No. 81 Squadron RAF
| No. 81 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 7 January 1917 – 4 July 1918 25 November 1918 - 1 February 1920 1 December 1939 – 15 June 1940 29 July 1941 – 20 June 1945 20 June 1945 – 30 June 1946 1 September 1946 – 16 January 1970 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
Royal Flying Corps (1917–1918) Royal Air Force (1918, 1939–1970) |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Non Solum Nobis ("Not for us alone") |
| Battle honours |
France & Low Countries, 1939-40 |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
Badge: An erect dagger in front of a mullet. |
France & Low Countries, 1939-40
Russia, 1941
Fortress Europe, 1942
Home Defence, 1942
Channel & North Sea, 1942
Dieppe
North Africa, 1942-43
Mediterranean, 1943
Sicily, 1943
Salerno
Italy, 1943
Burma 1944
Arakan, 1944
North Burma, 1944
No 81 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew Fighter aircraft during the Second World War, and reconnaissance aircraft in the Far East after the war, but was disbanded in 1970.
No. 81 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 January 1917 at Gosport as a training unit, but unlike many other Training squadrons during the First World War, it was not mobilised for active service and was disbanded on 4 July 1918.
The squadron reformed 25 November 1918 with all Canadian personnel and was officially known as No. 1 Squadron, Canadian Air Force until disbanding again on 1 February 1920.
On 1 December 1939 the Communications Squadron at Mountjoie, France, operating de Havilland Tiger Moths, was redesignated No. 81. It was disbanded on 15 June 1940, when the advancing German forces forced its withdrawal to the United Kingdom.
Following the German Invasion of the Soviet Union, it was decided to send a wing of Hawker Hurricane fighters to assist the Soviet war effort,and No. 81 Squadron reformed at RAF Leconfield on 29 July 1941 as part of No. 151 Wing RAF. In September it flew its Hurricanes off the carrier HMS Argus, deploying to an airfield near Murmansk. It flew both defensive sorties and escort missions for Soviet bombers, while carrying out its principal role of training Soviet pilots on the Hurricane. After a few weeks of operations the Hurricanes were handed over to the Soviets and the Squadron left to return to the UK at the end of November.
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