RAF Patch j 15 Squadron Royal Air Force XV Tornado Years 75 1990

RAF Patch 15 Squadron Royal Air Force XV Tornado GR 1 1990 75 Years Anniversary Tactical Nuclear Strike RAF Laarbruch West Germany Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 136mm by 91mm five and three eighth inches by three and nine sixteenth inches.

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Badge  A hinds head affrontee erased at the neck between wings elevated and conjoined in base was approved by King Edward VIII in May 1936. The badge was a modification of the hart emblem previously used unofficially by the Squadron changed to reflect the Hind aircraft in service at the time.

Motto  Aim Sure

15 Squadron known as XV Squadron ended WWII with Lancaster bombers based at RAF Mildenhall. The Squadron relocated to RAF Wyton in August 1946 and received Lincoln bombers in February 1947. The Squadron with 90 and 138 Sqns deployed aircraft and crews to RAF Shallufa Egypt for weapons training in November 1947 and moved to RAF Khormaksar to carry out operational bombing missions to counter a tribal uprising in the Canal Zone.

XV Squadron disbanded in December 1950 immediately reforming at RAF Marham in preparation for conversion to B 29A Washington B1 bombers relocating to RAF Coningsby in February 1951 to form the second Washington Wing tasked with nuclear stike. 15 Squadron converted to Canberra bombers in April 1953 and relocated to RAF Cottesmore in June 1954.

The Squadron moved to RAF Honington in February 1955 and deployed to RAF Nicosia Cyprus for Operation Accumulate in October 1956 during the Suez Crisis and during the six days of fighting the Squadron carried out 37 combat bombing missions. 15 Squadron returned to RAF Honington in November 1956 only to redeploy to RAF Luqa Malta before returning to RAF Honington in February 1957 to be disbanded on 15 April 1957.

15 Squadron reactivated on 1 September 1958 at RAF Cottesmore equipped with Victor bombers as part of V Force and was on full combat standby during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Squadron deployed to RAF Tengah in 1963 and took part to deter Indonesia during the Indonesia Malaysia Confrontation. On its return to RAF Cottesmore the Squadron was disbanded on 31 October 1964.

XV Squadron reformed on 1 October 1970 at RAF Honington with Buccaneer S 2B strike aircraft and relocted to RAF Laarbruch West Germany in January 1971. Following the Squadrons last Buccaneer sortie in June 1983 the Squadron converted to Tornado GR 1 strike attack aircraft becoming RAF Germanys first Tornado Squadron and was declared nuclear strike operational following completion of its NATO Tactical Evaluation TACEVAL in June 1984.

Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 15 Squadron deployed assets to Muharraq AB Bahrain in September 1990 as part of Operation Granby and the Squadron carried out one of the first allied offensive mission of Operation Desert Storm attacking an airfield in Iraq on 17 January 1991. XV Sqn undertook over 200 sorties against 30 seperate targets delivering over 800 1000 lb bombs and 30 JP233 airfield denial weapons losing two aircraft to enemy action In six weeks of operations. The Squadron returned to RAF Laarbruch disbanding in December 1991.

XV Squadron was reactivated on 1 April 1992 at RAF Honington on the renaming of the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit TWCU shadow Squadron identity from 45 Reserve Squadron to 15 Reserve Squadron. TWCU was maintained at front line readiness assigned to SACEUR for conventional and nuclear strike with WE 177 nuclear weapons and in the event of war it would use its shadow Squadron identity in action.

The Squadron relocated to RAF Lossiemouth in November 1993 continuing training Tornado aircrew with its front line readiness reassigned to SACLANT for maritime conventional and nuclear strike missions. With the closure of the Tri National Tornado Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore in 1998 XV Reserve Squadron became the Tornado GR1 Operational Conversion Unit responsible for training all RAF Tornado aircrew.

The Squadron upgraded to Tornado GR4 aircraft in 2001 and in addition to training new aircrew the Squadron conducted Refresher Qualified Weapons Instructor Electronic Warfare Instructor and Instrument Rating Examiner courses and provided the Tornado Role Display Team. 

This patch dates from 1990.