Number 3 Squadron, also known as No. 3 (Fighter) 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 ...
operates the
Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4
The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service with seven nations: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Austria. It has been ordered by Kuwait and Qatar, with orders for all eight customers still pending as of September 2017. Th ...
from
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and ho ...
,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...
, since reforming on 1 April 2006.
It was first formed on 13 May 1912 as one of the first squadrons of the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
– being the first to fly heavier than air aircraft.
History
Foundation and First World War
No. 3 Squadron,
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
, was formed at
Larkhill
Larkhill is a garrison town in the civil parish of Durrington, Wiltshire, England. It lies about west of the centre of Durrington village and north of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. It is about north of Salisbury.
The settlement ...
on 13 May 1912 by the renaming of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company of the
Air Battalion Royal Engineers
The Air Battalion Royal Engineers (ABRE) was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier-than-air craft. Founded in 1911, the battalion in 1912 became part of the Royal Flying Corps, which in turn evolved into the Roy ...
, under the command of Major
Robert Brooke-Popham
Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham, (18 September 1878 – 20 October 1953) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. During the First World War he served in the Royal Flying Corps as a wing commander and senior staff o ...
. Being already equipped with aeroplanes and manned by pilots and air mechanics, No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company was thus the first British, Empire or Commonwealth independent military unit to operate heavier-than-air flying machines, hence the 3 Squadron motto ''Tertius primus erit'', meaning "The third shall be the first". On 5 July 1912, two members of the squadron, Captain
Eustace Loraine
Eustace Broke Loraine (3 September 1879 – 5 July 1912) was a pioneer British aviator and the first Royal Flying Corps officer to be killed in an aircraft crash.
Eustace Loraine was the first child of Rear-Admiral Sir Lambton Loraine, 11t ...
and Staff Sergeant Wilson were killed in an aircraft crash, making them the first RFC fatalities. In 1913, No 3 Squadron deployed to
Halton in
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-e ...
to support the land manoeuvres of the
Household Division
Household Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country's most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly wit ...
. A temporary airfield was set up on what later became
RAF Halton
Royal Air Force Halton, or more simply RAF Halton, is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom. It is located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. The site has been in use since the First World W ...
's Maitland Parade Square. During the exercise, No 3 Squadron flew a number of reconnaissance sorties and staged the first confrontation between an
airship
An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.
In early ...
and an aeroplane.
As well as training and reconnaissance duties, the squadron spent much of its time carrying out experimental work and working out tactics, including how to direct artillery fire from the air. In late 1913, the squadron carried out trials in the use of
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles ...
s from aircraft, which eventually resulted in the selection of the
Lewis gun for use by the RFC and from early in 1914 carried out trials in airborne photography, helping to develop the cameras that would be used by the RFC in the First World War. Other trials included the first night flights carried by the RFC.
The squadron was sent to France on the outbreak of the
Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, arriving at
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
on 13 August 1914, carrying out its first reconnaissance mission, piloted by Captain
Philip Joubert de la Ferté
Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Bennet Joubert de la Ferté, (21 May 1887 – 21 January 1965) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1930s and the Second World War.
Early life
Joubert de la Ferté was born in Darjeeling, India t ...
on 19 August.
The squadron initially operated primarily in the reconnaissance role using a variety of aircraft types.
In December 1914, the squadron started to receive
Morane-Saulnier L
The Morane-Saulnier L, or Morane-Saulnier Type L, or officially MoS-3, was a French parasol wing one or two-seat scout aeroplane of the First World War. The Type L became one of the first successful fighter aircraft when it was fitted with a si ...
parasol-wing
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing conf ...
aircraft, and was almost solely equipped with the Morane Parasol by April 1915.
It started to replace its Morane-Saulnier L with the improved
Morane-Saulnier LA
Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and Robert (1886–1968). The company was taken over and diversified ...
, which had
aileron
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...
s instead of the
wing warping
Wing warping was an early system for lateral (roll) control of a fixed-wing aircraft. The technique, used and patented by the Wright brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite direc ...
of the earlier aircraft, in September 1915, and all its Parasols were Type LAs by December 1915.
In 1916 it supplemented its Parasols with a flight of four
Morane-Saulnier BB biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
s,
and from the middle of 1916 replaced its Morane-Saulnier LAs with
Morane-Saulnier P
The Morane-Saulnier Type P (official designations MS.21, MS.24 and MS.26) was a French parasol wing two-seat reconnaissance aeroplane of the First World War. Morane-Saulnier built 595 for the French air force, and it was also used by the British ...
parasols.
The English ace
James McCudden served as a mechanic and occasional observer with 3 Squadron in the early part of the war, leaving the squadron in January 1916 for flying training.
