No. IV Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	1912–1918 (RFC) 1918–1945 1945–1960 1961–2010 2010–2011 2011–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying training squadron
Role	Advanced fast jet flying training
Part of	No. 4 Flying Training School RAF
Station	RAF Valley
Motto(s)	In futurum videre (Latin for 'To see into the future')
Aircraft	BAE Systems Hawk T2
Insignia
Squadron roundel

No. 4 Squadron, also known asNo. IV Squadron,^[1] is a squadron of theRoyal Air Force. Since November 2011, it has operated theBAE Hawk T2 fromRAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales.^[2] The squadron provides weapons and tactics training for student pilots after they have completed their conversion to jet aircraft withNo. XXV(F) Squadron.^[3] Between 1970 and January 2011, the squadron operated various variants of theHawker Siddeley Harrier andBritish Aerospace Harrier II.

No. 4 Squadron formed atFarnborough in 1912 as part of theRoyal Flying Corps. Operating a mixture of aircraft including early versions of theRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 andBreguet biplane, the squadron quickly moved toNetheravon where it remained until the outbreak of theFirst World War. The more useful aircraft in its inventory were sent to France under the command ofMajor G. H. Rayleigh on 16 August 1914, to carry out reconnaissance in support of theBritish Expeditionary Force. On 19 AugustLieutenant G. W. Mapplebeck flew the squadron's first mission over France, a reconnaissance flight searching for German cavalry in the vicinity ofGembloux, Belgium. Other aircraft remained in England to carry out anti-Zeppelin patrols.^[4][5][6]

The contingent in France was reinforced on 20 September by the personnel who had remained behind in England, forming C Flight, equipped with theMaurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn. It concentrated on the reconnaissance role, standardising on the B.E.2 in 1916. In theBattle of the Somme, the squadron flew contact patrols keeping track of the position of advancing troops at low level, in addition to more regular reconnaissance and artillery spotting missions. It re-equipped with theRoyal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 in June 1917, in time to take part in theBattle of Messines and theBattle of Passchendaele. During this periodWilliam Robinson Clarke, the first black pilot to serve for Britain, flew for the squadron. It remained equipped with the R.E.8 until theArmistice with Germany on 11 November 1918 ended the fighting.^[7] The squadron returned to the United Kingdom in February 1919 as a cadre.^[8]

No. 4 Squadron returned to full strength on 30 April 1920 at Farnborough, equipped withBristol F.2 Fighters. Part of the squadron moved toAldergrove nearBelfast in November 1920 as a result of theIrish War of Independence, moving toBaldonnel Aerodrome nearDublin in May 1921, before rejoining the rest of the squadron at Farnborough in January 1922.^[4][6][9] The squadron deployed onRoyal Navy aircraft carriers when they sailed to Turkey onHMSArk Royal andArgus during theChanak crisis in August 1922, returning to Farnborough in September 1923. When the1926 General Strike broke out, the squadron's aircraft were used to patrol railway lines to deter feared sabotage.^[6][10]

In October 1929, the elderly Bristol Fighters were replaced with newArmstrong Whitworth Atlas, purpose-designed for the squadron's army co-operation role. These in turn were replaced byHawker Audaxes in December 1931.^[6][11][12] In February 1937, it moved from Farnborough toRAF Odiham, soon re-equipping with theHawker Hector, a more powerful derivative of the Audax. In January 1939, it discarded its Hector biplanes in favour of the new monoplaneWestland Lysander.^[13]

Shortly after the outbreak of theSecond World War in 1939, the squadron moved to France as part of theBritish Expeditionary Force. Following Germany's invasion of France and theLow Countries on 10 May 1940, the squadron was frequently forced to change bases by the approach of the advancing German armies, being withdrawn to the UK on 24 May.^[9] Losses had been heavy, with 18 aircrew killed, while 60% of the groundcrew were lost.^[6] It continued in the coastal patrol and air-sea rescue role while training for its main army co-operation role after returning to the UK.^[11]

In 1942, the squadron changed its mission from the army co-operation role, where it would operate fairly low-performance aircraft from airstrips close to the front-line, to that of fighter-reconnaissance, receiving the more modernCurtiss Tomahawk andNorth American Mustang, with the latter soon replacing Tomahawk, flying low-level attack and reconnaissance flights against targets on the continent.

In August 1943, it joined theSecond Tactical Air Force in support of the planned invasion of Europe, changing to the pure reconnaissance mission in January, and replacing its Mustangs with theMosquito PR.XVI andSpitfire PR.XI. It discarded its Mosquitoes in June, moved to France in August, and briefly supplemented its Spitfires with a fewHawker Typhoons for low-level reconnaissance. It retained its Spitfires atVE Day, moving toCelle in Germany to carry out survey operations in support of the BritishArmy of Occupation until it was disbanded on 31 August 1945.^[4][6][14]

The squadron reformed the next day by renumberingNo. 605 Squadron, a light bomber squadron equipped with Mosquitoes based atVolkel in the Netherlands. It re-equipped withde Havilland Vampire fighter-bombers in July 1950, replacing them withNorth American Sabres in October 1953. The Sabres were discarded in favour of theHawker Hunter in July 1955, retaining these until the squadron disbanded atRAF Jever on 31 December 1960.^[6][13]

Again, the squadron did not remain dormant for long, as it reformed on 1 January 1961 by renumberingNo. 79 Squadron, flying the Hunter FR.10 in the low-level reconnaissance role. It re-equipped with theHawker-Siddeley Harrier in 1970, first flying fromRAF Wildenrath in West Germany. It moved on toRAF Gütersloh in 1977.^[6][13]

The squadron operated the Harrier until the final withdrawal of the type, receiving numerous upgrades and new versions over the years. In April 1999, the squadron left Germany to move toRAF Cottesmore.^[6]

On 31 March 2010, the squadron disbanded and reformed as No. 4 (Reserve) Squadron atRAF Wittering, taking over fromNo. 20 (R) Squadron as the HarrierOperational Conversion Unit.^[15] As a result of the2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the squadron disbanded in January 2011,^[16] only to reform on 24 November 2011, whenNo. 19 (R) Squadron, operating theBAE Hawk T2 fromRAF Valley in the tactical weapons training role, was renumbered.^[2]

In March 2020, the squadron was awarded the right to emblazon abattle honour on its squadronstandard, recognising its role inBosnia during 1995.^[17]

Aircraft operated have included:^[18]

Approved byKing Edward VIII in May 1936, the squadron's badge features a sun in splendour dividedper bend by a flash of lightning. The red and black segmented sun suggests round-the-clock operations (day and night), while the lightning flash is a reference to the unit's early use ofwireless telephony forartillery co-operation.^[23]

The squadron's motto isIn futurum videre (Latin for 'To see into the future').^[24]

No. 4 Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.^[25][26]

Commanding officers have included:^[27][28]

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

Wikimedia Commons has media related toNo. 4 Squadron RAF.

• Official website
• Fourfax – No. 4 Squadron Association

• Flight training in the United Kingdom
• Military units and formations established in 1912
• Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• Royal Flying Corps squadrons
• 1912 establishments in the United Kingdom
• Military units and formations disestablished in 2011

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