No. II (AC) Squadron of the Royal Air Force is one of two RAF squadrons in the reconnaissance role with the Tornado GR4A and is based at RAF Marham, Norfolk.

History

Formed on 13 May 1912, along with 1 Sqn and 3 Sqn, 2 Sqn was a founder member of the Royal Flying Corps. Starting a role which continues to this day, the squadron spent World War I on reconnaissance duties in France flying, amongst other aircraft, the BE. 2.

The squadron gained the AC in its title in the inter-war years, firstly by flying Army Co-operation sorties during the troubles around the partition of Ireland in the early 1920s. After time in China during 1927 the Squadron re-equipped with Atlas, again on Army Co-operation work.

On outbreak of World War II, the unit was flying Lysanders. In France until the Dunkirk evacuaction, the squadron equipped with fighters - the Tomahawk in 1940, Mustangs in 1942 and Spitfire Mk 14s in 1944

In July 1944, II (AC) Sqn returned to France, and the reconnaissance role, with Spitfire PR Mk 11s as part of the Army of Occupation.

The squadron spent much of the Cold War in Germany, flying various fighter types, including latterly Phantoms and then Jaguars. Along with the rest of the RAF, II (AC) Sqn withdrew from Germany in the late 1990s - moving to Marham with its Tornado GR1As. These were upgraded to the latest GR4 standard, with which the squadron deployed at part of Operation Telic over Iraq in 2003.

Previous Aircraft Operated

• Meteor
• Swift
• Hunter
• Phantom
• Jaguar
• Tornado GR1A

Battle Honours and Other Accolades

• Below is a full List of Battle Honours awarded to II (AC) Sqn. The honours emblazoned on the squadron Standard are in bold:
  • Western Front 1914-1918
  • Mons
  • Neuve Chappelle
  • Ypres 1915
  • Loos
  • Somme 1916
  • Arras
  • Somme 1918
  • Lys
  • France and Low Countries 1939-1940
  • Dunkirk
  • Fortress Europe 1942-1944
  • France and Germany 1944-1945
  • Normandy 1944
  • Arnhem
  • Walcheren
  • Rhine
  • Gulf 1991

• 2nd Lt William Rhodes-Moorhouse, of 2 Sqn, was the first British airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross, during a raid on Courtrai, Belgium on 26 Apr 1915.
• No 2 Sqn became the first RFC Squadron to cross the Channel to France, at the outbreak of World War I

RAF Tornado squadrons

GR4A

• No. II (AC) or 2 (AC) Squadron - RAF Marham
• No. 13 Squadron - RAF Marham

GR4

• No. 9 Squadron - RAF Marham
• No. 12 Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth
• No. 14 Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth
• No. XV (Reserve) Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth
• No. 31 Squadron - RAF Marham
• No. 617 Squadron - RAF Lossiemouth

F3

• No. 11 Squadron - RAF Leeming
• No. 25 Squadron - RAF Leeming
• No. 43 Squadron - RAF Leuchars
• No. 56 (Reserve) Squadron - RAF Leuchars
• No. 111 Squadron - RAF Leuchars
• No. 1435 Flight - RAF Mount Pleasant

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons