8/14/2019 43(F) Squadron

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2008

Sqn Ldr. Neil Donald OC

43 Sqn RvAF

9/24/2008

43(F) Squadron = RAF

Leuchrs

8/14/2019 43(F) Squadron

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43 squadron

43 (Fighter) Squadron

"The Fighting Cocks" 

Motto: Gloria finis - 'Glory is the end'. The motto of the Brook family, SqnLdr AF Brook being the Squadron Commander from July 1925 to January

1928.

Badge: A black gamecock - approved by HRH King Edward VIII in July1936. The badge was developed from an unofficial design produced in1926 when the Squadron was equipped with the Gloster Gamecock. Thisis the main reason

Battle Honours: Western Front 1917-1918*, Arras, Ypres 1917*,Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918*, Lys, Amiens, Dunkirk*, Battle of Britain1940*, Home defence 1940-1942, Fortress Europe 1942, Dieppe, North

Africa 1942-1943*, Sicily 1943, Salerno, Italy 1943-1945, Anzio andNettuno*, Gustav Line, France and Germany 1944*, Gulf 1991

* Honours marked with an asterisk are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard 

Sqn Ldr. Neil Donald OC 43 Sqn RvAF

8/14/2019 43(F) Squadron

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43 squadron

Present Aircraft: Tornado F3

Squadron History:

No. 43 Squadron was formed at Stirling on 15 April 1916 as a unit of the

Royal Flying Corps. From a nucleus provided by No. 19 ReserveSquadron, it took almost a year for the Squadron to reach the WesternFront in France. By this time their Sopwith 1½-Strutters were only suitablefor reconnaissance work. Following re-equipment with Sopwith Camels inSeptember 1917, the Squadron began to forge an excellent reputation for itself. This was typified by the events of 12 April 1918, when two of theSquadron's pilots, Captain JL Trollope and Captain HW Woollett, bothscored six confirmed victories in one day. After the war, the Squadronbriefly moved to Germany, returning to the UK in August 1919 prior to

disbandment at the end of the year.

No 43 Squadron reformed at Hendon on 1 July 1925. Now part of theUnited Kingdom fighter defences, it was equipped with Snipes and thenGamecocks in 1926, thus inspiring the Squadron badge and the nickname'The Fighting Cocks'. Siskins (1928) and Furys (1931) followed. Duringthe 1930's a healthy rivalry developed between Tangmere-based Nos. 43and 1 Squadrons, with the former gaining an outstanding reputation for formation aerobatics at the annual Hendon displays. By September 1939,

the Squadron was flying Hurricanes. It covered the Dunkirk retreat andduring the Battle of Britain formed part of No. 11 Group, during which theSquadron was credited with 60 'kills'. The Squadron returned south inmid-1942, and took up fighter sweeps flights over France. In November of that year, the Squadron departed for North Africa, stopping off in Gibraltar en-route. After their arrival, Spitfires replaced the Hurricanes, and the unitplayed a leading role in the air battles over Sicily and Italy before movingon to Austria as the War ended. The Squadron was disbanded in Italy inMay 1947.

Sqn Ldr. Neil Donald OC 43 Sqn RvAF

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43 squadron

In February 1949, Meteor-equipped No 266 Squadron at Tangmere was

renumbered No 43. In 1954, four years after moving to Leuchars, the firstHunters to enter RAF service were received and these remained onstrength until disbanded in October 1967. Her Majesty the Queenpresented 43 Squadron with its Colours for the first time in June 1957 atLeuchars, returning once again in May 1988 to present a replacementStandard. During most of the 1960's the Squadron was based in Cyprusuntil 1969, when it returned to Leuchars equipped with Phantom FGIaircraft operating in the maritime air defence role.

In July 1989, after operating for almost 20 years with the Phantom, theSquadron began re-equipping with the Tornado F3 with which it wasdeclared operational one year later. In November 1990 the Squadrondeployed to Saudi Arabia as the lead RAF Tornado F3 Squadron atDhahran and was on active service throughout the Gulf War, returning toLeuchars in March 1991.

Since then, it has been carrying out air defence duties over the UnitedKingdom and the southern no-fly zones of Iraq, with crews and engineers

performing regular detachments to the Falkland Islands.

Sqn Ldr. Neil Donald OC 43 Sqn RvAF

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