1. September 1915

No. 23 Sqn formed at Fort Grange, Gosport

31. December 1919

No. 23 Sqn disbanded at RAF Waddington

1. July 1925

No. 23 Sqn reformed at RAF Henlow

25. September 1945

No. 23 Sqn disbanded at RAF Little Snoring

1. September 1946

No. 23 Sqn reformed at RAF Wittering

31. October 1975

No. 23 Sqn disbanded at RAF Leuchars

1. November 1975

No. 23 Sqn reformed at RAF Coningsby

31. October 1988

No. 23 Sqn disbanded at RAF Mount Pleasant

1. November 1988

No. 23 Sqn reformed at RAF Leeming 

26 February 1994

No. 23 Sqn disbanded at RAF Leeming 

1 April 1996

No. 23 Sqn reformed at RAF Waddinton

2. October 2009

No. 23 Sqn disbanded at RAF Waddinton

January 2021

No. 23 Sqn reformed at

 1915 - 1919

Fort Grange, Gosport

1. Sep. 1915

Mar. 1916

St. Omer, France

Mar. 1916

Mar. 1916

Fienvilliers, France

Mar. 1916

Mar. 1916

Le Hameau, France

Mar. 1916

Sep. 1916

Fienvilliers, France

Sep. 1916

Sep. 1916

Vert Galand, France

Sep. 1916

Mar. 1917

Baizieux, France

Mar. 1917

May 1917

Auchel, France

May 1917

May 1917

Bruay, France

May 1917

Jun. 1917

La Lovie, France

Jun. 1917

Feb. 1918

Matigny, France

Feb. 1918

Mar. 1918

Moreuil, France

Mar. 1918

Mar. 1918

Bertanglles, France

Mar. 1918

Apr. 1918

St. Omer, France

Apr. 1918

May 1918

Bertanglles

May 1918

Sep. 1918

Cappy, France

Sep. 1918

Oct. 1918

Hancourt, France

Oct. 1918

Oct. 1918

Bertry E., France

Oct. 1918

Dec. 1918

Clermont, France

Dec. 1918

Mar. 1919

RAF Waddington

Mar. 1919

31. Dec. 1919

 1925 - 1945

RAF Henlow

 1. Jul. 1925

Feb. 1927

RAF Kenleey

Feb. 1927

Sep. 1932

RAF Bigin Hill

Sep. 1932

Dec. 1936

RAF Northolt

Dec. 1936

16. May 1938

RAF Wittering

16. May 1938

31. May 1940

RAF Collyweston

31. May 1940

12. Sep. 1940

RAF Ford

12. Sep. 1940

6. Aug. 1942

RAF Manston

6. Aug. 1942

14. Aug. 1942

RAF Bradwell Bay

14. Aug. 1942

21. Aug. 1942

RAF Manston

21. Aug. 1942

13 Oct.1942

RAF Bradwell Bay

13 Oct.1942

11 Dec. 1942

RAF Luqa, Malta

27 Dec. 1942

7 Dec. 1943

Alghero, Italy

7 Dec. 1943

8 May 1944

Blida, Algeria.

8 May 1944

19 May 1944

RAF Little Snoring

2 June 1944

25. Sep. 1945

 1946 - 1975

RAF Wittering

1. Sep. 1946

Feb. 1947

RAF Cotishall

Feb. 1947

Nov. 1949

RAF Church Fenton

Nov. 1949

Sep. 1950

RAF Cotishall

Sep. 1950

1956

RAF Horsham St. Faith

1956

Apr. 1959

RAF Cotishall

Apr. 1959

Mar. 1963

RAF Leuchars

Mar. 1963

31. Oct. 1975

 1975 - 1988

RAF Coningsby

1. Nov. 1975

Feb. 1976

RAF Wattisham

Feb. 1976

Oct. 1983

Stanley Airfield, Falkland

Oct. 1983

?

RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland

?

