No. 28 Squadron of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
operates the Puma and Chinook helicopters from
RAF Benson
Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a front-line station and home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, use ...
.
History
First World War
No. 28 Squadron of the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
was formed on 7 November 1915 at
RAF Gosport
Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite th ...
. Initially it was a training squadron equipped with a variety of different aircraft, although in June 1916, it was also recorded as having home defence duties, for which it had a few
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 was a British single-seat aeroplane of The First World War designed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was essentially a single-seat version of the B.E.2.
Intended for use as a long-range reconnaissance and bom ...
s, although it lost this role in July that year. On 9 June, part of the squadron was split off to form the nucleus of the new
56 Squadron. In July 1917, 28 Squadron moved to
Yatesbury
Yatesbury is a village in Wiltshire, England. It is next to Cherhill, north of the A4 road (England), A4 road between Calne and Marlborough, Wiltshire, Marlborough.
Yatesbury was an ancient parish and in the 19th century became a Civil parishe ...
in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
for conversion to the fighter role, receiving the
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...
from September 1917.
The squadron moved to France on 8 October 1917, and flew its first operational sortie on 20 October, during the
Battle of Passchendaele
The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...
, when 19 of the squadron's aircraft provided cover during an attack by Camels of
70 Squadron on a German airfield at
Rumbeke
Rumbeke is a town in the Belgian municipality of Roeselare in the province of West Flanders. It is most known as the location of Rumbeke Castle
Rumbeke Castle ( nl, Kasteel van Rumbeke) is a historical building in Rumbeke in West Flanders, Bel ...
, Belgium, with 28 Squadron claiming three German aircraft shot down. On 26 October, as a result of the Austro-German offensive against Italy at the
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I.
The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central ...
, the British government agreed to sent troops and aircraft to reinforce the Italians, and 28 Squadron was one of the squadrons ordered to Italy, arriving at
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
by rail on 12 November, with its aircraft uncrated and reassembled by 14 November. The squadron's aircraft flew escort missions for army cooperation patrols over the front lines, as well as for longer-range strategic reconnaissance missions and for bombing raids.
From February 1918, the squadron added attacks against enemy airfields to its duties, and in March, a flight of
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Biff"'' ...
s was attached to the squadron for long-range reconnaissance, although they were soon passed in to
34 Squadron. On 1 April 1918, the squadron became part of the newly established
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. On 15 June 1918, Austria-Hungary launched a
major offensive on the Italian front. As the weather on the sector of the front (on the
Asiago
Asiago (; Venetian: ''Axiago'', Cimbrian: ''Slege'', German: ''Schlägen'' ) is a minor township (population roughly 6,500) in the surrounding plateau region (the ''Altopiano di Asiago'' or '' Altopiano dei Sette Comuni'', Asiago plateau) in ...
plateau) held by British troops was too poor for air power to be useful, the RAF squadrons' efforts were diverted to help the Italians on the Piave front, where Austro-Hungarian forces had crossed the
River Piave. All available British aircraft were employed against the Austro-Hungarian forces, and in particular against the crossings over the Piave, and when the offensive had been stopped, against the retreating Austro-Hungarian troops. On 27 October 1918, the Italians launched their final, successful, offensive of the war, at the
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...
. RAF squadrons, including 28 Squadron, were employed in attacking the retreating Austro-Hungarian troops until the
Armistice of Villa Giusti
The Armistice of Villa Giusti or Padua ended warfare between Italy and Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front during World War I. The armistice was signed on 3 November 1918 in the Villa Giusti, outside Padua in the Veneto, Northern Italy, and too ...
ended the fighting on 4 November.
By the end of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the squadron had claimed 111 enemy aircraft destroyed, with a further 24 driven down out of control. It numbered eleven
flying aces
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
among its ranks, with future
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...
