No. 45 Squadron RAF

No. 45 Squadron RAF
Unit name	No. 45 Squadron RAF
Caption	Supermarine Spitfire similar to types flown by the squadron
Dates	1916–2013
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Fighter, bomber reconnaissance, ground attack
Garrison	Various RAF stations
Motto	Machina non mentitur
Identification symbol	Hand grasping a griffin's head

No. 45 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force with service spanning the First World War, the interwar period, the Second World War, the Cold War and early twenty-first century operations. Formed in 1916, the squadron operated on the Western Front, in the Middle East and in Europe, flying types from the Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Bristol F.2 Fighter to the Supermarine Spitfire and Panavia Tornado. Over its history the unit served alongside formations and institutions such as the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force Regiment, No. 11 Group RAF and multinational coalitions during operations in Iraq and Kosovo.

History

No. 45 Squadron RAF was established in 1916 at Montrose Air Station and deployed to the Western Front where it undertook reconnaissance and fighter patrols alongside squadrons from the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force. During the First World War it operated aircraft such as the Sopwith 1½ Strutter and the Bristol F.2 Fighter in operations connected to the Battle of the Somme, the Third Battle of Ypres and the 1918 offensives involving the British Expeditionary Force. In the interwar years the unit re-equipped with types including the Hawker Horsley and deployed to bases in the Middle East, participating in imperial policing tasks linked to the Egyptian Revolution of 1919 era tensions and operations across the Persian Gulf region.

Reformed and re-equipped with Hawker Fury and later Supermarine Spitfire variants during the build-up to the Second World War, the squadron flew defensive and offensive sorties during campaigns such as the Battle of Britain air defence preparations and later offensive operations over occupied Europe, cooperating with units of RAF Fighter Command and the Royal Navy. Post-1945 the squadron transitioned to jet types like the Gloster Meteor and Hawker Hunter, operating in the Cold War context with commitments under RAF Germany and NATO structures including exercises with Allied Air Forces Central Europe.

In the late twentieth century No. 45 Squadron converted to strike and reconnaissance roles on aircraft such as the Panavia Tornado GR1, participating in operations over Iraq during Operation Granby and later in coalition deployments during Operation Telic and Operation Ellamy connected to interventions in Kosovo and the Libya campaign. The squadron stood down in 2013 following rationalisation of RAF fast-jet forces and airworthiness changes in the Tornado fleet.

Aircraft operated

Over its nearly century-long history No. 45 Squadron flew a wide variety of types, including early First World War types such as the Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Bristol F.2 Fighter; interwar and pre-Second World War machines like the Hawker Horsley and Hawker Fury; iconic fighters of the Second World War including multiple marks of the Supermarine Spitfire and operations alongside No. 11 Group RAF and No. 12 Group RAF. Post‑war jet conversions included the Gloster Meteor F.4 and F.8, the Hawker Hunter F.4 and F.6, and later strike/attack aircraft such as the English Electric Canberra and the Panavia Tornado GR1/GR4. The squadron also operated specialised reconnaissance and weapons‑delivery configurations during deployments linked to Operation Granby and Operation Telic.

Roles and operations

The squadron’s primary roles shifted over time from reconnaissance and fighter patrols during the First World War and Second World War to air defence and ground‑attack in the Cold War and expeditionary strike in the late twentieth and early twenty‑first centuries. Notable operations included frontline support during the Western Front campaigns of 1918, offensive operations over occupied France and Germany in 1944–45, NATO deterrence duties during the Cold War involving coordination with RAF Germany and Allied Air Forces Central Europe, and coalition combat sorties in Iraq and Libya under UK government direction and NATO mandates such as Operation Ellamy. The squadron also participated in training and exchange programmes with formations including the Royal Australian Air Force and the United States Air Force.

Squadron bases

No. 45 Squadron was based at numerous RAF and expeditionary stations: early postings at Montrose Air Station and bases on the Western Front during 1916–1918; interwar locations in the Middle East such as RAF Heliopolis and RAF Abu Sueir; Second World War stations across the United Kingdom including RAF Acklington and RAF Hornchurch and forward bases in liberated Europe following the Normandy landings. Cold War deployments included RAF Gütersloh and RAF Laarbruch under RAF Germany, while later Tornado operations were conducted from RAF bases such as RAF Marham and expeditionary detachments to Al Udeid Air Base and Camp Bastion during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Squadron insignia and traditions

The squadron badge displays a hand grasping a griffin’s head, reflecting heraldic ties to units and regions represented by personnel and historical associations with squadrons that served in the Middle East and on the Western Front. The motto "Machina non mentitur" encapsulates a tradition of technical proficiency and reliability dating from the interwar period and reinforced during collaborations with institutions such as the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. Ceremonial links included participation in events alongside the House of Commons and royal reviews involving members of the Royal Family.

Commanding officers and notable personnel

Commanding officers and prominent aircrew included decorated leaders and aces who took part in major campaigns: First World War aces who engaged in combat during the Battle of the Somme and Third Battle of Ypres; Second World War pilots who later reached senior positions within RAF Fighter Command and the Air Ministry; and post‑war commanders who liaised with NATO headquarters such as SHAPE and Allied Air Forces Central Europe. The squadron’s alumni network includes personnel who went on to serve in senior RAF appointments, exchange postings with the United States Air Force, and roles in defence procurement at the Ministry of Defence.

Category:Royal Air Force squadrons Category:Military units established in 1916