31. Oct. 1988

 1988 - 1994

RAF Leeming 

1. Nov.1988

26 Feb. 1994

 1996 - 2009

RAF Waddinton

1. Nov.1988

 1915 - 1919

Maj Rudolph E T Hogg

1. Sep. 1915

20. Sep. 1915

Maj L A Strange

20. Sep. 1915

11. Feb. 1916

Maj Rudolph E T Hogg

11. Feb. 1916

24. Apr. 1916

Maj A Ross-Hume

24. Apr. 1916

21. Jan. 1917

Maj J B T Leighton MC

21. Jan. 1917

10. May 1917

Maj A M Wilkinson DSO

10. May 1917

31. Aug. 1917

Maj E O Grenfell MC

31. Aug. 1917

28. Oct. 1917

Maj C E Bryant DSO

28. Oct. 1917

?

?

?

31. Dec. 1919

 1925 - 1945

Sqn Ldr Raymond Collishaw  DSO, OBE, DFC

 1. Jul. 1925

18. Nov. 1927

Flt Lt James Mac G Fairweather (Acting)

18. Nov. 1927

21. Jan. 1928

Sqn Ldr Arthur G Jones-Williams MC

21. Jan. 1928

15. Jan. 1930

Sqn Ldr Henry W Woollett DSO, MC

15. Jan. 1930

9. Dec. 1931

Sqn Ldr A L Paxton, DFC

9. Dec. 1931

28. Dec. 1931

Sqn Ldr Anthony L Paxton DFC

28. Dec. 1931

16. Feb. 1933

Sqn Ldr Henry G Crowe MC

16. Feb. 1933

1. Sep. 1935

Sqn Ldr G V Howard DFC

1. Sep. 1935

17. Sep. 1935

?

17. Sep. 1935

16. Nov. 1936

Sqn Ldr R Y Eccles

16. Nov. 1936

 4. Jun. 1939

Sqn Ldr V B J Jackson

 4. Jun. 1939

 7. Oct. 1939

Sqn Ldr C E Beamish

 7. Oct. 1939

23. Jan. 1940

Sqn Ldr L C Bicknell

23. Jan. 1940

9. Aug. 1940

Sqn Ldr George F W Heycock

9. Aug. 1940

 4. Dec. 1940

Sqn Ldr C H A Colman (MIA - 3 Jan 1941)

 4. Dec. 1940

 5. Jan. 1941

Wg Cdr George F W Heycock

 5. Jan. 1941

12. May 1941

Wg Cdr Rupert H A Leigh

12. May 1941

8. Dec. 1941

Wg Cdr William J Crisham

8. Dec. 1941

Apr. 1942

Wg Cdr B R O'B Hoare DFC

Apr. 1942

Sep. 1942

Wg Cdr Peter G Wykeham-Barnes DSO, DFC

Sep. 1942

Apr. 1943

Wg Cdr J R Selby

Apr. 1943

Sep. 1943

Wg Cdr P R Burton-Giles DSO, DFC

Sep. 1943

Dec. 1943

Wg Cdr A M Murphy DSO, DFC

Dec. 1943

Dec. 1944

Wg Cdr S P Russell DFC

Dec. 1944

25. Sep. 1945

 1946 - 1975

Sqn Ldr Peter G K Williamson DFC

1. Sep. 1946

Jul. 1947

Sqn Ldr D L Norris-Smith

Jul. 1947

Oct. 1949

Sqn Ldr V S H Duclos DFC

Oct. 1949

Dec. 1951

Sqn Ldr A J Jacomb-Hood DFC

Dec. 1951

Jan. 1954

Sqn Ldr M H Constable-Maxwell DSO, DFC

Jan. 1954

Feb. 1955

Sqn Ldr C R Winter DFC

Feb. 1955

 Jul. 1955

Wg Cdr Anthony N Davis DSO, DFC

 Jul. 1955

Aug. 1957

Wg Cdr J E Kilduff

Aug. 1957

 Jul. 1959

Wg Cdr Graham I Chapman AFC

 Jul. 1959

 Jun. 1961

Wg Cdr D B Wills DFC

 Jun. 1961

May 1962

Wg Cdr A J Owen DFC, AFC, DFM

May 1962

Oct. 1964

Sqn Ldr J Macleod

Oct. 1964

May 1966

Wg Cdr Keith A Williamson

May 1966

Jul. 1968

Wg Cdr D McClen

Jul. 1968

May 1970

Wg Cdr R D Stone AFC

May 1970

May 1972

Wg Cdr W B G Hopkins

May 1972

Apr. 1975

Wg Cdr I Thompson

Apr. 1975

31. Oct. 1975

 1975 - 1988

Wg Cdr William J Wratten AFC

1. Nov. 1975

?

