1912
| May - II(AC) Squadron formed at
Farnborough flying a mixture of the Bristol Boxkite, Breguet Biplane, B.E. Prototype and the Farman S.7 Longhorn.
Jul - Standardised on the B.E.2 and Henry Farman Biplane
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1913
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Jan - Squadron relocated to Montrose in Scotland
Feb - Equipped with the B.E.2A
Apr - Equipped with B.E.2B
Aug - Captured British Altitude record of 16,000 ft
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1914
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Apr - Equipped with the Farman S.11 Shorthorn
Aug - Equipped with the R.E.1
Aug - Deployed to France (the first British aeroplane to fight a war)
Sep - Observer on Recce flight becomes first member
of RFC to be wounded in battle
Sep - Equipped with the R.E.2 and R.E.5
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1915
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Feb - Equipped with the Vickers FB5 and B.E.2C
May - Lt. Rhodes-Moorhouse awarded posthumous Victoria Cross; first highest honour for heroism in the air
Jul - Equipped with the Bristol Scout and B.E.2D
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1916
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June - As a local, unofficial measure, Squadron aircraft first painted with Black Triangles to provide positive identification to friendly troops. Later in the year the triangles were repainted white to become the symbol carried by squadron aircraft to this day.
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1917
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Jan - Equipped with the B.E.2E
Apr - Equipped with
the Armstrong Whitworth FK8
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1918
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May - Lt. "Babe" McLeod awarded Victoria Cross; youngest aerial recipient of this honour
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1919
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Feb - Squadron returned to the UK and reduced to cadre
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1920
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Jan - Temporarliy disbanded and then reformed at Oranmore in Ireland
Feb - Re-equipped with the Bristol F.2B fighter
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1921
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1922
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Feb - Squadron returned to the UK to be based at Digby
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1923
| Feb - Last flight remaining in Ireland returned to England
Dec - Entire Squadron moved to RAF Andover
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1924
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Apr - Squadron moved to Manston
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1925
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1926
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1927
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Apr - Squadron embarks for China
May - Squadron sets up base at Shanghai Racecourse
Nov - Squadron returns to Manston
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1928
| Sep - Armament Practice Camp conducted at Sutton Bridge
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1929
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Sep - Armament Practice Camp conducted at North Coat Fitties
Dec - Re-equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas 1
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1930
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Aug - Army (Divisional) co-operation exercises held with the squadron detached to Friday Wood
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1931
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Apr/May - Armament Practice Camp resulted in the Squadron winning the coveted 22 Group Air Gunners' Cup
July - Squadron badge (incorporating the "Hereward Knot") given official approval
Sep - Official approval given for squadron aircraft to carry the triangular emblem used in the First World War
nd - First mention in Squadron Record Books of foreign pilots being posted to the squadron (2 Iraqis)
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1932
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Apr/May - Squadron repeated feat of winning the Armament Practice Camp 22 Group Air Gunners' Cup
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1933
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May - Re-equipped with the Hawker Audax 1
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1934
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Jun - Squadron displayed 6 aircraft at the annual RAF Display at RAF Hendon
Oct - Mobilisation Exercise saw the Squadron deploy to RAF Sealand
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1935
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Jul - Squadron participated in the Royal Review at RAF Mildenhall
Dec - Squadron moves to RAF Hawkinge
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1936
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Feb - No. 22 (Army Co-op) Group and, therefore,15:47 04/01/2006 II(AC)Sqn Squadron became part of Fighter Command
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1937
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Nov - Re-equipped with the Hawker Hector 1
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1938
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Jul - Re-equipped with the Westland Lysander I
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1939
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Aug (23) - II (AC) Sqn receives Battle Orders
Sep/Oct - Squadron deploys to Drucat (Abbeville), N France
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1940
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Feb - Re-equipped with the Westland Lysander II
May - First offensive sorties undertaken
May - Squadron withdraws from Northern France and returns to the UK and initially establishes itself at Lympne
May - Participates in the defence of Calais with supply drops to beleaguered forces
Jun - Operational Flying stopped and Squadron rested
Jun - Squadron moved to Hatfield
Sep - Re-equipped with the Westland Lysander III and conducted trials with the Boulton Paul Defiant I and Fairey Battle
Oct - Squadron begins "Special Operations" sorties to Occupied France
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1941
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Aug - Re-equipped with the Curtis Tomahawk I, IIA and IIB
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1942
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Apr - Re-equipped with the North American Mustang I
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1943
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Mar - Participation in "Spartan", a mobility exercise which was a prelude to the anticipated invasion of Occupied Europe
Jul - The Squadron leaves RAF Sawbridgeworth to be based at RAF Gravesend
Aug - Another move, this time to RAF Odiham
Nov - Another move, this time to RAF North Weald
Dec - Another move, back to RAF Sawbridgeworth
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1944
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Feb - Re-equipped with the North American Mustang IA
Apr - The Squadron leaves RAF Sawbridgeworth to be based at RAF Gatwick
6 Jun - Tactical Reconnaissance over the D-Day beaches, Normandy
Jun - Re-equipped with the North American Mustang II
20 Jun - First aircraft deployed to France
Jul - Full squadron deployment to France (B10 Plumetot)
Nov - Re-equipped with the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire FRXIV
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1945
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8 May - Last Operational WW2 sortie carried out by the squadron
Sep - Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PRXI added to the Spitfire FRIV Fleet
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1946
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Jan - Spitfire PRXI replaced with the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PRmk19
