No. 80 Squadron RAF

No. 80 Squadron RAF
Active	1 September 1917 – 1 February 1920 8 March 1937 – 1 May 1955 1 August 1955 – 28 September 1969
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Flying Corps (1917–1918) Royal Air Force (1918–1920, 1937–1969)
Role	Fighter aircraft (1917–1920, 1937–1955) Reconnaissance (1955–1969)
Motto(s)	"Strike True"[1]
Battle honours	Lys; 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 heraldry	A Bell[1] The badge is in commemoration of one of No. 80 Squadrons early commanders, Maj. V.D. Bell[3]
Squadron Roundel
Squadron Codes	GK (Oct 1938 – May 1939, 1940 – Jun 1940) OD (May 1939 – 1940) YK (Jun 1940 – Jan 1941) EY (Apr 1943 – 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, also in that year, and the squadron moved to Egypt in May 1919, 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 Sqn, now equipped with Gloster Gauntlet aircraft. However, by now the Gauntlet was considered by many to be outdated, and as a result they were replaced by the Gloster Gladiator just two months later.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 Libya, No. 80 was moved to the Egyptian-Libyan border but was 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 Haifa. The Squadron moved totally to Cyprus in July 1941, before returning to Syria the next month, and 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). After the operation, the squadron was equipped with Hawker Tempest aircraft and took up anti-V-1 flying bomb duties. After this was no longer a threat, 80 Sqn moved on to the Continent and resumed fighter duties until the end of the war.

Post-World War II and disbandment

Personnel of 80 Squadron RAF amongst parts of a Mitsubishi F1M, bearing Indonesian markings, at an airfield and seaplane base in Surabaya, Java, January 1946. In the background are Kawanishi N1K floatplanes

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, 80 Sqn'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.^[7]

Notable members

• David Coke
• Nigel Cullen
• Roald Dahl
• Marmaduke Pattle
• William Vale

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][8]

See also

• Cathay Pacific VR-HEU

References

Notes

1. 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. Rawlings 1978, pp. 196–200.
4. Rawlings Air Pictorial December 1962, p. 392.
5. "80 Squadron". The Aerodrome. 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
6. Roald Dahl, 'Going Solo'.
7. Rawlings 1982, p. 92.
8. Jefford 2001, p. 52.

Bibliography

• 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, Wing CommanderC.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.

External links

• RAFWeb page