No. 209 Squadron RAF

No. 209 Squadron RAF
Official squadron crest for no. 209 Squadron RAF
Active	1 February 1917 (RNAS) – 24 June 1919 15 January 1930 – 1 January 1955 1 November 1958 – 31 December 1968
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Ground support (World War I) Maritime patrol (World War II & Korea) Liaison and transport (Malaya)
Motto(s)	Might and Main
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	An eagle volant recursant descendant in pale, wings overture
Squadron Codes	FK WQ (Sep 1939 – Mar 1942 and 1950 – 1951)

No. 209 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was originally formed from a nucleus of "Naval Eight" on 1 February 1917 at Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France, as No. 9 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and saw active service in both World Wars, the Korean War and in Malaya. The use of the squadron number ceased in 1968 and has not been reused since by an RAF squadron.

However the number, Crest and motto is in current service within the RAF Air Cadets at 209 (West Bridgford) Squadron ATC in Nottinghamshire.

The Squadron was formed as a Royal Air Force Squadron on 1 April 1918, from No. 9 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service at Clairmarais. (All former RNAS squadrons were renumbered by the addition of 200 to their RNAS number.) During the remainder of World War I, 209 Squadron flew Sopwith Camels over the Western Front on fighter and ground support missions. The Squadron badge, the falling eagle, symbolizes the destruction of Baron Manfred von Richthofen who, in the 1914–1918 War, was credited to the guns of a pilot, Roy Brown from No. 209 Squadron. On 21 January 1919, the squadron was reduced to a skeleton organization and disbanded in the UK on 24 June 1919 at RAF Scopwick, Lincolnshire.

No. 209 reformed at the flying boat base at RAF Mount Batten, Plymouth on 15 January 1930. It was first equipped with Blackburn Iris flying boats and then from January 1934 by Blackburn Perth but neither of these types were built in sufficient quantities to equip the squadron fully. In July 1936, however, the squadron was fully equipped with Short Singapore Mk.IIIs and it was transferred to RAF Kalafrana, Malta in September 1937 for three months. In December 1938, No 209 began to convert to yet another flying boat type, the Supermarine Stranraer.