No. 84 Squadron RAF
| No. 84 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
Official Squadron Badge of No. 84 Squadron RAF
|
|
| Active | 7 Jan 1917 - 30 Jan 1920 13 Aug 1920 - 20 Feb 1953 20 Feb 1953 - 31 Oct 1971 17 Jan 1972 - present |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Role | Search and Rescue Squadron |
| Part of | Search and Rescue Force |
| Base | RAF Akrotiri |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Scorpiones pungunt ("Scorpions sting") |
| Helicopter | Bell Griffin HAR.2 |
| Battle honours | Western Front 1917-1918*, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918*, Amiens, Hindenburg Line*, Iraq 1920, Iraq 1923-1925, Iraq 1928-1929, Egypt and Libya, 1940-1942*, Greece 1940-1941*, Iraq 1941*, Habbaniya, Syria 1941, Malaya 1942*, North Burma 1944*, Manipur 1944. The Honours marked with an asterix* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
William Sholto Douglas Francis Fogarty |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A Scorpion |
| Squadron Codes |
UR (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939) VA (Sep 1939 - Mar 1941) PY (Jan 1945 - Dec 1946) |
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, it uses the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently the only operational part of the RAF Search and Rescue Force after the stand-down of the UK effort on 5th October 2015.
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed on 7 January 1917 at East Bolder (Beaulieu) and moved to France in September 1917. It flew the SE.5a over the Western front, at one time based in Bertangles, France until it returned to the UK in August 1919.
The squadron was disbanded on 30 January 1920. Its aces included Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, Hugh Saunders and Walter A. Southey.
The squadron was reformed on 13 August 1920 at Baghdad in Iraq, moving to Shaibah in September, where it remained for the next 20 years. Its initial equipment was DH.9As (until January 1929) and these were replaced by Wapitis (beginning July 1928),Vincents (December 1935) and Blenheims Mk.Is ( February 1939).
One of the squadrons artefacts is a pair of pink frilly knickers known as 'Jane's Panties'. These were presented to the squadron in 1936 by Jane Newman (a debutante from Australia) who was rescued by 84 squadron when her aircraft crashed in the Western Desert.
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