No. 24 Squadron (also known as No. XXIV 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 ...

is the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit (AMOCU). Based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 24 Squadron is responsible for aircrew training on C-130J Hercules,

A400M Atlas The Airbus A400M AtlasNamed after the Greek mythological figure. is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capa ...

and

C17 Globemaster The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of tw ...

. The squadron also delivers engineer training for these aircraft.

History

Fighter squadron (1915–1919)

The squadron was founded as No. 24 Squadron,

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

on 1 September 1915 at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome. It arrived in France equipped with D.H.2 fighters in February 1916. The DH.2 came with a reputation for spinning because it had a rotary engine " pushing" it, but after Officer Commanding Major Lanoe Hawker demonstrated the recently discovered procedures for pulling out of a spin, the squadron's pilots came to appreciate the type's manoeuvrability. By early 1917 the DH.2 was outclassed and they were replaced by the

Airco DH.5 The Airco DH.5 was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. It was designed and manufactured at British aviation company Airco. Development was led by aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland as a replacement for the obs ...

. The DH.5 did not prove suitable as a fighter but the squadron used it in a ground-attack role. One of the first actions was during the

Battle of Messines Battle of Messines may refer to: *Battle of Messines (1914) *Battle of Messines (1917) The Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) was an attack by the British Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer), on the Western Front, near the village of ...

, and they took part later in the Battle of Cambrai. The DH.5 was phased out of operations and the squadron were given the SE.5a in December 1917.Rawlings 1972, p.144. After a few months in the ground-attack role the squadron returned to air combat operations. By October 1918 the squadron had destroyed 200 enemy aircraft. With the armistice the squadron returned to England and was disbanded in February 1919.

As a VIP transport squadron (1920–1968)

Dakota 24 Sqn RAF with King George VI in flight 1945

On 1 February 1920 the squadron was re-formed at

RAF Kenley The former Royal Air Force Station Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley was an airfield station of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and the RAF in the Second World War. It played a significant role during the Battle of Britain ...

as a communications and training squadron. During the

General Strike of 1926 The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British governmen ...

, because of the lack of a postal services, the squadron was used to deliver government dispatches around the country. Following 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 ...

the squadron acquired civil airliners which were impressed for wartime service. It provided a detachment in France to run courier services, but with the withdrawal of British troops it was soon used to evacuate men back to England. Former

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...

and Imperial Airways aircraft were put to use on a network of communications flights including trips to Gibraltar and later Malta. The squadron had grown into a large organisation, with a network of routes around the United Kingdom and eventually extended to India. It also operated VIP transports including

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

's personal aircraft. It was decided to break the squadron up: the internal communication flight became 510 Squadron in October 1942.Rawlings 1972, p. 146. In June 1943 a second squadron, No. 512, equipped with Douglas Dakotas was split off from No 24. This left 24 Squadron to concentrate on the long distance routes using the

Avro York The Avro York was a British transport aircraft developed by Avro during the Second World War. The design was derived from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber, several sections of the York and Lancaster being identical. Due to the importance of L ...

After many years the squadron had to leave RAF Hendon in February 1946 as the airfield was now too small to operate the larger

s and Avro Lancastrians. The squadron was also designated a ''Commonwealth'' squadron with crews from various Commonwealth countries joining the squadron strength.

As a Transport Command Squadron (1968–2013)

In 1968 the squadron moved from RAF Colerne to

RAF Lyneham Royal Air Force Lyneham otherwise known as RAF Lyneham was a Royal Air Force station located northeast of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and southwest of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transpor ...

and re-equipped with the Lockheed Hercules. The squadron re-equipped with the new generation Hercules C.4 and C.5 (RAF designations for the C-130J-30 and C-130J respectively) in 2002. It celebrated 40 years of Hercules operation in 2008 and remained at Lyneham until 2011 when the squadron relocated to RAF Brize Norton."24 Squadron"
. ''Royal Air Force''. Retrieved 5 July 2011.

