• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

No. 10 Squadron

Motto:Rem acu tangere - To hit the mark
Badge:A winged arrow - approved by HRH King George VI in September 1937. The badge was designed by Wg Cdr Whitelock while watching archery practice in Oxford. He thought the bomb was the modern equivalent of the medieval arrow, and the wings were added to indicate great speed.
Battle Honours:Western Front 1915-1918, Loos, Somme 1916, Arras, Somme 1918, Channel and North Sea 1940-1945, Norway 1940, Ruhr 1940-1945, Fortress Europe 1940-1944, German Ports 1940-1945, Biscay Ports 1940-1945, Berlin 1940-1945, Invasion Ports 1940, France and Germany 1944-1945, Norway 1944, Rhine, Gulf 1991

Honours marked with and asterisk, are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard

No. 10 Sqn was formed from elements of No. 1 Reserve Sqn at Farnborough on 1 Jan 1915 with the customary selection of types. In July, the Squadron moved to St Omer, France and a month later began corps spotting duties with its BE2Cs for the Indian Corps during the Battle of Loos. The Squadron's next major action was during the Battle of Arras in April 1917 when it also carried out some bombing sorties. After the Armistice, No. 10 Sqn spent a short period in Germany prior to returning to the UK and its inevitable disbandment came at the end of 1919. It reformed on 3 Jan 1928 as a heavy bomber unit at Upper Heyford equipped with Hyderabads, and during the 1930s a succession of biplane bomber types were flown, including Hinaidis, Virginias and Heyfords. In January 1937, the Squadron moved to Dishforth and shortly after that re-equipped with Whitleys, taking these to war in 1939, initially on leaflet-dropping raids over Germany. The more modern Halifax arrived in late 1941, and these stayed with the squadron throughout the remainder of the War as part of Bomber Command's heavy bomber force. In May 1945, the Squadron transferred to Transport Command and received Dakotas, spending a short time in India before disbanding again in December 1947 only to reform a year later. During the Berlin Airlift, No. 10 Sqn flew Dakotas from Lubeck, but was again disbanded after the blockade was lifted. A four-year period of Canberra operations in the mid-1950s saw the unit involved in operations during the Suez Crisis.

Another spell as a bomber Squadron followed when during 1958-64 it flew Victors from Cottesmore.

The Squadron then assumed its current guise as one of the RAF's strategic airlift squadrons after taking charge of the first of the new VC10s at RAF Fairford in July 1966. It moved to its current base at Brize Norton in May of the following year and since then, No. 10 Sqn has been involved in almost all of the UK's major operations and recently became a dual tanker/transport squadron when its aircraft were fitted with air-to-air refuelling pods.