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#1651 201 Sqn Poseidon MRA1 print

201 Sqn Poseidon MRA1 print
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
£10.00 €11.68 $12.51
43.8 cm x 29.2 cm
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Print
P-8A Poseidon
ZP806
201 Sqn
RAF Lossiemouth
UK - Air Force
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Description

Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1651 - ZP806, Poseidon MRA1, 201 Squadron "Guernsey's Own", RAF Lossiemouth.

No. 201 Squadron was formed 1 April 1918 as a founder member of the new independent Royal Air Force. The unit history can be traced back through the Royal Naval Air Service to September 1914 and support for the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium and the perceived Zeppelin threat.  The early setbacks in Belgium saw a resurgent RNAS in Oct 1914 and No. 1 Sqn RNAS formed at Fort Grange, near Gosport under command of Sqn Cdr A M Longmore.  Early WWI action saw squadron conduct one of the first ever engagements of a submarine by aircraft, and patrols over the Western front in support of the many ground campaigns. The Squadron was awarded the Croix de Guerre for its part in the 3rd Battle of Ypres in 1917 and two of its members were awarded Victoria Crosses for Gallantry. The War to end all wars came to and end in Nov 1918, and a much depleted 201 Sqn finally disbanded 31 Dec 1919.  During WWI the U-boat threat to the UK had been realised, the RAF still sought to support Coastal threat. In 1925 the Southampton Flying boat entered service with the RAF and with the renumbering of 480 Flight on 1 Jan 1929 201 Squadron reformed at RAF Calshot, starting a flying boat era that would last 28 years countering that threat. Coastal Command formed in July 1936, with now Air Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore  KCB, DSO as AOC.  Saro Londons followed the Southamptons, and the Short Sunderland arrived at the start of World War II. 201 had a distinguished war record during this conflict, attacking some 20 enemy submarines, sinking 7 and personnel on the Squadron were awarded some 12 DFCs, 11 DFMs, and 1 DSO.  After the war the Squadron played a vital role in the Berlin airlift in 1948 before disbanding at Pembroke Dock on 28 February 1957 as one of the last two units equipped with flying boats in the UK.  201 Squadron reformed at RAF St Mawgan on 1 Oct 1958 after the renumbering of No 220 Squadron. Equipped with Avro Shackleton MR3s, 201 resumed its worldwide maritime duties, moving to RAF Kinloss on 14 March 1965. In October 1970 the Squadron was the first to receive the Nimrod MR1s providing it with the world’s first pure jet maritime patrol aircraft. In 1982 the squadron converted to the MR2, and two crews were involved in the Falklands campaign, flying long-range surveillance sorties from Ascension Island including one lasting over 18 hours. In August 1990 201 Squadron crews were involved in the first deployment to Seeb, Oman for the first Gulf conflict with Iraq, enforcing UN sanctions and then flying surface surveillance missions in the northern Arabian Gulf. The Squadron were involved in the former Yugoslavia between 1993 and 1995 before a return to the Middle East after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The MR2 expanded its operating environment to overland operations providing support to ground forces, as well as its more traditional anti-surface unit role in the Gulf of Oman. In February 2003, crews from 201 Squadron with enhanced sensors provided reconnaissance for ground forces during the invasion of Iraq. The Squadron continued to provide support to UK and Allied troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq to the end of those campaigns. Following the withdrawal from RAF service of the Nimrod MR2 in 2010 the Squadron was disbanded the following year. In August 2021, 201 Squadron reformed at RAF Lossiemouth operating the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft, now under the Uk designation of Poseidon MRA1.  201 Squadron is operating initially as the Poseidon OCU until 2023, when it will change role and form the second front line RAF P-8 Squadron. The Squadron, as a founder member of the Royal Air Force celebrated their 100th Anniversary in 2018, and 2019 saw the 80th Anniversary of the affiliation with the Islands of the States of Guernsey. The link with Guernsey has survived the trials of war and time, and the Squadron is proud to be known as ‘Guernsey’s own’. “Hic et Ubique”

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