Caption: Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 5Sqn OQJ BJ441 Calcutta India 1942

RAF No 5 Squadron

Motto: Frangas non flectas
(Latin for 'Thou mayst break, but shall not bend me')

WWI

No 3 Squadron provided the nucleus of this squadron when it formed on 26 July 19113 at Farnborough. Flying a variety of types, as were most squadrons at that time, it moved to France in September 1914. Operating a corps reconnaissance squadron throughout the war it became part of the Army of Occupation in December 1918. Return to the UK took place in September 1919 with disbandment following on 20 January 1920.

WWII

The squadron was reformed in India on 1 April 1920 by re-numbering No 48 Squadron. It operated on the North West Frontier until 1941 being initially equipped with Bristol F2B Fighters before receiving Wapitis in May 1931. Harts arrived in June 1940, the squadron now being a pure bomber unit. However, in February 1941 Audaxes saw No 5 converting to the fighter role, which it continued when it received Mohawks in 1942. It was now operating at the other side of India, Assam, escorting Blenheims on raids into Burma as well as ground attack sorties.

Hurricanes replaced the Mohawks in June 1943, with Thunderbolts being introduced in September 1944, which it retained until after the war when Tempests arrived in 1946. Returning to the North West Frontier at this time, the partition of India brought with it the disbandment of RAF units, including No 5, which took place on 1 August 1947.

Reforming at Pembrey on 11 February 1949, the squadron took over the role of No 595 Squadron, which was Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, continuing in this role until 1 August 1951. Its next incarnation was in Germany where it reformed in the fighter-bomber role equipped with Vampires on 1 March 1952. Re-equipping with Venoms in December 1952 it disbanded again on 12 October 1957. Just over a year later, 20 January 1959, No 68 Squadron was re-numbered 5 at Laarbruch. It was now a night fighter unit flying Meteors and from 1960, Javelins FAW Mk 4s and 5s. With the disbandment of No 33 Squadron at Middleton St George on 18 November 1962, its Javelin FAW Mk 9s were allocated to No 5, now at Geilenkirchen, along with many of the 33's crews. The squadron disbanded again on 7 October 1965.

The next day a new No 5 formed at Binbrook in Lincolnshire as the first unit to operate the Lightning F Mk 6, which it flew until 1987 when it converted to the Tornado F3, which it still operates from RAF Coningsby. However, in February 2002, it was announced that the squadron will disband in January 2003, its standard being laid up in Lincoln Cathedral in October 2002. The squadron reformed on 1 April 2004 to operate the Sentinel R Mk 1 from RAF Waddington, although the aircraft were not yet available. The squadron will provide the airborne and ground elements of the ASTOR Airborne Stand-off Radar as part of the Army's Battle Management & Reconnaissance arm and as a result will have a large Army component. The squadron later took on the Shadow R Mk 1, but in 2011 these were transferred to a newly reformed No 14 Squadron. The last Sentinel flight took place on 25 February 2021, following which the squadron disbanded on 31 March.

Standards

Award of Standard originally announced on 7 Sep 1943, effective from 1 Apr 1943 but presented:-
1st - 24 April 1954 by ACM Sir Leslie Hollinghurst
2nd - 11 August 1983 by AVM G A White.
3rd - 6 Jun 2007 by ACM Sir Glenn Torpy

Battle Honours

(1914–1918) Western Front, Mons, Neuve Chappelle: Ypres, 1915: Loos: Arras: Somme, 1918: Amiens: Hindenburg Line
Waziristan, 1920-1925: Mohmand, 1927: North West Frontier, 1930-1931: North West Frontier, 1935-1939:
Arakan, Manipur, 1944: Burma, 1944-1945:
Libya 2011

Squadron Codes used: -
QN Allotted Apr 1939, but possibly not used
OQ Sep 1939 - Feb 1941
Mar 1946 - Aug 1947
B Mar 1952 - 1955?
A Aug 1986 - Dec 1987
CA - CZ Jan 1988 - Current

Number 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron also known as No. V (Army Cooperation) Squadron is a dormant squadron of the Royal Air Force. It most recently operated the Raytheon Sentinel R1 Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) aircraft from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, between April 2004 until March 2021.

First formed in July 1913, the squadron served throughout the First World War, holding the distinction of gaining the first loss and kill for the Royal Flying Corps. No. 5 Squadron relocated to India in 1920 where it remained during the Second World War. During the Cold War, No. 5 (Fighter) Squadron operated in the interceptor role, flying the English Electric Lightning and later the Panavia Tornado F3.

