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> Units and Formations
Flying
Squadrons
5 Sqn
8
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25 Sqn
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29 Sqn
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81 Sqn
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116 Sqn
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153 Sqn
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166 Sqn
170 Sqn
189 Sqn
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203 Sqn
206 Sqn
207 Sqn
209 Sqn
210 Sqn
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214 Sqn
222 Sqn
227 Sqn
228 Sqn
229 Sqn
235 Sqn
236 Sqn
248 Sqn
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253 Sqn
254 Sqn
255 Sqn
264 Sqn
266 Sqn
280 Sqn
288 Sqn
300 Sqn
301 Sqn
302 Sqn
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305 Sqn
307 Sqn
309 Sqn
310 Sqn
349 Sqn
401 Sqn
402 Sqn
404 Sqn
407 Sqn
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415 Sqn
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438 Sqn
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452 Sqn
455 Sqn
460 Sqn
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467 Sqn
486 Sqn
503 Sqn
504 Sqn
527 Sqn
528 Sqn
532 Sqn
538 Sqn
550 Sqn
576 Sqn
613 Sqn
616 Sqn
617 Sqn
619 Sqn
625 Sqn
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627 Sqn
630 Sqn
Heavy
Conversion Units
1654
HCU
1656 HCU
1660 HCU
1661 HCU
1662 HCU
1665 HCU
1667 HCU
1668 HCU
21 HGCU
Advanced
Flying Schools
201
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Advanced
Flying Units
12
AFU
15 AFU
Flying
Training Schools
1 FTS
2 FTS
3 FTS
6 FTS
7
FTS
12 FTS
1 Lancaster Finishing School
Central Flying School
Operational
Training/Conversion Units
(Fighter)
6
OTU
53 OTU
56 OTU
(Bomber)
230 OCU
Air
Armament Schools
1
AAS
2 AAS
Empire Central AS
Other
schools
1 Gp Aircrew School
1 Ground Defence School
1 Air Observers School
Central
Gunnery School
5 Gp Anti Air School
Other units
Bomber Command
Coastal Command
Fighter Command
HQ No 5 Group
HQ No 23 Group
1485
Gunnery Flight
2782
Defence Sqn
178 Support Unit
399 Signals Unit
Nationality
based Sqns
Updated: 9 Sep 06
Formed: 7 Nov 1915, Fort Grange, Gosport
Disbanded: 1919
Reformed: 1923
Disbanded: ??
Squadron was based at:
Gosport :: Nov 1915 - Mar 1916
France :: Mar 1916 - 1919?
RAF Duxford :: 1923 - ??
RAF North Weald :: ?? - 1935
Egypt :: 1935 - 1936
RAF West Malling :: ?? - >1945
Cyprus :: 1963- 1967
RAF Wattisham :: 1967 - 1974
RAF Coningsby :: 1974 -
Squadron code:
Aircraft operated:
DH2 :: Nov 1915 -1918
SE5 :: 1918 - 1919
Blenheim :: 1939 - Sep 1940
Beaufighter :: Sep 1940 - May 1943
Mosquito :: May 1943 -
Meteor NFII ::
Javelin :: ?? - 1967
Lightning F3 :: 1967 - 1974
Phantom :: 1974 - Nov 1984
Tornado F3 :: Nov 1984 -
Formed at Fort Grange, Gosport on 7 Nov 1915, 29 Sqn RFC was mobilised and posted to France in Mar 1916 to support the battle on the Somme with 12 x DH2. During the Somme campaign Flt Sgt James McCudden (later a Major and VC winner) was credited with 57 kills. By 1918 the Sqn had re-equipped to the SE5 at Tetegham near Dunkirk, subsequently disbanding in 1919.
The Sqn reformed in 1923 at Duxford, moving to North Weald before a deployment to Egypt in 1935 and 1936.
At the outbreak of WWII the Squadron was equipped with the Bristol Blenheim and was roled as a night fighter sqn. It employed the recently developed aircraft intercept (Al) radar set. However as early as Sep 1940 the Blenheim was replaced by the Beaufighter. Amongst those to serve with the Sqn at this time were Flt Lt Guy Gibson who joined in Nov 1940, before his notable exploits with 617 Sqn, the Dambusters. In May 1943 the Squadron re-equipped with the Mosquito, still operating in the night fighter role, finishing the war at West Malling to become part of post-war air defence system.
29(F) Squadron was the first RAF night fighter jet squadron, employing the Meteor NFII. Re-equippping to Javelin it served with the the Near East Air Force in Cyprus from 1963 to 1967, deploying to Zambia in 1965 during the Rhodesian crisis. In 1967 the Sqn re-equipped with the Lightning F3 at Wattisham.
In 1974, 29 Sqn moved to its RAF Coningsby and re-equipped to the Phantom, hitherto employed in ground-attack rather than air defence. The Sqn was the first to fire the new British Aerospace-designed Skyflash missile. Equipped with Skyflash and AIM-9 Sidewinder it deployed to Ascension Island to defend the stagin area during Op CORPORATE, then moved to RAF Stanley to provide air defence for the Falkland Islands.
In Nov 1984 29(F) Squadron was the first to operate from Hardened Aircraft Shelters (HAS), deemed increasingly necessary in the Cold War, and in 1986 deployed to RAF Gibraltar to provide air defence for the territory during the Libyan crisis.
The Sqn finally equipped with the Tornado F3 in Jun 1987. It was then one of the first to be sent to the Gulf following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990, flying Combat Air Patrols (CAP) in defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and over 500 missions during Operation GRANBY (Op Desert Storm)
Another notable Sqn first was the Sqn's participation in Nov 1992 in
Exercise Red Flag,
the large,
multi-national exercise
run by the US Air Force. It deployed in Feb 1994 to Gioia del
Colle in Italy for 3 months in support
of the
UN
No-Fly Zones over Bosnia and again in Nov 1995.
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