No. 208 Squadron RAF
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No 208(R) Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. The unit operates the BAe Hawk aircraft.
[edit] Squadron History
The squadron began life as part of the Royal Naval Air Service in October 1916 at Dunkirk as No. 8 (Naval) squadron. In their earlier days, the unit flew Sopwith Pups, 1 1/2 Strutters and Nieuport Scouts. Later on in World War I the unit were equipped with Sopwith Camels and assigned to artillery spotting. The squadron returned to the UK briefly before being sent back to France to face the German offensive. While in France a significant number of Camels belonging to the squadron were destroyed by the RAF to stop the Germans capturing them during their advance. At the end of the war the squadron returned to the UK and in 1919 disbanded.
The squadron reformed in Egypt with RE8s and later Bristol Fighters. The squadron were still stationed in Egypt at the outbreak of World War II. The squadron joined the war effort in mid-1940 with Hawker Hurricanes and were involved in action in modern day Libya and Greece. In 1944 they were involved in the liberation of Italy.
Shortly after the war the unit moved to Palestine and were attacked by the Egyptian Air Force before relocating in Malta in 1951. The squadron disbanded in 1959. Shortly after that the unit reformed back in the UK. Two months later they returned to the Middle East with De Havilland Vampires and subsequently Hawker Hunters. The squadron remained in the Middle East until September 1971 when they disbanded as a consequence of a British drawdown of the armed forces.
The unit reformed in 1974 with Blackburn Buccaneers and operated in the low-level strike role. The squadron was one of the last to operate the type as it went out of service in 1994. After the retiring of the Buccaneers the squadron moved to Valley and started operating the BAe Hawk that they are still flying to this day.