History

Formation and First World War (1913–1919)

A Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, similar to what No. V Squadron flew between May 1917 and March 1918

No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed at Farnborough, Hampshire on 26 July 1913, from members of No. 3 Squadron. The squadron moved to Netheravon on 28 May, Fort Grange, Gosport on 6 July, then Swingate Down on 14 August. Following the outbreak of the First World War, No. 5 Squadron deployed to France on 15 August 1914, equipped with a variety of aircraft to carry out reconnaissance for the British Expeditionary Force. It flew its first missions on 21 August and on the next day, an Avro 504 of No. 5 Squadron was the first British aircraft to be shot down, its crew of pilot Second Lieutenant Vincent Waterfall and navigator Lieutenant Charles George Gordon Bayly being killed over Belgium. On 24 August, the squadron became the first unit in the RFC to shoot down an enemy aircraft with gunfire when Lieutenant Wilson and Lieutenant Rabagliati shot down a German Etrich Taube near Le Cateau-Cambrésis in France.

From 24 March until 7 April 1917, the squadron was based at La Gorgue in northern France.

No. 5 Squadron standardised on the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2, specialising as observers for artillery, re-equipping with the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 in May 1917, and working closely with the Canadian Corps, through to the end of the war and into 1919, when it moved into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation. Its association with the Canadian Corps led to the incorporation of a maple leaf in the squadron's badge when it was approved in June 1937.

Interwar years (1919–1938)

Westland Wapiti Mk.IIas, similar to what No. 5 Squadron operated in India between May 1931 and June 1940

The squadron returned to the UK in September 1919, before disbanding on 20 January 1920. It reformed at Quetta, British India (now part of Pakistan) on 1 April 1920, when No. 48 Squadron was renumbered. There it continued working in Army Air Cooperation for operations on the North West Frontier. Upon reformation, the unit was equipped with the Bristol F.2B Fighter which were flown up until 1931. In May 1931, No. 5 Squadron began to convert to the Westland Wapiti Mk.IIa.

Second World War (1939–1945)

At the outbreak of Second World War in September 1939, No. 5 Squadron were based at Fort Sandeman in Pakistan, still equipped with the Westland Wapiti biplane. The squadron became a light bomber unit when it converted to the Hawker Hart in June 1940. No. 5 Squadron converted again to the Hawker Audax in February 1941, using it as a fighter. In December 1941, the squadron relocated to RAF Dum Dum, Calcutta, and began to receive their first monoplane – the American-built Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV. Posted to RAF Dinjan, Assam, in May 1942, No. 5 Squadron were tasked with escorting Bristol Blenheim bombers over north west Burma.

A Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV at A&AEE Boscombe Down which later joined No. 5 Squadron in 1941

The Mohawks were replaced by the Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc and Mk.IId in June 1943 while the squadron was based at RAF Kharagpur. In September 1944, No. 5 Squadron converted to the Republic Thunderbolt Mk.I and Mk.II. In May 1945, the squadron was withdrawn from the front line in preparation for the liberation of Malaya from Japanese occupation, however this was never carried out due to the Japanese Empire surrendering on 15 August 1945.

Cold War (1946–1965)

Remaining in India, No. 5 Squadron converted to Hawker Tempest F.2 in February 1946, but disbanded on 1 August 1947 due to the Partition of India. On 11 February 1949, the squadron reformed at RAF Pembrey in Wales for target-towing duties when No. 595 Squadron was renumbered, however the squadron was shortly disbanded on 25 September 1951. The squadron was reformed at RAF Wunstorf, West Germany, on 1 March 1952, and were equipped with the de Havilland Vampire F.5. No. 5 Squadron converted over to the de Havilland Venom FB.1 in December 1952. The 1957 Defence White Paper saw the disbandment of the squadron on 12 October 1957 while operating the Venom FB.5.

On 20 January 1959, the squadron was reformed as a night fighter unit at RAF Laarbruch, West Germany, flying the Gloster Meteor NF.11. No. 5 Squadron began converting to the delta winged Gloster Javelin FAW.5 in January 1960. When No. 33 Squadron was disbanded on 17 December 1962, No. V Squadron was allocated the former unit's Javelin FAW.9, along with crew members. No. 5 Squadron itself was disbanded on 7 October 1965 at RAF Geilenkirchen.