6 Squadron RAF Standard
This Queen's standard of 6 Squadron, RAF was presented on 31st. January 1954 and was laid up in St. Andrew church in Lamas, Norfolk on 7th. April 1989 on the occasion of the squadron's 75th. Anniversary. 6 Squadron is unique in having two Royal standards, its second being awarded by King Abdullah I of Jordan on 15th. October 1950 to recognise the squadron's long period of service in the Middle East.
Squadron motto:
Oculi Exercitus - 'The eyes of the army'
Squadron nickname:
'The Flying Tin Openers'
Squadron badge:
An eagle, wings elevated, preying on a serpent. The badge was approved by King George VI in January 1938.
The squadron was formed on 31st. January 1914, at Farnborough in Hampshire as 6 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC), its first squadron commander was Major John Becke. The squadron had an initial aircraft inventory of two Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2's and two French built Farman's, with the squadron also initially incorporating a flight operating man-lifting kites. The squadron, equipped with a mixture of B.E.2, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 and Farman's crossed the English Channel in October 1914 to support IV Corps in its attempt to prevent the Germans from capturing Antwerp in Belgium. In November, the squadron joined the newly formed 2nd. Wing of the RFC with the role of supporting the Second and Third Corps.
On 25th. July 1915, Captain Lanoe Hawker attacked three German aircraft in succession. The first aerial victory for Hawker that day occurred after he emptied a complete drum of bullets from his aircraft's single Lewis machine gun into a German aircraft which went spinning down. The second victory saw a German aircraft driven to the ground damaged and the third saw a German aircraft, an Albatros C.I of FFA 3, burst into flames and crash. For this feat he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Following the Armistice, the squadron transferred to Iraq, arriving in July 1919. Operating in the army co-operation role in Northern Iraq, it was equipped with the Bristol Fighter. It was later re-equipped with the Fairey Gordon and assumed a bombing role, In 1935 the squadron re-equipped with Hawker Hart's..
The squadron relocated to Palestine in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role with the Hawker Hardy, later using Gloster Gauntlet's and Westland Lysander's. When hostilities with Italy broke out in June 1940, the squadron deployed one flight of aircraft to Egypt to work with the army, the remainder of the squadron remained in Palestine. Between September 1940 and September 1943 the squadron saw action over the Western Dessert in the tank-busting role equipped with the 40 mm cannon firing Hawker Hurricane Mk. IID. It is from here that the squadrons 'The Flying Tin Openers' nickname originated.
In the spring of 1944, the squadron moved to a coastal airfield south-east of Termoli, Italy. Flying the Hurricane Mk. IV equipped with rocket projectiles, it attacked moored Axis ships in Yugoslav harbours and around the Dalmatian islands. The ships, used to supply German forces, were strongly defended by anti-aircraft gunners on 'Siebel ferries', a shallow draught catamaran landing craft. Squadron detachments were also made to Brindisi in Italy, near Ancona in Italy, Bastia in Corsica and Araxos near Patras in Greece. A fixed 44 gal. (200 litre) extra petrol tank under the port wing increased the Hurricanes' duration to almost three hours at 160 mph (257 km/h) cruising speed. The airfield on the island of Vis was extensively used as an advanced base from May 1944 to February 1945, usually to top up tanks before each armed reconnaissance.
In July 1945, the squadron moved to Palestine where it cooperated with the police, patrolling the Kirkuk-to-Haifa oil pipeline to prevent terrorist attacks. The squadron remained in the Middle East until 1969. During this period, the squadron went from being equipped with Hurricanes, the squadron being the last in the RAF to fly the Hurricane, it aircraft leaving in 1947, and for a brief period four Spitfires due to a lack of available Hurricanes, to flying the Hawker Tempest Mk. VI and subsequently the de Havilland Vampire FB.5.
In January 1950, the squadron moved to RAF Habbaniya in Iraq with many moves back and forth between RAF Habbaniya and RAF Shaibah in Iraq, RAF Abu Sueir and RAF Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone, RAF Nicosia in Cyprus, RAF Mafraq and RAF Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The squadron also had numerous detachments throughout the Middle East. While visiting Amman on 15th. October 1950, 6 Squadron was awarded a Royal Standard by King Abdullah I of Jordan in recognition of the squadron's service in the Middle East since 1919. The squadron continued its close relationship with Jordan throughout the early 1950's, with both King Talal and King Hussein. During this period, it continued to operate the Vampires FB.5 and FB.9 and two twin seat Gloster Meteor T.7's until it re-equipped with de Havilland Venom FB.1 in February 1954 and the Venom FB.4 in June 1955.
On 6th. April 1956, after a brief period back at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq the squadron returned to Cyprus and operated from RAF Akrotiri. From there it attacked Egyptian airfields during the Suez Crisis. In 1957, the squadron again re-equipped, this time with the English Electric Canberra, which it continued to operate from Akrotiri until 1969.
