No. 41 Squadron RAF

No. 41 Squadron RAF
Official Squadron Badge of No. 41 Squadron RAF
Active	April 1916 – 22 May 1916 14 July 1916 – 31 December 1919 1 April 1923 – 31 December 1963 1 September 1965 – 1 July 1970 1 April 1972 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Test and Evaluation Squadron
Base	RAF Coningsby
Motto(s)	Seek and Destroy
Anniversaries	Centenary in July 2016
Equipment	Panavia Tornado GR4 & Eurofighter Typhoon
Battle honours	Western Front, 1916–1918*; Somme, 1916*; Arras; Cambrai, 1917*; Somme, 1918; Lys; Amiens*; Dunkirk, 1940; Battle of Britain, 1940*; Home Defence, 1940–1944; Fortress Europe, 1940–1944*; Dieppe*; France & Germany, 1944–1945*; Arnhem; Walcheren; Gulf, 1991 Honours marked with an asterisk (*) are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Commanders
Current commander	Wg Cdr Steven A. Berry MBE MEng
Notable commanders	AVM Raymond Collishaw CB DSO* OBE DSC DFC (Oct 1923 – Apr 1924) Sqn Ldr Raymond Hesselyn MBE DFC DFM* (Mar – Apr 1951) AM Sir Christopher Harper KBE (Oct 1994 – Jan 1997)
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A red double-armed cross on white background. Adapted from the coat of arms of St Omer, which was the unit's first overseas base in 1916, with which the squadron has since maintained a link
post 1950 aircraft insignia
Squadron codes	PN Jan 39 – Sep 39 EB Sep 39 – Feb 51 F – On Jaguars EB – On Harriers, Tornados & Typhoons, 2010–present

No. 41 (R) Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron ("TES"), based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41(R) TES". The squadron was formed in 1916 during First World War as part of the Royal Flying Corps and served on the Western Front as a ground attack and fighter squadron. Disbanded in 1919 as part of the post-war draw down, No. 41 Squadron was re-formed as an RAF squadron in 1923 and remained on home service until 1935 when it was deployed to Aden during the Abyssinian crisis.

During the Second World War, the squadron flew Supermarine Spitfire fighters and saw action over Dunkirk and the during the Battle of Britain in the early years of the war. Combat operations were flown from Britain over German-occupied Europe during 1941–44, before the squadron moved to the continent after the Normandy landings. During 1944–45, the squadron supported the Allied advance into Germany and it remained there until mid-1946 as part of the occupation force following the end of hostilities. In the post war years, the squadron was disbanded and re-formed several times, operating a variety of jet aircraft in the fighter, reconnaissance and interceptor roles. In 2006, the squadron was re-roled as the Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit. It remained in this role until 2010 when it became the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron.

No. 41 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was originally formed at Fort Rowner, RAF Gosport, in mid April 1916 with a nucleus of men from 28 Squadron RFC. However, on 22 May 1916, the Squadron was disbanded again when it was re-numbered "27 Reserve Squadron RFC".

41 Squadron was re-formed on 14 July 1916 with a nucleus of men from 27 Reserve Squadron, and equipped with the Vickers F.B.5 'Gun Bus' and Airco D.H.2 'Scout'. These were replaced in early September 1916 with the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8, and it was these aircraft which the Squadron took on their deployment to France on 15 October 1916. Eighteen aircraft departed Gosport for the 225-mile flight to St. Omer, but only 12 actually made it, the others landing elsewhere with technical problems. The 12 pilots spent a week at St. Omer before moving to Abeele, where the ground crews reached them by road, and the remaining six pilots by rail, minus their aircraft.