No. 207 Squadron RAF

No. 207 Squadron RAF
Official squadron badge for No. 207 Squadron RAF
Active31 December 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RNAS)
1 April 1918 – 20 January 1920 (RAF)
1 February 1920 – 19 April 1940
1 November 1940 – 1 March 1950
4 June 1951 – 27 March 1956
1 April 1956 – 1 May 1965
3 February 1969 – 30 June 1984
12 July 2002 – 13 January 2012[1][2]
1 August 2019 – present[3]
CountryUnited Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeFlying squadron
RoleOperational conversion unit
Part ofNo. 1 Group (Air Combat)
Home stationRAF Marham
Nickname(s)"Black Cat Squadron" (WW1)
"City of Leicester" (After 1939)
Motto(s)Latin: Semper paratus
("Always prepared")[4]
AircraftLockheed Martin F-35B Lightning
Battle honoursWestern Front, 1916–1918
Ypres, 1917*
Somme, 1918*
Amiens
Hindenburg Line*
Biscay Ports, 1941–1945
German Ports, 1941–1945*
Berlin, 1941–1945*
Ruhr, 1941–1945*
Baltic 1941–1945
Fortress Europe 1941–1944
France & Germany, 1944–1945*
Normandy, 1944*
Honours marked with an asterisk* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Commanders
Current
commander
Commander Tim Flatman RN
Notable
commanders
Arthur Tedder
Vashon James Wheeler
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA winged lion statant[4] Approved by King Edward VIII in May 1936.[5]
Squadron roundel
Squadron Codes207 (Apr 1938 – Apr 1939)
NJ (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[6][7]
EM (Nov 1939 – Mar 1950)[8][9]
D (1983–1984)[10]

Number 207 Squadron is a historic bomber squadron and, latterly, a communications and flying training squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was announced on 5 July 2017 that No. 207 Squadron will again reform to become the Operational Conversion Unit for the UK F-35B Lightning Force and will return to RAF Marham in Norfolk where it was last based in 1965.[11] No. 207 Squadron arrived at RAF Marham with six F-35Bs on 16 July 2019 before officially standing to on 1 August.[3][12]

  1. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 71–72.
  2. ^ RAF – 207 Squadron Archived 10 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Second Lightning Fight Jet Squadron Arrives in UK". www.raf.mod.uk. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  4. ^ a b Halley 1988, p. 268.
  5. ^ "207 Sqn". RAF Heraldry Trust. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  6. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 13.
  7. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 51.
  8. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 35.
  9. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 70.
  10. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 198.
  11. ^ "Identity of F-35 Lightning Training Squadron Announced". www.raf.mod.uk. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  12. ^ "A small ceremony took place yesterday to mark the standing up of 207 Squadron at RAF Marham". RAF Marham (Facebook). 2 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.