No. IV Squadron RAF
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| No. IV Squadron | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | September 1912 (RFC) |
| Role | Offensive Support |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Cottesmore |
| Motto | In futurum videre (Latin: "To see into the future") |
| Equipment | Harrier GR7 |
| Battle honours | Western Front 1914-1918, Mons, Ypres 1917 Somme 1918, France and Low Countries 1939-1940, France and Germany 1944-1945, Normandy 1944, Arnhem, Iraq 2003 |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
"A sun in splendour divided per bend by a flash of lightning" |
No. IV Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Harrier GR7 from RAF Cottesmore.
[edit] History
4 Squadron formed at Farnborough in 1912 as part of the Royal Flying Corps and was sent to France on the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914. After flying a variety of different aircraft before and during the war, they had standardised onto the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 by the time they returned to the United Kingdom in 1919.
Not for the last time, 4 Sqn deployed on Royal Navy aircraft carriers when they sailed to Turkey on HMS Ark Royal and Argus during the Chanak crisis in 1922. Several more aircraft types and a move from Farnborough to RAF Odiham preceded the Second World War. The squadron moved to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1939 with the Westland Lysander, with which it continued in the coastal patrol and air-sea rescue role after returning to the UK.
Changing to a reconnaissance role in 1942, firstly with the Mustang, subsequently with both the Mosquito and Spitfire aircraft, which the squadron kept until converting to jets with the Vampire in 1950. After several years operating the Vampire, Sabre and Hunter, then Squadron moved to RAF Wildenrath in Germany with the Harrier. The squadron has operated the Harrier ever since, receiving numerous upgrades and new versions over the years.
[edit] Previous Aircraft Operated
- BE2C
- RE8
- Argus
- FE2B
- Armstrong-Whitworth Atlas
- Audax
- Lysander
- Mustang
- Mosquito
- Spitfire
- de Havilland Vampire
- Sabre
- Hunter
- Harrier
