53°01′39″N0°28′40″W / 53.02743°N 0.47773°W /53.02743; -0.47773

No. 16 Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	10 Feb 1915 – 1 April 1918(RFC) 1 April 1918 – 31 Dec 1919(RAF) 1 April 1924 – 1 June 1957 1 March 1958 – 6 June 1972 8 January 1973 – 29 February 1984 1 March 1984 – 11 September 1991 1 November 1991 – 11 March 2005 1 October 2008 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Elementary flying training
Part of	No. 3 Flying Training School RAF
Home station	RAF Wittering
Nickname(s)	'The Saints'[1]
Motto(s)	Operta aperta (Latin for 'Hidden things are revealed')[2]
Battle honours	Western Front (1915–1918) Neuve Chappelle (1915) Loos (1915) Somme (1916)* Arras (1917)* Ypres (1917)* France and Low Countries (1939–1940) Dunkirk (1940)* Fortress Europe (1941–1944) France and Germany (1944–1945) Normandy (1944)* Arnhem (1944)* Ruhr (1942–1945) Gulf (1991) *Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	Two keys insaltire. The badge symbolisesarmy co-operation duties. The keys indicate the unlocking of the enemy's secrets; the gold key by day, the black key by night. Approved byKing Edward VIII in November 1936.
Squadron roundel
Aircraft flown
Trainer	Grob Tutor T1

Number 16 Squadron Royal Air Force, nicknamed 'the Saints', is aflying squadron of theRoyal Air Force (RAF) who currently provideelementary flying training (EFT) with theGrob Tutor T1, presently based atRAF Wittering, an RAFairbase in Cambridgeshire, England.^[3]

It originally formed as asquadron of theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) in 1915, atSaint-Omer, France, to carry out a mixture of offensive patrolling andreconnaissance, and was disbanded in 1919, shortly after the end of theFirst World War. The squadron reformed as part of theRoyal Air Force (RAF) in 1924, and again took on a reconnaissance role which it continued throughout theSecond World War. Post-war, the squadron was disbanded and reformed several times, and was converted to abomber squadron. Equipped with theTornado GR1 from 1984, the squadron took part in theGulf War in 1990. It was reformed in November 1991 as theoperational conversion unit (OCU) for theJaguar, until the Jaguar's imminent withdrawal from service in 2005. No. 16 Squadron reformed again and took on its current role in 2008.

Thesquadron was formed atSaint-Omer, France on 10 February 1915, from elements ofNo. 2,No. 6, andNo. 9 Squadron RFC. It immediately began fighting in the First World War underHugh Dowding,^[4] and for some time was based at the aerodrome at theBeaupré-sur-la-Lys Abbey inLa Gorgue.^[5] For the rest of the Great War, the 'Saints'^[6] were deployed throughout Northern France and operated a mixture of aircraft includingBleriot XI,Martinsyde S.1 andRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c onoffensive patrol andtacticalreconnaissance duties.^[7] Disbandment occurred on New Year's Eve 1919.^[8]

In September1915,Duncan Grinnell-Milne joined the squadron as a junior pilot, and later (1933) published an account of his time in the squadron. His portrait of Dowding (who when the book was originally published had not then attained his later fame) is unflattering.^[4]

The squadron was reformed atOld Sarum in Wiltshire in the tactical reconnaissance role on 1 April 1924. Initially, it operated theBristol Fighter, but this was replaced by theAtlas in January1931, and by theAudax in December1933.^[8]

In May1938, theWestland Lysander arrived,^[9] and theSquadron continued in its tactical role in wartime France from April 1940.^[10] In May1940, it returned to England and conducted roving sea patrols searching for both downed aircrew and enemy forces.^[11]

From April1942, 16 Squadron was re-equipped with the Allison-enginedNorth American Mustang I for fighter sweeps and reconnaissance duties over France from its base atRAF Weston Zoyland in Somerset. TheSpitfire Mk.V took over this role from September 1943.^[8] On 2 June 1943, the Squadron became part of the Strategic Reconnaissance Wing of the2nd Tactical Air Force (2TAF) as a high-altitude photo reconnaissance unit with Spitfire PR Mk.IXs based atHartford Bridge. In the build-up toD Day, No 16 supplied photographs instrumental to the planning of theAllied landings.^[12]

No. 16 Squadron was disbanded atRAF Celle on 1 April 1946; 79 years ago (1946-04-01) but reformed atRAF Fassberg the same day, and took the 24cylinderH-enginedHawker Tempest Mk.V on charge, until converting to theradial-engined Mk.II on 7 June1946. On 7 December 1948, the squadron took delivery of its firstjet engined aircraft, thede Havilland Vampire FB.5, which subsequently gave way to thede Havilland Venom FB.1 in November1954 until disbandment at Celle once more on 1 June 1957; 67 years ago (1957-06-01).^[8]