Jun - Following other unit disbandments, Shiny Two becomes the sole Recce squadron in Germany (BAFO)
Dec - Squadron maintains a detachment at RAF Gatow (Berlin)
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1947
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Apr - Squadron completes the Berlin detachments and aircraft return to Celle
Apr - The Squadron moves to RAF Wunsdorf
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1948
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Apr - The Squadron moves to RAF Wahn to vacate Wunsdorf which was being used for the Berlin Airlift
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1949
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Sep - The Squadron returns to RAF Wunsdorf
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1950
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Dec - Re-equipped with the Gloster Meteor FRmk9
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1951
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Mar - PRmk10s added to the Meteor fleet
Apr - Meteor PRmk10s exchanged for FRmk9s and squadron then assumes the Fighter Reconnaissance role
Sep-Dec - Exercise Thunderflash; Exercise Nickel Coin; Exercise Stopgap I and II; Exercise Clean-up; Exercise Counter-Thrust; Exercise Cirrus; Exercise Jupiter; Exercise Surprise Package; Exercise Combine
- Squadron awarded the "Duncan Trophy" for best all-weather flying record
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1952
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Apr - Squadron moves to RAF Gutersloh
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1953
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Jun - Participation in the Coronation Flypast
Jul - Royal Review at RAF Odiham
Jul - Squadron moves to RAF Wahn
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1954
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Oct - Presentation of the Squadron Standard at RAF Geilenkirchen
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1955
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1956
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Dec - Re-equipped with the Supermarine Swift FRmk5
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1957
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May - Second place in the NATO Recce competition "Royal Flush II"
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1958
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Aug - Participation in Recce competition "Royal Flush"
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1959
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1960
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1961
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Mar - Re-equipped with the Hawker Hunter FRmk10
Sep - Squadron moves back to RAF Gutersloh
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1962
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1963
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Oct - Exercise Triplex West; 4 aircraft to El Adem - the first time since Shanghai (1927) that the squadron had left the confines of Europe
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1964
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1965
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Jun - Participation in Recce competition "Royal Flush"
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1966
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1967
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1968
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1969
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1970
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Jun - The squadron won every category in NATO Recce competition "Big Click (Royal Flush XIV)"
Dec - Re-equipped with the McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FGRmk2 at RAF Bruggen
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1971
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May - Squadron moves to RAF Laarbruch
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1972
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Aug - For the second time (see Jun 1970) the squadron won every category in NATO Recce competition "Big Click"
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1973
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1974
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1975
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1976
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Re-equipped with the Sepecat GRmk1 Jaguar
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1977
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Mar - First squadron deployment to IAF Deccimomannu for APC (Armament Practice Camp)
Jul - Squadron participated in QEII's Silver Jubilee Flypast
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1978
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1979
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1980
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Jul - The squadron participated for the first time in "Red Flag" in the US
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1981
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1982
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1983
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1984
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Jul - New Squadron Standard presented by Prince Charles
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1985
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1986
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Apr - Squadron deploys to CFB Cold Lake for Exercise Maple Flag
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1987
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Mar - Squadron deploys to RAF Bruggen for 6 months whilst runway at RAF Laarbruch is resurfaced
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1988
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Dec - Squadron receives the 1988 Wilkinson Battle of Britain Memorial sword for development of night reconnaissance tactics and techniques
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1989
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Jan - Re-equipped with the Panavia Tornado GRmk1A
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1990
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Nov - Her Majesty the Queen visits RAF Laarbruch and meets with members of II(AC) Sqn
Dec - First aircraft deployed to Tabuk as part of Operation Desert Shield
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1991
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Nov - After 47 years of being based in Germany the squadron leaves RAF Laarbruch and redeploys to RAF Marham
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1992
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1993
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1994
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1995
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1996
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1997
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1998
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1999
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Jan/Mar - Participation in operation BOLTON (No-Fly Zones in Northern and Southern Iraq), the first time in 54 years that the Squadron had dropped bombs in anger
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2000
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2001
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2002
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2003
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Mar - Squadron deployed to the Gulf Theatre of Operations in support of Operation Telic
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2004
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2005
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Feb - Squadron deploys to Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait as part of Operation TELIC
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2006
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Jan - Squadron deploys to Nevada for "Red Flag"
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