#1790 32 Sqn, Envoy IV CC1 print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1790 - G-ZAHS, Envoy IV CC1, 32 (The Royal) Squadron, RAF Northolt.
No. 32 Squadron RFC formed at Netheravon on 12 January 1916. After training, it equipped with DH 2 biplanes and deployed to France on 28 May. Less than two months later, during the Somme offensive, the Commanding Officer, Major L.W.B. Rees, was awarded the Victoria Cross after taking on 10 German fighters single-handed and scattering them despite being gravely wounded. Re-equipping with DH 5s and later SE 5s, the Squadron remained in France until the end of the War, returning to the UK in March 1919 to disband on 29 December. During World War I the Squadron destroyed 34 enemy aircraft. 32 Squadron reformed at Kenley on 1 April 1923 with Sopwith Snipes and during the inter-war years became one of the RAF’s premier fighter squadrons. In 1924, it re-equipped with Grebes which, in turn, gave way to Gamecocks, Siskins and Bulldogs. In September 1932, the Squadron moved to Biggin Hill, where it later received Gauntlets, but in October 1938 it converted to Hurricanes. Its first action in World War II was in May 1940 when No. 32 Squadron aircraft destroyed seven enemy aircraft over Dunkirk. The Squadron acquitted itself with honour during the Battle of France and was the most successful RAF fighter squadron in the first half of the Battle of Britain. Thereafter, it was employed on convoy patrol duties and took part in the Dieppe Raid. In November 1942, it moved to North Africa and now equipped with Spitfires, participated in operations in Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and Palestine. During WWII, the Squadron added a further seven Battle Honours to the five gained in WWI. After the war, 32 Squadron remained in the Middle East, moving to Nicosia in 1948. In March 1949, it converted to Vampires, becoming the first Middle East squadron to equip with jet fighters. Subsequently flying Venoms, it served in Iraq, Malta, Jordan, and the Canal Zone. In 1957, it returned to Cyprus to operate Canberras in the light-bomber role and on 6 June 1957, it was presented with its first Standard. The stringed horn on the Squadron badge symbolises hunting the enemy, and the motto, ‘Adeste Comites,’ means ‘Rally Round, Comrades.’ In February 1969, 32 Squadron once again experienced a radical change in role when it assumed the VIP/transport duties of the Metropolitan Communications Squadron, based at RAF Northolt. In this Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) role, it operated Pembrokes, Bassets, Sycamores, Andovers and Whirlwinds. On 1 April 1995, the Squadron amalgamated with The Queen’s Flight to become No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, flying the BAe 146, Hawker 125, Wessex, and Gazelle. Subsequently, in the Rotary Wing CSAT role, it operated the Twin Squirrel and the Augusta 109E & SP. The A109SP was retired in December 2024 and marked the end of RW CSAT. Following the retirement of the BAe146 in the summer of 2022, the Squadron started operating the Falcon 900LX, known within the RAF as the Envoy IV CC Mk 1. The Squadron has supported operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from the outset and currently operates globally, flying members of the Royal Family, Government Ministers, and senior officers of the Armed Forces. Unique for its varied history and mix of fixed and rotary wing aircraft, the Squadron prides itself on its camaraderie and on preserving the tenacious spirit of its past in the execution of its duties today.
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