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II (Army Cooperation) Squadron Timeline


II(AC) Sqn began its illustrious existance in 1912.  Each of the subsequent years has provided in some measure or other events which require to be recorded.  Arrayed below in the form of a chronological table are those events.  Scroll down and be reminded of the heritage of Hereward's own: 

1912

May - II(AC) Squadron formed at Farnborough flying a mixture of the Bristol Boxkite, Breguet Biplane, B.E. Prototype and the Farman S.7 Longhorn.
Jul - Standardised on the B.E.2 and Henry Farman Biplane


1913

Jan - Squadron relocated to Montrose in Scotland
Feb - Equipped with the B.E.2A
Apr - Equipped with B.E.2B
Aug - Captured British Altitude record of 16,000 ft


1914

Apr - Equipped with the Farman S.11 Shorthorn
Aug - Equipped with the R.E.1
Aug - Deployed to France (the first British aeroplane to fight a war) 
Sep - Observer on Recce flight becomes first member of RFC to be wounded in battle
Sep - Equipped with the R.E.2 and R.E.5


1915

Feb - Equipped with the Vickers FB5 and B.E.2C
May - Lt. Rhodes-Moorhouse awarded posthumous Victoria Cross; first highest honour for heroism in the air
Jul - Equipped with the Bristol Scout and B.E.2D


1916

June - As a local, unofficial measure, Squadron aircraft first painted with Black Triangles to provide positive identification to friendly troops.  Later in the year the triangles were repainted white to become the symbol carried by squadron aircraft to this day.

1917

Jan - Equipped with the B.E.2E
Apr - Equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth FK8


1918

May - Lt. "Babe" McLeod awarded Victoria Cross; youngest aerial recipient of this honour

1919

Feb - Squadron returned to the UK and reduced to cadre

1920

Jan - Temporarliy disbanded and then reformed at Oranmore in Ireland
Feb - Re-equipped with the Bristol F.2B fighter


1921



1922

Feb - Squadron returned to the UK to be based at Digby

1923

Feb - Last flight remaining in Ireland returned to England
Dec - Entire Squadron moved to RAF Andover


1924

Apr - Squadron moved to Manston

1925



1926



1927

Apr - Squadron embarks for China
May - Squadron sets up base at Shanghai Racecourse
Nov - Squadron returns to Manston


1928

Sep - Armament Practice Camp conducted at Sutton Bridge

1929

Sep - Armament Practice Camp conducted at North Coat Fitties
Dec - Re-equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas 1


1930

Aug - Army (Divisional) co-operation exercises held with the squadron detached to Friday Wood

1931

Apr/May - Armament Practice Camp resulted in the Squadron winning the coveted 22 Group Air Gunners' Cup
July - Squadron badge (incorporating the "Hereward Knot") given official approval
Sep - Official approval given for squadron aircraft to carry the triangular emblem used in the First World War
nd - First mention in Squadron Record Books of foreign pilots being posted to the squadron (2 Iraqis)


1932

Apr/May - Squadron repeated feat of winning the Armament Practice Camp 22 Group Air Gunners' Cup


1933

May - Re-equipped with the Hawker Audax 1

1934

Jun - Squadron displayed 6 aircraft at the annual RAF Display at RAF Hendon 
Oct - Mobilisation Exercise saw the Squadron deploy to RAF Sealand


1935

Jul - Squadron participated in the Royal Review at RAF Mildenhall
Dec - Squadron moves to RAF Hawkinge


1936

Feb - No. 22 (Army Co-op) Group and, therefore,15:47 04/01/2006 II(AC)Sqn Squadron became part of Fighter Command

1937

Nov - Re-equipped with the Hawker Hector 1

1938

Jul - Re-equipped with the Westland Lysander I

1939

Aug (23) - II (AC) Sqn receives Battle Orders
Sep/Oct - Squadron deploys to Drucat (Abbeville), N France 


