Caption: Fairey Battle I RAF 88Sqn aircrew walk to their aircraft France 1940 IWM C366

 Caption: Fairey Battle I RAF 88Sqn RHL RHP n RHD Battle of France 1940 IWM C583

RAF No 88 Squadron

RAF No 88 (Hong Kong) Squadron

Motto: En garde (Be on your guard)

No 88 Squadron BadgeFormed on 24 July 1917 at Gosport but it was early 1918 before it received its equipment of Bristol Fighter, which it took to France in April 1918. It operated in the fighter reconnaissance role but also took a very active part in offensive missions and by the end of the war was credited with the destruction of 164 enemy aircraft. It operated in the Dunkirk area for the whole of the war until it moved to Belgium on 18 November 1918, where it disbanded on 10 August 1919.

The squadron reformed in the light bomber role on 7 June 1937 at Waddington. Initially equipped with the Hawker Hind, these began to be replaced by Fairey Battles in December 1937. On the outbreak of war the squadron moved to France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force. Losing most of its equipment during the German advance, the squadron returned to the UK in June 1940, where it re-equipped and moved to Northern Ireland, where it carried out patrols. It continued on these duties until July 1941 when it moved to Swanton Morley, having re-equipped with Blenheim IVs in February 1941.

Now operating as part of No 2 Group's daylight bombing force, it became the first squadron to be equipped with the Douglas Boston, which it received in December 1941. It continued to operate with No 2 Group for the remainder of the war carrying out low level attacks against communication centres, coastal targets and shipping, and tactical bombing mission in support of the Allied advance. It also laid smokescreen for both the Dieppe raid and the Normandy landings. Moving to France in October 1944 to be closer to the ground units it was supporting, it disbanded on 6 April 1945.

The squadron was revived on 1 September 1946 when No 1430 Flt at Kai Tak, Hong Kong, was re-numbered. It was now involved in transport operations using Sunderlands and operated throughout the Far East. By the time the Korean War broke out on July 1950, the squadron had been re-allocated to the General Reconnaissance role. It operated from Japan for a period during the war but in June 1951 the squadron moved to Singapore and disbanded there on 1 Oct 1954.

No 88's final incarnation began on 15 January 1956 when it reformed at Wildenrath in Germany as a Canberra intruder unit equipped with the Mk B (I) 8 version of this versatile aircraft. The squadron disbanded for the final time, so far, on 17 December 1962 when it was re-numbered No 14 Squadron.

Squadron Codes used: - HY Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 | RH Sep 1939 - Apr 1945

No. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War.

World War I

80 Wing RAF 1st July to 11 Nov 1918 WWI

Squadron	In Flames	Crashed	O.O-C.	Driven Down	Balloons Destroyed
4 A.F.C.	19	57	36	7	22
88Sqn	20	33	53	15
2 A.F.C.	10	30	48	16
92Sqn	4	15	8	1
103Sqn	5	12	30	3
46Sqn	3	11	5	4	1
54Sqn	2	2
Totals	63	160	180	46	23

World War I - Notable pilots

Charles J.W. Darwin

Herbert Larkin

Arthur Vigers

87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was first formed on 1 September 1917 at Upavon from elements of the Central Flying School. On 17 December 1917, it moved to Hounslow Heath Aerodrome and was equipped predominantly with Sopwith Dolphins and Sopwith Scouts, moving on to France in April 1918. After the armistice, the squadron moved back to England and was disbanded at RAF Ternhill on 24 June 1919. The squadron had seven aces, in Arthur Vigers DFC, Leslie Hollinghurst, Henry Biziou, Joseph Callaghan, Charles Darwin, Herbert Joseph Larkin, Alexander Pentland, and Charles Edward Worthington. The squadron's "lazy-S" style insignia in use late in World War I on its Dolphins is said to have been authorised for use by CO Callaghan, whose pre-war time living in Texas, where livestock branding on ranch livestock was common there at that time, could have inspired his choice of squadron insignia.

World War II

World War II - Notable pilots

Geoffrey Allard

Roland Beamont

John Cock

John Dewar

Ian Gleed DSO DFC

Derek Harland Ward

Denis Smallwood

No. 87 Squadron was re-formed on 15 March 1937 at RAF Tangmere from elements of No. 54 Squadron RAF, operating the Hawker Fury. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the squadron was part of the air element of the British Expeditionary Force in France, equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. Flight Lieutenant Ian Gleed was posted to the squadron as a replacement pilot on 17 May 1940 and became an ace in two days. He took command of the squadron in December 1940 when it was based at RAF Charmy Down.

John Strachey, who later became a member of parliament (MP), served as the intelligence officer for the squadron during the Battle of Britain. On 23 July Flt Lt AWG Le Hardy (Tony) took command before being sent on Special Operations as the Air Liaison Officer to the Military Mission to Marshal Tito on the island of Vis off the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Squadron Spitfires were deployed to the island in support of the commando forces from the airfield organised by A/Sqn Ldr Le Hardy for operations in support of the partisan forces in the Balkans for which he was decorated with the OBE, the youngest officer to receive that award, aged 21. The airfield became a valuable destination for damaged Allied Aircraft saving many lives.

In July 1944 87 Squadron, now commanded by Squadron Leader Geoffrey Garton, became one of two RAF Squadrons to join No. 8 Wing SAAF (the other being RAF 185 Squadron) and began fighter-bomber operations supporting the fighting in Italy as well as taking part in offensive sweeps across the Balkans from its detached Italian bases. It continued in this role in the Italian Campaign until the end of the war.

The Cold War

87 Squadron was again re-formed as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany on 1 January 1952 at RAF Wahn with the Gloster Meteor NF11, with the main tasking being the defence of the Ruhr. After five years it moved to RAF Bruggen, and was equipped with the Gloster Javelin as an all-weather interceptor force until it was disbanded on 3 January 1961.

Aircraft Operated by RAF No. 88 Squadron

Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
1917–1919	Sopwith Dolphin		Single-engined piston biplane fighter
1937-1937	Hawker Fury	II	Single-engined piston biplane fighter
1937–1938	Gloster Gladiator	I	Single-engined piston biplane fighter
1938–1942	Hawker Hurricane	I	Single-engined piston monoplane fighter
1941–1944	Hawker Hurricane	IIC
1943–1944	Supermarine Spitfire	IX, VB, VC VIII	Single-engined piston monoplane fighter
1944–1946	Supermarine Spitfire	IX
1952–1957	Gloster Meteor	NF11	Twin-engined jet night fighter
1957–1961	Gloster Javelin	FAW1	Twin-engined all weather and night interceptor
1958–1960	Gloster Javelin	FAW5
1959–1961	Gloster Javelin	FAW4