No. 27 Squadron RAF
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
To comply with Wikipedia's quality standards, this article may need to be rewritten. Please help improve this article. The discussion page may contain suggestions. |
| No. 27 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 5 November 1915 - 22 January 1920 19 -1946 1947 - 1950 |
| Role | Transport and search and rescue |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Odiham |
| Motto | Quam celerrime ad astra Latin: "With all speed to the Stars" |
| Equipment | Chinook HC.2 |
| Battle honours | Western Front 1916-1918, Somme 1916, Arras, Ypres 1917, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918, Malaya 1941-1942, Arakan 1942-1944*, North Burma 1944. |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
An elephant |
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the CH-47 Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] The Great War
Originally formed in WW1 with Martinsyde Elephant bombers, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge, and later transferring to Airco DH.4 and DH.9 light bombers. The squadron was disbanded after the war was over.
[edit] Inter-war period
On 1 April 1920, No. 27 was reformed by re-numbering No. 99 Squadron RAF then in India, flying Airco DH.9A light bombers. At the outbreak of war in 1940, the squadron was still flying doubledeckers, the Hawker Hart, but was retrained for Bristol Blenheims by the end of 1940.
[edit] War in the East
By early 1942, as a result of losses to the Japanese it had effectively ceased to exist and a new No. 27 Squadron was formed in India with the Bristol Beaufighter which operated over Burma. By the beginning of 1943, the squadron was re-equipped with de Havilland Mosquito. The glue-and-plywood construction of the otherwise excellent Mosquito proved to be less than optimal for tropical Burma, and the operations where plagued by technical problems[1]. They eventually reverted back to Beaufighters again, No. 680 Squadron RAF taking over some of the Mosquitoes. After the war, the Squadron was disbanded on 1 February 1946.
[edit] Post-war service
- November 1947, reformed at RAF Oakington with Douglas Dakota transports.
- Disbanded November 1950.
- June 1953, No. 27 Squadron reformed with Canberra bombers
- Disbanded December 1957.
In April 1961, it was reformed at RAF Scampton with the Avro Vulcan V-bomber. In December 1973, it was reformed at RAF Scampton with the Vulcan to operate in the Maritime Radar Reconnaissance role. It was disbanded at Scampton in 1982.
The squadron reformed at RAF Marham in 1983 with the Tornado ground attack. In 1993 it was reformed as No. 12 Squadron RAF which had just disbanded at RAF Marham.
[edit] Transporters
At the same time No. 27 squadron was reformed immediately from No. 240 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF Odiham as No. 27 (Reserve) Squadron to be the Chinook/Puma Operational Conversion Unit. It regained full squadron status in January 1998 equipped with Chinooks only.
Today the sqaudron operates 18 Chinooks. The Chinook HC.2, equivalent to the US Army CH-47D standard, began to enter RAF service in 1993.
In July 2006, 3 Chinook helicopters of No.27 Squadron deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon. The squadron also flew the EU foreign affairs representative Javier Solana to Beirut at the start of the crisis.
In October, BBC1 showed a documentary focusing on 27 Squadron's duties in Afghanistan. It was widely applaused by critics and soldiers alike.
[edit] Chinook squadrons
- 7 Squadron - RAF Odiham - 5 Chinook HC2
- 18 Squadron - RAF Odiham - 18 Chinook HC2
- 27 Squadron - RAF Odiham - 10 Chinook HC2
- 78 Squadron - RAF Mount Pleasant - 1 Chinook HC2
