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No. 201 Squadron RAF
Official Squadron badge of No. 201 Squadron RAF
Active	17 October 1914 – 21 June 1915 (RNAS) 6 December 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RNAS) 1 April 1918 – 31 December 1919 (RAF) 1 January 1929 – 28 February 1957 1 October 1958 – 26 May 2011 7 August 2021 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and maritime patrol aircraft
Part of	No. 1 Group
Home station	RAF Lossiemouth
Nickname(s)	Guernsey's Own Squadron
Motto(s)	Latin: Hic et ubique ("Here and everywhere")
Commanders
Current commander	Wing Commander Adam Smolak
Notable commanders	Roderic Dallas Robert Marsland Groves
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A seagull, wings elevated and addorsed
Squadron codes	VQ (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) ZM (Sep 1939 – Aug 1943) 1 (Nov 1943 – Mar 1944) NS (Jul 1944 – Apr 1951) A (Apr 1951 – Feb 1957)

Number 201 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray.

It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even further back than the RAF itself, being formed originally as No. 1 Squadron RNAS on 17 October 1914. It had previously operated the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, between January 1982 and March 2010.

History

Formation and World War I

Despite its high squadron number, 201 Squadron is one of the oldest squadrons in the RAF. It was formed as No. 1 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on 17 October 1914, and reformed under that designation on 6 December 1916, only being renumbered to 201 Squadron on the formation of the RAF on 1 April 1918 – all the RNAS squadrons getting new numbers by adding 200 to their original number.

A Victoria Cross was won by a member of No. 1 Squadron RNAS when on 7 June 1915 Sub-Lieutenant R.A.J. Warneford shot down Zeppelin LZ.37.

After the war the squadron was disbanded at RAF Eastleigh on 31 December 1919. Eighteen flying aces served in the squadron during the course of the war, including such notables as Samuel Kinkead, Stanley Wallace Rosevear, Richard Minifie, Roderic Dallas, George Gates, Reginald Brading, Maxwell Findlay, Cyril Ridley, Thomas Gerrard, John Jones, James Henry Forman, Charles Dawson Booker, Thomas Culling, future Air Vice-Marshal F. H. Maynard, Robert McLaughlin, and Hazel Wallace.

Flying boat squadron

The squadron was reformed at RAF Calshot on 1 January 1929 by expanding no. 480 Flight, a Supermarine Southampton flying boat unit. In April 1936 the Southamptons gave way to the Saro London, which the squadron still had on strength when World War II broke out. Supermarine Stranraers flew shortly with the squadron in 1939, but by April 1940 the squadron was operational on the Short Sunderland, which would remain the squadron equipment for almost seventeen years up till 28 February 1957, when the squadron was disbanded at RAF Pembroke Dock.

Shackletons and Nimrods

The squadron was reformed at RAF St. Mawgan, when No. 220 Squadron RAF was renumbered to 201 Squadron. The squadron flew the next twelve years with the Avro Shackleton MR.3, a version that used a tricycle undercarriage as opposed to the earlier tailwheel variants. Following the Shackleton's retirement, the squadron converted to Nimrods in October 1970.

The squadron was active for over a decade in the Gulf region, in support of both Gulf War 1 and 2 and more recently the conflict in Afghanistan. Until March 2010, the squadron was also on active duty in the UK and maintained continuous 24-hour/365-day search and rescue standby, shared with the sister 120 Squadron, both flying from RAF Kinloss. The Nimrod MR2 was withdrawn in March 2010, and the squadron was formally disbanded on 26 May 2011. It had been preparing to operate the Nimrod MRA4 but this aircraft was cancelled under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Reformation

In July 2017, it was announced that No. 201 Squadron would be one of two RAF squadrons to fly the P-8A Poseidon, based at RAF Lossiemouth. It was later confirmed the squadron would stand up in the 'Summer of 2021' operating in the role and at location as previously stated. No. 201 Squadron reformed on 7 August 2021, reclaiming their Squadron Standard from Government House in Guernsey on 22 October.

Notable squadron members

• Roderic Dallas (Royal Naval Air Service)

• Patrick Dunn (Royal Air Force)

• Richard Minifie (Royal Naval Air Service)

• John Harris (Royal Air Force), Officer Commanding 1973–75

• Reginald Alexander John Warneford (Royal Naval Air Service)

Aircraft operated

The squadron has operated the following aircraft types.

