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Number 42 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served during the First World War as an army co-operation squadron and during the Second World War in various roles. Between 1992 and 2010, it was the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, until the Nimrod MR.2's retirement in March 2010. No. 42 Squadron disbanded on 26 May 2011.

No. 42 Squadron RAF
No. 42 Squadron badge
Active	1 April 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 26 June 1919 (RAF) 14 December 1936 – 30 June 1945 1 July 1945 – 30 December 1945 1 October 1946 – 15 October 1947 28 June 1952 – 26 May 2011
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Motto(s)	Latin: Fortiter in re (Translation: "Bravely into action")[1][2]
Battle honours	Western Front, 1916–1918*: Italian Front & Adriatic, 1917–1918*: Somme, 1916 Arras, 1917: Ypres, 1917: Lys: Channel & North Sea, 1939–1942*: Biscay, 1940*: Baltic, 1941*: Fortress Europe, 1941: Pacific, 1943–1945: Eastern Waters, 1943*: Arakan, 1943–1944*: Manipur, 1944*: Burma, 1944–1945: South Atlantic, 1982: Gulf, 1991. Honours marked with an asterisk (*) are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard[3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	On a terrestrial globe, a figure of Perseus[1][2] No. 42 Squadron was the 1st to use the Bristol Perseus engine and this accounts for the presence of Perseus in the badge; he was known always to achieve his object and destroy his enemies and he stands in front of a globe to signify his activities over many lands and seas[1]
Squadron Codes	QD (Allocated Apr 1939 – Sep 1939, but probably not used)[4][5] AW (Sep 1939 – Jun 1942 1943 – Dec 1945)[6][7] QM (Oct 1946 – Oct 1947)[8][9] A (Jun 1952 – 1956)[10][11] 42 (1956–1968)

History

First World War

Formed on 1 April 1916 from crews of No. 19 Squadron Royal Flying Corps at RAF Filton, No. 42 Squadron spent the First World War flying reconnaissance sorties. Using Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2s (and later Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s), the squadron spent time on both the Western Front and the Austro-Italian Front. On returning to England after the war, the squadron was disbanded at RAF Netheravon on 26 June 1919.[1][12]

The squadron was based at La Gorgue in northern France from 1 September to 8 November 1916.[13]

Second World War

On 14 December 1936, 'B' flight of No. 22 Squadron was expanded into a new No. 42 Squadron.[1][2] In 1939, No. 42 Squadron was based at RAF Bircham Newton. Initially the unit was equipped with Vickers Vildebeests before re-equipping with Bristol Beauforts in January 1940. The squadron operated also a bomber unit in the Burma campaign flying Blenheims during 1942 and as a fighter-bomber unit flying Hawker Hurricanes during 1943. The squadron disbanded on 30 June 1945 but on the following day No. 146 Squadron was renumbered to No. 42 Squadron and flew Republic Thunderbolts Mk.IIs.[2] The squadron fought on with these until the Burma campaign ended and thereafter the squadron disbanded on 30 December 1945 at Meiktela.[1][12]

Post-War

Beaufighters and Shackletons (1946–1971)

On 1 October 1946, No. 254 Squadron at RAF Thorney Island was renumbered to No. 42 Squadron. Equipped with Bristol Beaufighter, it was a strike unit in RAF Coastal Command until disbanded on 15 October 1947.[2][12]

On 28 June 1952, No. 42 Squadron was reformed at RAF St. Eval, Cornwall, flying Avro Shackleton MR.1s in the maritime reconnaissance role.[12] In 1954, the squadron began to re-equip with the Shackleton MR.2.[3] On 11 January 1955, two squadron Shackleton MR.2s (WG531 and WL743) disappeared while operating near Fastnet Rock.[14] No. 42 Squadron Shackletons used to regularly visit RAF Khormaksar in Aden before the Aden Emergency, with it undertaking colonial policing.[15][16]

No. 42 Squadron relocated to RAF St. Mawgan in October 1958.[3] In 1961, the squadron deployed to Jamaica to provide support for relief operations after Hurricane Hattie struck the Caribbean and British Honduras.[17] It further converted to the Shackleton MR.3 in December 1965.[3] In 1966, No. 42 Squadron deployed to Mahajanga, Malagasy Republic, to take part in the Beira Patrol which enforced the blockade of the port of Beira in Mozambique to prevent oil shipments to Rhodesia.[17]

