No. 51 Squadron RAF
| No. 51 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
Squadron crest
|
|
| Active | 15 May 1916 (RFC) – 13 June 1919 5 March 1937 – 30 October 1950 21 August 1958 – Present |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Role | Signals Intelligence |
| Part of | No. 2 Group RAF |
| Base | RAF Mildenhall |
| Nickname(s) | "York's 'own' Squadron" |
| Motto(s) | Swift and Sure |
| Aircraft | Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint |
| Battle honours | Home Defence, 1916–1918*; Channel & North Sea, 1940–1943; Norway, 1940*; France & Low Countries, 1940*; Ruhr, 1940–1945*; Fortress Europe, 1940–1944*; German Ports, 1940–1945; Invasion Ports, 1940; Biscay Ports, 1940–1944; Berlin, 1940–1944; Baltic, 1940–1944*; Biscay, 1942*; Italy, 1943*; France & Germany, 1944–1945*; Normandy, 1944; Walcheren; Rhine; South Atlantic, 1982; Gulf, 1991; Iraq, 2003; Kosovo. Honours marked with an asterix* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A goose volant |
| Squadron Codes |
UT (Aug 1939 – Sep 1939) MH (Sep 1939 – May 1945, Dec 1949 – Oct 1950) LK (? – Jan 1944) ('C' Flt which became 578 Sqn) C6 (Jan 1944 – May 1945) ('C' Flt) TB (May 1945 – Dec 1949) |
No. 51 Squadron of the Royal Air Force most recently operated the Nimrod R1 from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire until June 2011. Crews from No. 51 Squadron trained alongside the United States Air Force on the RC-135W Rivet Joint, which entered service with the RAF in 2014under the Airseeker project.
51 Squadron Royal Flying Corps flew B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft; the squadron formed at Thetford, Norfolk, before moving its headquarters to the airfield that later became RAF Marham. The squadron's primary role during the First World War was defence of the UK against German Zeppelin raids. It also used the Avro 504K to give night flying training to new pilots. The squadron disbanded in 1919.
The squadron was reborn when part of 150 Squadron was renumbered as 51 Squadron in March 1937, flying Virginias and Ansons. At this time the squadron badge was being chosen and a goose was chosen as a play on words: the squadron was flying the Anson and the Latin for goose is Anser. It was also appropriate for a bomber unit to have a heavy wild fowl to represent it.
51 Squadron dropped leaflets over Germany on the very first night of the Second World War, using the Whitley aircraft; bombs replaced leaflets in early 1940. A brief period as part of Coastal Command patrolling against the U-Boats in the Bay of Biscay preceded the re-equipment with the Halifax in 1942. 51 spent the rest of the war in Europe flying as part of No. 4 Group RAF, RAF Bomber Command's strategic bombing offensive against the Nazis, operating from RAF Snaith in East Yorkshire.
...
Wikipedia