12 Squadron

A joint RAF and Qatar Emiri Air Force Squadron.

"Leads the field"

About

12 Squadron is based at RAF Coningsby. Aircraft flown include the Fairey Fox, Vickers Wellington, English Electric Canberra, Blackburn Buccaneer and Panavia Tornado. Flew long-range Storm Shadow missions deep into Libya from RAF Marham in 2011. Stood up as a joint UK-Qatari Typhoon squadron in July 2018.

History

1915   Formed at Netheravon.

1926   Sole operator of the Fairey Fox.

1940   Flying Officer Garland and Sergeant Gray were awarded Victoria Crosses for a Fairey Battle raid on the Maastricht bridge over the Albert Canal. The unit soon re-equipped with the Vickers Wellington.

1942   Re-equipped with the Lancaster.

1951   Re-equipped with the Canberra and then with the Vulcan, in 1962.

1969   Switched to maritime and strike operations with the Buccaneer.

1991   Flew the Buccaneer in Operation Granby, the 1991 Gulf War.

1993   Re-equipped with the Tornado GR1B.

1998   Took part in Operation Desert Fox over Iraq.

2003   Took part in Operation Telic over Iraq with the Tornado GR4.

2010   First Tornado unit in Afghanistan.

2011   Took part in Operation Ellamy, including Storm Shadow missions from RAF Marham.

2014   Stood down.

2015   Re-formed to support Operation Shader.

2018   Stood down in February and re-formed as a joint Typhoon unit in July.

2020   Began joint operations at RAF Coningsby.

Battle honours

1915-1918   Western Front 

Loos*

1916   Somme

Arras

1917*   Cambrai

1918*   Somme 

Hindenburg Line

1939-1940*   France and Low Countries 

Meuse Bridges*

1940-1944   Fortress Europe 

1941-1945   German Ports 

1940-1945   Biscay Ports 

1941-1945*   Berlin

1941-1945*   Ruhr

1944-1945   France and Germany

Rhine*

1991*   Gulf

2003-2011   Iraq 

2001-2014   Afghanistan

Honours marked with an asterisk, may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard.

Contact

Please contact the home station Media Communications team for more information or to contact the Squadron

Media enquiries details for RAF Coningsby