RAF No 94 Squadron 

RAF No 94 Squadron

Motto: Avenge

Formed from a nucleus of No 55 Training Squadron at Gosport on 1 August 1917, it was tasked with training Camel pilots, it used a variety of types including FK8s, Pups and Camels. However , in September 1918, it was re-equipped with SE5As and mobilised, arriving in France at the end of October. Arriving too late to take part in any operations, the squadron remained in France until February 1919, when it returned to Tadcaster, where it disbanded on 30 June 1919.

No 94 reformed for the air defence of Aden on 26 March 1939, being based at Khormaksar. It carried out patrols over British Somaliland as well as Aden using its Gladiators, but in April 1941, these were passed to the SAAF. In the meantime, No 94 moved to Egypt, where it was re-equipped with Hurricanes. Initially involved in both day and night fighter patrols, it also undertook ground attack missions from November. Kittyhawks arrived in February 1942 but these were replaced by Hurricanes again in May. During the advance following El Alamein the squadron was involved in protecting the coastal convoys responsible for re-supplying the Eighth Army.

Some Spitfires had been received at the end of 1942, but these left in January 1943. Spitfires began to arrive again in August 1943, but were only retained a month again. In February 1944 Spitfire IXs arrived and by April the last Hurricanes had left.

Unlike many other squadrons it remained in North Africa following the Axis collapse and from there carried out fighter sweeps over Crete before re-locating to the Greek mainland in September 1944. The lack of suitable opposition lead to the IXs being replaced by Vs from August 1944 and at the end of that year it used these on internal security patrols against ELAS guerrillas. However, with the situation in Greece brought under control and the lack of employment for the squadron, it was disbanded 0n 20 April 1945.

Two further periods of existence followed, the first beginning on 1 December 1950 when it reformed at Celle in Germany as a Vampire fighter-bomber unit. Venoms replaced the Vampires in January 1954, but the squadron disbanded on 14 September 1957. 94's final incarnation was as a Bloodhound surface-to-air missile unit based at Misson, near Finningley from 1 October 1960 to 30 June 1963.

Standards:

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Battle Honours:

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Squadron Codes used: -

ZG Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939
GO Sep 1939 - Apr 1945
FZ Feb 1942 - May 1942
A Dec 1950 - 1955