No. 92 Squadron RAF

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No. 92 Squadron
Post-1950 aircraft insignia
Active	1 September 1917 (RFC) - 1919 1939-1946 1947-1994
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Garrison/HQ	see text
Motto	Aut Pugna Aut Morere Latin: "Either fight or die"
Battle honours	Western Front, 1918: Somme, 1918: Hindenburg Line: Amiens: Home Defence, 1940-1941: France & Low Countries, 1940: Battle of Britain, 1940: Fortress Europe, 1941-1941: Egypt & Libya, 1942-1943: El Alamein: El Hamma: Mediterranean, 1943: Sicily, 1943: Italy, 1943-1945: Anzio & Nettuno: Gustav Line: Gothic Line:
Insignia
Squadron code	GR 1939 - May 1940 QJ May 1940 - Dec 1946 DL Jan 1947 - Sep 1950 (formerly No 91 Sqn) 8L Sep 1950 - Apr 1951
Crest heraldry	A cobra in front of pair of leaves

No. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 (East India) Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was a fighter squadron which was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.

1 History
- 1.1 Second World War
- 1.2 Post war
2 Honours
3 Notes
4 References

[edit] History

It was established at London Colney on 1 September 1917, working up as a scout squadron with Sopwith Pups, Spads, and SE.5as.^[1] The Squadron became part of the RAF on its formation on 1 April 1918. Standardising on SE.5as, the squadron went to France in July 1918, at first operating in the Dunkirk area. It was then moved to Serny in August 1918, where it began scoring victories. During the Somme offensive of 1918 the squadron was heavily involved, and continued to operate over the Western Front until the Armistice. It was disbanded on 7 August 1919, while stationed at Eil with the Army of Occupation. It had claimed a total of 37 victories during its World War I service.

Serny, France, November 1918. A score board recording the claims for enemy aircraft destroyed by No. 80 Wing RAF from July-November 1918. The squadrons listed are: No. 92 Squadron, No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), No. 88 Squadron RAF, No. 2 Squadron AFC, No. 103 Squadron RAF, No. 46 Squadron RAF, and No. 54 Squadron RAF. The other columns are headed "In Flames", "Crashed", "O.O.C." (Out of Control), "Driven Down" and "Balloons Destroyed"."

[edit] Second World War

Following the outbreak of the Second World War 92 Squadron reformed on 10 October 1939 at RAF Tangmere. During the war it flew Bristol Blenheims and various marques of Supermarine Spitfires. 92 Squadron first saw action over the Dunkirk evacuation beaches. During the latter stages of the Battle of Britain 92 Squadron flew from RAF Biggin Hill. The Squadron was the first into action on September 15, 1940 now known as Battle of Britain Day.

In October 1941, the Squadron was posted to Egypt to join the Desert Air Force supporting the Allies on the ground. By August 1942 it was at RAF Heliopolis, then shifting to Landing Ground 173 in the Western Desert, flying Spitfire Vs. 92 Squadron provided air cover at the Battle of El Alamein and following the Allied victory in North Africa the Squadron moved to Malta in June 1943. It went on to provide air cover for the 8th Army in both the Sicilian and Italian campaigns, arriving on Italian soil on 14 September 1943. It then followed the armies up the Italian coast as part of No. 244 Wing RAF. During World War II the Squadron claimed the highest number of victories scored, 317, in the RAF.^[2]

[edit] Post war

Following the cessation of hostilities, 92 Squadron was disbanded at Zeltweg in Austria on 30 December 1946. No. 91 Squadron RAF was disbanded on 31 January 1947 at RAF Acklington and re-numbered as No 92 as part of Fighter Command with the Gloster Meteor. It went on a goodwill tour of Scandinavia in 1949.

Subsequently equipped with later Meteors, it received North American Sabres in February 1954, becoming part of the only Sabre wing in Fighter Command alongside No. 66 Squadron RAF, before getting the Hawker Hunter in April 1956 while based at Linton-on-Ouse.

In the late 1950s the Squadron was chosen as Fighter Command's official aerobatic squadron the RAF Aerobatic Display Team, taking over from "Treble One" adopting the name the Blue Diamonds and operating from RAF Middleton St George with its bright blue painted Hawker Hunters 92 thrilled the crowds with its precision display including looping a formation of 18 aircraft - still a record to this day. When they transferred to English Electric Lightnings, they continued to perform with these.

In December 1965, along with No. 19 Squadron RAF they were reallocated to RAF Germany initially at RAF Geilenkirchen, moving to join 19 Sqn at RAF Gutersloh. They remained at RAF Gutersloh from January 1968 to disbandment on 31 March 1977.

On 1 April 1977 the squadron was officially reformed to fly the McDonnell Douglas Phantom from RAF Wildenrath. Due to the rundown of RAF Germany in the fall of the Berlin Wall the squadron disbanded on 5 July 1991.

In 1992, No. 92 (Reserve) Squadron was formed at RAF Chivenor as part of No 7 Flight Training School for weapons training. With the transfer to RAF Valley of the FTS, the squadron disbanded finally in 1994.

[edit] Honours

In 1950 the Battle of Britain class steam locomotive No. 34081 was named "92 Squadron". This locomotive was saved from the scrapyard in 1976 and is now owned and operated by The Battle of Britain Locomotive Society ^[3]and is currently based on the North Norfolk Railway ^[4]