| No. XXXII Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
_Squadron_RAF.jpg) | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Command Support Air Transport |
| Size | Two aircraft |
| Part of | Air Mobility Force |
| Station | RAF Northolt |
| Mottos | Adeste comites (Latin for 'Rally round, comrades') |
| Aircraft | Dassault Envoy IV CC1 |
| Insignia | |
| Post 1950 roundel |  |
| Tail codes | KT (Oct 1938 – Sep 1939) GZ (Sep 1939 – Nov 1942, Jul 1944 – May 1949) |
No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, also known asNo.XXXII Squadron, is asquadron of theRoyal Air Force. It operates theDassault Envoy IV CC1 in the Command Support Air Transport role, transportingVIPs and carrying out general air transport roles. It is based atRAF Northolt inGreater London, England.
Originally formed in1916 as part of theRoyal Flying Corps, the squadron saw action during theFirst andSecond World Wars withfighter aircraft, but was disbanded in1969. The Metropolitan Communications Squadron, involved in the VIP transport role, was renamed as No. 32 Squadron at that time.[1] In1995, the squadron was merged with theQueen's Flight, and incorporated 'The Royal' title into its name.[2] At this time, the squadron moved fromRAF Benson in Oxfordshire to RAF Northolt in Greater London, where it remains.
The merger ended the RAF's provision of dedicated VIP transport aircraft; the squadron's aircraft are available to VIP passengers only if they are not needed for military operations. As of 2025[update], oneflight within the squadron operates theDassault Envoy IV CC1 fixed-wing aircraft.
No. 32 Squadron was formed as part of theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) on 12 January 1916 (1916-01-12) atNetheravon in Wiltshire,[2] and moved to France as a fighter squadron equipped with theAirco DH.2 in May.[3] On 1 July 1916, its commanding officer,Major (laterGroup Captain)Lionel Rees, was engaged in a combat with eight GermanAlbatros two-seater aircraft, and although wounded in the leg, managed to scatter the German aircraft, driving down two of the enemy, for which action he was awarded theVictoria Cross.[3][4]
The squadron continued to fly patrols over theWestern Front, including over theSomme andArras battlefields, for a year before beginning to re-equip with theAirco DH.5, specialising in ground attack missions. These in turn began to be replaced by theRoyal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a in December 1917, which were flown for the rest of the war on fighter and ground attack missions. On 1 April 1918, the squadron became part of the newly formedRoyal Air Force (RAF). During the war, sixteenaces had served in its ranks, including futureAir MarshalArthur Coningham;Walter Tyrrell;Arthur Claydon;John Donaldson;Wilfred Green;Frank Hale;Hubert Jones;William Curphey;Maxmillian Mare-Montembault; andGeorge Lawson.[5]
In March 1919, the squadron returned to the United Kingdom as acadre, and disbanded on 29 December 1919.[6] It reformed on 1 April 1923 atRAF Kenley in Surrey as a single flight ofSopwith Snipe fighters.[7] A second flight was formed on 10 December 1923, and a third brought the squadron up to full strength on 1 June 1924. TheGloster Grebe was received at the end of 1924, and was replaced by theGloster Gamecock two years later. Equipped in succession with theArmstrong Whitworth Siskin,Bristol Bulldog, andGloster Gauntlet, the squadron received theHawker Hurricane I in October 1938.[2][7]
In May 1940, the squadron flew patrols over northern France, and took part in the defence of south-east England, based atRAF Biggin Hill in Greater London, but operating daily from their forward airfield atRAF Hawkinge, nearFolkestone, during the opening weeks of theBattle of Britain.[2] The squadron moved to northern England at the end of August 1940.[8] The squadron's Hurricanes saw little action throughout 1941, but did attempt, unsuccessfully, to escort theFairey Swordfish biplanes of825 Naval Air Squadron during their doomed attempt to stop the German warshipsScharnhorst,Gneisenau, andPrinz Eugen during theChannel Dash on 12 February 1942.[9] The squadron carried out a number of night intruder operations before being deployed overseas.[7]
FollowingOperation Torch, the Anglo-American invasion of North Africa, in December 1942, the squadron, commanded byJohn Shaw deployed with its Hurricanes to Algeria, converting to theSupermarine Spitfire by July 1943.[10][9] Operations included a deployment to Greece, where it took part in theGreek Civil War from September 1944 to February 1945.[7]
After the end of the Second World War, the squadron continued as a fighter unit, flying Spitfires, thede Havilland Vampire, andde Havilland Venom, from bases inPalestine,Cyprus,Egypt, thePersian Gulf,Malta, andJordan. In January 1957, the squadron converted to theEnglish Electric Canberra B.2[2][11] bombers atRAF Weston Zoyland in Somerset, flying from Cyprus.[7]
The squadron remained in Cyprus until disbanding on 3 February 1969.[7] Simultaneously, theMetropolitan Communications Squadron was renamed No. 32 Squadron. It had formed on 8 April 1944 in the VIP air transport role, by the renaming ofNo. 510 Squadron.[1] It operated a variety of aircraft, including theHawker Siddeley Andover CC.2[2] andWestland Whirlwind HC.10 helicopters.[12]
No. 32 Squadron acquired fourHawker Siddeley HS.125 CC1business jets in 1971,[13] these were Viper powered -400B series.[1] These would be supplemented and then replaced by two HS.125 CC2 (-600B version) delivered in 1973,[14] and sixBAe 125 CC3 (Garrett-powered -700B version) delivered in 1982 and 1983.[1]Westland Gazelle helicopters served with the squadron from 1976 onwards. These were replaced by initially two, later threeEurocopter Twin Squirrels in 1996.[15]
