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OPERATION ALLIED FORCE
OPERATION DECISIVE EDGE (1996)
No.8 Squadron, Royal Air Force
No.8 Squadron is one of the oldest and most distinguished squadrons in the Royal Air Force, with a record of well over fifty years of almost unbroken service.
Formed at Brooklands on 1st January 1915 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, its stay in England was very short: by April of that year, the squadron found itself in the forefront of the action in Northern France area.
Equipped with BE 2c fighters, the squadron performed a variety of roles as reconnaisance, bombing and artillery spotting. During the latter part of World War I it pioneered the art of aerial photogaphic recce and was also much involved in co-operating with and directing tank forces. One of the squadron's pilot, Cpt.F.M.West, gained the Victoria Cross. Though severely wounded in both legs, he pressed on with an important reconnaisance mission, eventually returning safely to base with vital intelligence information.
The squadron disbanded after the end of the hostilities but reformed few months later at the Egyptian base of Helwain. At this time it reequiped with De Havilland D.H.9A's which it retained for the next eight years.
After a short stay in Egypt, the unit moved to Baghdad and then to Hinaidi in Iraq (or Mesopotamia as it then was). During the early 1920s the squadron's aircraft were frequently in action against Turkish infiltrations in Kurdistan and also against dissidents along the Euphrates river.
Early in 1927, No.8 Squadron moved to Aden and so began an association with that part of the Middle East that was to last 40 years, during which time it became affectionately known as "Aden's Own". The D.H.9A's were replaced by Fairey III Fs in 1928 and these aircraft were soon to see action against local tribesmen who decided to revolt rather than pay their taxes. This typified the sort of police action in which the squadron became involved during the inter-war years.
During World War II, the squadron operated a variety of aircraft types including the Blenheim, the Wellington and the Liberator and was employed in coastal reconnaisance and anti-submarine patrols. At the same time, it continued to mount punitive sorties against dissidents in the hinterland of Aden.
A second disbandment occurred in 1945, happily followed by a further reformation in 1946, when the squadron resumed its former fighter role, being equipped with Hawker Tempest F.6s. These it retained until 1949 when they were replaced with Bristol Brigands twin engined fighter bomber. The main role of No.8 Squadron the policing of the Aden area although much time was also spent on detachments to Irak, Egypt and East Africa.
In 1952 the squadron received its first jet aircraft, the Vampire FB.9, replaced in 1955 by the somewath similar but more powerful Venom. During the ill-fated Suez campaign in 1956, the squadron operated from Cyprus and achieved an impressive score against the Egyptians, claiming 43 aircraft destroyed on the ground plus further 6 probables.
The year 1960 saw the arrival of the famous and versatile Hawker Hunter on the squadron (F.G.A.9s plus a few FR.10s photo-recce variant). This aircraft was used by the squadron throughout the sixties seeing considerable action "up-country" against Yemeni rebels and particularly during the bitter Radfan campaign.
With the British withdrawal in 1967, the unit long association with Aden was broken. Its Hunters were among the last to leave during the last, tense days in that area.
From Aden, they were flown to Barhain, which was to become their base for the next four years. Late in 1971, the squadron moved to Sharjah where it was disbanded.
On 1 January 1972, the squadron reformed at RAF Kinloss flying Avro Shackletons in the Airborne Early Warning (AEW) role and moved to RAF Lossiemouth during August 1973.
After the withdrawal of the Fairey Gannets AEW of the HMS Ark Royal aircraft carrier, No.8 Squadron remained the sole AEW unit in Europe till 1982 when NATO's Boeing E-3A AEW force was fomed.
No.8 Squadrn reformed at RAF Waddington on 1 July 1991 and it was equipped with seven Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW Mk.1 (RAF serials ZH101/ZH107), the seventh aircraft being the 1,010th and last airframe of the Model 707, all versions, to roll out the Boeing production line in May 1991.
From 1995 a detachment of No.8 Squadron is active at Aviano to support the UN activities over Bosnia.
In the picture: ZH103 is a RAF No.8 Squadron Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW Mk.1 based at Aviano, beginning 1996.
