No. 24 Squadron (also known as No. XXIV Squadron) of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

is the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit (AMOCU). Based at

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney. The statio ...

in Oxfordshire, 24 Squadron is responsible for aircrew training on

C-130J Hercules The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The C-130J is the newest v ...

, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster. The squadron also delivers engineer training for these aircraft.

History

Fighter squadron (1915–1919)

The squadron was founded as No. 24 Squadron,

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

on 1 September 1915 at

Hounslow Heath Aerodrome Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main r ...

. It arrived in France equipped with D.H.2 fighters in February 1916. The DH.2 came with a reputation for spinning because it had a

rotary engine The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...

" pushing" it, but after Officer Commanding Major

Lanoe Hawker Lanoe George Hawker, (30 December 1890 – 23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of the First World War. Having seven credited victories, he was the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry awar ...

demonstrated the recently discovered procedures for pulling out of a spin, the squadron's pilots came to appreciate the type's manoeuvrability. By early 1917 the DH.2 was outclassed and they were replaced by the

Airco DH.5 The Airco DH.5 was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. It was designed and manufactured at British aviation company Airco. Development was led by aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland as a replacement for the obsol ...

. The DH.5 did not prove suitable as a fighter but the squadron used it in a ground-attack role. One of the first actions was during the Battle of Messines, and they took part later in the Battle of Cambrai. The DH.5 was phased out of operations and the squadron were given the SE.5a in December 1917.Rawlings 1972, p.144. After a few months in the ground-attack role the squadron returned to air combat operations. By October 1918 the squadron had destroyed 200 enemy aircraft. With the armistice the squadron returned to England and was disbanded in February 1919.

As a VIP transport squadron (1920–1968)

Dakota 24 Sqn RAF with King George VI in flight 1945

On 1 February 1920 the squadron was re-formed at RAF Kenley as a communications and training squadron. During the General Strike of 1926, because of the lack of a postal services, the squadron was used to deliver government dispatches around the country. Following the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

the squadron acquired civil airliners which were impressed for wartime service. It provided a detachment in France to run courier services, but with the withdrawal of British troops it was soon used to evacuate men back to England. Former

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...

and

Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...

aircraft were put to use on a network of communications flights including trips to Gibraltar and later Malta. The squadron had grown into a large organisation, with a network of routes around the United Kingdom and eventually extended to India. It also operated VIP transports including

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

's personal aircraft. It was decided to break the squadron up: the internal communication flight became 510 Squadron in October 1942.Rawlings 1972, p. 146. In June 1943 a second squadron, No. 512, equipped with Douglas Dakotas was split off from No 24. This left 24 Squadron to concentrate on the long distance routes using the

Avro York The Avro York was a British transport aircraft developed by Avro during the Second World War. The design was derived from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber, several sections of the York and Lancaster being identical. Due to the importance of La ...

After many years the squadron had to leave RAF Hendon in February 1946 as the airfield was now too small to operate the larger

s and

Avro Lancastrian The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a Canadian and British passenger and mail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. The Lancaster was named after Lancaster, Lancashire; a Lancastrian is an inhabita ...

s. The squadron was also designated a ''Commonwealth'' squadron with crews from various Commonwealth countries joining the squadron strength.

As a Transport Command Squadron (1968–2013)

In 1968 the squadron moved from

RAF Colerne Royal Air Force Colerne or more simply RAF Colerne is a former Royal Air Force station which was on the outskirts of the village of Colerne in Wiltshire, England, and was in use from 1939 to 1976. The site is now known as Azimghur Barracks and ...

to RAF Lyneham and re-equipped with the

Lockheed Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

. The squadron re-equipped with the new generation Hercules C.4 and C.5 (RAF designations for the C-130J-30 and C-130J respectively) in 2002. It celebrated 40 years of Hercules operation in 2008 and remained at Lyneham until 2011 when the squadron relocated to

."24 Squadron"
. ''Royal Air Force''. Retrieved 5 July 2011.

