No. 42 Squadron RAF

Formed on 1 April 1916 from crews of No. 19 Squadron Royal Flying Corps at RAF Filton, No. 42 Squadron spent the First World War flying reconnaissance sorties. Using Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2s (and later Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s), the squadron spent time on both the Western Front and the Austro-Italian Front. On returning to England after the war, the squadron was disbanded at RAF Netheravon on 26 June 1919.[1][12]

On 14 December 1936, 'B' flight of No. 22 Squadron was expanded into a new No. 42 Squadron.[1][2] In 1939, No. 42 Squadron was based at RAF Bircham Newton. Initially the unit was equipped with Vickers Vildebeests before re-equipping with Bristol Beauforts in January 1940. The squadron operated also a bomber unit in the Burma campaign flying Blenheims during 1942 and as a fighter-bomber unit flying Hawker Hurricanes during 1943. The squadron disbanded on 30 June 1945 but on the following day No. 146 Squadron was renumbered to No. 42 Squadron and flew Republic Thunderbolts Mk.IIs.[2] The squadron fought on with these until the Burma campaign ended and thereafter the squadron disbanded on 30 December 1945 at Meiktela.[1][12]

Avro Shackleton MR.2 WG533 of No. 42 Squadron at Blackbushe Airport, September 1956.

On 1 October 1946, No. 254 Squadron at RAF Thorney Island was renumbered to No. 42 Squadron. Equipped with Bristol Beaufighter, it was a strike unit in RAF Coastal Command until disbanded on 15 October 1947.[2][12]

On 28 June 1952, No. 42 Squadron was reformed at RAF St. Eval, Cornwall, flying Avro Shackleton MR.1s in the maritime reconnaissance role.[12] In 1954, the squadron began to re-equip with the Shackleton MR.2.[3] On 11 January 1955, two squadron Shackleton MR.2s (WG531 and WL743) disappeared while operating near Fastnet Rock.[13] No. 42 Squadron Shackletons used to regularly visit RAF Khormaksar in Aden before the Aden Emergency, with it undertaking colonial policing.[14][15]

No. 42 Squadron relocated to RAF St. Mawgan in October 1958.[3] In 1961, the squadron deployed to Jamaica to provide support for relief operations after Hurricane Hattie struck the Caribbean and British Honduras.[16] It further converted to the Shackleton MR.3 in December 1965.[3] In 1966, No. 42 Squadron deployed to Mahajanga, Malagasy Republic, to take part in the Beira Patrol which enforced the blockade of the port of Beira in Mozambique to prevent oil shipments to Rhodesia.[16]

Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 XV226 of No. 42 (TB) Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, May 1992.

In April 1971, No. 42 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron began to convert to the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.1.[2][12] No. 42 (TB) Squadron were the first Nimrod unit to arrive at Wideawake Airfield, Ascension Island, when XV244 and XV258 landed on 6 April 1982 shortly after the invasion of the Falkland Islands.[17] In October 1984, one of No. 42 (TB) Squadron's crews won the Fincastle Trophy at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.[17] On 29 August 1985, Nimrod MR.2 XV229 helped locate the wreck of Virgin Atlantic Challenger.[17]

The squadron served in Gulf 1 Operation Granby where one of its crew was credited with having achieved the highest number of "Assisted Kills", achieved operating in a High Air Threat environment. The same crew subsequently received the Arthur Barratt Memorial Award. Disbanded as a front-line unit in October 1992, it was later reformed as No. 42 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Kinloss, Moray, taking over from No. 236 OCU as the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).[18] The squadron flew its last Nimrod MR.2 flight on 30 March 2010,[19] and was formally disbanded on 26 May 2011.[20]