Number 2 Squadron, also known asNo. II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, is the most seniorsquadron of theRoyal Air Force.^[1] It is currently equipped with theEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 atRAF Lossiemouth,Moray, since reforming there on 12 January 2015.

No. II (AC) Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	1912–1918 (RFC) 1918–1920 1920–2015 2015 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Multi–role combat
Part of	No. 1 Group RAF
Base	RAF Lossiemouth
Nickname(s)	'Shiny Two'
Motto(s)	'Hereward – Guardian of the Army' Second to none
Aircraft	Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4
Commanders
Current commander	Wing Commander E E Rickards
Notable commanders	Jock Stirrup,Philip Sturley,Chris Nickols,Richard Garwood,Stephen Hillier
Insignia
Squadron tail badge
Post 1950 squadron roundel
Identification symbol	KO (Nov 1939–May 1941) XV (May 1941–1943) OI (Sep 1946–Apr 1951) B (Apr 1951–1955) A–Z (Tornados)

No. 2 Squadron's traditional army co-operation role is reflected in the "AC" of its title, its motto 'Hereward – Guardian of the Army', and the symbol of awake knot on its crest. Its unofficial nickname isShiny Two.

No. 2 Squadron was formed atFarnborough,Hampshire on 13 May 1912 (1912-05-13), on the founding of theRoyal Flying Corps as one of the first three squadrons of the new force. It was formed from a detachment of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company of theRoyal Engineers Air Battalion. Both No. 2 Squadron andNo. 3 Squadron were equipped with fixed wing aeroplanes, whileNo. 1 Squadron was equipped withairships. The Squadron's first commander wasMajorC J Burke.^[2][3] The Squadron was equipped with a mixture of aircraft types, including the prototypeRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2.^[3]

From 26 February 1913, the squadron was based atMontrose Air Station inAngus, Scotland, the first operational Royal Flying Corps base in the UK. This was established on the instructions of theFirst Lord of the Admiralty,Winston Churchill, to protect theRoyal Navy.^[3][4] At Montrose the ghost story ofDesmond Arthur spread around the flying corps. In May 1914, when the Squadron was transferring south from Montrose, five aircraft crashed when they hit a bank of fog just south of theRiver Tees. Six of the aircraft had to land, with five of them crash landing, resulting in many injuries and two deaths (aLieutenant and a First Class Mechanic) in a field nearHutton Bonville in theNorth Riding of Yorkshire.^[5]

No. 2 Squadron was the first to fly the English Channel into France at the start of theFirst World War withH.D. Harvey-Kelly being the first pilot to land his aircraft.^[6] The squadron spent the war on reconnaissance duties in France flying, amongst other aircraft, theB.E.2.^[7]

Although its principal role was not air-to-air combat, it still had oneflying ace among its ranks inArthur William Hammond.^[8] It also numbered the first aviationVictoria Cross winners in its ranks, inSecond LieutenantRhodes-Moorhouse and LieutenantAlan Arnett McLeod.^[9]

The squadron gained the 'AC' in its title in the inter-war years, flying army co-operation (AC) sorties during thepartition of Ireland in the early 1920s. After time in China during 1927,^[10] the squadron re-equipped with theArmstrong Whitworth Atlas again on army co-operation work.^[11]

At the outbreak of theSecond World War the unit was flyingWestland Lysanders. In France until theDunkirk evacuation. It was then based atRAF Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire as the principal squadron in that location. Over time the squadron equipped with fighters – theCurtiss Tomahawk in 1941, theNorth American Mustang in 1942. In July 1944, assigned to the2nd Tactical Air Force, the squadron returned to France in the reconnaissance role. It was re-equipped withSupermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVs in November 1944.^[12]Shiny Two relocated toRAF Celle in June 1945 after the war in Europe was won as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation.^[13]

The squadron spent much of theCold War inWest Germany as part ofRAF Germany, flying various fighter types, including theSupermarine Swift FR.5 andHawker Hunter FR.10. No. II (AC) Squadron began to convert to theMcDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 in December 1970,^[14] when they receivedXV485 atRAF Brüggen.^[15] The Hunter No. II (AC) Squadron atRAF Gütersloh continued to operate in tandem with the Phantom No. II Squadron at Brüggen until 1 March 1971 when conversion to the Phantom was completed.^[16]Shiny Two flew their first Phantom reconnaissance sortie on 8 January withXV485. The Phantom-equipped No. II (AC) Squadron relocated toRAF Laarbruch on 3 May 1971.^[15]Shiny Two began to convert to theSEPECAT Jaguar GR1 in 1976, withXZ101 being delivered on 26 February 1976, with the Phantom FGR.2s being replaced by October the same year.^[17]

