No. 213 Squadron RAF

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No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.

The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from 13 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service. During WW1 213 Squadron flew Sopwith Baby floatplanes and transitioned to Sopwith Camels. It was during this time that the squadron derived its Hornet and motto for the squadron badge, after overhearing a Belgian general refer to the squadron's defence of his trenches, "Like angry hornets attacking the enemy aircraft." The Hornet became affectionately known as "Crabro," latin for hornet. The squadron's official motto became, "Irritatus Lacessit Crabro" (The Hornet Attacks When Roused). ^[1]

Disbanded in 1919, it was reformed in 1938 as a Hurricane squadron, flying throughout most of the war, as part of the British Expeditionary Force, at Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and finally in the Middle East as part of the Desert Air Force. It also flew P-51 Mustangs. After the war, it remained in the Middle East, first flying Tempests and then De Havilland Vampires. It was stationed at RAF Deversoir in the Egyptian Canal Zone in 1952, before being disbanded in the late 50s.

It reformed once again as an English Electric Canberra squadron, specialising in low level interdiction missions. It was the only squadron to fly the Canberra B(I)6, still with the beloved " Crabro" adorning the tail fin.

The squadron finally disbanded on 31 December 1969.