#1134 Shadow R1
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1134 - Shadow R1, ZZ416, 14 Squadron, RAF Waddington.
No. 14 Squadron formed at Shoreham on 3 February 1915 and moved to Egypt with BE 2s for Army co-operation duties in Palestine, Arabia and the Western Desert. It flew a number of other types but re-equipped with RE 8s in November 1917 and retained these until January 1919 when it returned to the UK to disband the following month. Reformed on 1 February 1920 in Palestine by renumbering No. 111 Squadron at Ramleh, its Bristol F 2Bs patrolled Transjordan and Palestine for the next 20 years. DH 9As, Fairey IIIFs, Gordons and Wellesleys were later received and it was during this time that the Squadron gained its Arabic script motto meaning ‘I spread my wings and keep my promise’. At the outbreak of WWII the Squadron moved to Egypt but soon returned to Amman. Conversion to Blenheims began in September 1940 and these were used on bombing operations over the Western Desert from Egyptian bases. Marauders were received in August 1942, which were used for bombing, minelaying and shipping reconnaissance missions. The Squadron moved to Algeria in March 1943 for anti-submarine duties but returned to the UK in October 1944 where it re-equipped with Wellington XIVs at Chivenor for anti-submarine patrols. It disbanded on 1 June 1945 but was reborn the same day by renumbering No. 143 Squadron at Banff, flying Mosquito VIs until disbanding on 31 March 1946. The following day No. 128 Squadron at Wahn equipped with Mosquito FB16s was renumbered No.14 Squadron, thus continuing the Squadron’s existence. It received Mosquito B35s in December 1947 but converted to Vampire FB5s in February 1951, Venom FB1s in May 1953 and Hunter F4s in May 1955. During this period the Squadron moved to Celle in September 1949, Fassberg in November 1950, Oldenburg in May 1955, Ahlhorn in September 1957 and Gütersloh in September 1958, where it disbanded on 17 December 1962. Continuation of the No. 14 numberplate was secured by the renumbering of No. 88 Squadron at Wildenrath the same day and it flew Canberra B(I)8s until 30 June 1970. From this date the Squadron operated from Brüggen, equipped initially with Phantom FGR2s, followed by Jaguar GR1s in April 1975 and Tornado GR1s in November 1985. In August 1990, in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, personnel and aircraft from 14 Squadron were deployed to the Middle East as part of the Allied Coalition Forces. No. 14 Squadron regularly returned to the Middle East to enforce the safe policing of the Southern Iraqi No-Fly Zones. In April 1999, in response to the Serbian aggression in Kosovo, the Squadron mounted air strikes from RAF Brüggen during Operation ENGADINE as part of the Allied Coalition Force against the Serbian military infrastructure both in Kosovo and Serbia. In January 2001, 14 Squadron moved to RAF Lossiemouth and soon after requipped with the Tornado GR4. The Squadron conducted Air Interdiction and Close Air Support missions as part of Operation TELIC over several periods between 2003 and 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation HERRICK 13 from October 2010 to January 2011. On 1 June 2011, the Squadron disbanded at RAF Lossiemouth but reformed at RAF Waddington on 14 October 2011 equipped with the Shadow R Mk1. The Squadron continues to conduct operations over Afghanistan as part of Operation HERRICK now in the Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance role.
You may also like
-
2015 Spitfire and Typhoon Display Print
P7350 'EB-G'; ZK349 'GN-A'29 Sqn; BBMFRAF Coningsby