Cecil Lewis, author of ''Sagittarius Rising'' joined the squadron in May 1915 and flew Morane Parasols with the squadron during the Somme offensive. Later in October 1917, with the introduction of
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...
s, a fighter/scout role was taken on, with 59 enemy aircraft being claimed by the end of the war. The squadron disbanded on 27 October 1919.
There were nine
flying aces
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
among its ranks, including
Douglas John Bell
Captain Douglas John Bell (16 September 1893 – 27 May 1918) was a South African World War I fighter ace credited with 20 aerial victories. He was one of the first fighter pilots to successfully engage an enemy multi-engine bomber. He became ...
,
George R. Riley
Lieutenant George Raby Riley (23 February 1899 – 1983) was a British World War I flying ace credited with thirteen aerial victories. He was an ace balloon buster, as well as an ace over enemy aircraft.
Early life
George Raby Riley was born on ...
,
Will Hubbard
Captain Will Hubbard (25 February 1895 – 1 July 1969) was a British World War I aviation equipment developer and flying ace. He fought in the Gallipoli campaign prior to his aviation career. In 1916, he was sent to England to work on developi ...
,
Adrian Franklyn
Group Captain Adrian Winfrid Franklyn (1 April 1899 – June 1986) was a British World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He remained in the Royal Air Force post-war, and served throughout World War II before retiring in 194 ...
,
Hazel LeRoy Wallace
Captain Hazel LeRoy Wallace Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), DFC (13 November 1897 – 22 March 1976) was a Canadians, Canadian World War I, First World War flying ace, officially credited with 14 victories. His record shows hi ...
,
Lloyd Hamilton
Lloyd Vernon Hamilton (August 19, 1891 – January 19, 1935) was an American film comedian, best remembered for his work in the silent era.
Career
Having begun his career as an extra in theatre-productions, Hamilton first appeared on film in ...
,
David Hughes,
Neil Smuts
Captain Neil Ritz Smuts (born 23 December 1898, date of death unknown) was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.
Smuts was credited with an Albatros D.V and four Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War ...
and William H Maxted.
Interwar
It reformed in India on 1 April 1920 as a fighter squadron equipped with
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of th ...
s, being disbanded again 30 September 1921.
It was immediately reformed the next day at
RAF Leuchars
Royal Air Force Leuchars or RAF Leuchars was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspa ...
, Scotland, as a naval observation squadron equipped with the
Airco DH.9A
The Airco DH.9A was a British single-engined light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. It was a development of the unsuccessful Airco DH.9 bomber, featuring a strengthened structure and, crucially, repla ...
, receiving the
Westland Walrus
The Westland Walrus was a British spotter/reconnaissance aircraft built by Westland Aircraft.
Design and development
In 1919 the Royal Navy had an urgent need for a three-seat spotter/reconnaissance aircraft. To save money, the Airco DH.9A was ...
and
Avro Bison
The Avro 555 Bison was a British single-engined fleet spotter/reconnaissance aircraft built by Avro.
Development and design
The Bison was designed to meet British Specification 3/21 for a carrier-based fleet spotter and reconnaissance aircra ...
before being disbanded to form two independent flights on 1 April 1923.
It reformed as a fighter squadron with Snipes a year later on 1 April 1924, operating a succession of different types, based in the UK, including the
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator is a British biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s.
Developed private ...
. The only highlight of these years was the 1935 deployment to the
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
during the Italian invasion of
Abyssinia
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...
.
Second World War
At the start 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 ...
No 3 Squadron was posted as part of
Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, oft ...
to RAF Station
Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill is a settlement on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Kent, prior to 1965 it was also in the administrative county of Kent. ...
equipped with the
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...
. It briefly deployed to France in support of the
British Expeditionary Force following the
German attack on the West in 1940, being forced to withdraw after 10 days, having claimed 60 German aircraft for the loss of 21 of its own. On 21 July 1940 "B" flight was detached to form the nucleus of the newly formed No. 232 Squadron. Once back up to strength, No. 3 Squadron was used as air defence for the Royal Naval base at
Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern end in June 2009
Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay a ...
, remaining in Scotland until April? 1941, based at the
RAF Station at Wick in Northern Scotland. In June 1941 No 3 Squadron moved from Martlesham Heath to
RAF Stapleford Tawney operating four-cannon Hurricane IIs in '
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks ( petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of '' Rheum'' in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The whole plant – a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhi ...
' attacks on defended ground targets and shipping in northern France and Belgium.
The squadron then co-operated with "
Turbinlite
The Helmore/ GEC Turbinlite was a 2,700 million candela (2.7 Gcd) searchlight fitted in the nose of a number of British Douglas Havoc night fighters during the early part of the Second World War and around the time of The Blitz. The ...
" searchlight equipped
Douglas Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was o ...
s in the night fighter role.
In February 1943 it re-equipped with the
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered and i ...
for fighter-bomber and anti-shipping strikes. It re-equipped in March 1944 with the new
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to a ...
fighter, operating over the
Normandy beach-head and against German
V1 flying bombs, claiming 288 V-1s shot down.
It then deployed across the Channel, flying as part of the
2 TAF fighting through the low countries and into Germany. Amongst its pilots was F/L
Pierre Clostermann
Pierre Henri Clostermann (28 February 1921 – 22 March 2006) was a World War II French fighter pilot.
During the conflict he achieved 33 air-to-air combat victories, earning the accolade "France's First Fighter" from General Charles de G ...
, who flew with 3 Squadron from March 1945 until the end of the war in Europe.
Post-War
The squadron moved onto jets with the
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by ...
during 1948, in Germany, where it had remained after moving there in the latter stages of the war. Sabres and
Hunters
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
replaced the Vampires during the 1950s, followed by
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined T-tailed delta-wing subsonic night and all-weather interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. The last aircraft design to bear the Gloster na ...
s and then a conversion onto
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
bombers. Most of its time with Canberras was spent at
RAF Geilenkirchen
Royal Air Force Geilenkirchen, more commonly known as RAF Geilenkirchen, was a Royal Air Force station in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, built by the British who used the facility mainly as an airfield for RAF fighter squadrons ...
moving to
RAF Laarbruch
Royal Air Force , more commonly known as RAF ICAO EDUL (from 1 January 1995 ETUL) was a Royal Air Force station, a military airfield, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands. The Station's motto was ().
The site now operates ...
in January 1968.
No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron's association with the
Hawker Siddeley Harrier
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British military aircraft. It was the first of the Harrier series of aircraft and was developed in the 1960s as the first operational ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft with vertical/short takeoff an ...
began in the early 1970s with the Harrier GR1 at
RAF Wildenrath
Royal Air Force Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase near Wildenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that operated from 1952 to 1992. Wildenrath was the first of four 'clutch' stations ...
where it reformed from Canberras to Harriers and they joined 4 & 20 Squadron equipped with Harrier GR1's who were already operational at RAF Wildenrath. The squadron received the later GR3 and
GR5 model Harriers successively at
RAF Gütersloh
Royal Air Force Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airfield, the nearest Royal Air Force airfield to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was constr ...
, finally receiving the GR7 and relocating to
RAF Laarbruch
Royal Air Force , more commonly known as RAF ICAO EDUL (from 1 January 1995 ETUL) was a Royal Air Force station, a military airfield, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands. The Station's motto was ().
The site now operates ...
in the 1992. In 1999, with the drawdown of the RAF in Germany, the squadron moved back to the UK along with its sister squadron
No. IV (AC) Squadron. The two squadrons operated at
RAF Cottesmore
Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore or more simply RAF Cottesmore is a former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. On 15 December 2009, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced that the ...
, being joined by the other Harrier operator,
No. 1 (F) Squadron, in summer 2000.
As part of
Joint Force Harrier, 3 Squadron operated alongside the
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wi ...
Sea Harriers, and was capable of deployment from the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
aircraft carriers. Operations included
Operation Allied Force
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
over
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...
in 1999,
Operation Palliser
The United Kingdom began a military intervention in Sierra Leone on 7 May 2000 under the codename Operation Palliser. Although small numbers of British personnel had been deployed previously, Palliser was the first large-scale intervention by B ...
over
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
in 2000 and
Operation Telic
Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
over Iraq in 2003. In August 2004, it was announced that 6 Harriers would be deployed to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
in support of NATO forces.
Eurofighter Typhoon (2006–present)
After the Harrier GR7s had been passed to the Fleet Air Arm to be used by the recommissioned
No. 800 Naval Air Squadron, No. 3 Squadron moved to
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and ho ...
where it re-equipped with the
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...
on 1 April 2006 and became the first operational front line RAF Typhoon squadron in July 2007. The squadron began to take over
Quick Reaction Alert
Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) is state of readiness and '' modus operandi'' of air defence maintained at all hours of the day by NATO air forces. The United States usually refers to Quick Reaction Alert as 'Airspace Control Alert'.
Some non-NATO ...
(QRA) responsibilities from the
Panavia Tornado F.3 on 29 June 2007.
In March 2011, No. 3 (F) Squadron deployed to Southern Italy to take part in
Operation Ellamy
Operation Ellamy was the codename for the United Kingdom participation in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The operation was part of an international coalition aimed at enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone in accordance with the United Natio ...
over Libya in support of
UN Security Council Resolution 1973
Resolution 1973 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 17 March 2011 in response to the First Libyan Civil War. The resolution formed the legal basis for military intervention in the Libyan Civil War, demanding "an immediate cea ...
