#1783 42 Sqn, Poseidon MRA1 print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithopgraph No. 1783 - ZP809, Poseidon MRA1, 42 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth.
No. 42 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron formed at RAF Filton near Bristol on 1 April 1916 equipped with B.E.2d and B.E.2e aircraft and, after training, moved to France in August for reconnaissance duties over the Western Front. In April 1917 the Squadron re-equipped with R.E.8s and moved to northern Italy in November to cover the Austro-Italian Front but returned to France in March 1918. In February 1919, the Squadron returned to the UK disbanding at Netheravon on 26 June 1919. No. 42 Squadron reformed at Donibristle on 14 December 1936 from ‘B’ Flight of No. 22 Squadron equipped with Vildebeest IIIs and became one of only two torpedo strike units in the UK. After several moves, the Squadron settled at the new airfield at Thorney Island but moved to Bircham Newton on 12 August 1939. It exchanged its Vildebeests for Beauforts in April 1940 with which it specialised in anti-shipping and mind laying along the coasts of northern Europe. On 18 June 1942, the Squadron left for the Far East but delayed in the Middle East for operations there until December when No. 42 Squadron finally arrived in Ceylon. It converted to Blenheim Vs in India, which it used for bombing missions over Burma from March 1943 but re-equipped with Hurricane IIcs in October for ground attack duties adding Mk.Ivs in November 1944. A change to Thunderbolt IIs took place in July 1945 but the Squadron disbanded at Meiktala in Burma on 30 December 1945. The Squadron reformed with Beaufighter Xs at Thorney Island as part of Coastal Command’s Strike Wing but disbanded again on 15 October 1947. No. 42 Squadron reformed on 28 June 1952 at RAF St Eval in Cornwall equipped with Shackleton MR1s for maritime reconnaissance duties. The MR2s were received in April 1954 and the Squadron moved to RAF St Mawgan on 8 October 1958 where MR3s were accepted in December 1965. The Squadron converted to the Nimrod MR1 in April 1971 and received the upgraded MR2 in 1983. No. 42 (TB) Squadron has been involved in numerous overseas detachments and operations the most significant of which took place in April 1982, when it dispatched two aircraft to Ascension Island as part of the first phase of Operation CORPORATE – the recovery of the Falkland Islands gaining its 16th Battle Honour in the process. From October 1990 onwards, the Squadron provided crews as part of the Nimrod detachment in Oman involved in Operation GRANBY. In addition, in January 1991, No. 42(TB) Squadron set up a major detachment in Cyprus to give further support to the allied forces. Disbanded as a front-line unit on 1 October 1992, No. 42 Squadron continued as the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit at Kinloss. During 1997 the Nimrod OCU, No. 42 Squadron, was renamed No. 42 Reserve Squadron. The Squadron was responsible for training all RAF Nimrod crews and was to be the first squadron to convert to the Nimrod MRA4 in 2010. No. 42(R) Squadron made the Nimrod’s last visit to Gibraltar on 20-21 March 2010 as part of Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR. The Squadron flew its last Nimrod MR2 flight on 30 March 2010 with XV232 visiting Rockall, St. Kilda, RAF St Mawgan, RAF Valley and RAF Lossiemouth. It was originally expected that No. 42 (R) Squadron would serve as the OCU for the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4, however it was cancelled as part of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, with No. 42 (R) Squadron formally disbanding alongside the other Nimrod Squadrons on 26 May 2011. The Squadron reformed as No. 42 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron on 21 September 2023 at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray. The Squadron is the Operational Conversion Unit for both the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 and Boeing Wedgetail AEW1. No. 42 (TB) Squadron’s first Poseidon sortie was flown on 26 September 2023 as a Crew Training Mission, operated under the newly assigned THUNDERBOLT callsign.
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