As a Training Squadron (2013–present)

In 2013, 24 Squadron started its transition from a front-line C130J Hercules Squadron to become the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit. This transition brigaded the majority of flying and engineer training within the Air Mobility Force under one specialist training unit. 24 Squadron is currently responsible for the provision of training to aircrews flying the C130J Hercules and A400M Atlas aircraft; in addition 24 Squadron's Maintenance Training School is responsible for training engineers to maintain the C130J Hercules, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster aircraft. As a

Central Flying School The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at ...

accredited training establishment, 24 Squadron is the professional training body for the Air Mobility Force delivering flying training for the C130J Hercules, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster as well as engineering training for the C130J Hercules, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster. The Squadron also oversees Aircrew Instructor Development for the Air Mobility Force, delivering initial aircrew instructor courses.

Aircraft operated

* 1915-1915

Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...

Lewis, 1968, pp.21-22 * 1915-1915

Caudron G.III The Caudron G.3 was a single-engined French sesquiplane built by Caudron, widely used in World War I as a reconnaissance aircraft and trainer. Development The Caudron G.3 was designed by René and Gaston Caudron as a development of their earl ...

* 1915-1915

Avro 504 The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind tha ...

* 1915-1915

Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2 The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including establish ...

C * 1915-1915 Bleriot IX * 1915-1915

Bristol Scout The Bristol Scout was a single-seat rotary-engined biplane originally designed as a racing aircraft. Like similar fast, light aircraft of the period it was used by the RNAS and the RFC as a " scout", or fast reconnaissance type. It was one o ...

* 1915-1915 Maurice Farman Longhorn * 1915-1915

Maurice Farman Shorthorn The Maurice Farman MF.11 ''Shorthorn'' is a French aircraft developed before World War I by the Farman Aviation Works. It was used as a reconnaissance and light bomber during the early part of World War I, later being relegated to training d ...

* 1915–1916

Vickers FB.5 The Vickers F.B.5 (Fighting Biplane 5) (known as the "Gunbus") was a British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War. Armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun operated by the observer in the front of the ...

* 1916–1917 Airco DH.2 * 1917–1918

* 1917–1919 Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5A * 1920–1930 Bristol F.2 Fighter * 1920–1927 de Havilland DH.9A * 1927–1933

N * 1927–1933

de Havilland Moth The de Havilland Moths were a series of light aircraft, sports planes, and military trainers designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. In the late 1920s and 1930s, they were the most common civilian aircraft flying in Britain, and during that time eve ...

* 1927–1933

Westland Wapiti The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service. First flying in 1927, the Wa ...

* 1927–1933 Fairey IIIF * 1930–1933 Hawker Tomtit * 1931–1932

Avro Tutor The Avro Type 621 Tutor is a two-seat British radial-engined biplane from the interwar period. It was a simple but rugged basic trainer that was used by the Royal Air Force as well as many other air arms worldwide. Design and development The ...

* 1933–1941

Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...

* 1933–1938

de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraf ...

* 1933–1938

Hawker Audax The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...

* 1933–1944 de Havilland Dragon Rapide and Dominie * 1937–1938 Miles Nighthawk * 1937–1943 de Havilland Express * 1938–1940

Miles Magister The Miles M.14 Magister is a two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was affectionately known as the ''Maggie''. It was authorised to perform aerobatics. The Magister ...

* 1938-1938 Avro Anson I * 1938–1944

Miles Mentor The Miles M.16 Mentor was a 1930s British single-engined three-seat monoplane training and communications aircraft built by Miles Aircraft Limited. Design and development The origins of the Mentor can be traced back to the Air Ministry's relea ...

* 1938–1942 Percival Vega Gull * 1939–1940

de Havilland Leopard Moth The de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth is a three-seat high-wing cabin monoplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1933. Design and construction It was a successor to the DH.80 Puss Moth and replaced it on the company's ...

* 1939–1940

de Havilland Fox Moth The DH.83 Fox Moth was a successful small biplane passenger aircraft from the 1930s powered by a single de Havilland Gipsy Major I inline inverted engine, manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. The aircraft was designed late in 1 ...