No. II (AC) Squadron began to convert to thePanavia Tornado GR1 on 16 December 1988, when their first Tornados were delivered to RAF Laarbruch.^[18] Elements of the squadron were deployed to the 1991Gulf War.^[19] Along with much of the RAF, No. 2 Squadron withdrew from Germany after returning from the Gulf War – moving toRAF Marham inNorfolk flying the Panavia Tornado GR1A coming under the control ofRAF Strike Command. These were upgraded to the latestGR4 standard, with which the Squadron deployed at part ofOperation Telic inIraq during 2003. For this operation the squadron received abattle honour with the right of emblazonment on the Squadron Standard.^[20]

In September 2012, a memorial dedicated to all those who served on No. 2 Squadron and to those that gave their lives whilst serving on the squadron was unveiled at theNational Memorial Arboretum inStaffordshire. The design, planning and fund-raising for the memorial took three years and it features a Roman numeral 'II' carved from black granite. A service was held at the memorial which involved a flypast by aSupermarine Spitfire of theBattle of Britain Memorial Flight and No. 2 Squadron Tornado GR4. The service was attended byAir Chief Marshal Lord Jock Stirrup and The Venerable (Air Vice-Marshal)Ray Pentland,RAF Chaplain in Chief.^[21]

The squadron has deployed on several occasions to maintain the Tornado GR4 detachment in Afghanistan. It also saw action over Libya duringOperation Ellamy/Operation Unified Protector for which it received a further battle honour.^[22] The Squadron also operated eight aircraft fromRAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as part ofOperation Shader, the coalition strikes against the extremist groupISIS.^[23]

In August 2014, the squadron deployed three Tornados equipped with theRAPTOR reconnaissance pod and theLitening III targeting pod toN'Djamena inChad for Operation Turus, to take part in the search forNigerian schoolgirls kidnapped byBoko Haram.^[24]

In December 2013, it was announced that following the squadron's scheduled 2014 deployment to Afghanistan as part ofOperation Herrick, it was to stand down on 31 March 2015 as a Tornado squadron at Marham, and reactivate the following day (1 April 2015) as aEurofighter Typhoon squadron atRAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.^[25] However, in October 2014, Prime MinisterDavid Cameron said that the squadron's disbandment and reformation would be put on hold to allow Tornados to continue supporting strikes against ISIS.^[23]

As a consequence of this new plan, the new No. 2 Squadron formed at Lossiemouth on 12 January 2015,^[26] with the old No. 2 Squadron at Marham being re-designated asNo. 12 Squadron on 9 January.^[27]

During October and November 2016, four No. 2 Squadron Typhoons and support personnel deployed to theFar East to take part in exercises withJapan andSouth Korea. The Squadron operated from theJapan Air Self Defense Force base atMisawa onHonshu, to take part inExercise Guardian North 16. Subsequently, the Squadron was based atOsan Air Base inSouth Korea and took part inExercise Invincible Shield, alongside theRepublic of Korea Air Force andUnited States Air Force. It was the first time either Japan or South Korea had hosted exercises with a foreign nation other than the United States.^[28][29]

The squadron was awarded theFreedom of Angus on 26 July 2019, marking 106 years since it was first stationed at Montrose Air Station as part of the Royal Flying Corps. A parade took place inMontrose, which included a flypast of the squadron's Typhoons.^[30]

The squadron'sbadge features the RAF roundel (three concentric circles) over awake knot.It was approved byKing Edward VIII in May 1936. The circles represent the RAF and the wake knot is derived from thecoat of arms ofAnglo-Saxon noblemanHereward the Wake who defended theIsle of Ely during the 11th centuryNorman Conquest. The badge indicates the basic role of the squadron as a guardian of the army.^[31]

The squadron has two mottos, the first 'Hereward – Guardian of the Army', reflects the unit's historic army cooperation role.^[32] The second motto is 'second to none'.^[33]

The squadron's aircraft were first painted with black triangles in 1916, as a method of identification for friendly ground forces. The triangle was then incorporated into the squadron's aircraft markings.^[31]

No. 2 Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.^[34]

List of commanding officers of No. 2 Squadron, including date of appointment.^[35]

• Armed forces in Scotland
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• Military history of Scotland

• Butcher, Percy Edwin.Skill and Devotion: A Personal Reminiscence of the Famous No. 2 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Hampton Hill, Middlesex, UK: Radio Modeller Book Division, 1971.
• Halley, James J.The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988.ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Heathcott, John (1998). "Unit Heritage: 'Second to None': 'Shiny Two', No. II (AC) Squadron, RAF".Wings of Fame. Vol. 11. London: Aerospace Publishing. pp. 140–157.ISBN 1-86184-017-9.ISSN 1361-2034.
• Jefford, C.G.RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001.ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Onderwater, Hans.Second to None: the History of No. II (Army Co-operation) Squadron RAF, 1912–2002. second edition, Airlife Publishing, UK.ISBN 1-84037-408-X.
• Raleigh, Walter (1922).The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by The Royal Air Force: Vol I. History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarenden Press.
• Rawlings, John D. R. (1982).Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd.ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
• Rawlings, John D.R.Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978).ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
• "Tornado: battle hardened at retirement".Air International. Vol. 96, no. 4. April 2019. pp. 66–75.ISSN 0306-5634.

• Official website

• II(AC) Squadron Association