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#1338 Hawk T1A

Hawk T1A
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
£10.00 €12.10 $12.70
43.8 cm x 29.2 cm
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Print
Hawk T1
XX350
208 Sqn
RAF Valley
UK - Air Force
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Description

Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1338 - Hawk T1A, XX350, 208(R) Squadron, No.4 Flying Training School, RAF Valley. No. 208 Squadron formed as No. 8 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk on 26 October 1916 to reinforce the RFC. Flying Sopwith Pups, Nieuport Scouts and Sopwith 1½ Strutters, the Squadron operated with the 5th Brigade near Amiens but moved frequently. It later re-equipped with other types. On 1 April 1918, the day on which ‘Naval 8’ was embodied into the newly-formed Royal Air Force, it was flying Camels on the Western Front and was engaged in fighter and ground-attack duties until the end of the war, when it received Snipes. After a spell with the occupation forces it returned to the UK in September 1919 and disbanded on 7 November. It reformed at Ismailia in Egypt on 1 February 1920 with RE 8s and began an unbroken period of 51 years in and around the Middle East. It re-equipped with Bristol Fighters in November 1920 for Army co-operation, duties but in 1922 it was sent to Turkey for a year. Returning to Egypt it received Atlases in May 1930 and adopted a crest of a winged eye looking from an azure sky, relating to its pioneering work in military reconnaissance. The Atlases were replaced by Audaxes in August 1935 and Demons were flown between September 1935 and March 1936. In January 1939 conversion to the Lysander was effected. During WWII, 208 Squadron was equipped with Hurricanes, Tomahawks and Spitfires and saw action in Greece, Palestine, the Western Desert and Italy. After the war it was involved in almost continuous operations until September 1971 based in Palestine, the Canal Zone, Eritrea, Sharjah, Cyprus, Aden, Iraq and Kuwait flying Spitfires, Meteor FR9s, Hunter F6s, Venoms and Hunter FGA9s. After disbandment in September 1971 No. 208 reformed at Honington on 1 July 1974 with Buccaneer S2As and was the first RAF participant in Exercise ‘Red Flag’. On 1 July 1983 it changed from the overland to the maritime role and moved to Lossiemouth. In September 1983 the Squadron flew operational sorties over Beirut in support of the British peacekeeping force in Lebanon. 208 added the Sea Eagle anti-ship missile to its inventory in 1986. In 1991 the Squadron was part of the highly successful Buccaneer Gulf Detachment designating laser guided bombs for delivery from Tornado and other Buccaneer aircraft. The Buccaneer was retired from service at the end of March 1994. On 1 April 1994 the Squadron was reformed at RAF Valley in Reserve status with the Hawk T1A providing advanced flying, tactics and weaponry training. Since January 1997 it has been equipped with the Hawk T1, operating solely in the fast jet advanced flying training role for both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. In 2011 the Squadron celebrated its 95th Anniversary with a series of commemorative events. In April of the same year, No. 208 Squadron took over the tactics and weaponry training role from No. 19(F) Squadron, providing the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy with fast jet pilots ready for their respective Operational Conversion Units. XX350 has been partially painted in the colours of an aircraft of World War I to commemorate the contribution of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force to the War.
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