Country United Kingdom | Motto(s) "Strike True" | |
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Active 1 September 1917 – 1 February 1920
8 March 1937 – 1 May 1955
1 August 1955 – 28 September 1969 Branch Royal Flying Corps (1917–1918)
Royal Air Force (1918–1920, 1937–1969) Role Fighter aircraft (1917–1920, 1937–1955)
Reconnaissance (1955–1969) 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 | ||
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.
Contents
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. 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.
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
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 However, by now the Gauntlet was considered by many to be outdated, and as a result they were replaced by the Gloster Gladiator just two months later.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. 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
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.