) are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Commanders
Notable commanders	Robert Marsland Groves
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A seagull, wings elevated and addorsed[1][2]
Squadron codes	VQ (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939)[3][4] ZM (Sep 1939 - Aug 1943)[5][6] 1 (Nov 1943 - Mar 1944)[7] NS (Jul 1944 - Apr 1951)[8][9] A (Apr 1951 - Feb 1957)[10][11]

No. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, until March 2010, operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even further back than the RAF itself, being formed originally as No. 1 Squadron RNAS on 17 Oct 1914.

History

Formation and World War I

Personnel of No 1 Squadron RNAS in late 1914

Despite its high squadron number, 201 Squadron is one of the oldest squadrons in the RAF. It was formed as No. 1 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on 17 October 1914, and reformed on under that designation on 6 December 1916,^[12] only being renumbered to 201 Squadron on the formation of the RAF on 1 April 1918 - all the RNAS squadrons getting new numbers by adding 200 to their original number.^[2] It started out as a reconnaissance unit, but was soon flying fighter aircraft. The first aerial VC was won by a member of No. 1 Squadron RNAS when on 7 June 1915 Sub-Lieutenant R.A.J. Warneford shot down Zeppelin LZ.37. After the war the squadron was disbanded at RAF Eastleigh on 31 December 1919.^[2][12] Eighteen flying aces served in the squadron during the course of the war, including such notables as Samuel Kinkead, Stanley Wallace Rosevear, Richard Minifie, Roderic Dallas, George Gates, Reginald Brading, Maxwell Findlay, Cyril Ridley, Thomas Gerrard, James Henry Forman, Charles Dawson Booker, Thomas Culling, future Air Vice-Marshal F. H. Maynard, Robert McLaughlin, and Hazel Wallace.^[13]

R.A.J. Warneford, V.C. standing in front of a Maurice Farman Shorthorn.

Flying boat squadron

The squadron was reformed at RAF Calshot on 1 January 1929 by expanding no. 480 Flight, a Supermarine Southampton flying boat unit. In April 1936 the Southamptons gave way to the Saro London, which the squadron still had on strength when World War II broke out. Supermarine Stranraers flew shortly with the squadron in 1939, but by April 1940 the squadron was operational on the Short Sunderland, which would remain the squadron equipment for almost seventeen years up till 28 February 1957, when the squadron was disbanded at RAF Pembroke Dock.^[2][12][14]

Shackletons and Nimrods

The squadron was reformed at RAF St. Mawgan, when No. 220 Squadron RAF was renumbered to 201 Squadron. The squadron flew the next twelve years with the Avro Shackleton MR.3, a version that used a tricycle undercarriage as opposed to the earlier tailwheel variants. Following the Shackleton's retirement, the squadron converted to Nimrods in October 1970.^{[2][12][14][15]} The squadron was active for over a decade in the Gulf region, in support of both Gulf War 1 and 2 and more recently the conflict in Afghanistan. Until March 2010, the squadron was also on active duty in the UK and maintained continuous 24 hour/365 day search and rescue standby, shared with the sister 120 Squadron, both flying from RAF Kinloss. The Nimrod MR2 was withdrawn in March 2010,^[15] and the squadron was formally disbanded on 26 May 2011.^[16] It had been preparing to operate the Nimrod MRA4 but this aircraft was cancelled under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Notable Squadron members

• Reginald Alexander John Warneford
• Tony Halik
• Roderic Dallas

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 201 Squadron RAF, data from^{[12][14][17][18]}

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
Oct 1914	Feb 1915	Various
Dec 1916	Jan 1917	Nieuport 17
Dec 1916	Dec 1917	Sopwith Triplane
Dec 1917	Feb 1919	Sopwith Camel
Oct 1918	Oct 1918	Sopwith Snipe
Jan 1929	Dec 1936	Supermarine Southampton	Mk.II
Apr 1936	Jun 1938	Saro London	Mk.I
Jan 1938	Apr 1940	Saro London	Mk.II
Apr 1940	Jan 1942	Short Sunderland	Mk.I
May 1941	Mar 1944	Short Sunderland	Mk.II
Jan 1942	Jun 1945	Short Sunderland	Mk.III
Feb 1945	Feb 1957	Short Sunderland	Mk.V
Mar 1946	Apr 1946	Short Seaford	Mk.I
Oct 1958	Dec 1970	Avro Shackleton	MR.3
Oct 1970	Feb 1983	Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod	MR.1
Jan 1982	Mar 2010	BAe Nimrod	MR.2

