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No.1 Sqn


Aviation Art Prints Countries UK Squadron Index More Squadrons Squadrons 1 to 21 No.1 Sqn

[UP] - No.1 Sqn - No.2 Sqn - No.3 Sqn - No.3 Sqn RAAF - No.4 Sqn AFC - No.5 Sqn - No.6 Sqn - No.7 Sqn - No.8 Sqn - No.9 Sqn - No.10 Naval Sqn - No.10 Sqn - No.11 Sqn - No.12 Sqn - No.14 Sqn - No.15 Sqn - No.16 Sqn - No.16 Sqn RNZAF - No.17 Sqn - No.19 Sqn - No.20 Sqn - No.21 Sqn


No.1 Sqn
Country : UK
Founded : 13th May 1912
Codes : , JX, NA,


In Omnibus Princeps - First in all things

On 13 May 1912, with the establishment of the Royal Flying Corps, No. 1 Company of the Air Battalion was redesignated No. 1 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. No. 1 Squadron was one of the original three Royal Flying Corps squadrons. Maitland continued as the new squadron's Officer Commanding and he was promoted to major several days after the establishment of the squadron. It retained the airships Beta and Gamma, adding Delta and Eta, as well as kites and a few spherical balloons. However, in October 1913 a sudden decision was made to transfer all the airships to the Naval Wing of the RFC (which became the Royal Naval Air Service by Admiralty dictat, not Cabinet decision, on 1 July 1914). While retaining kites 1 Squadron was reorganised as an 'aircraft park' for the British Expeditionary Force. On 1 May 1914, Major Charles Longcroft was appointed as the new squadron commander. Apart from a few weeks as a supernumerary in August and September 1914, Longcroft continued as the squadron commander until January 1915. The squadron returned to the UK from France in March 1919, being formally disbanded on 20 January 1920. On the next day it reformed at Risalpur in the North West Frontier of India (now part of Pakistan), flying the Sopwith Snipe. and from January 1920. It moved to Hinaidi near Baghdad in Iraq in May 1921, to carry out policing duties, retaining its Snipes, although it also received one Bristol Jupiter engined Nieuport Nighthawk for evaluation. It remained in Iraq, carrying out strafing and bombing against hostile tribal forces until November 1926 when it was disbanded. In early 1927 it was reformed at Tangmere, Sussex as a Home Defence Fighter Squadron, equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin. After receiving the Hawker Fury Mk.1 in February 1932, the squadron gained a reputation for aerobatics, giving displays throughout the United Kingdom and at the Zurich International Air Meeting in July 1937, where its display impressed but it was clear that it was outclassed by the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Dornier Do 17 also displayed at Zurich. The squadron re-equipped with the Hurricane Mk.I in October 1938 By the outbreak of the Second World War the Squadron had worked up sufficiently to deploy to France as part of 67 Wing of the Advanced Air Striking Force. In October it flew over enemy territory for the first time and on the 30th of that month claimed its first victory, a Dornier DO17. Further occasional combat took place and the successes mounted. However, the situation developed significantly in April 1940, and 10th May was the date on which No 1(Fighter) Squadron became fully operation in every sense of the word. Fighting was intense and a week later the Squadron was bombed out of its base at Berry-au-Bac; then began a series of retreats ending finally in a return to the UK. The Squadron was back at Tangmere by 23rd June and operational the following month. In August it marked its entry into the Battle of Britain by destroying 2 Messerschmitt BF110s; there was no let up in the fighting until 9th September when the Squadron moved North to Wittering for a rest. It returned South for the New Year when it engaged in fighter sweeps and carried out bomber escort duties. In February, it started Rhubarb and night flying; during the month the first of its Hurricane 11As arrived. This heralded a period of change for the Squadron whose strength now included both Czechs and Poles; the emphasis increasingly focused on night flying. In July the Squadron returned to Tangmere and, having achieved night operational status, this became its main task. The Squadron continued to conduct night intruder patrol until re-equipping with Hawker Typhoons in July 1942;it then moved North to Acklington where it reverted to daytime operations. The Unit exchanged its Typhoons for Spitfire X1s in April 1944 and with these continued its bombing raids. In June the Squadron began anti-V patrols (Divers) and this became its exclusive occupation, eventually tallying 39 hits. In the autumn it reverted to carrying out bomber escorts; to extend its range it sued the airfield at Haldegham on the Continent as an advanced landing ground. In May 1945 it converted to Spitfire F21s but these were only used operationally to cover the Channel Island landings. In 1946 the Squadron returned to Tangmere and took delivery of its first jet aircraft, Gloster Meteors. These aircraft were followed by Hawker Hunter F5s, which were flown from Cyprus during 1956 Suez crisis. In June 1958 No 1(Fighter) Squadron was disbanded but was reformed almost immediately on 1st July, to fly Hunter F6s from Stradishall, by renumbering No 2683 Squadron. It then moved to Waterbeach from where, flying Hunter FGA9s, it operated in the ground attack role as part of 38 Group. The Squadron continued in this role for the next 8 years, operating out of Waterbeach and then West Raynham. July 1969 heralded a move to Wittering to commence conversion to the Harrier and become the first operational squadron in the world to fly this unique vertical/short take off and landing aircraft. Since this time No 1(Fighter) Squadron has served in many parts of the globe, including Belize and most notably, the South Atlantic during the Falklands War in 1982, where it undertook the air defence role in Ascension Island before deploying for aircraft carrier based operations over the Falkland Islands equipped with Sidewinder air to air missile. Aircraft flew for 9 hours, direct to Ascension Island which set a new distance/duration record for the Harrier. Some aircraft then flew direct to the South Atlantic, where they operated from HMS HERMES. During this conflict, over 130 sorties were flown against heavily defended targets on the Islands; 3 aircraft were shot down by enemy fire. All 3 pilots ejected successfully, although one, who sustained shoulder injuries, was captured and became the only prisoner of war; he was later repatriated to the UK. The Squadron moved to RAF Stanley in the Falkland Islands at the end of hostilities and took on air defence duties until the latter part of the year when it returned to Wittering.



