| No. 3(F) Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Multi–role combat |
| Part of | Combat Air Force |
| Base | RAF Coningsby |
| Mottos | Tertius primus erit (Latin for 'The third shall be the first') |
| Aircraft | Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 |
| Insignia | |
| Tail badge |  |
| Roundel |  |
Number 3 Squadron, also known asNo. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, of theRoyal Air Force operates theEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 fromRAF Coningsby,Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2006.[1] It was first formed on 13 May 1912 as one of the first squadrons of theRoyal Flying Corps – being the first to fly heavier than air aircraft.
No. 3 Squadron,Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed atLarkhill on 13 May 1912 (1912-05-13) by the renaming of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company of theAir Battalion Royal Engineers, under the command of MajorRobert Brooke-Popham. Being already equipped with aeroplanes and manned by pilots and air mechanics, No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company was thus the first British, Empire or Commonwealth independent military unit to operate heavier-than-air flying machines, hence the squadron mottoTertius primus erit (Latin for 'The third shall be the first').[2] On 5 July 1912, two members of the squadron, CaptainEustace Loraine and Staff Sergeant Wilson were killed in an aircraft crash, making them the first RFC fatalities.[3] In 1913, the squadron deployed toHalton inBuckinghamshire to support the land manoeuvres of theHousehold Division. A temporary airfield was set up on what later becameRAF Halton's Maitland Parade Square. During the exercise, the squadron flew a number of reconnaissance sorties and staged the first confrontation between anairship and an aeroplane.[4]
As well as training and reconnaissance duties, No. 3 Squadron spent much of its time carrying out experimental work and working out tactics, including how to direct artillery fire from the air.[5] In late 1913, the squadron carried out trials in the use ofmachine guns from aircraft, which eventually resulted in the selection of theLewis gun for use by the RFC and from early in 1914 carried out trials in airborne photography, helping to develop the cameras that would be used by the RFC in the First World War. Other trials included the first night flights carried by the RFC.[6]
The squadron was sent to France on the outbreak of theFirst World War, arriving atAmiens on 13 August 1914, carrying out its first reconnaissance mission, piloted by CaptainPhilip Joubert de la Ferté on 19 August.[7][8] The squadron initially operated primarily in the reconnaissance role using a variety of aircraft types.[7][9] In December 1914, the squadron started to receiveMorane-Saulnier Lparasol-wing aircraft, and was almost solely equipped with the Morane Parasol by April 1915.[10] It started to replace its Morane-Saulnier L with the improvedMorane-Saulnier LA, which hadailerons instead of thewing warping of the earlier aircraft, in September 1915, and all its Parasols were Type LAs by December 1915.[11] In 1916 it supplemented its Parasols with a flight of fourMorane-Saulnier BBbiplanes,[12] and from the middle of 1916 replaced its Morane-Saulnier LAs withMorane-Saulnier P parasols.[13]
The English aceJames McCudden served as a mechanic and occasional observer with 3 Squadron in the early part of the war, leaving the squadron in January 1916 for flying training.[14]Cecil Lewis, author ofSagittarius Rising joined the squadron in May 1915 and flew Morane Parasols with the squadron during the Somme offensive.[15][16] Later in October 1917, with the introduction ofSopwith Camels, a fighter/scout role was taken on, with 59 enemy aircraft being claimed by the end of the war. The squadron disbanded on 27 October 1919.[17][18]
There were nineflying aces among its ranks, includingDouglas John Bell,George R. Riley,Will Hubbard,Adrian Franklyn,Hazel LeRoy Wallace,Lloyd Hamilton,David Hughes,Neil Smuts and William H Maxted.[19]
No. 3 Squadron reformed in India on 1 April 1920 as a fighter squadron equipped withSopwith Snipes, being disbanded again 30 September 1921.[1] It was immediately reformed the next day atRAF Leuchars, Scotland, as a naval observation squadron equipped with theAirco DH.9A, receiving theWestland Walrus andAvro Bison. The squadron moved toRAF Gosport on 8 November 1922, before being disbanded to form three independent flights on 1 April 1923.[17][18]
It reformed as a fighter squadron with Snipes a year later on 1 April 1924, operating a succession of different types, based in the UK, including theGloster Gladiator.[20] The only highlight of these years was the 1935 deployment to theSudan during theItalian invasion ofAbyssinia.[18]
At the start of theSecond World War No. 3 Squadron was posted as part ofFighter Command toRAF Biggin Hill equipped with theHawker Hurricane. It briefly deployed to France in support of theBritish Expeditionary Force following theGerman attack on the West in 1940, being forced to withdraw after ten days, having claimed 60 German aircraft for the loss of 21 of its own. On 21 July 1940, "B" flight was detached to form the nucleus of the newly formedNo. 232 Squadron. Once back up to strength, No. 3 Squadron was used as air defence for the Royal Naval base atScapa Flow, remaining in Scotland until April 1941, based at theRAF Wick in the north of Scotland.[21] In June 1941, the squadron moved fromRAF Martlesham Heath toRAF Stapleford Tawney operating the four-cannon Hurricane II in 'Rhubarb' attacks on defended ground targets and shipping in northern France and Belgium.[22]