Clifford MacKay McEwen, with 27 claims, being the squadron's leading scorer. Other aces included
William George Barker
William George Barker, (3 November 1894 – 12 March 1930) was a Canadian First World War fighter ace and Victoria Cross recipient. He is the most decorated serviceman in the history of Canada.
Early life
Born on a family farm in Dauphin, Man ...
(who claimed 22 of his total of 50 while with the squadron),
Harold B. Hudson,
James Hart Mitchell
Captain James Hart Mitchell was an English World War I flying ace credited with 11 aerial victories. He was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps during the war; he returned to his home regiment afterwards.
World War I
Mitchell originally served ...
,
Stanley Stanger, Arthur Cooper,
Percy Wilson,
Thomas Frederic Williams, and
Joseph E. Hallonquist.
Inter war years
The squadron returned to Britain in February 1919, first to its old home at Yatesbury, then to
Leighterton
Leighterton is a village in rural Gloucestershire off the A46. It sits within the civil parish of Boxwell with Leighterton, 4.25 miles west-southwest of Tetbury, towards the southern end of the Cotswolds AONB. Situated in the Cotswold hills, ...
in Gloucestershire and to
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census.
The town lies on the River Itchen, o ...
in Hampshire in October 1919. It was disbanded on 20 January 1920 at Eastleigh. On 1 April 1920, however, it was reformed at
RAF Ambala in Northern India by renumbering
114 Squadron, an army cooperation squadron equipped with the
Bristol F2b Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Biff"'' ...
. The squadron operated over the
North-West Frontier, moving to
Kohat
Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century ...
in December 1921. While the squadron had an authorised establishment of 12 aircraft, the actual number of aircraft possessed by the squadron was usually considerably less, with the squadron recorded as having 7 aircraft on 30 June 1922. Serviceability of the RAF's India-based aircraft was also poor, with many of the aircraft old and worn out. In an August 1922 report on the state of the RAF in India
Air Vice Marshall
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...
John Salmond
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond, (17 July 1881 – 16 April 1968) was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps and then the Royal Air Force. During the First World War he served as a squ ...
noted that of an authorised establishment of 70 aircraft in India, only 7 were operational, with aircraft flying without equipment essential to safety, and concluded that "...the Royal Air Force in India is to all intents and purposes non-existent as a fighting force at this date."
In April 1923, the squadron moved to
Peshawar
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
, with a detachment at
Tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
, and in January 1925, moved to
RAF Quetta. As well as its normal duties, the squadron operated an experimental
air mail
Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be the ...
service from Quetta to
Shimla
Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...
in 1925. In January 1927, the squadron returned to Ambala, where it remained based for the next 10 years. In September 1931, the squadron replaced its Bristol Fighters with
Westland Wapiti
The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service.
First flying in 1927, the Wa ...
s. The squadron flew relief flights into Quetta after the city had been devastated by an
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
on 31 May 1935. The squadron re-equipped again with the
Hawker Audax
The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...
during June 1936. In April 1937, the squadron was forward deployed to Manzai in response to an
uprising
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
by supporters of
Mitza Ali Khan in
Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...
. The squadron returned to Ambala in July 1937, although it continued to maintain detachments at
Miranshah
Mīrānshāh (Pashto and ur, ) or Mīrāmshāh () is a small town that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surr ...
. It moved to Kohat in March 1939.
Second World War
![Hurricane recon plane 28 Sqn RAF being armed c1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Hurricane_recon_plane_28_Sqn_RAF_being_armed_c1943.jpg)
The squadron remained at Kohat, on the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in Europe. It re-equipped with the
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War.
After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft's ...
monoplane in September 1941. In early January 1942, as a response to the
Japanese invasion of Burma
The Japanese invasion of Burma was the opening phase of the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, which took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign (December 1941 to mid-1942) ...
, two of the squadron's Lysanders were sent to
Port Blair
Port Blair () is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division (''tehsil'') of the islands, the headquarters for the district of South An ...
in the
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between th ...
, with the remainder of the squadron preparing to move to
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
. Nineteen Lysanders reached
Lashio
Lashio ( ; Shan: ) is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about north-east of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Yaw River. Loi Leng, the highest mountain of the Shan Hills, is located ...
in the
Shan States
The Shan States (1885–1948) were a collection of minor Shan kingdoms called ''muang'' whose rulers bore the title ''saopha'' in British Burma. They were analogous to the princely states of British India.
The term "Shan States" was firs ...
on 26 January, with the squadron, together with the similarly equipped
1 Squadron, Indian Air Force, moved forward to
Taungoo
Taungoo (, ''Tauñngu myoú''; ; also spelled Toungoo) is a district-level city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, 220 km from Yangon, towards the north-eastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to the east and west. The main industry ...
, and being fitted with racks to carry bombs for direct support of the Army. On 2 February 1942, two Lysanders set out from
Mingaladon
Mingaladon Township ( my, မင်္ဂလာဒုံ မြို့နယ် ) is located in the northernmost part of Yangon, Myanmar. The township comprises 31 wards, and shares borders with Hmawbi Township in the north, North Okkalapa Towns ...
carrying
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Thomas Hutton, General Officer Commanding
Burma Command
Burma Command was a British Army command formed for the coordination of the defences of Burma. It functioned from 1937 to 1942, when the country fell to Japanese Forces during the Second World War, and functioned again from 1945 to 1948, when the c ...
and his aide to Lashio, in the first part of Hutton's planned journey to
Chungking
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Counc ...
to meet Chinese leader
Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
. The two aircraft became lost however and the Lysander carrying Hutton crashed and caught fire. While Hutton managed to escape the burning aircraft, the pilot,
Flight lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
E. W. Tate was badly injured and Hutton was unable to free him, with Tate dying from his wounds six days later. The squadron's Lysanders carried out a number of bombing attacks against Japanese-held airfields, rail targets, river traffic and troops, but losses were heavy, and the squadron was ordered to withdraw back to India on 17 February, leaving a detachment of three Lysanders behind in Burma. The two aircraft detached to the Andaman Islands were destroyed by their crews on 18 February before the detachment evacuated the Andamans, while the surviving two aircraft of the Burma-based detachment were evacuated to India on 26 February.
In March 1942, the squadron had moved to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
to rebuild its strength, but in April it moved to
Ranchi
Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area ...
, in North-East India. In July, the squadron moved to its old base at Kohat for operations over the North-West Frontier, supporting operations by a mobile column of the Indian Army against followers of Mitza Ali Khan, who had cut the road between
Miramshah
Mīrānshāh (Pashto and ur, ) or Mīrāmshāh () is a small town that is the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Miranshah lies on the banks of the Tochi River in a wide valley surr ...
and
Datta Khel
Datakhel () or Datta Khel is a town in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
It is part of Datta Khel Tehsil of North Waziristan district.
Overview and history
Datakhel is located around 41 km South West of near by tow ...
. Following the successful relief of Datta Khel and the dispersal of the rebels, the squadron returned to Ranchi in August. In December 1942 it was re-equipped with
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
IIb aircraft in the fighter-reconnaissance role. By January 1943 the squadron was operating over Burma, with detachments at
Maungdaw
Maungdaw (, ) is a town in Rakhine State, in the western part of Myanmar (Burma). It is the administrative seat of Maungdaw Township and Maungdaw District. Maungdaw is a town of Myanmar and borders Bangladesh. Maungdaw is 16 miles north of Buthida ...
and
Imphal
Imphal ( Meitei pronunciation: /im.pʰal/; English pronunciation: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the fo ...
. The Maungdaw-based detachment moved to
Ramu, Cox's Bazar
Ramu is a village in Bangladesh. It is the headquarters of Ramu Upazila, Cox's Bazar District. It is located on the Baghkhali River, approximately sixteen miles from Cox's Bazar, between Cox's Bazar and Chittagong.
Ramu has Mosque, pagodas, Bud ...
in April and to
Cox's Bazar
Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the na ...
in May 1943. Operations included both tactical reconnaissance and high-level photo reconnaissance, together with offensive patrols against Japanese river traffic. The squadron flew at least 100 operational sorties per month throughout 1943, including during the
Monsoon season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
.
In March 1944, the squadron began to replace its machine-gun armed Hurricane IIbs with cannon-armed Hurricane IIcs, while the squadron's operational tempo picked up in the early part of the year, reaching 12 sorties per day in March, while in April it supplemented its normal duties with carrying mail between
Dimapur
Dimapur () is the largest city in the Indian state of Nagaland. As of 2011, the municipality had a population of 122,834. The city is the main gateway and commercial centre of Nagaland. Located near the border with Assam along the banks of the ...
and besieged Imphal during the
Battles of Imphal and
Kohima
Kohima (; Angami Naga: ''Kewhira'' ()), is the capital of the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Originally known as ''Kewhira'', Kohima was founded ...
. The squadron was pulled out of the front line in July 1944, returning to operations over Burma in December that year. In May 1945, it started to receive Hurricane IVs to supplement its IIcs. On 1 August 1945, the squadron received three
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
PR.XIs, flying a few sorties with them before the end of the war.
Post War
After the end of the Second World War the squadron continued as a fighter-reconnaissance unit as part of the
Far East Air Force. In October 1945, the squadron replaced its Hurricanes with more Spitfires, (Mk VIIIs and Mk XIVEs), concentrating on the Spitfire XIVE by the end of the year. It moved to
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
,
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
in November 1945 and to
RAF Kuala Lumpur
Royal Air Force Kuala Lumpur or more simply RAF Kuala Lumpur is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station in the Federation of Malaya and saw extensive use during the Malayan Emergency.
It was built and opened by the RAF in 1931.
Military
The air ...
in April 1946, and then to
RAF Tengah ''Tengah'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning "Central". It can be found in topography, e.g.
*Kalimantan Tengah
*Tengah Islands or Central Archipelago.
*Tengah, Singapore
*Tengah Air Base
The Tengah Air Base is a military airbase of th ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
in February 1947. The squadron received Spitfire FR.18s in 1947. It moved to
RAF Sembawang
Semba is a traditional type of music and dance from Angola. Semba comes from the singular Massemba, meaning "a touch of the bellies" - one of the most recognizable and entertaining movements in semba.History of Semba , Kizombalove Academy
Chara ...
, also in Singapore in February 1949. It moved to
RAF Kai Tak
RAF Kai Tak was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Hong Kong, based at Kai Tak Airport. It was opened in 1927 and used for seaplanes. The RAF flight operated a few land based aircraft as well as having spare aircraft for naval units.
History
...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
in 1949 still with Spitfires, in order to strengthen Hong Kong's defences as a result of the ongoing
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, with the squadron's role changing from fighter-reconnaissance to pure fighter. From then on the squadron was regularly moved between Kai Tak and Sek Kong. In February 1951, the squadron was re-equipped with jet aircraft, as
de Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force, RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and ...
FB.5s replaced the Spitfires, with 28 Squadron being the last front-line RAF squadron equipped with the Spitfire. From February 1952, it began receiving Vampire FB.9s, which where fitted with air conditioning, which made operations in the hot climate of Hong Kong more tolerable for the pilots. In February 1956, the squadron discarded its Vampires, again being the last front-line RAF squadron to operate the type, receiving
de Havilland Venom
The de Havilland DH 112 Venom is a British post-war single-engined jet aircraft developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Much of its design was derived from the de Havilland Vampire, the firm's first jet-powered combat ...