1940

Feb - Re-equipped with the Westland Lysander II
May - First offensive sorties undertaken
May - Squadron withdraws from Northern France and returns to the UK and initially establishes itself at Lympne
May - Participates in the defence of Calais with supply drops to beleaguered forces
Jun - Operational Flying stopped and Squadron rested
Jun - Squadron moved to Hatfield
Sep - Re-equipped with the Westland Lysander III and conducted trials with the Boulton Paul Defiant I and Fairey Battle
Oct - Squadron begins "Special Operations" sorties to Occupied France


1941

Aug - Re-equipped with the Curtis Tomahawk I, IIA and IIB

1942

Apr - Re-equipped with the North American Mustang I

1943

Mar - Participation in "Spartan", a mobility exercise which was a prelude to the anticipated invasion of Occupied Europe
Jul - The Squadron leaves RAF Sawbridgeworth to be based at RAF Gravesend
Aug - Another move, this time to RAF Odiham
Nov - Another move, this time to RAF North Weald
Dec - Another move, back to RAF Sawbridgeworth


1944

Feb - Re-equipped with the North American Mustang IA
Apr - The Squadron leaves RAF Sawbridgeworth to be based at RAF Gatwick
6 Jun - Tactical Reconnaissance over the D-Day beaches, Normandy
Jun - Re-equipped with the North American Mustang II
20 Jun - First aircraft deployed to France
Jul - Full squadron deployment to France (B10 Plumetot)
Nov - Re-equipped with the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire FRXIV


1945

8 May - Last Operational WW2 sortie carried out by the squadron
Sep - Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PRXI added to the Spitfire FRIV Fleet


1946

Jan - Spitfire PRXI replaced with the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PRmk19
Jun - Following other unit disbandments, Shiny Two becomes the sole Recce squadron in Germany (BAFO) Dec - Squadron maintains a detachment at RAF Gatow (Berlin)


1947

Apr - Squadron completes the Berlin detachments and aircraft return to Celle
Apr - The Squadron moves to RAF Wunsdorf


1948

Apr - The Squadron moves to RAF Wahn to vacate Wunsdorf which was being used for the Berlin Airlift

1949

Sep - The Squadron returns to RAF Wunsdorf

1950

Dec - Re-equipped with the Gloster Meteor FRmk9

1951

Mar - PRmk10s added to the Meteor fleet
Apr - Meteor PRmk10s exchanged for FRmk9s and squadron then assumes the Fighter Reconnaissance role
Sep-Dec - Exercise Thunderflash; Exercise Nickel Coin; Exercise Stopgap I and II; Exercise Clean-up; Exercise Counter-Thrust; Exercise Cirrus; Exercise Jupiter; Exercise Surprise Package; Exercise Combine
- Squadron awarded the "Duncan Trophy" for best all-weather flying record


1952

Apr - Squadron moves to RAF Gutersloh 

1953

Jun - Participation in the Coronation Flypast
Jul - Royal Review at RAF Odiham
Jul - Squadron moves to RAF Wahn 


1954

Oct - Presentation of the Squadron Standard at RAF Geilenkirchen

1955



1956

Dec - Re-equipped with the Supermarine Swift FRmk5

1957

May - Second place in the NATO Recce competition "Royal Flush II" 

1958

Aug - Participation in Recce competition "Royal Flush" 

1959



1960



1961

Mar - Re-equipped with the Hawker Hunter FRmk10
Sep - Squadron moves back to RAF Gutersloh


1962



1963

Oct - Exercise Triplex West; 4 aircraft to El Adem - the first time since Shanghai (1927) that the squadron had left the confines of Europe

1964



1965

Jun - Participation in Recce competition "Royal Flush" 

1966



1967



1968



1969



1970

Jun - The squadron won every category in NATO Recce competition "Big Click (Royal Flush XIV)"
Dec - Re-equipped with the McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FGRmk2 at RAF Bruggen


1971

May - Squadron moves to RAF Laarbruch 

1972

Aug - For the second time (see Jun 1970) the squadron won every category in NATO Recce competition "Big Click" 

