No. 43 Squadron RAF

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No. 43 Squadron RAF

Active	15 April 1916
Role	Air defence
Garrison/HQ	RAF Leuchars
Motto	"Gloria finis" (Glory is the end)
Equipment	Panavia Tornado F3
Battle honours	Western Front 1917-1918, Arras, Ypres 1917, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918, Lys, Amiens, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain 1940*, Home defence 1940-1942, Fortress Europe 1942, Dieppe, North Africa 1942-1943, Sicily 1943, Salerno, Italy 1943-1945, Anzio and Nettuno, Gustav Line, France and Germany 1944, Gulf 1991.
Insignia
Identification symbol	A black gamecock

No. 43 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland.

[edit] History

43 Squadron was formed on 15 April 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II the squadron re-equipped with Hawker Hurricanes, it was with these aircraft that the squadron covered the Dunkirk retreat and fought in the Battle of Britain. In November 1942 43 Squadron moved to North Africa, now flying Supermarine Spitfires. The squadron ended the war in Austria and was disbanded in 1947.

In February 1949 No. 266 Squadron was renumbered as No. 43 Squadron, now flying Gloster Meteors at RAF Tangmere. The squadron moved to Leuchars in 1950 and in 1954 began to receive the Hawker Hunter. During much of the 1960s the Squadron operated from Cyprus and was disbanded in 1967. 43 Squadron reformed at Leuchars in 1969 with the McDonnell Douglas Phantom which it flew until its replacement by the Tornado F3 in 1990.

Phantom FGR.2 of No. 43 Sqn

The Squadron was awarded the "Freedom of the city" of Stirling (43 Fighter Squadron was Stirling's home sqn long ago) in 2005. Currently, the Squadron still operates the Tornado F3 and will do until the Eurofighter Typhoon replaces the F3 as the UKs operational fighter aircraft (circa 2011)

The squadron flagship, ZG757, has a gloss black spine and tail and 90th anniversary emblem on the tail.

In April 2008 the squadron absorbed 56 (Reserve) Squadron and are now the F3 OCU, as well as an operational sqn. 56Squadron will reform in another role without aircraft

[edit] Current role

With the F3 the squadron participated in the 1991 Gulf War and maintained a presence in the Iraqi no-fly zones. 43 Sqn crew and personnel are tasked with the duty of QRA,both in Fife, and in the Falklands as part of 1435 Flight and participated in Operation Telic. When the Sqn are not on operational taskings they fly daily training sorties through the week all year round.