As a Training Squadron (2013–present)

In 2013, 24 Squadron started its transition from a front-line C130J Hercules Squadron to become the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit. This transition brigaded the majority of flying and engineer training within the Air Mobility Force under one specialist training unit. 24 Squadron is currently responsible for the provision of training to aircrews flying the C130J Hercules and A400M Atlas aircraft; in addition 24 Squadron's Maintenance Training School is responsible for training engineers to maintain the C130J Hercules, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster aircraft. As a Central Flying School accredited training establishment, 24 Squadron is the professional training body for the Air Mobility Force delivering flying training for the C130J Hercules, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster as well as engineering training for the C130J Hercules, A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster. The Squadron also oversees Aircrew Instructor Development for the Air Mobility Force, delivering initial aircrew instructor courses.

Aircraft operated

* 1915-1915 Curtiss JN-4Lewis, 1968, pp.21-22 * 1915-1915

Caudron G.III The Caudron G.3 was a single-engined French sesquiplane built by Caudron, widely used in World War I as a reconnaissance aircraft and trainer. Development The Caudron G.3 was designed by René and Gaston Caudron as a development of their earlie ...

* 1915-1915 Avro 504 * 1915-1915

Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2 The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including establish ...

C * 1915-1915 Bleriot IX * 1915-1915 Bristol Scout * 1915-1915

Maurice Farman Longhorn The Maurice Farman MF.7 ''Longhorn'' is a French biplane developed before World War I which was used for reconnaissance by both the French and British air services in the early stages of the war before being relegated to service as a trainer. ...

* 1915-1915

Maurice Farman Shorthorn The Maurice Farman MF.11 ''Shorthorn'' is a French aircraft developed before World War I by the Farman Aviation Works. It was used as a reconnaissance and light bomber during the early part of World War I, later being relegated to training duti ...

* 1915–1916

Vickers FB.5 The Vickers F.B.5 (Fighting Biplane 5) (known as the "Gunbus") was a British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War. Armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun operated by the observer in the front of the ...

* 1916–1917

Airco DH.2 The Airco DH.2 was a single-seat pusher biplane fighter aircraft which operated during the First World War. It was the second pusher design by aeronautical engineer Geoffrey de Havilland for Airco, based on his earlier DH.1 two-seater. The d ...

* 1917–1918

* 1917–1919

Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...

A * 1920–1930

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"'' ...

* 1920–1927 de Havilland DH.9A * 1927–1933 Avro 504N * 1927–1933

de Havilland Moth The de Havilland Moths were a series of light aircraft, sports planes, and military trainers designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. In the late 1920s and 1930s, they were the most common civilian aircraft flying in Britain, and during that time ever ...

* 1927–1933 Westland Wapiti * 1927–1933

Fairey IIIF The Fairey Aviation Company Fairey III was a family of British reconnaissance biplanes that enjoyed a very long production and service history in both landplane and seaplane variants. First flying on 14 September 1917, examples were still in us ...

* 1930–1933

Hawker Tomtit The Hawker Tomtit is a British training biplane from the late 1920s. Design and development The Royal Air Force in 1927 required a replacement for their current elementary trainers, the elderly Avro 504Ns. They specified that the power plant sh ...

* 1931–1932 Avro Tutor * 1933–1941 Hawker Hart * 1933–1938

de Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...

* 1933–1938 Hawker Audax * 1933–1944 de Havilland Dragon Rapide and Dominie * 1937–1938

Miles Nighthawk The Miles M.7 Nighthawk was a 1930s British training and communications monoplane designed by Miles Aircraft Limited. Design and development The M.7 Nighthawk was developed from the Miles Falcon Six intended as a training and communications a ...

* 1937–1943

de Havilland Express The de Havilland Express, also known as the de Havilland D.H.86, was a four-engined passenger aircraft manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company between 1934 and 1937. Development During 1933, talks between the governments of United ...

* 1938–1940

Miles Magister The Miles M.14 Magister is a two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft designed and built by the United Kingdom, British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was affectionately known as the ''Maggie''. It was authorised to perform aerobatics ...

* 1938-1938 Avro Anson I * 1938–1944 Miles Mentor * 1938–1942

Percival Vega Gull The Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine, low-wing (Folding), wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Design and development B ...

