No. 14 Squadron RAF

No. 14 Squadron RAF
The official badge of No. 14 Squadron RAF
Active	3 February 1915 – 4 February 1919 1 February 1920 – 1 June 1945 1 June 1945 – 31 March 1946 1 April 1946 – 17 December 1962 17 December 1962 – 30 June 1970 30 June 1970 – 1 June 2011 14 October 2011 – to date
Branch	Royal Air Force RAF Air Command
Base	RAF Waddington
Motto(s)	"I spread my wings and keep my promise"
Equipment	Beechcraft Shadow R1
Battle honours	Egypt 1915–1917*, Gaza, Megiddo, Arabia 1916–1917*, Palestine 1917–1918*, Transjordan 1924 (Origin of motto), Palestine 1936–1939, East Africa 1940–1941*, Mediterranean 1941–1943*, Egypt and Libya 1941–1942*, Sicily 1943*, Atlantic 1945*, Gulf 1991*, Kosovo. Honours marked with an asterisk are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A winged plate charged with a cross throughout and shoulder pieces of a suit of armour
Squadron Roundel
Squadron Codes	BF (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) CX (Sep 1944 – Jun 1945, Apr 1946 – Feb 1951) B (May 1953 – Jun 1955) A (Carried on Jaguars) B (Carried on Jaguars) BA – BZ (Aug 1985 – Jun 2011)

No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 (a modified Beechcraft Super King Air) in the Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) role from RAF Waddington.

No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 3 February 1915 at Shoreham with Maurice Farman S.11 and B.E.2 aircraft. After a few months of training it departed for the Middle East in November of that same year for Army co-operation duties during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. In 1916 the squadron's B.E.2s were supplemented with a small number of D.H.1A two seat fighters for escort duties, with the type remaining in use until March 1917. Other fighters operated by the squadron's fighter flight included the Bristol Scout and Vickers FB.19, but the fighter flight left the squadron in August 1917 to form No. 111 Squadron. The squadron flew in support of British forces in the Third Battle of Gaza in late 1917. In November 1917 the squadron was equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s, which were used to perform reconnaissance duties, attacking the Turkish Seventh Army as it retreated following the Battle of Nablus. It was recalled to the UK in January 1919 and disbanded the following month.

The Squadron motto—I spread my wings and keep my promise—is believed by many, including the RAF, to be an extract from the Koran as suggested to the RAF by the Emir of Transjordan but in Arabic, this is not quite as depicted on the Squadron badge.