?

?

1983

Wg Cdr Ian D MacFadyen

1983

Aug. 1983

?

Aug. 1983

1985

Wg Cdr Anthony J C Bagnall

1985

?

?

?

31. Oct. 1988

 1988 - 1994

?

1. Nov.1988

?

?

?

?

?

?

26 Feb. 1994

 1996 - 2009

Wg Cdr A R Cook

1. Nov.1988

?

?

?

?

Wg Cdr/Gp Capt Alan K Gillespie

?

2. Oct. 2009

No 23 Sqn. formed originally at Gosport on 1 September 1915.  Whilst training it also acted in the air defence role for London but in March 1916, it took its FE2bs to France.  In February 1917 it re-equipped with SPADs undertaking ground attack missions, which continued after re-equipping with Dolphins in early 1918.  Along with many of its contemporaries it returned to Britain in March 1919 and disbanded on 31 December 1919 at RAF Waddington.

The squadron rejoined the fighter defences of the UK on 1. July 1925 at RAF Henlow, equipped with Sopwith Snipes.  Unlike other squadrons during the inter-war period it changed locations a number of times, Kenley (February 1927), Biggin Hill (September 1932) and Northolt (December 1936) before arriving at Wittering in May 1938.  It successively re-equipped with Gamecocks, Bulldogs, Hart and Demons and then in December 1938 it became a twin engined fighter unit when it received Blenheim If's.  On the outbreak of war the squadron adopted a night fighter role but in December 1940 it started night intruder operations against German airfields.  
 

It continued in the night intruder role for the whole of WW2, re-equipping with Havocs in March 1941 and Mosquitos in July 1942, which it flew until the end of the war.  However, it did not restrict its operational areas to Northern Europe, as between December 1942 and May 1944 it flew out of  Malta from where it operated over Sardinia, Sicily, Tunisia and Southern France.  Following its return to the UK it joined No 100 Group, where it was now operating in support of Bomber Command raids, eventually disbanding on 25. September 1945.
 

From 11. September 1946 until 31. October 1975, the squadron operated continuously in the night/all-weather fighter role.  Initially equipped with Mosquitos again, Vampire NF Mk 10s arrived in September 1951 followed by Venom NF Mk 2s (November 1953), Venom NF Mk 3s (October 1955), three versions of the Javelin and finally Lightnings.  From 11. February 1949 to 14. September 1951, No 151 Squadron was linked to it, in an attempt to keep defunct squadron numbers active.

On 8. October 1975 No 23 (Designate) Squadron had begun training on the Phantom FGR Mk 2 at RAF Coningsby and it took over the now defunct numberplate of No 23 on 1 December 1975.  It moved to RAF Wattisham in February 1976 remaining there until disbandment on 30 Mar 1983.  Following the Falklands war a detachment of Phantoms had been provided by the home based units of Strike Command and on 30.March 1983, this was being provided by an element of No 29 Squadron, but on that day the element was redesignated 23 Squadron.  On 21.April 1986 it moved from Port Stanley to the newly opened Mount Pleasant airfield where it was disbanded on 31. October 1988 on being redesignated No 1435 Flight .
 

The following day it reformed at RAF Leeming  as a Tornado F Mk 3 unit but was disbanded again on 26 February 1994.  Its next incarnation begun on 1 April 1996 when the Sentry Training Squadron at Waddington was redesignated, and although it still retained the OCU role, its crews also carried out operational missions, however, on 2 October 2009 the squadron disbanded once again. 

In January 2021, the squadron was reformed to undertake "Space" operations.
 

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