No.1 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings
Aviation Art

Maple Leaf Scramble by Robert Taylor. (GS)


Maple Leaf Scramble by Robert Taylor. (GS)
One edition.
£395.00

Hawker Hurricane Mk I L1856 of 1 Sqn RAF by Keith Woodcock.


Hawker Hurricane Mk I L1856 of 1 Sqn RAF by Keith Woodcock.
One edition.
£10.00

Take it to the Bridge by Ivan Berryman.


Take it to the Bridge by Ivan Berryman.
6 of 7 editions available.
£2.70 - £400.00


Night Reaper, 4th May 1942 by David Pentland.


Night Reaper, 4th May 1942 by David Pentland.
12 editions.
7 of the 12 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £4000.00

Cloud Dancers by Ivan Berryman.


Cloud Dancers by Ivan Berryman.
7 editions.
2 of the 7 editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £400.00

GR3 Field Trip by Stuart Brown.


GR3 Field Trip by Stuart Brown.
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£70.00 - £95.00


Billy Drake - First of Many by Ivan Berryman.


Billy Drake - First of Many by Ivan Berryman.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s).
£100.00 - £520.00

Hunters F(GA) Mk9 by Barry Price.


Hunters F(GA) Mk9 by Barry Price.
One edition.
£10.00



Text for the above items :

Maple Leaf Scramble by Robert Taylor. (GS)

The latest Giclee technology has once again brought Robert Taylor's sophisticated artistry to life to faithfully replicate his classic painting of the Hurricanes of 1 Squadron (RCAF). Becoming operational at Northolt in August 1940 they served with great distinction throughout the Battle of Britain.


Hawker Hurricane Mk I L1856 of 1 Sqn RAF by Keith Woodcock.

No text for this item


Take it to the Bridge by Ivan Berryman.

As cuts to the RAF and other armed services by the Labour Government were implemented in the late 1960s, Flt Lt Alan R Pollock of No.1 Sqn took it upon himself to stage a very personal protest whilst en route to West Raynham from Tangmere on 5th April 1968. Peeling away from the rest of his flight immediately after take off, Pollock flew low-level to London where he buzzed the Houses of Parliament three times before flying his Hawker Hunter FGA.9 under the upper spans of Tower Bridge. The incident is now part of British aviation folklore, but Pollock was immediately removed from flying duties for his audacity. He will always be recorded in history, however, as the first pilot to fly a jet aircraft through Tower Bridge.


Night Reaper, 4th May 1942 by David Pentland.

Hawker Hurricane IIc of top Czech ace Flt. Lt. K.M. Kuttlewascher, No.1 Fighter Squadron on a night intruder sortie from RAF Tangmere. On this mission he destroyed three Heinkel IIIs over their own airfield, St. Andre, in occupied France.


Cloud Dancers by Ivan Berryman.

Two Hawker Furies of No.1 Sqn, based at Tangmere in 1937.


GR3 Field Trip by Stuart Brown.

Harrier GR3s of No. 1 squadron in a secluded hide following a field exercise. The unique vertical take off capabilities of the Harrier allow front-line squadrons to deploy from dispersed sites.


Billy Drake - First of Many by Ivan Berryman.

Group Captain Billy Drake in Hurricane JX-P of No.1 Sqn scoring his first victory, an Me109 during the Battle of France, on 20th April 1940.


Hunters F(GA) Mk9 by Barry Price.

FG89 Hunters, No.1 Squadron RAF. XE624 leading.



View No.1 Sqn RAF Aircraft


View No.1 Sqn RAF Signatures
Aces for : No.1 Sqn RAF
A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name.
NameVictoriesInfo
Billy Drake24.50The signature of Billy Drake features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
Wilf Sizer7.00The signature of Wilf Sizer features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available.
William Victor Strugnell6.00



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