#1612 Jupiter HT1
Description
Squadron Print Lithograph No. 1612 - ZM499, Jupiter HT1, 202 Squadron, RAF Valley.
202 Squadron’s origins can be traced to 2 Squadron RNAS, formed at Eastchurch in 1914, operating the DH4 whilst conducting bombing and patrol duties over southern Belgium; it was renumbered to 202 Squadron with the creation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 18. Disbanded in January 1920, it was reformed briefly in Egypt until May 1921. In January 1929, No. 481 Flight was re-designated 202 (Flying Boat) Squadron, initially operating the Fairey IIID from Kalafrana, Malta before converting to the Supermarine Scapa in 1935 and the Saro London in 1937. At the outbreak of WWII, the Squadron moved to Gibraltar (and acquired several Swordfish floatplanes) to patrol the approaches to the Mediterranean and was involved in clashes with Vichy French forces. 1941 saw the arrival of Catalina and Sunderland flying boats. After participating in the invasion of North Africa in 1942, the Squadron moved to Lough Erne, Northern Ireland in September 1944 for U-boat patrols in the North Atlantic before disbanding on 12 June 1945. In October 1946, with the re-designation of 518 Squadron, the Squadron reformed at Aldergrove flying daily meteorological flights over the Atlantic. Initially equipped with the Handley Page Halifax, these were replaced by the Hastings in 1950 and were flown until the Squadron disbanded in 1964 with the advent of weather satellites. A month later, 228 Squadron, operating Whirlwind HAR10s from Leconfield, was renumbered to 202 Squadron and became the HQ for Search And Rescue (SAR) Flights operating from Coltishall, Acklington, Ouston and Leuchars. In 1978, the Whirlwind was replaced by the Sea King HAR3. After the Falklands War in 1982, the Squadron provided SAR cover in the Falkland Islands until 1985 with some of its UK-units using the Wessex as a substitute aircraft. The SAR Force restructured a number of times, but ultimately saw the Squadron cover the north of the country with three flights; A Flight at RAF Boulmer, D Flight at RAF Lossiemouth and E Flight at DST Leconfield. In October 2015, after 51 years of continuous SAR cover, the unit was stood down from its duties. In May 2016, the Squadron became 202(R) and replaced the Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley teaching trainees from the Defence Helicopter Flying School both Mountain and Maritime Operations using the Griffin HT1. With the changeover to the Military Flying Training System in 2018, the Squadron again became 202 and remained in its Maritime Training role and converted to the both the Juno HT1 and Jupiter HT1, before standardising on the Jupiter alone in 2020.