As East-West relations cooled, the Squadron reformed atRAF Laarbruch inWest Germany on 1 March 1958. No. 16 Squadron maintained a permanent readiness state, tasked with meeting theSoviet threat, in the expected conventional phase and with the use oftactical nuclear weapons. The squadron was re-quipped with theCanberra B(I).8 armed with theWE.177, adual-key free-fallnuclear bomb.^[8]

The Canberra gave way to theBuccaneer S.2B on 16 October 1972. The squadron's twelve Buccaneers were equipped with a variety of conventional weapons and eighteen BritishWE.177 nuclear bombs.^[13] Although Buccaneers could carry two WE.177 weapons, after taking into accountattrition in the conventional phase of a high-intensity European war, and after withholding some aircraft in reserve, RAF planners expected that squadron strength remaining would still be sufficient to deliver the nuclear weapons stockpile. The Buccaneer distinguished itself in many bombing exercises; among its victories included the winning of theSalmond Trophy in1978 and1979.^[14]

The squadron briefly expanded in1983-1984, absorbing some aircraft and personnel from its sister15 Squadron which had converted to thePanavia Tornado GR1. 16 Squadron followed in late 1984 following the 'designate' process where a new 16 Squadron 'formed up' atRAF Honington, before moving to Laarbruch and assuming the squadron standard from the Buccaneer unit which had continued to operate throughout. Despite the change of aircraft, the squadron's role remained unchanged in countering a Soviet threat in Europe with conventional weapons and eighteenWE.177 nuclear bombs. As with the Buccaneer, there was a ratio of 1.5 weapons per aircraft.^[15]

Ahead ofOperation GRANBY in1990 and the firstGulf War, the squadron deployed toTabukairbase. No. 16 was the lead squadron in the deployment, withNo. 20 and crews from other Tornado GR1 squadrons. The 'Tabuk Force' usedJP233s and 1,000pounds (450kilograms) bombs on low-level sorties againstIraqi airfields and other targets. Some of the Squadron's aircraft later formed aTIALD flight that conducted accurate medium-level bombing.^[16]

Following hostilities, the Squadron disbanded on 11 September 1991; 33 years ago (1991-09-11).^[17]

On 1 November 1991, the Squadron reformed atRAF Lossiemouth as No. 16(Reserve) Squadron, areserve squadron and anoperational conversion unit (OCU), replacing and taking over the aircraft and weapons ofNo. 226 OCU, training and converting new pilots for theSEPECAT Jaguar. Although no longer a front-line operational squadron, as a reserve, or shadow squadron, its twelve aircraft were equipped with conventional weapons and eightWE.177 nuclear weapons for use in a high-intensity European war, and it remained assigned toSACEUR for that purpose.^{[18][19][20][21]}

Although a non-operational squadron, its pilots were still involved inOperation DENY FLIGHT andOperation NORTHERN WATCH. The squadron moved toRAF Coltishall inNorfolk, on 21 July 2000, thus consolidating the RAF's entire Jaguar force at oneairbase, joining numbers6,41, and54 squadrons.^[8]

In December 2003, theMinistry of Defence (MoD) announced with theDelivering Security in a Changing World defence review, RAF Coltishall would close in 2007, and the recently upgraded Jaguar fleet would be retired early.^[22] This led to the disbandment of No. 16 Squadron on 11 March 2005 as the Jaguar approached retirement.^[23] The Squadron Standard^[24] was laid up in Notre-Dame CathedralSaint-Omer, France on 20 March 2005.^[25]

On 1 October 2008, the squadron was reformed atRAF Cranwell,Lincolnshire, as part ofNo. 22 Group, operating theGrob Tutor T1.^[26] No. 16(R) Squadron continues its training role by instructing newRoyal Air Force (RAF)pilots in elementary flying training (EFT)^[27] as part of No.1 Elementary Flying Training School (1EFTS). From2005 to2008, the unit was known as 1 Squadron, 1 EFTS following a restructuring of the RAF's pilot training.^[28][29]

In the first half of2015, No. 16(R) Squadron, along withNo. 115(R) Squadron relocated toRAF Wittering,Cambridgeshire, which saw flying return to the base for the first time since2010.^[30]

Aircraft operated included:

Commanding officers included:

Stations included:

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

• No.16 Squadron RAF — official website, at RAF.MoD.uk
• No 16 - 20 Squadron Histories - No 16 Squadron — at Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation