No. 12 Squadron. RAF

[Mary]

Hi chaps.
No 12 Squadron.
I have looked every where my limited knowledge knows, but you will know, want you?
Details on No 12 Squdron please.
Thanks
Mary.
o no not again...[:I]

[Froonp]

From http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/squadrons/h12.html

No. 12 Squadron
Motto: "Leads the field".
Badge: A fox's mask. The squadron was once equipped with Fox aircraft which were, to a great extent, responsible for the early reputation of the unit. The badge and motto also denote a period in the squadron's career which was noteworthy in advancing to a marked degree the potential of fast daylight bombing.
Authority: King George VI, February 1937.
No. 12 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Netheravon, Wiltshire, on 4th February 1915, and went to France in September of that year equipped with BE2c's under the command of Major CLN Newall (who later was Chief of the Air Staff from 1937-40). It was first employed directly under General Headquarters, but from February 1916, until the Armistice, was engaged mainly on what are nowadays termed army co-operation duties. The BEs were replaced by RE8s in August 1917.

After the Armistice the squadron formed part of the Army of Occupation in Germany and remained in that country until July 1922, when it was disbanded at Bickendorf.

In April 1923, No. 12 Squadron was re-formed at Northolt as a bomber squadron equipped with DH9As. In 1924 it received Fairey Fawns; and in 1926 Fairey Fox high-speed day bombers. On a number of occasions during exercises No. 12's Foxes eluded the defending fighters and this led to the adoption of the words "Leads the field" as the squadron motto. The highly-polished metal nose cowlings of the aircraft also gave the squadron its nickname, "Shiny Twelve".

In 1931 No. 12 became one of the first squadrons to have Hawker Harts. Four years later, after the Italians had invaded Abyssinia, it moved to Aden to reinforce the Middle East Command. It returned home in 1936 and re-equipped with Hawker Hinds at Andover. Early in 1938 the squadron was re-equipped with Fairey Battles, the first of which arrived in February. A move was made to Bicester at the beginning of May 1939, and there in the months which followed the squadron awaited the call to arms.

On 2nd September 1939, its 16 Battles landed at Berry-au-Bac, France, as part of No.76 Wing of the Advanced Air Striking Force. During the summer of 1940 great honour came to the squadron. Flying Officer DE Garland, a pilot, and Sergeant T Gray, his observer, were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross - the first RAF VCs of the Second World War. Garland led a low-level attack on a metal bridge, then in German hands, at Veldwezelt, over the Albert Canal, on 12th May 1940. The three Battles which took part in this operation were all shot down - but not before one of them (and available evidence points to the fact of it being Garland's aircraft) had shattered the western truss of the bridge with its bombs.

The squadron withdrew in mid-June to Finningley, Yorkshire. From there it moved to Binbrook early in July and in August it began attacking shipping in the German-held Channel ports. At Binbrook, in November, No. 12 began to re-equip with Wellingtons and trained on them during the ensuing winter.

On 10/11th April 1941, it used them for the first time when a raid was made on Emden. When the first 1,OOO-bomber raid was launched on 30/31st May 1942, No. 12 sent 28 aircraft - the largest number so far operated at one time by the squadron. The target was Cologne and four squadron aircraft failed to return.

During the winter of 1942/43 No. 12 converted to Lancasters at Wickenby and thereafter continued to play a prominent part in Bomber Command's offensive until 25th April 1945. During the eleven months from May 1944 to April 1945, the squadron's Lancaster I ME758 "N-Nuts" flew 108 operational sorties and dropped more than a million pounds of bombs.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:

Bicester : May 1939-Sep 1939
Berry-au-Bac, France : Sep 1939-Dec 1939
Amifontaine, France : Dec 1939-May 1940
Echemines, France : May 1940-Jun 1940
Souge, France : Jun 1940
Finningley : Jun 1940-Jul 1940
Binbrook : Jul 1940-Aug 1940
Thorney Island : Aug 1940
Eastchurch : Aug 1940-Sep 1940
Binbrook : Sep 1940-Sep 1942
Wickenby : Sep 1942 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

Fairey Battle : Feb 1938-Nov 1940
Vickers Wellington II and III : Nov 1940 & Nov 1942
Avro Lancaster B.I and B.III : Nov 1942 onwards


Code Letters:

During the 1938 Munich crisis No. 12 Squadron was allotted the code letters "QE". In WW2 the squadron's aircraft were coded "PH" whilst certain Lancasters carried "GZ"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

17th September 1939 : Reconnaissance in area 5 miles behind Franco-German frontier by 3 Battles.

