Number 10 Squadron is a

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) an ...

squadron. The squadron has served in a variety of roles (observation, bombing, transport and aerial refuelling) over its 90-year history. It currently flies the Airbus Voyager KC2/KC3 in the transport/tanker role from

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney. The statio ...

, Oxfordshire.

History

First World War

No. 10 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed from a nucleus provided by No. 1 Reserve Aircraft Squadron on 1 January 1915 at

Farnborough Airfield Farnborough Airport (previously called: TAG Farnborough Airport, RAE Farnborough, ICAO Code EGLF) is an operational business/executive general aviation airport in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England. The airport covers about 8% of Rush ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

. It initially acted as a training squadron until 27 July 1915 when it relocated to

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audoma ...

on Western Front in France.Halley 1988, pp. 38–39 No. 10 Squadron's first major engagement was providing spotting for the

Indian Corps The I Indian Corps was an army corps of the British Indian Army in the World War I. It was formed at the outbreak of war under the title Indian Corps from troops sent to the Western Front. The British Indian Army did not have a pre-war corps stru ...

during the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. Th ...

in September 1915 with the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2. The squadron also participated in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. In April 1917, No. 10 Squadron carried out spotting and bombing duties during the Second Battle of Arras. The squadron re-equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 in September 1917. In June 1918, No. 10 Squadron began to receive the Bristol F.2b. The squadron participated in the

Second Battle of the Somme The Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought during the First World War on the Western Front from late August to early September, in the basin of the River Somme. It was part of a series of successful counter-offensives in response to th ...

between August and September 1918. The squadron briefly spent time in Germany as part of the army of occupation after the

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

. On 8 February 1919, the squadron was reduced to a cadre and returned to the UK. It was disbanded on 31 December 1919 following 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 ...

, like many other squadrons.

Interwar

On 3 January 1928, No. 10 Squadron was reformed as a night bomber unit at

RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the Second World War the airfield was used by Bomber Command. During the Cold War, Upper Heyford was one ...

with the Handley Page Hyderabad. The unit relocated to

RAF Boscombe Down MoD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Def ...

in April 1931 and re-equipped with the

Handley Page Hinaidi The Handley Page Hinaidi was one of two twin-engine bombers built by Handley Page that served with the Royal Air Force between 1925 and 1935. The aircraft was developed from the Handley Page Hyderabad and named after Hinaidi, an RAF station in ...

. These soon gave way to the

Vickers Virginia The Vickers Virginia was a biplane heavy bomber of the British Royal Air Force, developed from the Vickers Vimy. Design and development Work on the Virginia was started in 1920, as a replacement for the Vimy. Two prototypes were ordered on 13 ...

in September 1932 before being replaced by the

Handley Page Heyford The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine biplane bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Handley Page. It holds the distinction of being the last biplane heavy bomber to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The ...

in 1934. On 16 September 1935, the unit helped provide the nucleus to form No. 97 Squadron and later helped form No. 78 Squadron on 1 November 1936. No. 10 Squadron moved to

RAF Dishforth Royal Air Force Dishforth or more simply RAF Dishforth is a former Royal Air Force station near to Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. Opened in 1936, the base was used as a bomber airfield during the Second World War with both British and Canad ...

on 25 January 1937 to form part of the newly created No. 4 Group of RAF Bomber Command (which they would remain a part of throughout 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 opposi ...

), converting to the monoplane Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.I.

Second World War

10 Squadron Halifax Mk II Dec 1941 IWM CH 443

On 8 September 1939, No. 10 Squadron began its first operation of the Second World War when it flew a leaflet dropping mission over Germany with the Whitley Mk.IV. On the night of 11/12 June 1940, Whitleys from No. 10 Squadron launched a raid on the Italian cities of

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

and

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

. On 8 July 1940, the unit moved to

RAF Leeming Royal Air Force Leeming or RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near Leeming, North Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 1940 and was jointly used by the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Between 1950 and 1991, it ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

.Falconer, p. 140 On 23 September 1940, the squadron launched a raid on the Boulogne docks in occupied-France. In December 1941, the squadron converted to the Handley Page Halifax Mk.I/Mk.II. In July 1942, the squadron was split in two when a detachment was sent to

RAF Aqir 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 ...

, British Mandate, which went on to form No. 462 Squadron of the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

. On 19 August 1942, No. 10 Squadron relocated to

RAF Melbourne Royal Air Force Melbourne or more simply RAF Melbourne is a former Royal Air Force station used during the Second World War. Located to the south-west of Pocklington, Yorkshire, England. The nearest village is Seaton Ross. History East Com ...

