| No. 56 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 8 June 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 22 January 1920 (RAF) 1 February 1920 – 23 September 1922 1 November 1922 – 31 March 1946 1 April 1946 – 31 July 1992 1 August 1992 – 18 April 2008 22 April 2008 – present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Operational Evaluation Unit |
| Part of | Air Warfare Centre |
| Home station | RAF Waddington |
| Nickname(s) | Punjab 'Firebirds'[1] |
| Motto(s) | Quid si coelum ruat (Latin for 'What if heaven falls?')[2] |
| Aircraft | Beechcraft Shadow R.1 Boeing RC-135W Airseeker R.1 General Atomics Protector RG1 |
| Battle honours |
|
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge | A phoenix rising from fire, chosen to underline the squadron's ability to reappear intact regardless of the odds. Approved by King Edward VIII in July 1936.[1] |
| Squadron roundel |  |
| Squadron codes | LR (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) US (Sep 1939 – Apr 1946; 1947 – Dec 1950) ON (Apr 1946 – 1947) (Codes taken over from No. 124 Sqn) A–Z (Mar 1976 – July 1992) (Phantoms) AA–AZ (July 1992 – Apr 2008) (Tornados) |
Number 56 Squadron, also known as No. 56 Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES),[3] nicknamed the Firebirds for their ability to always reappear intact regardless of the odds, is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both the First and Second World Wars.
During the First World War, the squadron had many aces amongst its ranks such as James McCudden, Albert Ball, Reginald Hoidge and Arthur Rhys-Davids, developing a fierce reputation for the unit. In the Second World War, they fought in the Battle of Britain, and operated as a successful fighter-bomber unit for most of the war. In the 1960s, the squadron had their own aerobatic display team, 'The Firebirds', which consisted of nine English Electric Lightning F.1As, which participated at many airshows. From March 1976 to July 1992, No. 56 (Fighter) Squadron operated the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2, flying from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk, becoming the penultimate unit to fly the type. Until 18 April 2008, the squadron was the Operational Conversion Unit for the Panavia Tornado F.3 at RAF Leuchars, Fife.
Since 22 April 2008, the squadron has been based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, and serves as the Air Command and Control Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operational Evaluation Unit (AIR C2ISR OEU) for the RAF.[4]
- ^ a b Ashworth, Chris (1989). Encyclopaedia of modern Royal Air Force squadrons. Wellingborough: Stephens. pp. 137–138. ISBN 1-85260-013-6.
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 192. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ "56 Test and Evaluation Squadron". raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
- ^ "56 Squadron". raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2018.