First Bombing Mission in WWII:

10th May 1940 : 4 Battles despatched to bomb a German troop column on road between Luxembourg and Junglister. I aircraft forced-landed at Piennes on outward journey after being hit by enemy fire. Other 3 aircraft attacked primary but 2 of them failed to return.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

25th April 1945 : 16 Lancasters bombed Berchtesgaden.

Last Mission before VE Day:

7th May 1945 : 19 Lancasters dropped supplies to Dutch at Rotterdam.


From http://www.raf.mod.uk/squadrons/h12.html


History of No. 12 Squadron.

Aircraft: Tornado GR4
Motto: Leads the Field - suggested by the use of the fox as the squadron emblem and its reputation for daylight bombing development.
Badge: A fox's mask - approved by HM King George VI in February 1937. Based on a suggestion when the squadron was equipped with the Fairey Fox, an aircraft of which they were proud and the sole operators.
Battle Honours: Western Front 1915-1918, Loos*, Somme 1916, Arras, Cambrai 1917*, Somme 1918*, Hindenburg Line, France and Low Countries 1939-1940*, Meuse Bridges*, Fortress Europe 1940-1944, German Ports 1941-1945, Biscay Ports 1940-1945, Berlin 1941-1945*, Ruhr 1941-1945*, France and Germany 1944-1945, Rhine*, Gulf 1991*

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

No. 12 Squadron was formed on 14 February 1915 at Netheravon from a nucleus provided by No. 1 Sqn. In April 1916, the Squadron moved to St Omer, France equipped with BE2Cs primarily in the long-range reconnaissance role. By April 1918, No. 12 Sqn had added night bombing and strafing to its repertoire. After the Armistice, the Squadron moved to Germany as of the Army of Occupation and by November 1919 was the sole operational squadron in Germany until July 1922 when it was disbanded. The Squadron reformed in April 1923 with DH9As spending a short time at Northolt before moving to Andover where it became engaged in the development of bombing techniques. In 1926, the Squadron became the sole operator of the Fairey Fox, an aircraft that outpaced many contemporary fighters and revolutionised bomber tactics. In 1935, the Squadron moved to Abyssinia with Harts before returning home in 1936 and re-equipping with Hinds. At the start of World War II, No. 12 Sqn departed for France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force equipped with Battles. In May 1940, Fg Off Garner and Sgt Gray, his observer, led a flight of aircraft in an attack on a vital bridge over the Albert Canal. All of the aircraft were shot down by fierce enemy groundfire, but one end of bridge was destroyed and both Garland and Gray were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the first of the War. After the British withdrawal from France in June 1940, the Squadron began night attacks on enemy shipping and re-equipped with Wellingtons. Two years later, Lancasters were taken on strength and these lasted until August 1946, when Lincolns replaced them. During 1952, No. 12 Sqn received Canberra jet-bombers, and these were used in support of Operations Firedog (Malaya) and Musketeer (Suez). In July 1961, the Squadron was disbanded but reformed a year later at Coningsby with Vulcans, but the Squadron once again disbanded in late 1967 before reforming again in October 1969 with Buccaneers. After a period of relative stability, No. 12 moved to Lossiemouth from Honington in 1980, and continued with Buccaneers until 1993 when Tornado GR1Bs replaced them. During December 1998, the Squadron took part in Operation Desert Fox, the four-day air campaign against Iraq.



At the quoted RAF website you'll find the blazon of the squadron along with a profile of the Lancasters they flew.

Cheers