| No. 41 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Test and evaluation |
| Part of | Air Warfare Centre |
| Home station | RAF Coningsby |
| Motto(s) | Seek and Destroy[1] |
| Anniversaries | April 2016 (centenary) |
| Aircraft | Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 |
| Battle honours | Western Front (1916–1918)*, Somme (1916)*, Arras, Cambrai (1917)*, Somme (1918), Lys (1918), Amiens*, Dunkirk (1940)[2] Battle of Britain (1940)*, Home Defence (1940–1944), Fortress Europe (1940–1944)*, Dieppe*, France & Germany (1944–1945)*, Arnhem, Walcheren, Gulf (1991)[3] * Honours marked with an asterisk are emblazoned on the squadron standard |
| Website | 41 Squadron RAF |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Wing Commander Lee 'Flash' Gordon |
| Notable commanders |
|
| Insignia | |
| Squadron tail badge |  |
| Squadron badge heraldry | A red double-armed cross on white background, originating from the squadron's association with St Omer, France which was its first overseas base in 1916 during the First World War. The cross is part of the town's arms. Approved by King George VI in February 1937.[4] |
| Post 1950 squadron roundel |  |
| Squadron codes | PN (Jan 1939 – Sep 1939) EB (Sep 1939 – Feb 1951) FA–FZ (Jaguars) EB-A – EB-Z (2010 – present) |
No. 41 Squadron Royal Air Force is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF), currently operating as the Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) for the RAF's Typhoon, presently based at RAF Coningsby in the English county of Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. Its current official abbreviated title is 41 TES. The squadron was originally formed in April 1916, during First World War as part of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and served on the Western Front as a ground attack and fighter squadron. Disbanded in 1919 as part of the post-war draw down, No. 41 Squadron was re-formed as an RAF squadron in 1923, and remained on home service until 1935, when it was deployed to Aden during the Abyssinian crisis.
During the Second World War, the squadron flew Supermarine Spitfire fighters, and saw action over Dunkirk and the during the Battle of Britain in the early years of the war. Combat operations were flown from Britain over German-occupied Europe during 1941–1944, before the squadron moved to the continent after the Normandy landings. During 1944–1945, the squadron supported the Allied advance into Germany, and it remained there until mid-1946 as part of the occupation force following the end of hostilities. In the post-war years, the squadron was disbanded and re-formed several times, operating a variety of jet aircraft in the fighter, reconnaissance, and interceptor roles. In 2006, the squadron was re-roled as the Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit. It remained in this role until 2010, when it became the Test and Evaluation Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 207. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ The Dunkirk Battle Honour was not awarded until 2012. The reason the Honour was not originally awarded is unknown and was likely just an oversight. Recognising the error and a legitimate claim to the Honour, the squadron made a formal application in 2010, and Buckingham Palace approved the Honour in February 2012, almost 72 years after the event. 41 Squadron was involved in the evacuation of Dunkirk between 28 May and 8 June 1940. In addition to claiming several victories against the Luftwaffe, the unit lost one pilot killed in action and a second shot down and captured.
- ^ "41(R) Squadron". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 106.