II (AC) Squadron

History

1912   Formed at Farnborough under the Royal Flying Corps.

1913   Relocated to Montrose Air Station, Scotland.

1915   Lt Rhodes-Moorhouse was the first airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

1916   Squadron's aircraft first painted with black triangles to act as a means of identification for friendly ground forces. This was then adopted as the Squadron's symbol and is used to this day.

1931   Squadron badge of the 'Hereward Knot' is officially approved.

1944   Brought back the first aerial photographs of the D-Day Landings.

1946   Squadron moves to RAF Wunsdorf, remaining in Germany for many years.

1980   II(AC) Squadron participates for the first time in Exercise Red Flag in the United States.

1989   Re-equipped with the Panavia Tornado GR1A.

1990   Deployments as part of Operation Desert Shield.

1991   After 47 years at Stations around Germany, II(AC) moves from RAF Laarbruch to RAF Marham.

1999   II(AC) Squadron enforces no fly zones in Iraq. The Squadron drops air to surface munitions for the first time in 54 years.

2003   Deployment to Gulf Theatre of Operations as part of Op Telic.

2009   Deployment to Afghanistan as part of Op Herrick.

2014   Deployed with three Tornados to Chad as part of Op Turus, searching for the missing Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

2015   Another deployment to Afghanistan as part of Op Herrick.

2015   Move from RAF Marham flying Tornado to RAF Lossiemouth flying Typhoon, marking the 23rd aircraft type in the Squadron's 104 years.

2016   Deployments to the Far East for exercises with South Korea and Japan. 

2019   II(AC) Squadron awarded the Freedom of Angus, celebrating the heritage of the Squadron being the first flying unit to be based at Montrose Air Station under the Royal Flying Corps.

2019   Deployments to RAF Akrotiri as part of Op Shader, and Malaysia for Exercise Bersama Lima.