No. 12 Squadron RAF
| No. 12 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 14 February 1915 – 31 March 2014 9 January 2015 - present |
| Role | Air Interdiction, Ground Attack, Close Air Support, Reconnaissance, Suppression of enemy Air Defenses |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Marham |
| Motto(s) | "Leads the Field" |
| Equipment | Tornado GR4 |
| Battle honours | Western Front 1915–1918, Loos, Somme 1916, Arras, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918, Hindenburg Line, France and Low Countries 1939–1940, Meuse Bridges, Fortress Europe 1940–1944, German Ports 1941–1945, Biscay Ports 1940–1945, Berlin 1941–1945, Ruhr 1941–1945, France and Germany 1944–1945, Rhine*, Gulf 1991*, Iraq 2003 |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Wing Commander Nikki Thomas |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | A fox's mask |
| Squadron roundel |  |
No. 12 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, having been re-formed on 9 January 2015.
No. 12 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed in February 1915 from a flight of No. 1 Squadron RFC at Netheravon. The squadron moved to France in September 1915 and operated a variety of aircraft on operations over the Western Front. In March 1918 the squadron was re-equipped with the Bristol F2b Fighter just before becoming part of the newly formed Royal Air Force. The squadron, by then based at Bickendorf in Germany, was disbanded in 1922.
The squadron re-formed at RAF Northolt on 1 April 1923 to operate the de Havilland DH.9A. In 1924 it moved to RAF Andover and converted to the Fairey Fawn, a single-engined biplane bomber. The Fawns were replaced in 1926 with the Fairey Fox, which influenced the adoption of the fox's head as part of the squadron badge; the squadron was the only RAF user of the Fairey Fox and its performance was superior to other types, i.e. it led the field. In 1931 the squadron re-equipped with the Sydney Camm designed Hawker Hart. In October 1935 the squadron moved to the Middle East, but returned to Andover in August 1936. The Harts were replaced by the Hawker Hind in 1936 and in 1938 the squadron was equipped with Fairey Battles.
On the first day of the Second World War the squadron moved to France to begin operations. On 12 May 1940, over the Albert Canal, Belgium, one bridge in particular was being used by the invading German army, with protection from fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft and machine-guns. The RAF was ordered to demolish this vital bridge, and five Fairey Battles from the squadron were dispatched. They met an inferno of anti-aircraft fire, but the mission was accomplished, much of the success being due to the coolness and resource of the pilot Flying Officer Garland of the leading aircraft and the navigation of Sergeant Gray. Unfortunately the leading aircraft and three others did not return. Flying Officer Garland and Sergeant Gray were both posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
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