No. 80 Squadron RAF
Active1 September 1917 – 1 February 1920
8 March 1937 – 1 May 1955
1 August 1955 – 28 September 1969
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
BranchRoyal Flying Corps (1917–1918)
Royal Air Force (1918–1920, 1937–1969)
RoleFighter aircraft (1917–1920, 1937–1955)
Reconnaissance (1955–1969)
Motto(s)"Strike True"[1]
Battle honoursLys; Western Front, 1918*; Marne, 1918; Somme, 1918*; Egypt & Libya, 1940–43*; Greece, 1940–41*; Syria 1941; El Alamein*: Mediterranean, 1940–43; Italy, 1944*; South-East Europe, 1944; Normandy, 1944*; Home Defence 1944; Fortress Europe, 1944; France & Germany, 1944–45*; Arnhem; Rhine
Honours marked with an asterisk* are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard[2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA Bell[1]
The badge is in commemoration of one of No. 80 Squadrons early commanders, Maj. V.D. Bell[3]
Squadron Roundel
Squadron CodesGK (Oct 1938 – May 1939,
1940 – Jun 1940)
OD (May 1939 – 1940)
YK (Jun 1940 – Jan 1941)
EY (Jul 1942 – Apr 1944)
W2 (Apr 1944 – 1952)

No. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.

Establishment and early service

Founded on 1 August 1917 at RAF Montrose, equipped with the Sopwith Camel and intended as a fighter squadron, 80 Squadron was sent to France to serve on the Western Front in January 1918, acting initially in a fighter role.[4] However, German offensives in March of the same year resulted in 80 Sqn being reallocated in a ground-attack role, still with Camels. It continued this duty until the end of the war. As a result, the squadron had only one ace, Harold Whistler, although it claimed approximately 60 aerial victories.[5]

The Camels were replaced with Sopwith Snipes in December 1918 and in May the following year the squadron moved to Egypt, where it served for a short period of time before being amalgamated into No. 56 Squadron RAF.

Reinstatement and World War II

Hurricanes of 80 Squadron in Palestine, June 1941.

The squadron was reformed in March 1937 again as No. 80 Squadron, now equipped with Gloster Gauntlet fighter. However, by now the Gauntlet was considered by many to be outdated, and as a result the Gauntlets were replaced by the Gloster Gladiator just two months later. In 1938, the squadron again returned to Egypt as an 'air defence unit'. After Italy's declaration of war on Britain on 10 June 1940, No. 80 Squadron was moved to the Egyptian-Libyan border but was subsequently one of the units sent to aid the Greeks during the Greco-Italian War, initially flying Gladiators and then re-equipping with the Hawker Hurricane from February 1941.[6] The squadron lost most of its aircraft during the Greek and Crete actions and reformed at RAF Aqir in Palestine in May 1941 before deploying detachments to Nicosia in Cyprus and 'A' Flight to RAF Haifa. The squadron moved totally to Cyprus in July 1941, before returning to Syria the next month, and then joining the fighting in North Africa two months later. During the Battle of El Alamein it was responsible for defending communications lines. It remained in that area until early 1944, when it returned to Britain to prepare for Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Europe). It was equipped with the Spitfire IX F operating from RAF Detling in Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), though under the operational control of RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF).[7] When 2nd TAF began moving to Normandy after D-Day, the squadron remained in ADGB, re-equipping with Hawker Tempest aircraft on anti-V-1 flying bomb duties as part of Operation Diver. After this threat diminished, No. 80 Squadron moved on to the continent and resumed a fighter role until the end of the war in Europe.

Post-World War II and disbandment

As part of the European occupation forces, British Air Forces of Occupation, the squadron continued its patrol and reconnaissance duties from Wunstorf in Germany, until it relocated to Hong Kong in July 1949 (the Tempests having been replaced by Supermarine Spitfire F.24s in 1948). During the Chinese Civil War, No. 80 Squadron's main duty was to defend Hong Kong from perceived Communist threats. The Spitfires departed in 1951, replaced by the de Havilland Hornet, and the squadron remained in Hong Kong until being disbanded on 1 May 1955. However, two months later it was reformed as a reconnaissance unit at RAF Laarbruch. Equipped with Canberra PR.7s, it moved to Brüggen in June 1957 from then until 28 September 1969, when it was disbanded.[8]

Notable members

Aircraft operated

From To Aircraft Version
Aug 1917 Dec 1918 Sopwith Camel
Dec 1918 Feb 1920 Sopwith Snipe
Mar 1937 Mar 1937 Gloster Gauntlet Mk.II
Mar 1937 Nov 1940 Gloster Gladiator Mk.I
Jun 1940 Aug 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
Nov 1940 Mar 1941 Gloster Gladiator Mk.II
Feb 1941 Jan 1942 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
Jan 1942 Apr 1943 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc
Apr 1943 Apr 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc
Sep 1943 Jan 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX
Jan 1944 Apr 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb
May 1944 Aug 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX
Aug 1944 Jan 1948 Hawker Tempest Mk.V
Jan 1948 Jan 1952 Supermarine Spitfire F.24
Dec 1951 May 1955 de Havilland Hornet F.3 & F.4
Aug 1955 Sep 1969 English Electric Canberra PR.7

[1][3][9]

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Halley 1988, pp. 149–150.
  2. ↑ Barrass, M. B. (2015). "No. 76–80 Squadron Histories". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 Rawlings 1978, pp. 196–200.
  4. ↑ Rawlings Air Pictorial December 1962, p. 392.
  5. ↑ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 39
  6. ↑ Roald Dahl, 'Going Solo'.
  7. ↑ Delve, p. 137.
  8. ↑ Rawlings 1982, p. 92.
  9. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 52.

Bibliography

  • Chorlton, Martyn (June 2013). "The Gladiator Strikes True". Aeroplane. Vol. 41, no. 6. pp. 27–32. ISSN 0143-7240.
  • Ken Delve, D-Day: The Air Battle, London: Arms & Armour Press, 1994, ISBN 1-85409-227-8.
  • 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, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • 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. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1969 (second edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Rawlings, J. D. R. "History of 80 Squadron".Air Pictorial, December 1962, Vol. 24, No. 12. pp. 392–394.
  • Shores, Christopher. Strike True: The Story of No. 80 Squadron Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1986. ISBN 0-85130-126-6.
  • Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
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