No. 208 Squadron RAF
| No. 208 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 26 October 1916 – 7 November 1919 1 February 1920 - 30 March 1959 1 April 1959 - 10 September 1971 1 March 1974 - 31 March 1994 1 April 1994 -13 April 2016 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Role | Advanced flying training Instructor training Conversion training |
| Base | RAF Valley |
| Nickname(s) | The Flying Shuftis |
| Motto(s) | Vigilant |
| Aircraft | BAE Systems Hawk |
| Battle honours |
Western Front 1915-1918* Arras* Ypres 1917* Lys Somme 1918* Egypt and Libya 1940-1942* Greece 1941* Iraq 1941 Syria 1941 El Alamein* Italy 1944-1945* Gustav Line Gothic Line Gulf 1991* Honours marked with an asterisk* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Geoffrey Rhodes Bromet |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A sphinx affrontée proper The Gizah Sphinx commemorated the Squadron's long association with Egypt during the inter-war years. An unofficial 'winged eye' badge had been in use from July 1930 until 1937. |
| Squadron roundel |  |
| Squadron Codes |
GA (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) RG (Mar 1944 - 1949) S (Carried on Buccaneers) D (1994 - present) |
No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft compared to the new-build Hawk T.2 aircraft of its sister unit, 4(R) Sqn, the Squadron was disbanded in April 2016, in its 100th year of operations.
The squadron was established as part of the Royal Naval Air Service on 25 October 1916 at Dunkirk as No. 8 (Naval) Squadron. In its early days, the unit flew Sopwith Pups, 1½ Strutters and Nieuport Scouts. Later in World War I it re-equipped with Sopwith Camels and was assigned to artillery spotting. The squadron returned to the UK briefly before being sent back to France to face the German offensive. While in France a significant number of Camels belonging to the squadron were destroyed by the RAF to prevent the Germans capturing them during their advance. When the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918, the unit was renumbered to No. 208 Squadron RAF. After the war ended, 208 Squadron remained with the occupying forces until August 1919, when it again returned to the UK for disbandment on 7 November 1919 at Netheravon.
During the war, the squadron claimed 298 victories. Twenty-five aces had served in the squadron. Notable among them were Anthony Arnold, Charles Dawson Booker, Robert J. O. Compston, Harold Day, Stanley Goble, Edward Grahame Johnstone, William Lancelot Jordan, Robert A. Little, William E. G. Mann, Richard Munday, Guy William Price, George Simpson, Reginald Soar, Ronald Thornley, and James White.
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