Having been located outside of the UK for 50 years, the squadron returned in 1969 and was the first squadron to receive the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire in the same year, before re-equipping with the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 and T.2 at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland during 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, when the squadron's nuclear role was terminated and the weapons withdrawn.
The squadron's aircraft were deployed to the Gulf as part of Operation Granby (1st. Gulf War), for which it received battle honours, and later as part of the Northern No-Fly-Zone. The squadron deployed to Italy for operations over Bosnia from 1993.
When RAF Coltishall closed on 1st. April 2006 the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby. The squadron was the last to fly the SEPECAT Jaguar, and was disbanded on 31st. May 2007. The Jaguar's intended replacement in RAF service was the Eurofighter Typhoon. The RAF announced that 6 Squadron was to be the fourth operational front-line squadron equipped with the Typhoon and the first with Tranche 2 aircraft, initially scheduled to reform in 2008 at RAF Leuchars in Fife, Scotland. However, this was delayed until 2010, with the squadron reforming at RAF Leuchars on 6th. September 2010, when a standing-up ceremony was performed to mark the squadron's reforming, including the arrival of the new Typhoon aircraft in 6 Squadron colours from RAF Coningsby. The squadron took over the role of Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) for the north of the UK from 111 Squadron, the RAF's last Panavia Tornado F.3 squadron, in March 2011.
In November 2011 four Typhoons from 6 Squadron flew to RMAF Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia to participate in exercises to mark the 40th. anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. In August 2013, several Typhoons from 6 Squadron were exercising with HMS Dragon and US fighters in the Gulf. In June 2014, the squadron began to move to its new home at RAF Lossiemouth.
In 2015 the squadron conducted NATO air policing in the Baltic and in 2018 it participated in missile strikes against targets in Syria during the Syrian Civil War.
The squadron is currently flying the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 with the codesEA to EZ as part of No. 1 Group (Air Combat). The aircraft wear the 'Gunners Stripe' on the fuselage roundels to represent their work with the artillery and ground forces through the squadrons history. indicates
Battle honours:
Western Front (1914–1918)*
Neuve Chappelle (1915)*
Ypres (1915)*
Loos (1915)
Somme (1916)*
Ypres (1917)
Amiens (1918)
Hindenburg Line (1918)
Iraq (1919–1920)
Kurdistan (1922–1924)
Palestine (1936–1939)
Egypt and Libya (1940–1943)*
El Alamein* (1942)
El Hamma
Italy (1944–1945)*
South-East Europe (1944–1945)
Gulf (1991)*
Bosnia (1995)*
* Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
6 Squadron RAF Standard
This Queen's standard of 6 Squadron, RAF was presented on 31st. January 1954 and was laid up in St. Andrew church in Lamas, Norfolk on 7th. April 1989 on the occasion of the squadron's 75th. Anniversary. 6 Squadron is unique in having two Royal standards, its second being awarded by King Abdullah I of Jordan on 15th. October 1950 to recognise the squadron's long period of service in the Middle East.
Squadron motto:
Oculi Exercitus - 'The eyes of the army'
Squadron nickname:
'The Flying Tin Openers'
Squadron badge:
An eagle, wings elevated, preying on a serpent. The badge was approved by King George VI in January 1938.
The squadron was formed on 31st. January 1914, at Farnborough in Hampshire as 6 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (RFC), its first squadron commander was Major John Becke. The squadron had an initial aircraft inventory of two Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2's and two French built Farman's, with the squadron also initially incorporating a flight operating man-lifting kites. The squadron, equipped with a mixture of B.E.2, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 and Farman's crossed the English Channel in October 1914 to support IV Corps in its attempt to prevent the Germans from capturing Antwerp in Belgium. In November, the squadron joined the newly formed 2nd. Wing of the RFC with the role of supporting the Second and Third Corps.
On 25th. July 1915, Captain Lanoe Hawker attacked three German aircraft in succession. The first aerial victory for Hawker that day occurred after he emptied a complete drum of bullets from his aircraft's single Lewis machine gun into a German aircraft which went spinning down. The second victory saw a German aircraft driven to the ground damaged and the third saw a German aircraft, an Albatros C.I of FFA 3, burst into flames and crash. For this feat he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Following the Armistice, the squadron transferred to Iraq, arriving in July 1919. Operating in the army co-operation role in Northern Iraq, it was equipped with the Bristol Fighter. It was later re-equipped with the Fairey Gordon and assumed a bombing role, In 1935 the squadron re-equipped with Hawker Hart's..
The squadron relocated to Palestine in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role with the Hawker Hardy, later using Gloster Gauntlet's and Westland Lysander's. When hostilities with Italy broke out in June 1940, the squadron deployed one flight of aircraft to Egypt to work with the army, the remainder of the squadron remained in Palestine. Between September 1940 and September 1943 the squadron saw action over the Western Dessert in the tank-busting role equipped with the 40 mm cannon firing Hawker Hurricane Mk. IID. It is from here that the squadrons 'The Flying Tin Openers' nickname originated.
