No. 6 Squadron RAF


Number 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 at RAF Lossiemouth.
It was previously equipped with the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was posted to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk until April 2006, moving to RAF Coningsby until disbanding for the first time in its history on 31 May 2007. The squadron officially reformed as a Typhoon squadron on 6 September 2010. No. 6 Squadron is unique in having two Royal standards, having been awarded its second one by King Abdullah I of Jordan in October 1950 due to its long period of service in the Middle East.

History

First World War

The squadron was formed on 31 January 1914, at Farnborough as No. 6 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Its first squadron commander was Major John Becke. The squadron had an initial aircraft inventory of two Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s and two Farmans, with the squadron also initially incorporating a flight operating man-lifting kite. The squadron, equipped with a mixture of B.E.2s, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8s and Farmans crossed the English Channel in October 1914 to support IV Corps in its attempt to prevent the Germans from capturing Antwerp. In November, the squadron joined the newly formed 2nd Wing of the RFC, with the role of supporting the Second and Third Corps.
On 25 July 1915, Captain Lanoe Hawker attacked three German aircraft in succession. The first aerial victory for Hawker that day occurred after he emptied a complete drum of bullets from his aircraft's single Lewis machine gun into a German aircraft which went spinning down. The second victory saw a German aircraft driven to the ground damaged, and the third saw a German aircraft – an Albatros C.I of FFA 3 – burst into flames and crash. For this feat he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Inter-war years

Following the Armistice, the squadron transferred to Iraq, arriving in July 1919. Operating in the army co-operation role in Northern Iraq, it was equipped with Bristol Fighters. It was later re-equipped with Fairey Gordons and assumed the bomber role, Hawker Harts replacing these in 1935.

Second World War

The squadron relocated to Palestine in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role with Hawker Hardys, adding Gloster Gauntlets and Westland Lysanders. When hostilities with Italy broke out in June 1940, the squadron deployed one flight of aircraft to Egypt to work with the army, with the remainder of the squadron remained in Palestine. Between September 1940 and September 1943 the squadron saw action in the tank-busting, 40 mm cannon-firing Hawker Hurricane Mk. IID, over the Western Desert.
In the spring of 1944, the squadron moved to a coastal field south-east of Termoli, Italy. The squadron flew Hurricane Mk.IVs equipped with rocket projectiles. Moored Axis ships were attacked at Yugoslav harbours and the Dalmatian islands. They were strongly defended by anti-aircraft gunners on Siebel ferries with their multiple guns, as the ships were being used to supply the German forces. Squadron detachments were also made to Bastia in Corsica, Araxos near Patras in Greece, Brindisi, and near Ancona. A fixed 44-gallon extra petrol tank under the port wing increased the Hurricanes' duration to almost three hours at 160 mph cruising speed. The airfield on Vis was extensively used as an advanced base from May 1944 to February 1945, usually to top up tanks before each armed reconnaissance.

Post-Second World War/Cold War

In July 1945, the squadron moved to Palestine where it cooperated with the police, patrolling the Kirkuk-to-Haifa oil pipeline to prevent terrorist attacks. The squadron remained in the Middle East until 1969. During this period, the squadron went from being equipped with Hurricanes to Hawker Tempest Mk. VIs and subsequently de Havilland Vampire FB.5s.
In January 1950, the squadron moved to RAF Habbaniya in Iraq with many moves back and forth between RAF Habbaniya and RAF Shaibah in Iraq, RAF Abu Sueir and RAF Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone, RAF Nicosia in Cyprus, RAF Mafraq and RAF Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and detachments throughout the Middle East. While visiting Amman on 15 October 1950, No. 6 Squadron was awarded a Royal Standard by King Abdullah I of Jordan in recognition of the squadron's service in the Middle East since 1919. The squadron continued its close relationship with Jordan throughout the early 1950s, with both King Talal and King Hussein. During this period, it continued to operate Vampires FB.5s and FB.9s and two twin-seat Gloster Meteor T.7s until it re-equipped with de Havilland Venom FB.1 in February 1954 and the Venom FB.4 in June 1955.
In 1956, after a brief period back at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq the squadron returned to Cyprus and operated from RAF Akrotiri. From there it attacked Egyptian airfields during the Suez Crisis. In 1957, the squadron again re-equipped, this time with English Electric Canberras, which it continued to operate from Akrotiri until 1969.
Having been located outside of the UK for 50 years, the squadron returned in 1969 and was the first to receive the Phantom FGR.2 at RAF Coningsby the same year, before re-equipping with the Jaguar GR.1 and T.2 at RAF Lossiemouth in 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, when the squadron's nuclear role was terminated and the weapons withdrawn.

Post-Cold War

The squadron continued at RAF Coltishall in its non-nuclear role until Coltishall closed on 1 April 2006, and the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby. The squadron's aircraft were deployed to the Gulf as part of Operation Granby, for which it received battle honours, and later as part of the Northern No-Fly-Zone. The squadron deployed to Italy for operations over Bosnia from 1993.
The squadron was the last to fly the SEPECAT Jaguar, and was disbanded on 31 May 2007. The Jaguar's intended replacement in RAF service was the Eurofighter Typhoon. The RAF announced that No. 6 Squadron was to be the fourth operational front-line squadron equipped with the Typhoon and the first with Tranche 2 aircraft, initially scheduled to reform in 2008 at RAF Leuchars in Fife. However, this was delayed until 2010, with the squadron reforming at RAF Leuchars on 6 September 2010, when a closed standing-up ceremony was performed to mark the squadron's reforming, including the arrival of the new Typhoon aircraft in 6 Squadron colours from RAF Coningsby. It has taken over the role of Quick Reaction Alert for the north of the United Kingdom from No. 111 Squadron RAF, the RAF's last Panavia Tornado F.3 squadron, in March 2011. In November 2011 four Typhoons from No. 6 Squadron flew to RMAF Butterworth to participate in aerial wargames for the 40th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. In August 2013, several Typhoons from No. 6 were exercising with and US fighters in the Gulf. In June 2014, the squadron began to move to its new home in RAF Lossiemouth.
The squadron participated in the 2018 missile strikes against Syria during the Syrian Civil War.
In March 2020, the squadron was awarded the right to emblazon a battle honour on its squadron standard, recognising its role in Bosnia during 1995.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated included:
Commanding officers included:
FromToName
February 1914March 1915Major J H W Becke
March 1915December 1915Major G S Shephard
December 1915September 1916Major R P Mills, MC, AFC
September 1916June 1917Major A S Barratt, MC
June 1917July 1918Major A W H James, MC
July 1918February 1920Major G C Pirie, MC
February 1920May 1920S/Ldr W Sowrey
May 1920April 1922S/Ldr E A B Rice
April 1922January 1924S/Ldr E R Manning, DSO, MC
January 1924November 1925S/Ldr D S K Crosbie, OBE
November 1925November 1926S/Ldr D F Stevenson, DSO, MC
November 1926January 1928S/Ldr C N Lowe, MC, DFC
January 1928February 1930S/Ldr C H Keith
February 1930February 1931S/Ldr C R Cox, AFC
February 1934January 1937S/Ldr H M Massey, DSO, MC
February 1940September 1940S/Ldr W N McKechnie, EGM
September 1940April 1941S/Ldr E R Weld
April 1941February 1942S/Ldr P Legge
February 1942January 1943W/Cdr R C Porteous, DSO
January 1943May 1943S/Ldr D Weston-Burt, DSO
May 1943May 1944W/Cdr A E Morrison-Bell, DFC
May 1944August 1944S/Ldr J H Brown, DSO, DFC
August 1944November 1944S/Ldr R H Langdon-Davies, DFC
November 1944July 1946S/Ldr R Slade-Betts, DFC
August 1946December 1946S/Ldr C E Mould
December 1946November 1947S/Ldr C K Gray, DFC
November 1947July 1950S/Ldr D Crowley-Milling, DSO, DFC Bar
July 1950November 1952S/Ldr P A Kennedy, DSO, DFC, AFC
November 1952October 1954S/Ldr E J Roberts
October 1954November 1956S/Ldr P C Ellis, DFC
November 1956July 1957S/Ldr G P Elliott
May 1969August 1970W/Cdr D Harcourt-Smith
August 1970December 1972W/Cdr J E Nevill
December 1972June 1974W/Cdr B W Lavender
June 1974Jul 1975W/Cdr R J Quarterman
Jul 1975Dec 1977Wg Cdr N R Hayward
Dec 1977Mar 1980Wg Cdr G B Robertson
Mar 1980Aug 1982Wg Cdr M N Evans
Aug 1982Dec 1984Wg Cdr D W Bramley
Dec 1984Jun 1987Wg Cdr N A Buckland
Jun 1987Dec 1989Wg Cdr I Reilly
Dec 1989Feb 1992Wg Cdr J Connolly, AFC
Feb 1992Jul 1994Wg Cdr A D Sweetman
Jul 1994Dec 1996Wg Cdr I A Milne
Dec 1996Jul 1999Wg Cdr M J Roche
Jul 1999Jul 2002Wg Cdr R W Judson
Jul 2002Jul 2004Wg Cdr M J Sears, MBE
Jul 2004Apr 2006Wg Cdr W A Cruickshank
Apr 2006May 2007Wg Cdr J M Sullivan
Sep 2010Oct 2012Wg Cdr R Dennis
Oct 2012Aug 2014Wg Cdr M R Baulkwill
Aug 2014Nov 2016Wg Cdr J R E Walls, DSO
Nov 2016May 2019Wg Cdr W D Cooper
May 2019PresentWg Cdr M D’Aubyn