A Brief History of 41 Squadron RAF, 1916-2016

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Motto
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'Seek and Destroy'
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Codes
 

'PN' from January to September 1939
'EB' from September 1939 to February 1951
'F' on Jaguars
'EB' on Harriers, Tornados & Typhoons, 2010-present
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Badge
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A double-armed cross, approved by King George VI in February 1937. The badge originated from the Squadron's association with St Omer, France, during World War I, the cross being part of the town's arms.
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Battle Honours
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Western Front, 1916-1918; Somme, 1916; Arras and Cambrai, 1917; Somme, 1918; Lys; Amiens; Dunkirk 1940; Battle of Britain 1940; Home Defence 1940-1944; Fortress Europe 1940-1944; Dieppe; France and Germany 1944-1945; Arnhem; Walcheren; Arabian Gulf 1991
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A Brief History
 
No. 41 (R) Squadron is currently the RAF’s Test and Evaluation Squadron, and is based at RAF Coningsby. The Squadron celebrates its Centenary in 2016, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons still flying.

41 Squadron RFC was originally formed at Gosport on 15 April 1916 with a nucleus of men from 28 Squadron RFC, but was disbanded again seven weeks later when it was re-designated 27 (R) Squadron RFC.

The unit was re-formed at Gosport on 14 July 1916 with a nucleus of men from 27 (R) Squadron, and equipped with the FB5 Gun Bus and DH2 Scout. These were replaced in early September with the FE8 pusher, and it was these aircraft that the Squadron was equipped on their deployment to France on 15 October 1916.

They arrived during the dying days of the First Battle of the Somme, but by the time of the Armistice the Squadron had participated in the Battles of Arras, Messines, and Cambrai, the German 1918 Spring Offensive, and the Battle of Amiens. The unit was disbanded on 31 December 1919.

Approximately 185 pilots served with the Squadron during World War I. Thirty-nine were killed in action or died on active service, forty-eight were wounded or injured, and twenty became Prisoners of War.

The pilots were credited with destroying 111 aircraft and fourteen balloons, sending down 112 aircraft out of control, and driving down a further twenty-five aircraft and five balloons. They were awarded four DSOs, six MCs, nine DFCs, four Mentions in Despatches, and two French and two Belgian Croix de Guerre.

41 Squadron was re-formed at RAF Northolt on 1 April 1923, but upon its re-birth consisted of one flight of just six World War I vintage aircraft. However, the unit grew significantly in time and flew six different aircraft types before the outbreak of World War II: the Snipe, the Siskin III, the Bulldog IIa, the Demon I, the Fury II and, finally, the Squadron’s first monoplane, the Spitfire I. The inter-war years were an exciting and colourful time for 41 Squadron, during which approximately 200 pilots served with the unit. Although no Battle Honours were granted nor any decorations awarded during this time, the era produced ten Air Commodores, nine Air Vice-Marshals, two Air Marshals and two Air Chief Marshals.

 Following the Declaration of War in September 1939, 41 Squadron played no significant role in the fighting until the evacuation of Dunkirk in May-June 1940. Although the pilots were involved in minor skirmishes with the Luftwaffe over northern England and the North Sea prior to this, it was the Dunkirk campaign that constituted the Squadron’s real baptism of fire.

Mainly based at Hornchurch throughout the Battle of Britain and beyond, the Squadron was not rested again until February 1941, by which time the pilots had claimed over 110 aircraft destroyed, more than forty probably destroyed and almost sixty damaged. However, the campaign had taken its toll on the unit: sixteen pilots had been killed, six wounded and hospitalised, and eighteen posted away, making an over 150% turnover in manpower since the unit’s initial deployment to Hornchurch in early July 1940. The Squadron now also had its third Commanding Officer since then, and its fourth within ten months.

 Following a few months’ rest, 41 Squadron joined the Tangmere Wing in late July 1941, and took the war back across the Channel in offensive sweeps, anti-shipping operations, and bomber escorts. In February 1942, the Squadron participated in actions against three heavy German naval vessels that escaped from Brest, and the ensuing months were spent in a combination of Circus operations, convoy patrols, and defensive patrols on the south coast in response to the Luftwaffe’s ‘tip and run’ raids.

Following a planned deployment to Russia, which did not eventuate, 41 Squadron provided air support for the Canadian landings at Dieppe in August 1942, but were then rested until early 1943.

The Squadron returned to operations in April 1943, re-equipped with the Spitfire XII and spent the ensuing year fully deployed on Ramrod bomber escorts, latterly targeting V-Weapons sites. In May-June 1944, the Squadron assisted with pre-Operation Overlord offensive strikes, but was called off this work to spend two months on home defence duties, countering the V1 flying bomb threat. They ultimately claimed fifty-three destroyed.