* 1939–1941

de Havilland Dragon The de Havilland DH.84 Dragon is a successful small commercial aircraft that was designed and built by the de Havilland company. Design and construction Following the commercial success of its single-engined de Havilland Fox Moth that had f ...

* 1939–1942

Lockheed 10 Electra The Lockheed Model 10 Electra is an American twin-engined, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The type gained considerable fame as one was ...

* 1939–1942 Percival Q.6 * 1939–1940

de Havilland Puss Moth The de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth is a British three-seater high-wing monoplane aeroplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company between 1929 and 1933. It flew at a speed approaching 124 mph (200 km/h), making it o ...

* 1939–1944

de Havilland Flamingo The de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo was a British twin-engined high-wing monoplane airliner first flown on 22 December 1938. During the Second World War some were used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a transport and general communications dut ...

* 1939–1940

Airspeed Envoy The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a twin-engined light transport aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. The Envoy originated as a heavier twin-engine derivative of Airspeed's Courier light transport aircra ...

* 1940–1942

Miles Whitney Straight The Miles M.11 Whitney Straight was a 1930s twin-seat cabin monoplane designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was named after Whitney Straight, a Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator and businessman. The ...

* 1940-1940 Heston Phoenix * 1940-1940

Savoia-Marchetti S.73 The Savoia-Marchetti S.73 was an Italian three-engine airliner that flew in the 1930s and early 1940s. The aircraft entered service in March 1935 with a production run of 48 aircraft. Four were exported to Belgium for SABENA, while seven others ...

* 1940-1940

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...

* 1940-1940 Avro Anson I * 1940-1940

Armstrong Whitworth Ensign The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.27 Ensign was a British four-engine monoplane airliner and the largest airliner built in Britain during the Interwar period.Tapper, 1988, p.237 The British airline Imperial Airways requested tenders for a large mono ...

* 1940–1942 de Havilland Hornet Moth * 1940–1944

Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine monoplane aircraft developed and manufactured by Airspeed. It saw widespread use for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery roles throughout the Seco ...

* 1941–1943

Stinson Reliant The Stinson Reliant is a popular single-engine four- to five-seat high-wing monoplane manufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing Corporation of Wayne, Michigan. Design and development The Reliant is a high-wi ...

* 1941–1942

General Aircraft Cygnet The General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II was a 1930s British single-engined training or touring aircraft built by General Aircraft Limited at London Air Park, Hanworth. History The Cygnet was designed at Slough by C.W. Aircraft Limited in 1936. ...

* 1941–1942

Blackburn Botha The Blackburn B.26 Botha was a four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber. It was produced by the British aviation company Blackburn Aircraft at its factories at Brough and Dumbarton. The Botha was developed during the mid 1930s in response t ...

* 1941–1945 Beech 17 Traveler * 1941-1941

Parnall Heck The Parnall Heck was a 1930s United Kingdom, British four-seat cabin monoplane built by Parnall, Parnall Aircraft Limited at Yate, Gloucestershire. Originally a Hendy design, few were built. It combined the strength and comfort of a cabin aircra ...

III * 1941–1942

* 1941–1943 Lockheed Hudson I * 1941–1942 Lockheed Hudson II * 1942-1942 Messerschmitt Bf 108 Aldon * 1942–1943 Fokker F.XXII * 1942–1943 Foster Wikner Wicko * 1942-1942 Lockheed Hudson IV * 1942–1945 Lockheed Hudson III * 1942-1942 Heston Phoenix * 1942–1943 Lockheed Hudson VI * 1942–1944 Lockheed 12 * 1942–1943 Percival Proctor * 1943–1944

Grumman Goose The Grumman G-21 Goose is an amphibious flying boat designed by Grumman to serve as an eight-seat "commuter" aircraft for businessmen in the Long Island area. The Goose was Grumman's first monoplane to fly, its first twin-engined aircraft, and i ...