Nimrods (1971–2011)

In April 1971, No. 42 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron began to convert to the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.1.[2][12]

No. 42 (TB) Squadron were the first Nimrod unit to arrive at Wideawake Airfield, Ascension Island, when XV244 and XV258 landed on 6 April 1982 shortly after the invasion of the Falkland Islands.[18] In October 1984, one of No. 42 (TB) Squadron's crews won the Fincastle Trophy at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.[18] On 29 August 1985, Nimrod MR.2 XV229 helped locate the wreck of Virgin Atlantic Challenger.[18]

In June 1990, No. 42 (TB) Squadron won the Fincastle Trophy once again, this time at CFB Greenwood, Nova Scotia.[18] In October 1990, the squadron deployed its crews to Seeb International Airport, Oman, and later to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, in January 1991 as part of Operation Granby.[19] Nimrod MR.2 XV244 (Battle Star 42) was credited with 14 mission markings and four ship kills while deployed.[20] One of the squadron's crews were credited with having achieved the highest number of assisted kills – six, achieved operating in a High Air Threat environment.[20] The same crew subsequently received the Arthur Barratt Memorial Award.

Disbanded as a front-line unit in October 1992, it was later reformed as No. 42 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Kinloss, Moray, taking over from No. 236 OCU as the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).[19]

No. 42 (R) Squadron made the Nimrod's last visit to Gibraltar on 20/21 March 2010 as part of Operation Active Endeavour.[21] The squadron flew its last Nimrod MR.2 flight on 30 March 2010 with XV232 visiting Rockall, St. Kilda, RAF St. Mawgan, RAF Valley and RAF Lossiemouth.[21] It was originally expected that No. 42 (R) Squadron would serve as the OCU for the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA.4, however it was cancelled as part of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review,[20] with No. 42 (R) Squadron formally disbanding alongside the other Nimrod units on 26 May 2011.[22]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 42 Squadron, data from[1][2][12][23]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
April 1916	August 1916	B.E.2	2d
April 1916	April 1917	B.E.2	2e
April 1917	February 1919	R.E.8
December 1936	December 1937	Vickers Vildebeest	Mk.III
January 1937	March 1937	Vickers Vildebeest	Mk.I
March 1937	April 1940	Vickers Vildebeest	Mk.IV
September 1939	April 1940	Vickers Vildebeest	Mk.III
April 1940	January 1942	Bristol Beaufort	Mk.I
January 1942	February 1943	Bristol Beaufort	Mk.II
February 1943	October 1943	Bristol Blenheim	Mk.V
October 1943	June 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IV
September 1944	December 1944	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIc
April 1945	June 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIc
July 1945	December 1945	Republic Thunderbolt	Mk.II
October 1946	October 1947	Bristol Beaufighter	TF.10
June 1952	July 1954	Avro Shackleton	MR.1/1A
January 1953	January 1966	Avro Shackleton	MR.2
November 1965	September 1971	Avro Shackleton	MR.3
April 1971	August 1984	Hawker Siddeley Nimrod	MR.1
August 1983	April 2011	Hawker Siddeley Nimrod	MR.2

See also

• List of accidents and incidents involving the Avro Shackleton

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• The History of No 42 Squadron at raf.mod.uk
• World War II bases of No. 42 Squadron
• History of No.'s 41–45 Squadrons at RAF Web
• Rickard, J. (1 October 2008), No. 42 Squadron (RAF): Second World War
• No 42 Reserve Squadron, RAF

На других языках

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- [en] No. 42 Squadron RAF

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[it] No. 42 Squadron RAF

Il No. 42 Squadron RAF della Royal Air Force ha prestato servizio durante la Prima guerra mondiale come squadron di cooperazione militare e durante la Seconda guerra mondiale in vari ruoli. Negli ultimi anni, è stata l'Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) per gli Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, con sede a RAF Kinloss, a Moray in Moray Firth, fino al ritiro dei Nimrod nel 2010.

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