A blackcock, selected because of its speed and strength on the wing, the cock is in fighting attitude to suggest the squadron’s ability to turn itself into a war fighting unit at short notice, despite a peacetime training role. Approved by HM King George VI in June 1937.
Military unit
No. 24 Squadron (also known as No. XXIV Squadron) of the Royal Air Force is the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit (AM OCU). Based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 24 Squadron is responsible for aircrew training on A400M Atlas and C17 Globemaster. The squadron also delivers or oversees engineer training for these aircraft.
History
Fighter squadron (1915–1919)
The squadron was founded as No. 24 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps on 1 September 1915 at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome.[3] It arrived in France equipped with D.H.2 fighters in February 1916.[3] The DH.2 came with a reputation for spinning because it had a rotary engine "pushing" it, but after Officer Commanding Major Lanoe Hawker demonstrated the recently discovered procedures for pulling out of a spin, the squadron's pilots came to appreciate the type's manoeuvrability.[4]
By early 1917 the DH.2 was outclassed and they were replaced by the Airco DH.5. The DH.5 did not prove suitable as a fighter but the squadron used it in a ground-attack role. One of the first actions was during the Battle of Messines, and they took part later in the Battle of Cambrai. The DH.5 was phased out of operations and the squadron were given the SE.5a in December 1917.[5] After a few months in the ground-attack role the squadron returned to air combat operations. By October 1918 the squadron had destroyed 200 enemy aircraft. With the armistice the squadron returned to England and was disbanded in February 1919.[5]
As a VIP transport squadron (1920–1968)
A 24 Squadron Dakota C.III transporting King George VI to the Channel Islands, 1945
On 1 February 1920 the squadron was re-formed at RAF Kenley as a communications and training squadron.[3] During the General Strike of 1926, because of the lack of a postal services, the squadron was used to deliver government dispatches around the country.[3]
Following the outbreak of the Second World War the squadron acquired civil airliners which were impressed for wartime service. It provided a detachment in France to run courier services, but with the withdrawal of British troops it was soon used to evacuate men back to England. Former British Airways and Imperial Airways aircraft were put to use on a network of communications flights including trips to Gibraltar and later Malta.[3]
The squadron had grown into a large organisation, with a network of routes around the United Kingdom and eventually extended to India. It also operated VIP transports including Sir Winston Churchill's personal aircraft. It was decided to break the squadron up: the internal communication flight became 510 Squadron in October 1942.[6] In June 1943 a second squadron, No. 512, equipped with Douglas Dakotas was split off from No 24.[6] This left 24 Squadron to concentrate on the long distance routes using the Avro York.[3]
After many years the squadron had to leave RAF Hendon in February 1946 as the airfield was now too small to operate the larger Avro Yorks and Avro Lancastrians.[3] The squadron was also designated a Commonwealth squadron with crews from various Commonwealth countries joining the squadron strength.[3]
As a Transport Command Squadron (1968–2011)
In 1968 the squadron moved from RAF Colerne to RAF Lyneham and re-equipped with the Lockheed Hercules. The squadron re-equipped with the new generation Hercules C.4 and C.5 (RAF designations for the C-130J-30 and C-130J respectively) in 2002. It celebrated 40 years of Hercules operation in 2008 and remained at Lyneham until July 2011 when the squadron relocated to RAF Brize Norton.[7]
As a Training Squadron (2011–present)
In January 2011, 24 Squadron started its transition from a front-line C130J Hercules Squadron to become the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit.[3] This transition brigaded the majority of flying and engineer training within the Air Mobility Force under one specialist training unit. 24 Squadron is currently responsible for the provision of training to aircrews flying the C17 Globemaster and A400M Atlas aircraft, and formerly the C130J Hercules until its retirement in 2023.[8]
As a Central Flying School accredited training establishment, 24 Squadron is the professional training body for the Air Mobility Force delivering flying and engineering training. The Squadron also oversees Aircrew Instructor Development delivering initial aircrew instructor courses.[8]
United Kingdom
Royal Air Force