* 1943–1944 Vickers Wellington XVI * 1943–1944 Avro York I * 1943–1952 Douglas Dakota * 1944-1944 Avro Anson XX * 1944–1945 Douglas Skymaster * 1946–1949 Avro Lancastrian C2 * 1946–1951 Avro York C1 * 1950-1950 Vickers Valetta C1 * 1950-1950 Handley Page Hastings C1 * 1951–1968 Handley Page Hastings C2 * 1951–1968 Handley Page Hastings C4 * 1968–2000 Lockheed Hercules C130K * 2000–present Lockheed Hercules C130J * 2013-present

Airbus A400M Atlas The Airbus A400M AtlasNamed after the Greek mythological figure. is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capab ...

Commanding officers

The following officers have held command of No. 24 Squadron: * 1 September 1915, Captain A G Moore * 29 September 1915, Major L G Hawker * 29 November 1916, Major C E Rabagliati * 23 March 1917, Major A G Moore * 22 August 1917, Major J G Swart * 2 February 1918, Major V A H Robeson * 1 April 1920, Squadron Leader E H Johnston * 23 October 1922, Squadron Leader O T Boyd * 22 October 1923, Squadron Leader R S Maxwell * 27 August 1925, Squadron Leader W H L O'Neill * 20 September 1927, Squadron Leader S N Cole * 20 March 1929, Squadron Leader D S Don * 3 October 1931, Squadron Leader J Whitford * 1 December 1935, Squadron Leader H K Goode * June 1939, Wing Commander J Anderson * October 1939, Wing Commander H K Goode * April 1941, Wing Commander H G Lee * June 1941, Wing Commander P M W Wright * June 1942, Wing Commander H B Collins * September 1944, Wing Commander T H Archbell * October 1945, Wing Commander E L A Walter * September 1946, Wing Commander C W K Nicholls * March 1948, Wing Commander P H Lombard * March 1950, Wing Commander C F Read (

RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

) * December 1950, Squadron Leader H A Nash * October 1951, Major J N Robbs ( SAAF) * October 1953, Squadron Leader J L Kerr * September 1955, Squadron Leader R B Bolt (

RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeal ...

) * February 1957, Squadron Leader M M Mair * October 1957, Wing Commander D W Hitchins (RAAF) * October 1959, Wing Commander H D Archer * November 1961, Wing Commander R B Sillars * November 1963, Wing Commander R T Saunders * January 1966, Wing Commander G Moss * January 1968, Wing Commander J E H Tetley * July 1970, Wing Commander R D Bates * July 1972, Wing Commander M J Hardy * July 1974, Wing Commander C E Evans * February 1976, Wing Commander M C A Davis * August 1978, Wing Commander K Chapman * October 1980, Wing Commander D R Jones * March 1983, Wing Commander C J M Carrington * June 1985, Wing Commander R M Peach * December 1987, Wing Commander D B Farquhar * April 1990, Wing Commander R D Iredale * October 1992, Wing Commander M D Stringer * June 1995, Wing Commander R M Bailey * April 1998, Wing Commander P N Oborn CBE * August 2000, Squadron Leader G C Cook * December 2000, Wing Commander R Hobson * June 2003, Wing Commander K Groves * October 2005, Squadron Leader S K Marston * December 2005, Wing Commander D Turnbull * June 2008, Wing Commander A Bacon * November 2010 Wing Commander P G Cochrane * February 2011 Wing Commander T Jones * December 2012 Wing Commander D James * January 2015 Wing Commander D Rawlins * March 2017 Wing Commander G Burdett * October 2019 Wing Commander A McIntyre

References

Citations

Bibliography

* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)'', Orbis Publishing. * Jefford, G. G. ''RAF Squadrons'', second edition 2001, Airlife Publishing, UK, . * * Rawlings, J. D. R. "History of No. 24 Squadron". ''Air Pictorial'', April 1972, Vol.34 No.4. pp. 144–147.

External links

No.24 Squadron RAF
{{RAF squadrons

024 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smalle ...

Military units and formations established in 1915 024 Squadron Transport aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force 1915 establishments in England

History

Fighter squadron (1915–1919)

As a VIP transport squadron (1920–1968)

As a Transport Command Squadron (1968–2013)

As a Training Squadron (2013–present)

Aircraft operated

Commanding officers

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links