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
• Oct - 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

• Apr - 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 HRH 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

• May - II(AC) Sqn celebrates its 100th Birthday, the oldest fixed wing squadron in the world

2014

2015

• Jan - Squadron relocates from RAF Marham to RAF Lossiemouth, re-equipping with the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4.
• Jan - Squadron deploys to Afghanistan for Operation HERRICK.
• Jul - deployed with Typhoon for the first time to RNAS Culdrose where it exercised with RN Hawks and T45 destroyers on Exercise MAGPIE CRUSADE
• Aug - Squadron deploys to Akrotiri for Operation SHADER
• Sep - Squadron deploys to Africa for Operation TURUS
• Dec - began to support QRA operations at RAF Lossiemouth and in the Falkland Islands

2016

• Jan - first operational deployment of Typhoons supporting  Op AZOTIZE to Ämari Air Base, Estonia, NATO Air Policing in the Baltic.
• Sep - deployed to the Far East on Exercise EASTERN VENTURE, Misawa Air Base, Japan
• Dec - return to the UK via, Brunei, Singapore, India, the UAE and Greece. A brief stop at Osan Air Base where exercises with the USAF and RKAF were conducted; visit to the DMZ.

2017

•  Feb - Shiny Two was awarded the Dacre Trophy for Operational Efficiency.
• Feb - deployed to Nellis AFB, Nevada to participate in Exercise GREEN FLAG
• Apr - 4-month deployment to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus on Operation SHADER,

2018

• Deployed to Milhail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania on Operation BILOXI, the Squadron's second NATO Air Policing mission conducting QRA missions to cover the Balkans
• Deployed pilots took part in Exercise THRACIAN EAGLE in Bulgaria performing air combat training and offensive counter-air and defensive counter-air profiles  with Bulgarian Air Force Mig-29s, L-39s and USAF F-15C Eagles.
• Sep - deployed to the Middle East to participate in Exercise SAIF SAREEA III in Oman. Offering the opportunity for the Squadron’s pilot cadre to conduct Close Air Support work-up training and live weapon events, together with large-scale Composite Air Operations counter-air training with the Royal Air Force of Oman.​

2019


2020


2021

• Oct -  Exercise MAGIC CARPET, Thumrait, Oman

2022

• Jan - deployed to Akrotiri Cyprus on Operation SHADER 

2023

• Jan - Deployed to Nellis Air Force Base to participate in Exercise RED FLAG 23-1 with 7 Typhoons, 23 pilots, and 150 ground crew. Shiny Two demonstrated its high-end warfighting capabilities, set against a simulated threat, working alongside the US Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as the Australian Air Force.
• March - Preparation for Exercise COBRA WARRIOR 23-1, working with Belgian, Indian, Saudi Arabian and Swiss Air Forces.

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