#1357A Chinook HC6
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1357 - ZK550, Chinook HC6, 7 Squadron, RAF Odiham. No sooner had No 7 Squadron formed at Farnborough on 1 May 1914, when it was disbanded to bring other Squadrons up to strength. After reforming in September, the Squadron moved to France in April 1915 immediately joining the Second Battle of Ypres with RE5s and Vickers FB5 fighters. In July 1915, Capt J A Liddle MC and his observer Lt RM Peck were hit by ground fire. Liddle suffered a broken thigh, but managed to return his aircraft home. Sadly, four weeks later Liddle died of septic poisoning, but was awarded the VC for his determination and gallantry in saving Pecks life. During 1916, the Squadron standardised on BE2s and then received RE8s in 1917 still in its observation role. The Squadron returned home in 1919 and disbanded at the end of the year. After reforming with Vickers Vimys in 1923 at Bircham Newton, it was designated a heavy bomber unit. Virginias replaced the Vimys in 1924 and the unit transferred to Worthy Down in 1927. In the following decade the squadron gained a reputation for outstanding accuracy and won many bombing competitions. Heyford bombers arrived in 1935, but it wasn’t until 1938 that monoplanes in the form of Whitleys arrived. No 7 was the first squadron to received the first of the RAF’s four-engined heavy bombers, the Stirling in 1940, but serious problems meant that operational sorties could not be carried out until the night of 10/11 February 1941 when the squadron attacked oil storage tanks at Rotterdam. In 1943, No 7 was one of the initial squadrons which formed the Pathfinder Force and converted to Lancasters. The Squadron took part in operations in Malaya in 1949 equipped with Lincolns and in 1956 reformed with Valiants as part of the famous V-Force, flying them until disbandment in 1962. In 1970 the Squadron reformed, this time flying Canberras on target-towing tasks. In 1982, the Squadron re-equipped with Chinook helicopters, and has kept these since then. In 2000 No 7 Squadron became part of the newly formed Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing. Currently based at Odiham, the Squadron, in conjunction with other Chinook units, has seen a number of operational deployments in recent years to such areas as the former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. On 1 May 2014, the Squadron celebrated its Centenary. Looking forward, it will continue to deliver exceptional support to whoever and wherever it is tasked by day and by night.
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