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| No. 28 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | No. 28 Squadron RAF |
| Dates | 1915–1919; 1920–1945; 1946–1950; 1961–1983 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Light bomber; reconnaissance; anti-shipping; transport |
| Garrison | Various |
| Identification symbol label | Badge |
No. 28 Squadron RAF No. 28 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force formed during the First World War and active in multiple conflicts including the Second World War, the North African Campaign, and the Indonesian Confrontation. The squadron operated a succession of aircraft types from biplanes to turboprops and served in diverse theatres such as France, Egypt, Malta, Gibraltar, and Singapore. Its service intersected with major figures and institutions including the Royal Navy, the British Army, the Air Ministry, and allied forces from United States Army Air Forces to Royal Australian Air Force units.
Formed in 1915 at RFC Gosport as part of the Royal Flying Corps, the squadron saw action on the Western Front and supported formations like the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele. Post-Armistice of 11 November 1918 it disbanded and reformed in 1920, undertaking duties in Mesopotamia and along the North West Frontier near Quetta and Peshawar, supporting the Indian Army and working alongside units such as the Royal Horse Artillery and the Indian Air Force (pre-1950). During the interwar period the squadron transitioned through aircraft while being administratively linked to the Air Ministry and participating in imperial policing operations that involved the Colonial Office. Reconstituted before the Second World War it took part in Mediterranean operations, flying anti-shipping strikes around Malta and the Sicily campaign, coordinating with Force H and convoy escorts like those protecting convoys to Gibraltar. In the Far East after 1945 the squadron supported postwar operations including involvement in British Commonwealth Occupation Force activities, later serving in counter-insurgency during the Malayan Emergency and in regional duties during the era of the Cold War until final disbandment in 1983.
Over its history the unit flew an array of aircraft: early types such as the BE2c, FE2b, and later the Bristol F.2 Fighter in World War I; interwar types including the Airco DH.9A and the Hawker Hart; pre-Second World War monoplanes like the Fairey Battle and the Vickers Wellesley; wartime aircraft including the Blenheim, the Boeing Fortress (in maritime reconnaissance contexts), and the Vickers Wellington in anti-shipping roles; postwar types such as the Avro Lancaster in transport or maritime conversions, the Handley Page Hastings, and finally turboprops like the Hawker Siddeley Andover. Crews frequently worked with avionics and weapons systems from manufacturers and firms such as Rolls-Royce, de Havilland, and Armstrong Whitworth.
Originally formed for reconnaissance and artillery observation in World War I the squadron expanded into light bombing during the interwar years, performing close air support with units such as the Royal Horse Artillery and conducting colonial patrols under directives from the Colonial Office. In World War II it executed maritime strike missions, anti-submarine patrols, and convoy escort operations coordinating with the Royal Navy and Coastal Command assets, engaging Axis surface vessels and submarines including actions connected to operations like Operation Pedestal and the Siege of Malta. Postwar roles included transport and communications for the British Army of the Rhine and support to Commonwealth operations during the Korean War era logistics, later shifting to tactical transport and airlift supporting NATO exercises with formations like the 1st Infantry Division (United Kingdom) and air exercises with Royal Canadian Air Force and United States Air Force units.
The squadron’s bases spanned continents: initial stations at RFC Gosport and on the Western Front; interwar detachments to Basra, Shaiba, Habbaniya in Iraq, and airfields in Palestine and Transjordan; Second World War postings included Malta International Airport environs, Gibraltar Harbour operations, and North African fields around Tobruk and El Alamein supporting the Eighth Army. Asian deployments covered Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur airbases during Malaya operations, and temporary detachments aboard Royal Navy aircraft carriers for combined operations. The squadron’s movements often involved coordination with commands such as RAF Middle East Command, RAF Far East Command, and Allied Expeditionary Air Force.
Commanding officers included career officers drawn from Royal Air Force College Cranwell alumni and decorated veterans of the First World War and Second World War, some of whom received honours like the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Order of the British Empire, and mentions in despatches by the Air Council. Notable aircrew and commanders served alongside personalities from allied services including pilots who later held positions within the Air Ministry or as station commanders at RAF Brize Norton and RAF Lyneham. The squadron’s ranks also included members who worked with intelligence elements linked to MI5 and MI6 during clandestine airlift tasks in the early Cold War.
The squadron badge and heraldry drew on motifs common to Royal Air Force squadron emblems, incorporating symbolism referencing maritime strike and reconnaissance roles, and reflected ties to theatres like Malta and Mesopotamia. Traditions included annual squadron dinners held in messes at stations such as RAF Northolt and RAF Lyneham, and commemorative ceremonies aligned with national observances like Remembrance Sunday and Battle of Britain Day, with participation from veterans associations including the RAF Association.
Memorialisation of squadron personnel appears on memorials at Runnymede Memorial, theatre memorials in Malta Memorial, and in regimental museums such as the Royal Air Force Museum and local exhibits in former base towns including Gosport Museum and Changi Chapel and Museum. The squadron’s legacy informs studies in airpower doctrine at institutions like the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Air Command and Staff College, and its operational history is preserved in archives of the Imperial War Museums, the National Archives (United Kingdom), and veteran oral history projects supported by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Category:Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force Category:Squadrons of the Royal Air Force