Air control squadron of the Royal Air Force
Military unit
Number 19 Squadron
(sometimes written as
No. XIX Squadron
) is a
squadron
of the
Royal Air Force
. It was the first squadron to operate the
Supermarine Spitfire
. It currently operates the UK's
Control and Reporting Centre
from
RAF Boulmer
. No. 19 Squadron delivers persistent surveillance of UK
airspace
, and Tactical Control of
RAF
and
NATO
aircraft, including the
UK
's contribution to
NATO
's
Quick Reaction Alert
mission.
Formed on 1 September 1915 as a
Royal Flying Corps
squadron, the unit served during the
First World War
. No. 19 Squadron was the first squadron to operate the
Supermarine Spitfire
, which it flew for the majority of the
Second World War
. The squadron operated several different types during the Cold War from the
Gloster Meteor F.4
to the
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2
as
No. 19 (Fighter) Squadron
. In 1992, and on receipt of the
BAe Hawk
and establishing at
RAF Valley
, the squadron was designated as
No. 19 (Reserve) Squadron
.
The squadron was disbanded on 24 November 2011, before being allocated to the UK Air Surveillance and Control System
Control and Reporting Centre
at RAF Boulmer on 1 April 2021, charged with providing
Battle Management
and
Tactical
Command and Control
(
Tac C2
) of
NATO
aircraft, for both defence of the UK and NATO airspace, as well as operational training for the RAF's fast jet squadrons.
History
[
edit
]
First World War
[
edit
]
No. 19 Squadron of the
Royal Flying Corps
was formed on 1 September 1915, from members of
No. 5 Squadron
, at
Castle Bromwich
[8]
[9]
training on a variety of aircraft before being deployed to France in July 1916 flying
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12
and re-equipping with the more suitable French-built
SPAD S.VIIs
.
[10]
From November 1917, the squadron started to receive
Sopwith Dolphins
to replace its Spads, it being fully equipped with the Dolphin during January 1918, flying its first operational patrol with the new fighter on 3 February.
[11]
[12]
By the end of the war, No. 19 Squadron had had 22
flying aces
among its ranks, including
Albert Desbrisay Carter
,
John Leacroft
,
Arthur Bradfield Fairclough
,
Oliver Bryson
,
Gordon Budd Irving
,
Frederick Sowrey
, future
Air Commodore
Patrick Huskinson
,
Cecil Gardner
,
Roger Amedee Del'Haye
, future
Air Chief Marshal
James Hardman
,
Finlay McQuistan
,
Alexander Pentland
,
John Candy
,
Cecil Thompson
and
John Aldridge
.
[13]
Commanding officers during this time included
H.D. Harvey-Kelly
who was the first RFC pilot to land in France in the First World War. At least one of the No. 19 Squadron airmen, a Canadian, George Robert Long, was captured on 6 October 1917 in the Lille area and spent the rest of the war in a number of
prisoner of war
camps
, including
Holzminden prisoner-of-war camp
. It was his very first flight, in a Spad VII,
B3508
. The squadron was flying out of
Bailleul
(Asylum Ground) at the time. He was shot down by Gefreiter J. Funk, flying with Ja30. He had first been a member of the C.E.F. in the infantry and was wounded a number of times. He wasn't repatriated until 14 December 1918, to return home to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
[14]
Interwar period
[
edit
]
Squadron Leader Cozens leading a formation of six new Spitfire Mk.Is of No. 19 Squadron, 31 October 1938
No. 19 Squadron was disbanded after the First World War on 31 December 1919.
[15]
On 1 April 1923, the squadron was reformed at
RAF Duxford
with the
Sopwith Snipe
, initially operating as part of
No. 2 Flying Training School
(No. 2 FTS).
[15]
[16]
After becoming independent No. 2 FTS, No. 19 Squadron remained at Duxford flying number of different fighters such as the
Gloster Grebe
,
Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Mk.IIIa
and the
Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIa
.
[9]
In May 1935, the unit became the first squadron to be equipped with the
Gloster Gauntlet
which they flew until March 1939.
[17]
In 1938, No. 19 Squadron became the first squadron in the RAF to operate the
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
,
[18]
[19]
when
K9789
was delivered on 4 August.
[20]
The squadron lost its first Spitfire when
K9792
crashed on landing at RAF Duxford on 20 September 1938, having only been delivered on 16 August.
[21]
Second World War
[
edit
]
No. 19 Squadron was stationed at RAF Duxford after the outbreak of the
Second World War
in September 1939, and was part of
No. 12 Group
,
RAF Fighter Command
.