FB.1s as replacements, exchanging them for Venom FB.4s in November 1959. In June 1957, as a result of the
1957 Defence Review, Sek Kong was handed over the army, with 28 Squadron returning to Kai Tak. While at Kai Tak from May 1962 the squadron changed to flying
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
FGA.9s, until 2 January 1967 when it was disbanded.
![WessexHC2 28Sqn HongKong1983](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/WessexHC2_28Sqn_HongKong1983.jpeg)
The squadron was reformed on 1 March 1968 at Kai Tak from a detachment of
No. 103 Squadron RAF
No. 103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II and the Cold War, switching to helicopters in the late 1950s until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.
History
Formation in World War I
No. 103 S ...
operating
Westland Whirlwind Westland or Westlands may refer to:
Places
*Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya
* Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme
*Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...
HC 10s. The
Westland Wessex
The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34 (in US service known as Choctaw). It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main changes ...
HC.2 was introduced to the squadron from January 1972 and the Whirlwinds operated until August 1972. On 17 May 1978 the squadron moved to
RAF Sek Kong
The Shek Kong Airfield (ICAO: VHSK), formerly Royal Air Force Station Sek Kong or Sek Kong Airfield, is an airfield (airbase) located in Shek Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong.
The base currently houses air force units of People's Liberation Ar ...
and stayed until 1 November 1996. The squadron returned to Kai Tak from then until disbanded on 3 June 1997 prior to
the British withdrawal on 1 July, with the squadron's Wessexes being sold to Uruguay. It was the last RAF squadron to leave the territory.
The RAF ordered 22 Westland Merlin HC3 helicopters in March 1995, the first of which was received from GKNWestland, now
AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccanica ...
, on 7 March 2001. The squadron officially reformed on 17 July 2001 at
RAF Benson
Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a front-line station and home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, use ...
, the first time in its recent history that the squadron had been stationed in the UK.
The squadron's first operational role with the Merlin was in support of
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...
at
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
. The aircraft and personnel deployed on 1 April 2003, the same day that an initial operational capability was declared for the Merlin. The detachment ceased on 31 March 2004 and the squadron then began to prepare for operations in Iraq.
The squadron's commitment to
Operation Telic
Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
began on 1 March 2005.
Several aircraft and a mix of aircrew, engineers and support personnel from 28 (AC) Squadron and RAF Benson, deployed using the historic
No. 1419 Flight RAF
No. 1419 (Tactical Support) Flight RAF was a flight within the Royal Air Force.
History
Second World War
No. 419 (Special Duties) Flight was formed at RAF North Weald on 21 August 1940. It moved to RAF Stradishall where it was disbanded to form ...
to replace the Chinooks of
No. 1310 Flight RAF
No. 1310 Flight RAF is a flight of the Royal Air Force.
History
No. 1310 (Transport) Flight was first formed at RAF Llandow on 10 April 1944, equipped with Avro Anson I transport aircraft. The flight was disbanded on 21 July 1944 at RAF Bognor, ...
at
Basrah Air Station,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.
In 2009 the squadron returned from Operation Telic and later on in the year deployed on
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assis ...
keeping the designation of 1419 Flight. The squadron returned during May 2013. In July 2015, the squadron handed over its Merlin helicopters to
845 Naval Air Squadron
845 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Part of the Commando Helicopter Force, it is a specialist amphibious unit operating the AgustaWestland Commando Merlin HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load ...
and re-roled as 28 (R) Squadron OCU whose role is to train Chinook Mk4 and Puma Mk2 helicopters crews.
In March 2020, the squadron was awarded the right to emblazon a
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
on its squadron
standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
, recognising its role in the
War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to:
*Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC)
*Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709)
*Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
between 2001 and 2014.
See also
*
List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
Squadron (aviation), Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). These include Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadrons incorporated into the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918, dur ...
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
28 Squadron RAF website
{{RAF squadrons
028
Military units and formations established in 1915
028 squadron
Military of Hong Kong under British rule
1915 establishments in the United Kingdom