Ramrod operations recommenced in late August 1944 and, following re-equipment with the Spitfire XIV, the Squadron also participated in Operation Market Garden. The unit became a part of 2 TAF in October 1944, and moved across the Channel to Belgium in December 1944 to become a member of 125 Wing.

Over the ensuing months, 41 Squadron moved from Belgium to the Netherlands, and then into Germany, finding themselves at Celle at the cessation of hostilities. Immediately after the German capitulation, the Squadron moved to Denmark, but returned to Germany in late June 1945, when it remained until being disbanded on 31 March 1946.

Around 325 pilots served with 41 Squadron during World War II, of whom sixty-four were killed and fifty-eight wounded or injured, whilst twenty-one were Prisoners of War. The men were awarded three DSOs, twelve DFCs, one DFM, and one Mention in Dispatches.

On 1 April 1946, 41 Squadron was re-formed as a fighter squadron at RAF Dalcross, equipped with the Spitfire F.21. Only sixteen months later, however, the unit was re-designated 41 (Instrument Flying Rating) Squadron and re-equipped with Oxfords and Harvards. This status only lasted until June the following year, when the Squadron reverted to fighter defence and was re-equipped with the DH Hornet F.1.
 41 Squadron became a day fighter unit again in January 1951, and entered the jet age with its first jet-powered aircraft, the Meteor F.4. These were replaced by the Hunter F.5 around four years later. In January 1958, the unit was disbanded again but just a day later, Coltishall’s 141 Squadron was renumbered 41 Squadron and retained its Javelin FAW.4 fighters and personnel.

In July 1958, the Squadron moved to RAF Wattisham, where the FAW.4s were replaced with FAW.8s in January 1960. The unit remained at Wattisham for around five-and-a-half years, but was disbanded yet again at the end of 1963. 41 Squadron was next re-formed at RAF West Raynham in September 1965 as a Missile Defence Squadron, armed with Bloodhound Mk II surface-to-air-missiles (SAM). Changes to the SAM programme, however, saw 41 Squadron disbanded anew just five years later.

In April 1972, the Squadron was reborn at RAF Coningsby as a tactical fighter reconnaissance and ground attack unit within Air Support Command. In this role, they were equipped with F-4 Phantom FGR.2s but these were soon deemed to be unsuitable for the work. It was felt, however, that the Squadron should maintain her role as a fighter and ground attack unit, and it was therefore decided to disband 41 Squadron and re-form it elsewhere to enable it to do so.

No. 41 (Designate) Squadron was therefore formed at Coltishall in July 1976 and commenced training with SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 aircraft. The two squadrons operated independently of one another until 31 March 1977 when 41 Squadron was disbanded at Coningsby. This allowed 41 (Designate) Squadron to drop ‘Designate’ from their name and become the ‘new’ combat-ready 41 Squadron the following day.

Despite this, 41 Squadron’s role subsequently changed to low-level reconnaissance after all and, in early 1978, it became part of SACEUR’s Strategic Reserve. Two years later, the unit was assigned to the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force. The Squadron was consequently involved in a number of international conflicts, and became the first RAF Squadron to be deployed the Middle East in early 1991, during Gulf War I (Operation Granby). Afterwards, the Squadron was deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, where it defended Iraq’s Kurdish minority within the boundaries of the northern no-fly zone (Operations Warden and Resonate North) until April 1993.

Four months later, the Squadron was deployed to Southern Italy, where it undertook policing duties over Bosnia in support of Operation Deny Flight, which were maintained until August 1995. It was during this time that one of the unit’s Jaguars became the first RAF aircraft to drop a bomb in anger over Europe since the end of World War II; the target was a Bosnian tank. The Squadron’s last operational deployment took place during Gulf War II (Operation Telic) in March-April 2003. During this time, they were once again based at Incirlik, now equipped with the Jaguar GR.3.

Following a government spending review in 2004, 41 Squadron was earmarked for disbandment yet again in March 2006. The review foresaw the retirement of the Jaguar force and the closure of Coltishall. However, the unit was given a last minute reprieve when approval was given to move to Coningsby and assume the role of the Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit (FJWOEU).

41 Squadron then became a Reserve squadron and inherited the FJWOEU’s Panavia Tornados and Harrier GR9s. The unit remained in this role until 2010, when Boscombe Down’s Fast Jet Test Squadron was amalgamated into 41(R) Squadron to create a new entity, 41 Squadron (Test and Evaluation) Squadron, or ‘41(R) TES’, in which form it exists today.

The Harriers were retired in November 2010, and the Tornados in October 2017, but the Squadron received the Typhoon FGR4 in April 2013, and continues to fly these aircraft today. 41(R) TES is currently based at Coningsby, and its Officer Commanding is Wg Cdr J. Jody McMeeking.
 

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