[22]
Douglas Bader
was posted to the squadron in February 1940.
[23]
In May and June 1940, the squadron helped provide air cover over the
Dunkirk beaches
.
[16]
In June 1940, No. 19 Squadron began the receive Spitfire Mk.Ibs, which were armed with the
Hispano cannon
, however due to reliability issues the unit soon reverted to the Spitfire Mk.Ia.
[9]
No. 19 Squadron formed part of the
Duxford Wing
, No. 12 Group's '
Big Wing
' formation during the
Battle of Britain
.
[2]
Later versions of Spitfires were flown until the arrival of
North American Mustang
Mk.IIIs for close-support duties in early 1944.
[24]
After
D-Day
, No. 19 Squadron briefly went across the
English Channel
before starting long-range escort duties from
RAF Peterhead
,
Scotland
, for
Coastal Command
off the coast of
Norway
.
[25]
The Squadron converted to the Mustang Mk.IV in April 1945 while based at RAF Peterhead.
[26]
Cold War
[
edit
]
No. 19 (F) Squadron Phantom FGR.2 with a
US Navy
Grumman F-14A Tomcat
during
Operation Desert Shield
, December 1990
Relocating south to
RAF Acklington
on 13 May 1945, No. XIX (Fighter) Squadron exchanged their Mustangs for Spitfire Mk.XVIs.
[26]
[27]
While at
RAF Wittering
in October 1946, No. 19 (F) Squadron converted to the
de Havilland Hornet
Mk.I which were operated until January 1951 when the Squadron received their first jet aircraft ? the
Gloster Meteor
F.4.
[28]
These were soon exchanged for the Meteor F.8 in April 1951 which were flown until October 1956 when No. 19 (F) Squadron received the
Hawker Hunter
F.6.
[16]
The Squadron moved to
RAF Leconfield
, Yorkshire in 1959 where they converted to the
English Electric Lightning
F.2 in November 1962.
[28]
The Squadron and her sister unit,
No. 92 (F) Squadron
, were deployed forwards in September 1965 to
RAF Gutersloh
, close to the inner German border, as part of Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2ATAF).
[16]
Subsequently, the squadron re-equipped with the longer-range Lightning F.2A version.
[29]
On 31 December 1976, No. 19 (F) Squadron disbanded with the Lightning, followed by No. 92 (F) Squadron in March 1977, and reformed the next day at
RAF Wildenrath
,
[24]
further back west of the Rhine, with the
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2
still in the air defence role.
[29]
Because of restricted airspace in then West Germany, both No. 19 Squadron and its sister No. 92 Squadron deployed regularly out of theatre over these years for annual Missile Practice Camps at RAF Valley, using the Aberporth Range in Wales, to RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall and RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for Armament Practice Camps (gunnery), to Italian Air Force Decimommanu in Sardinia to use the NATO Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumented Range, and latterly to Eglin and Nellis Air Force Bases in Florida and Nevada to participate respectively in multi national Exercises Green and Red Flags.
[30]
On 17 August 1990, No. XIX (F) Squadron, along with No. 92 (F) Squadron, were sent to
RAF Akrotiri
,
Cyprus
, in order to provide air defence for the island after Tornado F.3s from
No. V (AC) Squadron
and
No. 29 (F) Squadron
deployed from Akrotiri to
Dhahran Airfield
due to the Iraqi
Invasion of Kuwait
(ahead of
Operation Granby
).
[31]
No. 19 (F) Squadron operated their Phantoms from here until 28 February 1991 when
a ceasefire was called
between the
coalition forces
and
Iraq
.
[16]
On 9 January 1992, the squadron disbanded as part of agreed post-
Cold War
force reductions and their aircraft were scrapped.
[28]
[32]
On 16 January 1992, the last Phantom departed piloted by Wildenrath Station Commander Group Captain Geoff Brindle to be gifted to the Kbely Military Museum in Prague.
Hawk (1992?2011)
[
edit
]
No. 19 (R) Squadron Disbandment Event held on 24 November 2011 at RAF Valley, led by Wg Cdr Kevin Marsh
The number plate was then assigned to the former
No. 63 Squadron
, one of the Hawk squadrons at
RAF Chivenor
, in September 1992, becoming No. 19 (Reserve) Squadron. The squadron was a 'Shadow' identity of No. 2 Tactical Weapons Unit (2 TWU). Following the closure of Chivenor to jet flying the squadron was moved to
RAF Valley
in September 1994 to provide advanced fast jet training on the
BAE Hawk
.
[34]
As a consequence of the UK's
Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010
, the Air Force Board decided in 2011 that 19 Squadron's training role with the Hawk T2 at RAF Valley should be transferred to a resurrected
No. 4(R) Squadron
. No. 19(R) Squadron, one of the last surviving
Battle of Britain
squadrons, disbanded on 24 November 2011, 96 years after it was first formed.
[35]
The disbandment event, held at RAF Valley, was led by Officer Commanding No. 19 Squadron,
Wing Commander
Kevin Marsh. In attendance were the
Chief of Air Staff
,
Air Chief Marshal
Stephen Dalton
, Air Chief Marshal
William Wratten
and
Flight Lieutenant
Ken Wilkinson - a 19 Squadron Spitfire pilot who flew during the
Battle of Britain
.
[36]
No. 19 Squadron and her sister squadron,
No. 20 Squadron
, at their reformation parade, held at
Alnwick Castle
on 15 June 2021.
Control and Reporting Centre (2021 ? present)
[
edit
]
In 2021, the RAF recognised the important role of
Battle Management
and
Air Traffic Control
units had played in defence of the UK and NATO over the cold war and in the UK's response since the
9/11 terrorist attacks
. The RAF awarded squadron number plates to Battlespace Management Operations Wing, the Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS) Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), and RAF Swanwick. Battlespace Management Operations Wing, including the remnants of
No. 1 Air Control Centre
, was re-brigaded as No. 19 Squadron on 1 April 2021,
[37]
and continues to operate the
Control and Reporting Centre
from
RAF Boulmer
in
Northumberland
.
[38]
No. 19 Squadron's reformation was celebrated officially at a reformation parade on 15 June 2021, held at
Alnwick Castle
. The parade was led by RAF Boulmer Station Commander,
Group Captain
David Keighley, Officer Commanding No. 19 Squadron, Wing Commander Chris Misiak, and Officer Commanding No. 20 Squadron, Wing Commander Andy Foy. In attendance were the
Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland
,
Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland
, and Chief of Staff Capability,
Air Vice Marshall
Lincoln Taylor.
[39]
No. 19 Squadron operate the
Control and Reporting Centre
, considered to be the modern-day translation of
Dowding
's
eponymous
Integrated Air Defence System, credited with ultimate success during the Battle of Britain by allowing Fighter Command to position and mass air defence fighters where they were needed most.
[40]
The CRC weapon system is a
system-of-systems
designed to give operators situational awareness over a given battlespace, and also giving those same operators the means to direct, communicate, guide and advise military aircraft to achieve their mission.
[41]
[42]
No. 19 Squadron are providers of Tactical-level
Command and Control
and are considered a Tac C2 agency within NATO.
[43]
[44]
Alongside
No. 20 Squadron
, No. 19 Squadron continues to defend the UK. No. 20 Squadron provide expert training to the air battle managers of No. 19 Squadron, including initial qualification, Combat Ready training, and the
Qualified Weapons Instructor
(
Command and Control
) course.
[45]
Aircraft operated
[
edit
]
No. XIX Squadron Mustang Mk.IIIs in April 1944.
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2
XT899
of No. XIX (F) Squadron painted in an overall blue scheme arriving at
RIAT
, July 1991. This aircraft is today on display at the
Kbely museum
in Prague, Czech Republic
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- Notes
- ^
a
b
c
d
Palmer 1991, p. 3.
- ^
a
b
c
"19 Squadron"
.
Royal Air Force
. 2015. Archived from
the original
on 3 March 2016
. Retrieved
19 October
2015
.
- ^
Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 11.
- ^
Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 52.
- ^
Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 87.
- ^
Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 99.
- ^
Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 229.
- ^
Halley 1988, p. 55.
- ^
a
b
c
"No 19 Squadron"
.
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
Jefford 1988, p. 30
- ^
Chorlton
Aeroplane
Autumn 2014, p. 58.
- ^
Jefford 1988, p. 30
- ^
Shores, Frank and Guest 1990, p. 32
- ^
Henshaw, Teevor (2014).
The Sky Their Battlefield 2
. Fetubi Books.
ISBN
978-0992977108
.
- ^
a
b
Rawlings 1978, p. 47.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"No.19 Squadron"
.
Royal Air Force Museum
. Retrieved
28 March
2019
.
- ^
"No 19 Squadron Aircraft & Markings 1916 - 1931"
.
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
Rawlings 1978, p. 48.
- ^
"British Military Aviation in 1938"
. Royal Air Force Museum. Archived from
the original
on 14 May 2012
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
"Supermarine Spitfire"
.
Tangmere Museum
. February 2007
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
"Incident Supermarine Spitfire Mk I K9792, 20 Sep 1938"
.
Aviation Safety Network
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
Rawlings 1978, p. 525.
- ^
"Douglas Bader - A fighter pilot again"
. Royal Air Force Museum
. Retrieved
23 April
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Halley 1988, p. 56.
- ^
Rawlings 1978, p. 49.
- ^
a
b
"No. 19 Squadron (RAF): Second World War"
.
History of War
. Retrieved
28 March
2019
.
- ^
"No 19 Squadron Aircraft & Markings 1931 - 1946"
.
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
. Retrieved
28 March
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
"No 19 Squadron"
.
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
. Retrieved
28 March
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Jefford 1988, p. 31
- ^
"Green Flag measures readiness, interoperability"
. Nellis Air Force Base. 4 August 2016
. Retrieved
7 May
2021
.
- ^
"THE HISTORY OF RAF AKROTIRI 1955 - 2005"
.
RAF Akrotiri
. Retrieved
28 March
2019
.
- ^
"19 Squadron"
. Royal Air Force. Archived from
the original
on 25 April 2017
. Retrieved
28 March
2019
.
- ^
"No. 19 Squadron"
. Royal Air Force Museum
. Retrieved
7 May
2021
.
- ^
"IV Squadron Reborn"
.
Royal Air Force
. 24 November 2011
. Retrieved
19 October
2015
.
- ^
"19 Squadron"
. Lightning Association
. Retrieved
7 May
2021
.
- ^
Royal Air Force
(1 April 2021). "IBN 33/21 Allocation of Numberplates to Battlespace Management Units" (Press release). Air Media and Communications.
- ^
"Two historic RAF Squadron Numberplates are set to return"
.
Royal Air Force
. Retrieved
7 May
2021
.
- ^
"Royal Air Force"
.
Royal Air Force
. Retrieved
27 December
2022
.
- ^
"The Battle of Britain - Page 1"
.
www.stelzriede.com
. Retrieved
27 December
2022
.
- ^
"Control and Reporting Center (CRC)"
.
552nd Air Control Wing
. Retrieved
27 December
2022
.
- ^
"Royal Air Force"
.
Royal Air Force
. Retrieved
27 December
2022
.
- ^
"Royal Air Force"
.
Royal Air Force
. Retrieved
27 December
2022
.
- ^
AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND PETERSON AFB CO (1 April 2006).
"High Frontier: The Journal for Space & Missile Professionals. Volume 2, Number 3"
. Fort Belvoir, VA.
doi
:
10.21236/ada593637
.
- ^
"Royal Air Force"
.
Royal Air Force
. Retrieved
27 December
2022
.
- ^
Jefford 2001, pp. 33-34.
- ^
Palmer 1991, pp. 353-374.
- Bibliography
- Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings.
Squadron Codes, 1937-56
. Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire, UK: Patrick Stephens., 1979.
ISBN
0-85059-364-6
.
- Chorlton, Martyn. "The Determined Dolphins".
Aeroplane
, Autumn 2014, Vol. 42, No. 9. pp. 58?62. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Delve, Ken.
The Source Book of the RAF
. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994.
ISBN
1-85310-451-5
.
- Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas.
Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938
. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing., 2003.
ISBN
1-84037-281-8
.
- Halley, James J.
The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988
. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians)., 1988.
ISBN
0-85130-164-9
.
- Jefford, C.G.
RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912
. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001).
ISBN
1-85310-053-6
.
- March, P. (1993).
Royal Air Force Yearbook 1993
.
Fairford
, UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
- Palmer, Derek.
Fighter Squadron (No. 19)
. Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, UK: Self Publishing Association, 1991.
ISBN
1-85421-075-0
.
- Palmer, Derek.
19 Fighter Squadron, RAF
. Published by Derek Palmer, 2008.
ISBN
978-0-9558970-0-9
.
- Rawlings, John D.R.
Fighter Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and their Aircraft
. London: MacDonald and Jane's (Publishers)., 1969 (new edition 1976, reprinted 1978).
ISBN
0-354-01028-X
. pp. 47?54.
- Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990).
Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915?1920
. London: Grub Street.
ISBN
978-0-948817-19-9
.
External links
[
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]
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