* 1939–1940

de Havilland Leopard Moth The de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth is a three-seat high-wing cabin monoplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in 1933. Design and construction It was a successor to the DH.80 Puss Moth and replaced it on the company's ...

* 1939–1940

de Havilland Fox Moth The DH.83 Fox Moth was a successful small biplane passenger aircraft from the 1930s powered by a single de Havilland Gipsy Major I inline inverted engine, manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. The aircraft was designed late in 19 ...

* 1939–1941

de Havilland Dragon The de Havilland DH.84 Dragon is a successful small commercial aircraft that was designed and built by the de Havilland company. Design and construction Following the commercial success of its single-engined de Havilland Fox Moth that had fir ...

* 1939–1942

Lockheed 10 Electra The Lockheed Model 10 Electra is an American twin-engined, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The type gained considerable fame as one was fl ...

* 1939–1942 Percival Q.6 * 1939–1940 de Havilland Puss Moth * 1939–1944 de Havilland Flamingo * 1939–1940

Airspeed Envoy The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a twin-engined light transport aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. The Envoy originated as a heavier twin-engine derivative of Airspeed's Courier light transport aircra ...

* 1940–1942

Miles Whitney Straight The Miles M.11 Whitney Straight was a 1930s twin-seat cabin monoplane designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was named after Whitney Straight, a Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator and businessman. The ...

* 1940-1940

Heston Phoenix The Heston Type 1 Phoenix was a 1930s United Kingdom, British single-engined five-seat light transport monoplane built by the Heston Aircraft Company, Heston Aircraft Company Limited. Design and development The Type 1 Phoenix was the first desig ...

* 1940-1940

Savoia-Marchetti S.73 The Savoia-Marchetti S.73 was an Italian three-engine airliner that flew in the 1930s and early 1940s. The aircraft entered service in March 1935 with a production run of 48 aircraft. Four were exported to Belgium for SABENA, while seven others ...

* 1940-1940

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

* 1940-1940 Avro Anson I * 1940-1940

Armstrong Whitworth Ensign The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.27 Ensign was a British four-engine monoplane airliner and the largest airliner built in Britain during the Interwar period.Tapper, 1988, p.237 The British airline Imperial Airways requested tenders for a large monop ...

* 1940–1942 de Havilland Hornet Moth * 1940–1944 Airspeed Oxford * 1941–1943

Stinson Reliant The Stinson Reliant is a popular single-engine four- to five-seat high-wing monoplane manufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing Corporation of Wayne, Michigan. Design and development The Reliant is a high-win ...

* 1941–1942

General Aircraft Cygnet The General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II was a 1930s British single-engined training or touring aircraft built by General Aircraft Limited at London Air Park, Hanworth. History The Cygnet was designed at Slough by C.W. Aircraft Limited in 1936. ...

* 1941–1942 Blackburn Botha * 1941–1945

Beech 17 The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative wing stagger (the lower wing is farther forward than the upper wing). It first flew in 1932. Development At the height of the Great Depression, aircra ...

Traveler * 1941-1941 Parnall Heck III * 1941–1942

* 1941–1943 Lockheed Hudson I * 1941–1942 Lockheed Hudson II * 1942-1942 Messerschmitt Bf 108 Aldon * 1942–1943 Fokker F.XXII * 1942–1943

Foster Wikner Wicko The Foster Wikner Wicko was a 1930s British two-seat cabin monoplane built by the Foster Wikner Aircraft Company Limited at Southampton Airport, Hampshire. History Geoffrey Wikner was an Australian aircraft designer who moved to England in M ...

* 1942-1942 Lockheed Hudson IV * 1942–1945 Lockheed Hudson III * 1942-1942

* 1942–1943 Lockheed Hudson VI * 1942–1944 Lockheed 12 * 1942–1943

Percival Proctor The Percival Proctor is a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor is a single-engined, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model. Design and development The Proctor ...