, Yorkshire, where it would remain until the end of the war in Europe. On 7 May 1945, No. 10 Squadron was transferred to

Transport Command RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967. ...

and converted over to the

Douglas Dakota The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

. The squadron relocated to

RAF Broadwell Royal Air Force Broadwell or more simply RAF Broadwell is a former Royal Air Force station located 2 miles north of Broadwell and 3 miles southeast of Burford, Oxfordshire, and within 2 miles of RAF Brize Norton. It opened on 15 November 19 ...

, Oxfordshire, on 6 August 1945.

Post-War

Transport Command (1945–1950)

Following the end of the war, No. 10 Squadron relocated to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in October 1945 where it carried out transport duties until it disbanded on 20 December 1947. The squadron was reformed once more on 4 October 1948 when No. 238 Squadron was renumbered to No. 10 Squadron at

RAF Oakington Royal Air Force Oakington or more simply RAF Oakington was a Royal Air Force station located north of Oakington, Cambridgeshire, England and north-west of Cambridge. History Second World War Construction was started in 1939, but was affect ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the ...

. Between 1948 and 1949, the squadron took part in the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

, operating from RAF Lübeck. No. 10 Squadron disbanded once more on 20 February 1950.

Bomber Command (1953–1964)

On 15 January 1953, No. 10 Squadron reverted to its original bomber role upon its reformation at

RAF Scampton Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton is a Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and north-west of the city of Lincoln, England. RAF Scampton stands on the site of a Firs ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, with the English Electric Canberra B.2. In April 1955, the squadron moved to

RAF Honington Royal Air Force Honington or more simply RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regim ...

, Suffolk, while Scampton was closed for runway works. Between October and November 1956, No. 10 Squadron deployed to

RAF Nicosia Royal Air Force Station Nicosia or RAF Nicosia was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station on the island of Cyprus, built in the 1930s. The station served as Headquarters Royal Air Force Cyprus from 8 June to 29 July 1941. The original principal air ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

, during the Suez Crisis. From RAF Nicosia, Canberra B.2 ''WH853'' of No. 10 Squadron dropped the first RAF bombs on Egypt during a raid on

Almaza Air Base Almaza Air Force Base Airport is a regional airport in north-eastern Cairo, the capital of Egypt. It was established as a civilian aerodrome, but was partly taken over by the British military, designated RAF Heliopolis and later RAF Almaza. Today ...

on 31 October 1956. The squadron disbanded on 15 January 1957. No. 10 Squadron reformed at

RAF Cottesmore Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore or more simply RAF Cottesmore is a former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. On 15 December 2009, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced that the ...

on 15 April 1958 flying the Handley Page Victor B.1 until disbandment on 1 March 1964.

Vickers VC10 (1966–2005)

The squadron's numberplate was transferred back from Bomber Command to Transport Command in 1965, and on 1 July 1966 the squadron reformed at

as the first operators to receive the new

Vickers VC10 The Vickers VC10 is a mid-sized, narrow-body long-range British jet airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and first flown at Brooklands, Surrey, in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance route ...

C.1. Fourteen VC10 C.1s were delivered to 10 Squadron between 1966 and 1967. The C.1 was a variant of the civil 'Standard VC10' fitted with the wing and more powerful engines of the 'Super VC10'. The C.1 could carry 139 passengers in rear-facing seats, eight standard pallets or up to 78 medical evacuation stretchers. These VC10s were named after airmen who had been awarded the Victoria Cross. The most visible role No. 10 Squadron's VC10s played was that of VIP transport and aeromedical evacuations. In the

VIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples inc ...

role the C1s flew the British Royal Family, government ministers and Prime Ministers around the world. Later the VC10 VIP role was phased out, VIP transport being carried out by chartered

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...

767s and the RAF

BAe 146 The British Aerospace 146 (also BAe 146) is a short-haul and regional airliner that was manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2001. Manufacture by Avro Internation ...

fleet. However, former Prime Minister

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

reverted to the VC10 for more sensitive flights, notably during his diplomacy to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

and the Middle East after the

11 September 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

. The rationalisation of the VC10 force led to No. 10 Squadron being disbanded on 14 October 2005, with their C.1(K) aircraft transferred to No. 101 Squadron.

Airbus Voyager (2011–present)

Royal Air Force, ZZ335, Airbus KC2 Voyager (A330-243MRTT) (20881316626)

In 2011, with the closure of

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 the transfer of the RAF's

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

force to Brize Norton, it was announced that No. 10 Squadron would be reformed as the first operator of the new Airbus Voyager. The squadron was officially reformed on 1 July 2011. The first Voyager (''ZZ330'') was delivered to Brize Norton on 5 April 2012. Operations began with the Voyager on 12 May 2012, with a sortie flown from RAF Brize Norton to

RAF Akrotiri RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...

