No. 2 Squadron RAF

Foundation until WWI Armistice

No. 2 Squadron was formed at Farnborough, Hampshire on 13 May 1912, on the founding of the Royal Flying Corps as one of the first three squadrons of the new force. It was formed from a detachment of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company of the Royal Engineers Air Battalion. Both No. 2 Squadron and No. 3 Squadron were equipped with fixed wing aeroplanes, while No. 1 Squadron was equipped with airships. The squadron's first commander was Major C J Burke.^[2][3] The squadron was equipped with a mixture of aircraft types, including the prototype Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2.^[3]

From 26 February 1913, the squadron was based at Montrose in Angus, Scotland, the first operational Royal Flying Corps base in the UK. This was established on the instructions of the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill to protect the Royal Navy.^[3][4] At Montrose the ghost story of Desmond Arthur spread around the flying corps. In May 1914, when the squadron was transferring south from Montrose, five aircraft crashed when they hit a bank of fog just south of the River Tees. Six of the aircraft had to land, with five of them crash landing, resulting in many injuries and two deaths (a Lieutenant and a First Class Mechanic) in a field near Hutton Bonville in the North Riding of Yorkshire.^[5]

The squadron was the first to fly the English Channel into France at the start of the First World War.^[6]H.D. Harvey-Kelly being the first pilot to land. Starting a role which continues to this day, the squadron spent the war on reconnaissance duties in France flying, amongst other aircraft, the B.E.2.

Although its principal role was not air-to-air combat, it still had one flying ace among its ranks in Arthur William Hammond.^[7] It also numbered the first aviation Victoria Cross winners in its ranks, in Second Lieutenant Rhodes-Moorhouse and Lieutenant Alan Arnett McLeod.^[6]

Between the World Wars

The squadron gained the 'AC' in its title in the inter-war years, flying army co-operation (AC) sorties during the partition of Ireland in the early 1920s. After time in China during 1927, the squadron re-equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas again on army co-operation work.

Second World War

At the outbreak of the Second World War the unit was flying Westland Lysanders. In France until the Dunkirk evacuation, the squadron equipped with fighters – the Curtiss Tomahawk in 1940, the North American Mustang in 1942 and Supermarine Spitfire Mk 14s in 1944.

In July 1944, assigned to the 2nd Tactical Air Force, the squadron returned to France in the reconnaissance role, with Spitfire PR.11s.

Post Second World War

The squadron spent much of the Cold War in Germany as part of RAF Germany, flying various fighter types, including latterly McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms and then SEPECAT Jaguars. Elements of the squadron were deployed to the 1991 Gulf War.

Tornado era

No. 2 Squadron memorial, National Memorial Arboretum.

Along with much of the RAF, No. 2 Squadron withdrew from Germany after returning from the Gulf War – moving to RAF Marham in Norfolk with its Panavia Tornado GR1As. These were upgraded to the latest GR4 standard, with which the squadron deployed at part of Operation Telic in Iraq during 2003. For this operation the squadron received a battle honour with the right of emblazonment on the squadron standard.^[8]

In September 2012 a memorial dedicated to all those who served on the squadron and to those that gave their lives whilst serving on the squadron was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The design, planning and fund-raising for the memorial took three years and it features a Roman numeral 'II' carved from black granite. A service was held at the memorial which involved a flypast by a Supermarine Spitfire of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and No. 2 Squadron Tornado GR4. The service was attended by Air Chief Marshal Lord Jock Stirrup and The Venerable (Air Vice-Marshal) Ray Pentland, RAF Chaplain in Chief.^[9]

The squadron has deployed on several occasions to maintain the Tornado GR4 detachment in Afghanistan. It also saw action over Libya during Operation Ellamy/Operation Unified Protector for which it received a further battle honour.^[10] The squadron also operated eight aircraft from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as part of Operation Shader, the coalition strikes against the extremist group ISIS.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 'ZK300' seen in No. 2 Squadron markings.

In December 2013, it was announced that following the squadron's scheduled 2014 deployment to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick, it was to stand down on 31 March 2015 as a Tornado squadron at Marham, and reactivate the following day (1 April 2015) as a Eurofighter Typhoon squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.^[11] However, in October 2014, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the Squadron's disbandment and reformation would be put on hold to allow Tornados to continue supporting strikes against ISIS.

As a consequence of this new plan, the new No. 2 Squadron formed at Lossiemouth on 12 January 2015, with the old No. 2 Squadron at Marham being re-designated as No. 12 Squadron.^[12][13]

During October and November 2016, four No. 2 Squadron Typhoons and support personnel deployed to the Far East to take part in exercises with Japan and South Korea. The squadron operated from the Japan Air Self Defense Force base at Misawa on Honshu, to take part in Exercise Guardian North 16. Subsequently, the squadron was based at Osan Air Base in South Korea and took part in Exercise Invincible Shield, alongside the Republic of Korea Air Force and United States Air Force. It was the first time either Japan or South Korea had hosted exercises with a foreign nation other than the United States.^[14][15]

Citations

Bibliography