1973



1974



1975



1976

Re-equipped with the Sepecat GRmk1 Jaguar 

1977

Mar - First squadron deployment to IAF Deccimomannu for APC (Armament Practice Camp)
Jul - Squadron participated in QEII's Silver Jubilee Flypast


1978



1979



1980

Jul - The squadron participated for the first time in "Red Flag" in the US

1981



1982



1983



1984

Jul - New Squadron Standard presented by Prince Charles

1985



1986

Apr - Squadron deploys to CFB Cold Lake for Exercise Maple Flag

1987

Mar - Squadron deploys to RAF Bruggen for 6 months whilst runway at RAF Laarbruch is resurfaced 

1988

Dec - Squadron receives the 1988 Wilkinson Battle of Britain Memorial sword for development of night reconnaissance tactics and techniques

1989

Jan - Re-equipped with the Panavia Tornado GRmk1A


1990

Nov - Her Majesty the Queen visits RAF Laarbruch and meets with members of II(AC) Sqn
Dec - First aircraft deployed to Tabuk as part of Operation Desert Shield


1991

Nov - After 47 years of being based in Germany the squadron leaves RAF Laarbruch and redeploys to RAF Marham

1992



1993



1994



1995



1996



1997



1998



1999

Jan/Mar - Participation in operation BOLTON (No-Fly Zones in Northern and Southern Iraq), the first time in 54 years that the Squadron had dropped bombs in anger 

2000



2001



2002



2003

Mar - Squadron deployed to the Gulf Theatre of Operations in support of Operation Telic 

2004



2005

Feb - Squadron deploys to Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait as part of Operation TELIC 

2006

Jan - Squadron deploys to Nevada for "Red Flag"

2007

May - Squadron celebrates 95th Anniversary

2008



2009

Apr - Squadron finished its participation in Operation Telic; prepares for deployment to Afghanistan.

2010

Oct - Squadron returns from Afghanistan

2011

Mar - Squadron takes part in Operation Ellamy over Libya.


2012


2014


2015


Jan - Squadron deploys to Afghanistan for Operation HERRICK.


Aug - Squadron deploys to Akrotiri for Operation SHADER


Sep - Squadron deploys to Africa for Operation TURUS

Something missing?  We're going to update this timeline as much as possible - send your entries in below:

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  • Home
  • History
    • PEOPLE >
      • STORIES
      • Commanding Officers
      • New Boss for II(AC) Sqn
      • Sqn Ldr RJF Mitchell DFC
    • AIRCRAFT
    • TIMELINE
    • Photos/video >
      • Videos
      • Ground to Air Photography
      • Lysander
      • Swift
      • Meteor
      • Hunter
      • Phantom
      • Jaguar
      • Tornado
      • Sqn Website Artwork
    • HONOURS >
      • Battle Honours
      • Individual Honours >
        • Hans Onderwater MBE
        • Rhodes Moorhouse
        • Alan McLeod
        • William Sanday
        • Arthur Hammond
        • Clarence Evans
    • PLACES
  • Memorabilia
  • Membership
    • FAQs
    • Contact
  • Members Only
    • Operations >
      • Op TELIC 2004
      • Op TELIC 2003
      • Op BOLTON
      • Op RESINATE SOUTH
    • Committee Stuff
    • Photos and video
    • Newsletters & Squadron Updates >
      • 2015-1 Squadron Update
      • 2016-1 Squadron Update
      • 2016/2017
      • 2017-1
    • Jan 2018 - May 2020
    • Groundcrew Business
    • Aircrew Banter
    • Tornado chatter >
      • John Hastie
      • Major Mick Welborn
    • Jaguar World
    • Meteor Era
    • Swift Era
    • Hunters!
    • Typhoon Mates
    • What's next, what's new
    • Squadron Building Opening
    • Fin Fest 2016
    • Update Contact Details
    • Where are you?
    • In Memoriam
    • NMA Wreath 13 May 18
    • Sir Hereward Wake Memorial
    • The Cross Keys Pub
  • Sqn History Book (Members)