The squadron then co-operated with "Turbinlite" searchlight equippedDouglas Havocs in the night fighter role.[18]
In February 1943, it re-equipped with theHawker Typhoon for fighter-bomber and anti-shipping strikes. It re-equipped in March 1944 with the newHawker Tempest fighter, operating over theNormandy beach-head and against GermanV1 flying bombs, claiming 288 V-1s shot down.[18]
It then deployed across the Channel, flying as part of theSecond Tactical Air Force fighting through the low countries and into Germany. Amongst its pilots wasFlight LieutenantPierre Clostermann, who flew with the squadron from March 1945 until the end of the war in Europe.[17][18]
No. 3 Squadron converted to jet aircraft with thede Havilland Vampire F.1 during 1948, in Germany, where it had remained after moving there in the latter stages of the war. TheCanadair Sabre F.4 andHawker Hunter F.4 replaced the Vampire during the 1950s. This was followed by theGloster Javelin FAW.4 and then a conversion to theEnglish Electric Canberra B(I).8 bomber. Most of its time operating Canberras was spent atRAF Geilenkirchen, moving toRAF Laarbruch in January 1968.[23]
No. 3 Squadron's association with theHawker Siddeley Harrier began in the early 1970s with the Harrier GR.1 atRAF Wildenrath where it reformed from Canberras to Harriers and they joinedNo. 4 Squadron andNo. 20 Squadron equipped with the Harrier GR.1 and were already operational at Wildenrath. The squadron received the later GR.3 andGR.5 model Harriers successively atRAF Gütersloh, finally receiving the GR.7 and relocating toRAF Laarbruch in 1992. In 1999, with the drawdown of the RAF in Germany, the squadron moved back to the UK along with its sister squadron No. 4 Squadron. The two squadrons operated atRAF Cottesmore, being joined by the other Harrier operator,No. 1 Squadron, in summer 2000.[24]
As part ofJoint Force Harrier, No. 3 Squadron operated alongside theBritish Aerospace Sea Harrier FA2 operated by theFleet Air Arm and was capable of deployment from theRoyal Navy aircraft carriers. Operations includedOperation Allied Force inKosovo in 1999,Operation Palliser inSierra Leone in 2000 andOperation Telic in Iraq in 2003.[25] In August 2004, it was announced that six Harriers would be deployed toAfghanistan in support of NATO forces.[26]
After the Harrier GR7 had been passed to the Fleet Air Arm to be used by the recommissionedNo. 800 Naval Air Squadron, No. 3 Squadron moved toRAF Coningsby on 1 April 2006 where it re-equipped with theEurofighter Typhoon and became the first operational front line RAF Typhoon squadron in July 2007.[27] The squadron began to take overQuick Reaction Alert responsibilities from thePanavia Tornado F3 on 29 June 2007.[28]
In March 2011, the squadron deployed to Southern Italy to take part inOperation Ellamy in Libya in support ofUN Security Council Resolution 1973.[29]
In May 2012, four Typhoons were deployed toRAF Northolt in an air defence role covering the duration of theLondon 2012 Summer Olympics, the first time RAF fighters had been stationed at the station since the Second World War.[30]
Between April and August 2017, four of the squadron's Typhoons were deployed toMihail Kogălniceanu Air Base,Romania as part of Operation Biloxi. During this deployment, the squadron fighters flew on over 280 training sorties and one sortie in response toRussian Air Force activity over theBlack Sea.[31]
During March 2018, six Typhoons from No. 3 Squadron deployed toAndravida Air Base in Greece forExercise Iniochos 18. It was the first time that RAF Typhoons had participated in the annualNATO exercise.[32]
On 3 September 2019, No. 3 Squadron deployed toOman for two weeks to participate in Exercise Magic Carpet.[33][34]
_Typhoon_FGR4_ZJ936_%2527QO-C%2527_of_No._3_Squadron_RAF%2c_with_a_commemorative_100th_anniversary_custom_paint_scheme_on_its_tail_fin%2c_on_static_display_at_RAF_Waddington_during_the_2012_Waddington_Int._Airshow_(8581632937).jpg)
Approved byKing George VI in September 1937, thesquadron's badge features acockatrice on amonolith against a yellow and green background. The monolith relates to the ancient monumentStonehenge, which is near Larkhill where the squadron was first established in 1912. Themythological cockatrice is described as being the first creature to fly, reflecting the squadron's status as the first British,Empire orCommonwealth unit to operate ‘heavier-than-air’ aircraft. This is also reflected in the squadron’s mottoTertius primus erit (Latin for 'The third shall be the first').[37][38]
As of March 2025, aircraft operated by No. 3 Squadron use the following peacetime air traffic controlcall signs within UK airspace:Brutal, Chaos, Hulk, Nightmare, andRampage.[39]
Thebattle honours awarded to No. 3 Squadron. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.[40]
Partial list of commanding officers of No. 3 Squadron, including date of appointment.[41]
