No. 88 Squadron RAF

No. 88 (Hong Kong) Squadron RAF
Active24 July 1917 – 1 April 1918 (RFC)
1 April 1918 – 10 August 1919 (RAF)
17 June 1937 – 4 April 1945
1 September 1946 – 1 October 1954
15 January 1956 – 17 December 1962
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeFlying squadron
Nickname(s)Hong Kong
Motto(s)French: En garde ("Be on your guard")[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA serpent gliding.The snake is based on the 1914-18 War badge of No.88 Squadron of the French Air Service (Escadrille SPA.88) with which this squadron was associated. The compliment of adopting this badge was warmly welcomed by the French Air Service at that time.[3] Approved by King George VI in November 1939.[4]
Squadron codesHY (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)
RH (Sep 1939 – Apr 1945)

Number 88 Squadron was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed at Gosport, Hampshire in July 1917 as a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) squadron.[5]

  1. ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 64. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^ A warning given at start of a fencing match
  3. ^ "88 Squadron". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
  4. ^ "88 Sqn". RAF Heraldry Trust. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  5. ^ Gutman, J. "Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War 1". Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84603-201-1