|
Formed from a flight of No
II Squadron at Farnborough in August 1912, it did not immediately move
to France on the outbreak of WW1, carried out patrols over the Channel
until 16. August 1914. Operating as a Corps squadron throughout the
war, it was equipped with BE2s and later RE8s. Returning to Britain in
February 1919 as a cadre, it was not disbanded but brought back to full
strength and converted to Bristol F2B Fighters. 'A' Flight was sent to
Ireland in November 1920, returning to Farnborough in January 1922 but
the following September the whole squadron was sent to Turkey to take
part in the Chanuk Crisis.
It continued to carry out Army Co-operation duties re-equipping with the
Atlas in 1929, Audax in 1931, Hector in 1937 and the Lysander in 1939.
Attached to the BEF in 1939, its aircraft were totally outclassed and it
returned to the UK in May 1940. It continued to operate Lysanders on
coastal patrols and Air-Sea Rescue duties until replacement began in
April 1942 by Tomahawks and Mustangs. Now equipped for a more offensive
role, the squadron was allocated to No 130 Airfield (later Wing) as part
of 2TAF. In January 1944 it took on the photographic reconnaissance
role with Spitfires and Mosquitoes. It disbanded in Germany on 31
August 1945.
The next day it was reborn by re-numbering No 605 Squadron at Celle,
flying the Mosquito and later Vampire. It converted to fighters in 1954
with the introduction of Sabres and Hunters in 1955. Again disbanding
on 31. December 1960 it was again reformed the next day when No 79
Squadron at Gutersloh was re-numbered. Flying in the fighter-recce role
it took over the Hunters of No 54 Squadron on 1. September 1969. It now
had two detachments one in Germany and one in the UK. The UK element
converted to the Harrier GR1 and took over the numberplate of No IV on
28. May 1970, when the Germany element stood down. The following month
No 4 returned to Germany, this time to Wildenrath, moving to Gutersloh
in 1977 and eventually to Laarbruch in 1992 until that station closed,
when the squadron returned to the UK. In September 1990, No IV was the
first unit to fly the Harrier GR7, moving to Cottesmore in 1999, where
it joined No 3 Group's 'Joint Force Harrier', which controlled both RAF
and RN Harrier/Sea Harrier units. This force has now become a totally
Harrier equipped force but on 31 March 2010, No IV Squadron disbanded as
an operational unit being reformed 'down the road' at Wittering the
following day by redesignating the Harrier OCU as No IV (Reserve)
Squadron to take over the operational conversion role. However, in the
Strategic Defence and Security Review of October 2010 it was announced
that the Harrier force would be withdrawn from service early and
consequently 16 aircraft from Nos 1, IV and 800 Squadrons made a final
formation flight and No IV Squadron formally disbanded on 28. January
2011. The squadron reformed as No IV (Reserve) on 24. November 2011 at
RAF Valley to operate the Hawk T Mk 2 in the advanced flying training
role, which it will take over in April 2012 from No 19 Squadron. On 1.
February 2018, the 'Reserve' title was dropped.
Later more |