In the spring of 1944, the squadron moved to a coastal airfield south-east of Termoli, Italy. Flying the Hurricane Mk. IV equipped with rocket projectiles, it attacked moored Axis ships in Yugoslav harbours and around the Dalmatian islands. The ships, used to supply German forces, were strongly defended by anti-aircraft gunners on 'Siebel ferries', a shallow draught catamaran landing craft. Squadron detachments were also made to Brindisi in Italy, near Ancona in Italy, Bastia in Corsica and Araxos near Patras in Greece. A fixed 44 gal. (200 litre) extra petrol tank under the port wing increased the Hurricanes' duration to almost three hours at 160 mph (257 km/h) cruising speed. The airfield on the island of Vis was extensively used as an advanced base from May 1944 to February 1945, usually to top up tanks before each armed reconnaissance.
In July 1945, the squadron moved to Palestine where it cooperated with the police, patrolling the Kirkuk-to-Haifa oil pipeline to prevent terrorist attacks. The squadron remained in the Middle East until 1969. During this period, the squadron went from being equipped with Hurricanes, the squadron being the last in the RAF to fly the Hurricane, it aircraft leaving in 1947, and for a brief period four Spitfires due to a lack of available Hurricanes, to flying the Hawker Tempest Mk. VI and subsequently the de Havilland Vampire FB.5.
In January 1950, the squadron moved to RAF Habbaniya in Iraq with many moves back and forth between RAF Habbaniya and RAF Shaibah in Iraq, RAF Abu Sueir and RAF Deversoir in the Suez Canal Zone, RAF Nicosia in Cyprus, RAF Mafraq and RAF Amman in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The squadron also had numerous detachments throughout the Middle East. While visiting Amman on 15th. October 1950, 6 Squadron was awarded a Royal Standard by King Abdullah I of Jordan in recognition of the squadron's service in the Middle East since 1919. The squadron continued its close relationship with Jordan throughout the early 1950's, with both King Talal and King Hussein. During this period, it continued to operate the Vampires FB.5 and FB.9 and two twin seat Gloster Meteor T.7's until it re-equipped with de Havilland Venom FB.1 in February 1954 and the Venom FB.4 in June 1955.
On 6th. April 1956, after a brief period back at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq the squadron returned to Cyprus and operated from RAF Akrotiri. From there it attacked Egyptian airfields during the Suez Crisis. In 1957, the squadron again re-equipped, this time with the English Electric Canberra, which it continued to operate from Akrotiri until 1969.
Having been located outside of the UK for 50 years, the squadron returned in 1969 and was the first squadron to receive the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire in the same year, before re-equipping with the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 and T.2 at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland during 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, when the squadron's nuclear role was terminated and the weapons withdrawn.
The squadron's aircraft were deployed to the Gulf as part of Operation Granby (1st. Gulf War), for which it received battle honours, and later as part of the Northern No-Fly-Zone. The squadron deployed to Italy for operations over Bosnia from 1993.
When RAF Coltishall closed on 1st. April 2006 the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby. The squadron was the last to fly the SEPECAT Jaguar, and was disbanded on 31st. May 2007. The Jaguar's intended replacement in RAF service was the Eurofighter Typhoon. The RAF announced that 6 Squadron was to be the fourth operational front-line squadron equipped with the Typhoon and the first with Tranche 2 aircraft, initially scheduled to reform in 2008 at RAF Leuchars in Fife, Scotland. However, this was delayed until 2010, with the squadron reforming at RAF Leuchars on 6th. September 2010, when a standing-up ceremony was performed to mark the squadron's reforming, including the arrival of the new Typhoon aircraft in 6 Squadron colours from RAF Coningsby. The squadron took over the role of Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) for the north of the UK from 111 Squadron, the RAF's last Panavia Tornado F.3 squadron, in March 2011.
In November 2011 four Typhoons from 6 Squadron flew to RMAF Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia to participate in exercises to mark the 40th. anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. In August 2013, several Typhoons from 6 Squadron were exercising with HMS Dragon and US fighters in the Gulf. In June 2014, the squadron began to move to its new home at RAF Lossiemouth.
In 2015 the squadron conducted NATO air policing in the Baltic and in 2018 it participated in missile strikes against targets in Syria during the Syrian Civil War.
The squadron is currently flying the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 with the codesEA to EZ as part of No. 1 Group (Air Combat). The aircraft wear the 'Gunners Stripe' on the fuselage roundels to represent their work with the artillery and ground forces through the squadrons history. indicates
Battle honours:
Western Front (1914–1918)*
Neuve Chappelle (1915)*
Ypres (1915)*
Loos (1915)
Somme (1916)*
Ypres (1917)
Amiens (1918)
Hindenburg Line (1918)
Iraq (1919–1920)
Kurdistan (1922–1924)
Palestine (1936–1939)
Egypt and Libya (1940–1943)*
El Alamein* (1942)
El Hamma
Italy (1944–1945)*
South-East Europe (1944–1945)
Gulf (1991)*
Bosnia (1995)*
* Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard