No. 84 Squadron RAF

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No. 84 Squadron RAF

Active	January 1917
Role	Search and Rescue
Garrison/HQ	RAF Akrotiri
Equipment	3 Bell Griffin HAR2
Motto	"Scorpiones pungunt" (Scorpions sting)
Battle honours	Western Front 1917-1918, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, Iraq 1920, Iraq 1923-1925, Iraq 1928-1929, Egypt and Libya, 1940-1942, Greece 1940-1941, Iraq 1941, Habbaniya, Syria 1941, Malaya 1942, North Burma 1944, Manipur 1944
Insignia
Identification symbol	Scorpion

No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, it uses the Bell Griffin HAR2 helicopter.

[edit] History

No. 84 Squadron was formed in January 1917 and moved to France in September 1917. It flew the SE.5 over the Western front until it returned to the UK in August 1919. The squadron was disbanded in January 1920.

The squadron was reformed in 1920 in Iraq before moving to Egypt in September 1940. It later operated in Greece, Iraq, and the Western Desert before moving briefly to the Far East.

No. 84 Squadron flew the Vultee Vengeance dive bomber from Assam in North-East India during the Second World War.

The squadron re-equipped with the DH Mosquito in February 1945 and in September 1945 with the Bristol Beaufighter. In 1949 No. 84 Squadron flew Bristol Brigands during Operation Firedog and was disbanded in 1953.

No. 204 Squadron was renumbered as 84 Squadron in 1953. The squadron was the transport squadron for the RAF in the Middle east till 1971.

The squadron was reformed in the Search and Rescue role in 1972 using the Westland Whirlwind. It later replaced the Whirlwind with the Westland Wessex.

Since January 2003 the squadron is assigned to British Forces Cyprus at RAF Akrotiri in the search and rescue role using the Bell Griffin HAR2.

[edit] Trivia

It was the last RAF squadron to use the Westland Wessex, which it finished using in January 2003, and transferred to the Bell Griffin HAR2. During its work-up on the Griffin, 84 Squadron's SAR responsibilities in Cyprus were covered by 203(R) Squadron.
84 Squadron is the only serving squadron never to have been based in the United Kingdom.
The squadron's badge, approved by George VI in December 1936 is the scorpion, and its motto is Scorpiones pungunt, Latin for "Scorpions sting". As a result, they keep pet scorpions as mascots at RAF Akrotiri.
In addition to their airframe serials the 4 Griffin's are also identified as either Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds or Spades.
84 Squadron aircraft are also used for UN duties in maintaining the "Green Line" separating "free" Cyprus from their neighbours in the Turkish Rebublic of Northern Cyprus. In recognition of this role the aircraft are always unarmed and carry a light blue band around their tail, matching the blue berets of UN peacekeepers.