| No. 96 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 No. 96 Squadron badge | |
| Active | 8 October 1917 - 4 July 1918 28 Sep 1918 - November 1918 18 Dec 1940 - 12 December 1944 21 Dec 1944 - 1 June 1946 17 Nov 1952 – 21 January 1959 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Mottos | Latin:Nocturni obambulamus ("We prowl by night")[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | A lion passant facing to the sinister with ten stars representing the constellation of Leo |
| Squadron codes | ZJ December 1940 - December 1944 6H December 1944 - June 1946 L October 1952 - 1955 |
No. 96 Squadron was aRoyal Air Force squadron, formed as a training unit in the latter stages of theFirst World War. The squadron re-formed and served mainly as night fighter cover during theSecond World War. In the aftermath of WWII it took on a transport role, but later returned to night fighter duties, this time with jet aircraft such as theGloster Meteor andGloster Javelin. It was disbanded in 1959, when its aircraft and personnel becameNo. 3 Squadron.
No. 96 Squadron was formed on 8 October 1917 atLincolnshire as an aircrew training unit of theRoyal Flying Corps, the air force of theBritish Army during most ofWorld War I.[2] The unit was disbanded on 4 July 1918 but was reformed atSt. Ives, Cambridgeshire on 28 September 1918 as a ground attack squadron of theRoyal Air Force.[2]
Theheadquarters of the squadron at that time were located atRAF Wyton. On 11 November 1918 an armistice between theAllies and theGerman Empire was signed, marking the end of World War I. As a consequence No. 96 Squadron was disbanded by the end of November, 1918 before becoming operational.[2]
On 18 December 1940 No. 422 Flight, anight fighter unit stationed atRAF Shoreham was renamed to No. 96 Squadron. The commanding officer on reformation wasRonald Gustave Kellett, transferred from the PolishNo. 303 Squadron RAF.[3] The squadron's headquarters were located atRAF Cranage inCheshire. During the war it was commanded byEdward Crew.
In March 1945 the squadron was moved to the Far East. Destined for Egypt, the squadron collected its Dakotas en route in Egypt. The squadron provided parachute and glider training in India whilst also providing detachments for operations in Burma and general transport flights throughout the Far East. In April 1946 96 Squadron moved to Hong Kong where air transport was maintained to Malaya and China before the squadron was renamed No. 110 Squadron on 15 June 1946.
No. 96 Squadron reformed again on 17 November 1952 at RAF Ahlhorn in Germany as part ofNo. 125 Wing RAF.[4] It moved toRAF Geilenkirchen on 12 February 1958.[5] Equipped with Meteor night fighters the squadron provided fighter cover for Germany until it was renumbered No. 3 Squadron on 21 January 1959, at which point it converted to Gloster Javelins.
| Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918[5] | Sopwith Salamander | Single-engined ground attack biplane | |
| 1940-1941[5] | Hawker Hurricane | I | Single-engined fighter |
| 1941-1942[5] | Boulton Paul Defiant | I | Single-engined fighter |
| 1941-1942[5] | Hawker Hurricane | IIC | Single-engined fighter |
| 1942[5] | Boulton Paul Defiant | IA and II | Single-engined fighter |
| 1942-1943[5] | Bristol Beaufighter | IIF and VIF | Twin-engined night fighter |
| 1943-1944[5] | de Havilland Mosquito | NF.XIII | Twin-engined night fighter |
| 1944-1945[5] | Handley Page Halifax | III | Four-engined bomber/transport |
| 1945-1946[5] | Douglas Dakota | Twin-engined transport | |
| 1952-1959[5] | Gloster Meteor | NF11 | Twin-engined jet night-fighter |
| 1958-1959[5] | Gloster Javelin | FAW4 | Twin-engined jet fighter/interceptor |
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
Media related toNo. 96 Squadron RAF at Wikimedia Commons