The RAF leased twoBAe 146 in 1983 (designated BAe 146 CC1) as a test of their suitability to replace the Andover, which were operated byNo. 241 Operational Conversion Unit. Two BAe 146-100 (designated BAe 146 CC2) were purchased in 1984 for theQueen's Flight as a result, with delivery in 1986. A third BAe 146 CC2 was purchased in 1989 and delivered in 1990,[16] although it was subsequently sold in 2002. The BAe 146 provided a 60% increase in range compared with the Andover, and a larger interior capacity for more passengers.[17]
On 1 April 1995, the Queen's Flight, equipped with these BAe 146 CC2, andWestland Wessex HCC.4 helicopters (the latter operated from 1969 until 1998),[18] was merged into No. 32 Squadron, to becomeNo. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, and moved to RAF Northolt fromRAF Benson in Oxfordshire.[2][19] The merger brought to an end the RAF's provision of dedicated VIP transport aircraft. The squadrons aircraft are available to VIP passengers only if not required for military operations, with theMinistry of Defence (MOD) stating in 1999: "the principal purpose of 32 Squadron [is] to provide communications and logistical support to military operations; the Squadron's capacity should be based on military needs only; and any royal or other non-military use of ... spare capacity is secondary to its military purpose".[20]
Following a review by the MOD in 2004, the squadron's aircraft lost their distinctive livery inherited from The Queen's Flight, featuring red flying surfaces. This was due to the concern over the aircraft's vulnerability to terrorist attack, to make the aircraft look more 'civilian'.[19]
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In May 2005, theDefence Logistics Organisation's Helicopter and Islander Combined Integrated Project Team awardedAgustaWestland a five-year contract from 1 April 2006 to provide threeAgustaWestland AW109E to replace the three Twin Squirrels. This contract was extended on 31 March 2011, to allow two of the AW109E to continue in use for a further year.[21]
Two additional BAe 146 were purchased in March 2012 fromTNT Airways, and were refitted byHawker Beechcraft on behalf ofBAE Systems for tactical freight and personnel transport use.[22][23] The aircraft, designated as the BAe 146 C3, arrived in Afghanistan in April 2013.[24]
On 16 March 2015, the squadron's final BAe 125 returned from operations in Afghanistan, and the type's retirement from the RAF was brought forward due to defence budget cuts.[25] Of the final four operational aircraft, three were put up for sale by theMinistry of Defence,[1] and one (ZD621) was placed on permanent display as agate guardian at RAF Northolt.[26][27] The aircraft were retired from service seven years ahead of their original withdrawal date.[28]
On 30 November 2015, a singleAgustaWestland AW109SP GrandNew[2] was delivered to the squadron to replace the unit's earlier AW109E[29] which was withdrawn the following year.[30]
On 11 October 2017, theMinistry of Defence announced thatHer Majesty The Queen had approved the award ofBattle Honours 'Iraq 2003–2011' and 'Libya 2011', both without the right to emblazon, to the squadron.[31]
The squadron's two BAe 146 C3 were modified in 2020 for use in themedical support role, to carry patients and medical personnel into and out of smaller airfields than the RAF'sAirbus Voyager multi-role tanker transport aircraft.[32]
TheIntegrated Review saw the fleet of four BAe 146 retired in March 2022.[33] Shortly before, in February 2022,Defence Equipment and Support announced that the four aircraft would be replaced by twoDassault Falcon 900LX.[34]
One of the BAe 146-100s (ZE701) was retired to theImperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, the other (ZE700) was gifted to theSouth Wales Aviation Museum atSt Athan in March 2022.[4][35] The two BAe 146-200 were removed from service and sold to civilian airlinePionair Australia.[36]
In August 2023, it was announced that the Rotary Wing Command Support Air Transport contract, which provided the squadron's AgustaWestland AW109SP GrandNew, would not be renewed and would end on 30 September 2023.[37] The Ministry of Defence later confirmed that the contract had been extended.[38] The new Labour government subsequently cancelled the extension of the contract in August 2024, with effect from December 2024.[39]
_of_32_Sqn_RAF_at_RAF_Northolt%2c_in_its_%2527Global_Britain%2527_livery_-_2022-12-06-1247-01.jpg)
Thesquadron's badge features a hunting horn stringed, representing the unit's ability to hunt the enemy. It was approved byKing George VI in December 1936.[40]
The squadron's motto isAdeste Comites (Latin for 'Rally round, comrades').[2][41]
Two preserved examples of the squadron'sWestland Wessex HCC.4 helicopters, originally operated by the Queen's Flight, can be seen atThe Helicopter Museum located atWeston-super-Mare, Somerset, and theRoyal Air Force Museum London (XV732) atHendon, north London.[18][42]
No. 32 Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.[2]
BAE Systems has been awarded a £15.5 million contract by the UKMinistry of Defence (MoD) for the conversion of two BAe 146-200QC (Quick Change) aircraft from commercial to military configuration for use by the Royal Air Force.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The RAF BAe146 C Mk 3, from RAF Northolt's 32 (The Royal) Squadron, touched down for the first time in theatre at Camp Bastion, Helmand Province. A second Mk3 is due to arrive in theatre at the end of April. Although the Squadron have been operating the BAe146 CC Mk2 and HS125 in support of Operations Telic and Herrick for over a decade, the BAe146 Mk3 marks a departure from the traditional Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) tasking that the crews are used to.
A Royal Air Force BAe125 aircraft has returned from operations for the final time marking the end of an era for 32 (The Royal) Squadron who have operated the aircraft type for more than 40 years.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (2nd edition 1976)
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