, Cyprus. The first air-to-air refuelling flight with the Voyager took place on 20 May 2013, when No. 10 Squadron refuelled Panavia Tornado GR4s. No. 10 Squadron has helped support

Operation Shader Operation Shader is the operational code name given to the contribution of the United Kingdom in the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The operation involves the British Army providing ground s ...

since September 2014.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated include: *

Farman MF.7 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. D ...

(Jan 1915 – Apr 1915) * Farman MF.6 (Jan 1915 – Apr 1915) *

Blériot XI The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fa ...

(Jan 1915 – Apr 1915) * Martinsyde S.1 (Jan 1915 – Apr 1915) * Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c (Jan 1915 – Apr 1917) *

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 ...

(June 1916 – July 1916) *Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2d (July 1916 – Feb 1917) *Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e (Dec 1916 – July 1917) *Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2f (Jan 1917 – July 1917) *Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2g (Jan 1917 – July 1917) * Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 (July 1917 – Feb 1919) * Bristol F.2b (June 1918 – Oct 1918) * Handley Page Hyderabad (Jan 1928 – Nov 1931) *

(Dec 1930 – Sep 1932) * Vickers Virginia Mk.X (Sep 1932 – Jan 1935) * Handley Page Heyford Mk.Ia (Aug 1934 – Jan 1936) *Handley Page Heyford Mk.III (Nov 1935 – Jun 1937) * Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.I (Mar 1937 – June 1939) *Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.IV (May 1939 – May 1940) *Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V (May 1940 – Dec 1941) * Handley Page Halifax Mk.I (Dec 1941 – Aug 1942) *Handley Page Halifax Mk.II (Dec 1941 – Mar 1944) *Handley Page Halifax Mk.III (Mar 1944 – May 1945) * Douglas Dakota Mk.III (May 1945 – Dec 1947) *Douglas Dakota Mk.IV/C.4 (May 1945–Dec 1947; Oct 1948 – Feb 1950) * English Electric Canberra B.2 (Jan 1953 – Dec 1956) * Handley Page Victor B.1 (Apr 1958 – Mar 1964) * Vickers VC10 C.1 (July 1966 – Nov 1995) *Vickers VC10 C.1K (Dec 1992 – Oct 2005) * Airbus Voyager KC.2 (Apr 2012 – present) *Airbus Voyager KC.3 (Sep 2013 – present)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Ashworth, Chris. ''Encyclopedia of Modern Royal Air Force Squadrons''. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stevens Limited, 1989. . * Bennett, Donald C.T. ''Pathfinder'' (Bomber Crews). Goodall Publications, 1958 (reprinted 1988 and 1998 and by Crécy Publishing in 1999). . * Falconer, Jonathan. ''RAF Airfield of World War 2.'' Ian Allan Publishing, 1995 . * Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. . * Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. . * Macmillan, Ian; King, Richard ''From Brooklands to Brize - A Centennial History of No 10 Squadron 1915 - 2015'' 10 Squadron Association, 2015 * Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). . * Philpott, Ian ''The Birth of the Royal Air Force''. Pen and Sword, 2013. * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. . * Sawyer, Group Captain Tom, DFC. ''Only Owls & Bloody Fools Fly at Night''. London: Kimber, 1982 (republished by Crécy Publishing in 1985). . * Shirt, J. Gordon. ''Gordon's Tour with Shiny 10: Wartime Record of a Tour with RAF No.10 Squadron''. Compaid Graphics, 1994. . * Silver, L. Ray. ''Last of the Gladiators: A World War II Bomber Navigator's Story''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1995. . * Smith, Arthur C. ''Halifax Crew: the Story of a Wartime Bomber Crew''. Carlton Publications, 1983. (2nd edition, Yorkshire Air Museum Publications, 1987). * Travers, E. ''Cross Country''. Sittingbourne, Kent, UK: Hothersall & Travers, 1989. (from log books & letters of 3 10 Squadron pilots: James Lindsay Travers, Herbert Gardner Travers & Charles Tindal Travers) * Ward, Chris. ''10 Squadron (Bomber Command Profile no. 3)''. Berkshire, UK: Ward Publishing, 1996.

External links

No.10 Squadron RAF

Official history of No. 10 Squadron

World War II bases of No. 10 Squadron

{{Royal Air Force Military units and formations established in 1915 010 Squadron 010 Squadron 1915 establishments in the United Kingdom Military units and formations in Mandatory Palestine in World War II