* 1943–1944 Grumman Goose * 1943–1944 Vickers Wellington XVI * 1943–1944 Avro York I * 1943–1952 Douglas Dakota * 1944-1944 Avro Anson XX * 1944–1945 Douglas Skymaster * 1946–1949 Avro Lancastrian C2 * 1946–1951 Avro York C1 * 1950-1950 Vickers Valetta C1 * 1950-1950 Handley Page Hastings C1 * 1951–1968 Handley Page Hastings C2 * 1951–1968 Handley Page Hastings C4 * 1968–2000 Lockheed Hercules C130K * 2000–present Lockheed Hercules C130J * 2013-present Airbus A400M Atlas

Commanding officers

The following officers have held command of No. 24 Squadron: * 1 September 1915, Captain A G Moore * 29 September 1915, Major L G Hawker * 29 November 1916, Major C E Rabagliati * 23 March 1917, Major A G Moore * 22 August 1917, Major J G Swart * 2 February 1918, Major V A H Robeson * 1 April 1920, Squadron Leader E H Johnston * 23 October 1922, Squadron Leader O T Boyd * 22 October 1923, Squadron Leader R S Maxwell * 27 August 1925, Squadron Leader W H L O'Neill * 20 September 1927, Squadron Leader S N Cole * 20 March 1929, Squadron Leader D S Don * 3 October 1931, Squadron Leader J Whitford * 1 December 1935, Squadron Leader H K Goode * June 1939, Wing Commander J Anderson * October 1939, Wing Commander H K Goode * April 1941, Wing Commander H G Lee * June 1941, Wing Commander P M W Wright * June 1942, Wing Commander H B Collins * September 1944, Wing Commander T H Archbell * October 1945, Wing Commander E L A Walter * September 1946, Wing Commander C W K Nicholls * March 1948, Wing Commander P H Lombard * March 1950, Wing Commander C F Read ( RAAF) * December 1950, Squadron Leader H A Nash * October 1951, Major J N Robbs ( SAAF) * October 1953, Squadron Leader J L Kerr * September 1955, Squadron Leader R B Bolt (

RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

) * February 1957, Squadron Leader M M Mair * October 1957, Wing Commander D W Hitchins (RAAF) * October 1959, Wing Commander H D Archer * November 1961, Wing Commander R B Sillars * November 1963, Wing Commander R T Saunders * January 1966, Wing Commander G Moss * January 1968, Wing Commander J E H Tetley * July 1970, Wing Commander R D Bates * July 1972, Wing Commander M J Hardy * July 1974, Wing Commander C E Evans * February 1976, Wing Commander M C A Davis * August 1978, Wing Commander K Chapman * October 1980, Wing Commander D R Jones * March 1983, Wing Commander C J M Carrington * June 1985, Wing Commander R M Peach * December 1987, Wing Commander D B Farquhar * April 1990, Wing Commander R D Iredale * October 1992, Wing Commander M D Stringer * June 1995, Wing Commander R M Bailey * April 1998, Wing Commander P N Oborn CBE * August 2000, Squadron Leader G C Cook * December 2000, Wing Commander R Hobson * June 2003, Wing Commander K Groves * October 2005, Squadron Leader S K Marston * December 2005, Wing Commander D Turnbull * June 2008, Wing Commander A Bacon * November 2010 Wing Commander P G Cochrane * February 2011 Wing Commander T Jones * December 2012 Wing Commander D James * January 2015 Wing Commander D Rawlins * March 2017 Wing Commander G Burdett * October 2019 Wing Commander A McIntyre

References

Citations

Bibliography

* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)'', Orbis Publishing. * Jefford, G. G. ''RAF Squadrons'', second edition 2001, Airlife Publishing, UK, . * * Rawlings, J. D. R. "History of No. 24 Squadron". ''Air Pictorial'', April 1972, Vol.34 No.4. pp. 144–147.

External links

No.24 Squadron RAF
{{RAF squadrons

024 4 (four) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is tetraphobia, considered unlucky in many East Asian c ...

Military units and formations established in 1915 024 Squadron Transport aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force 1915 establishments in England

History

Fighter squadron (1915–1919)

As a VIP transport squadron (1920–1968)

As a Transport Command Squadron (1968–2013)

As a Training Squadron (2013–present)

Aircraft operated

Commanding officers

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links