.
In May 2012, four aircraft were deployed to RAF Northolt in an air defence role covering the duration of the Olympic Games, the first time RAF fighters had been stationed at the base since the Second World War.
During March 2018, six Typhoons from No. 3 Squadron deployed to
Andravida Air Base
Andravida Air Base ( el, Αεροπορική Βάση Ανδραβίδας) is a military airport operated by the Hellenic Air Force, located 2.5 kilometres from the town of Andravida in Elis, Greece, housing the 117th Combat Wing (117 Πτέρυ ...
in Greece for ''Exercise Iniochos''. It was the first time that RAF Typhoons had participated in the annual
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
exercise.
On 3 September 2019, No. 3 (F) Squadron deployed to
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
for two weeks to participate in Exercise Magic Carpet.
Aircraft operated
*
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...
(September 1917 – February 1919)
*
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of th ...
(April 1920 – October 1921; April 1924 – October 1925)
*
Airco DH.9A
The Airco DH.9A was a British single-engined light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. It was a development of the unsuccessful Airco DH.9 bomber, featuring a strengthened structure and, crucially, repla ...
(October 1921 – October 1922)
*
Westland Walrus
The Westland Walrus was a British spotter/reconnaissance aircraft built by Westland Aircraft.
Design and development
In 1919 the Royal Navy had an urgent need for a three-seat spotter/reconnaissance aircraft. To save money, the Airco DH.9A was ...
(January 1922 – April 1923)
*
Hawker Woodcock II (July 1925 – September 1928)
*
Gloster Gamecock I (August 1928 – July 1929)
*
Bristol Bulldog II (May 1929 – December 1932)
*Bristol Bulldog IIA (February 1931 – January 1932; December 1932 – June 1937)
*
Gloster Gladiator I (March 1937 – March 1939; July 1938 – July 1939)
*
Hawker Hurricane I (March–July 1938; July 1939 – April 1941)
*Hawker Hurricane IIA/IIB (April – November 1941)
*Hawker Hurricane IIC (April 1941 – May 1943)
*
Hawker Typhoon IB (February 1943 – April 1944)
*
Hawker Tempest V (February 1944 – April 1948)
*
De Havilland Vampire F.1 (April 1948 – May 1949)
*De Havilland Vampire FB.5 (May 1949 – May 1953)
*
North American Sabre F.1/F.4 (May 1953 – June 1956)
*
Hawker Hunter F.4 (May 1956 – June 1957)
*
Gloster Javelin FAW.4 (January 1959 – December 1960)
*
English Electric Canberra B(I).8
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havill ...
(January 1961 – January 1972)
*
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1A/T.2 (January 1972 – March 1977)
*Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3/T.4 (March 1977 – May 1989)
*
BAE Harrier GR.5/T.4 (May 1989 – February 1992)
*BAE Harrier GR7/T10 (February 1992 – 31 March 2006)
*BAE Harrier GR7A (2004 – 31 March 2006)
*
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...
F2 (1 April 2006 – July 2008)
*Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4/T3 (3 June 2011 – present)
Battle honours
The
battle honours
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
awarded to No. 3 Squadron. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on the
squadron standard.
*
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
* Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...
1914–1918*
*
Mons
Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...
*
*
Neuve Chapelle
Neuve-Chapelle ( vls, Nieuwkappel) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It was the site of a First World War battle in 1915.
Geography
Neuve-Chapelle is situated some northeast of Béthune and ...
*
Loos
*
Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
*Somme, Queensland, Australia
*Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), a ...
1916
*
Cambrai
Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the ...
*
Somme __NOTOC__
Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places
*Somme (department), a department of France
*Somme, Queensland, Australia
*Canal de la Somme, a canal in France
*Somme (river), a river in France
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Somme'' (book), a ...
1918*
*
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...
*
France and Low Countries 1940*
*
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
1940*
*
Home Defence
A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...
1940–1945
*
Fortress Europe 1942–1944
*Channel and North Sea 1943–1945
*
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
1944*
*
Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...
*
*
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
*
France and Germany 1944–1945*
*
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
2003*
*
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
2011
Commanders
See also
*
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
*
Keith Thiele
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*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. .
*
*
*Long, Jack T.C. ''Three's Company: An Illustrated History of No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron RAF''. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2005. .
*Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). .
*
*
*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). .
*
External links
No. 3 Squadron on RAF website3 (Fighter) Squadron Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 3 Squadron Raf
003 Squadron
No. 03
Military units and formations established in 1912
003 Squadron
1912 establishments in the United Kingdom