No. 29 Squadron RAF

No. 29 Squadron RAF
Official Squadron Badge of No. 29 Squadron RAF
Active	7 November 1915 – 1919 1923 – 1974 1975 – 1998 2003 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Operational Conversion Unit (air defence)
Base	RAF Coningsby
Motto(s)	Latin: Impiger et Acer ("Energetic and keen")
Colors
Equipment	Eurofighter Typhoon
Battle honours	Western Front, 1916–1918*; Somme, 1916*; Arras; Ypres, 1917*; Somme, 1918*; Lys; Channel & North Sea, 1939–1940*; Battle of Britain, 1940*; Home Defence, 1940–1945*; Fortress Europe, 1943–1945: Normandy, 1944: France & Germany, 1944–1945* Arnhem. Honours marked with an asterisk* are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge	An eagle in flight preying on a buzzard The squadron badge symbolises air combat
Squadron Codes	YB (Dec 1938 – Sep 1939) RO (Sep 1939 – Apr 1951) B (Carried on Tornados)

No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Typhoon.

This unit was first raised as a reserve squadron, initially equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, in November 1915. In early 1916 however No. 29 became the fourth squadron to receive the Airco DH.2 "pusher" fighter, and arrived in France on 25 March 1916 – helping to end the Fokker Scourge and establish Allied air superiority in time for the Battle of the Somme.

By late 1916 the DH.2 was outclassed by new German fighters, but No. 29 kept its pushers until March 1917, when it was re-equipped with Nieuport 17s. These were replaced with later Nieuport types, such as the Nieuport 24bis, as these became available. Due to a shortage of the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a the squadron retained its Nieuports until April 1918, becoming possibly the last operational unit to operate "vee strut" Nieuport fighters. At this time the squadron finally received the S.E.5a, which it retained for the rest of the war.

The award of a Victoria Cross — the highest award for valour "in the face of the enemy" in the British Empire — to Captain James McCudden of 29 Sqn was gazetted on 2 April 1918, for McCudden's "conspicuous bravery, exceptional perseverance and a high devotion to duty", between August 1917 and March 1918. By the time of his death a few months later, McCudden had 57 official victories in air combat.