Squadron bases

From	To	Base
6 Dec 1916	15 Feb 1917	Furnes, Belgium
15 Feb 1917	11 Apr 1917	Chipilly, France
11 Apr 1917	1 Jun 1917	La Belle-vue, France
1 Jun 1917	2 Nov 1917	Bailleul, France
2 Nov 1917	10 Dec 1917	Middle Aerodrome
10 Dec 1917	16 Feb 1918	Dover, Kent
16 Feb 1918	27 Mar 1918	Téteghem, France
27 Mar 1918	28 Mar 1918	Sainte-Marie-Cappel, France
28 Mar 1918	12 Apr 1918	Fienvillers, France
12 Apr 1918	20 Jul 1918	Nœux-lès-Auxi, France
20 Jul 1918	6 Aug 1918	Sainte-Marie-Cappel, France
6 Aug 1918	14 Aug 1918	Poulainville, France
14 Aug 1918	19 Sep 1918	Nœux-lès-Auxi, France
19 Sep 1918	14 Oct 1918	Baizieux, France
14 Oct 1918	27 Oct 1918	Beugnâtre, France
27 Oct 1918	22 Nov 1918	La Targette, France
22 Nov 1918	5 Feb 1919	Béthencourt, France
15 Feb 1919	2 Sep 1919	RAF Lake Down, Wiltshire
2 Sep 1919	31 Dec 1919	RAF Eastleigh, Hampshire
1 Jan 1929	29 Sep 1938	RAF Calshot, Hampshire
29 Sep 1938	7 Oct 1938	RAF Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
7 oct 1938	9 Aug 1939	RAF Calshot, Hampshire
9 Aug 1939	6 Nov 1939	RAF Sullom Voe, Shetland, Scotland
6 Nov 1939	26 May 1940	RAF Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
26 May 1940	9 Oct 1941	RAF Sullom Voe, Shetland, Scotland
9 Oct 1941	8 Apr 1944	Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
8 Apr 1944	3 Nov 1944	RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
3 Nov 1944	2 Aug 1945	RAF Castle Archdale, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
2 Aug 1945	1 Apr 1946	RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
1 Apr 1946	18 Jan 1949	RAF Calshot, Hampshire (Det. at Finkenwerder, West-Germany)
18 Jan 1949	28 Feb 1957	RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
1 Oct 1958	1 Jul 1965	RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall
1 Jul 1965	Present	RAF Kinloss, Moray, Scotland

^{[12][14][17][18]}

See also

• Other Nimrod squadrons
  • No. 42(Reserve) Squadron - Nimrod OCU, MR.2
  • No. 120 Squadron, MR.2
  • No. 51 Squadron, R.1 variant

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Rawlings 1982, p. 128.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Halley 1988, pp. 259-260.
3. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 13.
4. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 52.
5. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 121.
6. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 123.
7. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 128.
8. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 77.
9. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, pp. 94 and 154.
10. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 126
11. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 192.
12. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Jefford 2001, p. 70.
13. ^ The Aerodrome Retrieved 4 March 2010.
14. ^ ^{a b c d} Rawlings 1982, p. 129.
15. ^ ^{a b} Hastings, David. "BAE System Nimrod: Squadron Service". Target Lock. http://www.targetlock.org.uk/nimrod/service.html. Retrieved 4 May 2010. 
16. ^ "Squadron Disbandment Parade". www.raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 27 May 2011. http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/squadron-disbandment-27052011. Retrieved 29 May 2011. 
17. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1971, p. 43.
18. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1988, p. 260.

Bibliography

• Ashworth, Chris. Encyclopedia of Modern Royal Air Force Squadrons. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stevens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-013-6.
• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
• Halley, James J. Famous Maritime Squadrons of the RAF, Volume 1. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1973. ISBN 0-85064-101-2.
• 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, Wing Commander C.G., MBE,BA,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Lewis, Peter. Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912-59. London: Putnam, 1959.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.

External links

• Squadron page on castlearchdale.net
• Squadron page on museum.guernsey.net
• MOD website
• Squadron history on RafWeb