• Various (Oct 1914 – Feby 1915)
• Nieuport 17 (Dec 1916 – Jan 1917)
• Sopwith Triplane (Dec 1916 – Dec 1917)
• Sopwith Camel (Dec 1917 – Feb 1919)
• Sopwith Snipe (Oct 1918 – Oct 1918)
• Supermarine Southampton Mk.II (Jan 1929 – Dec 1936)
• Saro London Mk.I (Apr 1936 – Jun 1938)
• Saro London Mk.II (Jan 1938 – 1938)
• Short Sunderland Mk.I (Apr 1940 – Jan 1942)
• Short Sunderland Mk.II (May 1941 – Mar 1944)
• Short Sunderland Mk.III (Jan 1942 – Jun 1945)
• Short Sunderland Mk.V (Feb 1945 – Feb 1957)
• Short Seaford Mk.I (Mar 1946 – Apr 1946)
• Avro Shackleton MR.3 (Oct 1958 – Dec 1970)
• Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod MR.1 (Oct 1970 – Feb 1983)
• BAe Nimrod MR2 (Jan 1982 – Mar 2010)
• Boeing Poseidon MRA1 (Aug 2021 – present)

Squadron bases

Battle honours

No. 201 Squadron has received the following battle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on the squadron standard.

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

• Armed forces in Scotland
• Military history of Scotland

References

Notes

1. ^ Rawlings 1982, p. 128.
2. ^ Halley 1988, pp. 259–260.
3. ^ "RAF 201 Squadron reclaims standard from Guernsey". BBC News. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 13.
5. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 52.
6. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 121.
7. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 123.
8. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 128.
9. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 77.
10. Flintham and Thomas 2003, pp. 94 and 154.
11. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 126
12. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 192.
13. ^ Jefford 2001, p. 70.
14. Stephenson, Charles (2004). Zeppelins: German Airships 1900–40. Oxford: Osprey. p. 16. ISBN 1-84176-692-5.
15. Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 40
16. ^ Rawlings 1982, p. 129.
17. ^ Hastings, David. "BAE System Nimrod: Squadron Service". Target Lock. Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
18. "Squadron Disbandment Parade". www.raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
19. "RAF Kinloss to close as ministers cancel Nimrod order". BBC News. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
20. "Defence Secretary announces new Maritime Patrol Aircraft squadrons". UK Ministry of Defence. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
21. "Sixth RAF Poseidon Aircraft Named 'Guernsey's Reply'". Forces Network. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
22. ^ Halley 1971, p. 43.
23. ^ Halley 1988, p. 260.
24. "201 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

Bibliography

• Ashworth, Chris. Encyclopedia of Modern Royal Air Force Squadrons. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stevens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-013-6.
• Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
• Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
• Halley, James J. Famous Maritime Squadrons of the RAF, Volume 1. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1973. ISBN 0-85064-101-2.
• 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, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Lewis, Peter. Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59. London: Putnam, 1959.
• 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 D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
• Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-19-4.

External links

• Squadron page on castlearchdale.net
• Squadron page on museum.guernsey.net
• MoD website
• Squadron history on RafWeb

v t e Royal Air Force flying squadrons
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Australian Flying Corps units attached to the RAF during the First World War	67 (1 Sqn AFC) 68 (2 Sqn AFC) 69 (3 Sqn AFC) 71 (4 Sqn AFC)
Article XV (Commonwealth) air force units attached to the RAF during the Second World War	Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 466 467 Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) 485 486 487 488 489 490
squadrons formed from non-Commonwealth personnel during the Second World War	Argentine 164 Belgian 349 350 Czechoslovak 310 311 312 313 Dutch 320 (Netherlands) 321 (Netherlands) 322 (Dutch) French 326 327 328 329 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 Greek 13 335 336 Norwegian 330 331 332 333 334 Polish 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 315 316 317 318 663 United States 71 121 133 Yugoslav 351 352
Royal Auxiliary Air Force	Special Reserve 500 501 502 503 504 Auxiliary Air Force 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 622
Fleet Air Arm of the RAF (1924–1939)	712 715 718 800 801 802 803 810 811 812 813 814 820 821 822 823 824 825
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS)	current 611 615 621 622 626 631 632 637 644 645 661 former 612 613 614 616 617 618 623 624 625 633 634 635 636 642 643 662 663 664

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• Guernsey
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• Military units and formations disestablished in 2011