No. 43 Squadron RAF

No. 43 Squadron RAF
Official badge of No. 43 Squadron RAF
Active	15 April 1916 – 31 December 1919 1 July 1925 – 16 May 1947 1 February 1949 – 7 November 1967 1 September 1969 – 13 July 2009
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)	'The Fighting Cocks'
Motto(s)	Latin: Gloria finis ("Glory is the end")
Colors
Battle honours	Western Front 1917–1918*, Arras, Ypres 1917*, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918*, Lys, Amiens, Dunkirk*, Battle of Britain 1940*, Home defence 1940–1942, Fortress Europe 1942, Dieppe, North Africa 1942–1943*, Sicily 1943, Salerno, Italy 1943–1945, Anzio and Nettuno*, Gustav Line, France and Germany 1944*, Gulf 1991, Iraq 2003. Honours marked with an asterisk* are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A Gamecock
Squadron Codes	NQ (Nov 1938 – Sep 1939) FT (Sep 1939 – May 1947) SW (Feb 1949 – Apr 1951) A (Carried on Phantoms) G (Carried on Tornados)

No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It saw distinguished service during two world wars, producing numerous "aces". The squadron last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland, in the air defence role, until it was disbanded in July 2009.

The squadron was formed at Stirling on 15 April 1916, from No. 18 Reserve Squadron as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps, and was equipped with various types, which it used for training until December 1916 when Sopwith 1½ Strutters arrived. These were taken to the Western Front the following month, where it operated as an Army squadron carrying out fighter reconnaissance duties.

In September 1917, Sopwith Camels arrived, and the squadron undertook ground attack duties; the squadron continued in this vein until the end of the war. The squadron received Sopwith Snipe in August 1918 and conversion was completed in October, but the Armistice prevented these playing a major part in the conflict, instead they were taken to Germany for occupation duties until August 1919 when the squadron moved to RAF Spitalgate where it disbanded on 31 December 1919. During the course of the war, ten aces served in the squadron, including Henry Woollett, Cecil Frederick King, John Lightfoot Trollope, Geoffrey Bailey, Harold Balfour, Charles C. Banks, Hector Daniel, George Lingham, and John Womersley. ( Robert Johnstone Owen).