RAF Patch b 18 Squadron Royal Air Force Crest Chinook HC1

RAF Patch 18 Squadron Royal Air Force Crest Patch Chinook HC1 Tactical Helicopter Support 1984 RAF Gutersloh 106mm by 80mm four and one eighth inches by three and one eighth inches.

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Squadron badge: – Pegasus rampant approved by King Edward VIII in May 1936. The Pegasus commemorated the Squadrons close operational links with the Cavalry Corps on the Somme battlefield during World War I.

Motto: – Animo et fide – With courage and faith

Squadron History 1947 – 2013

18 Squadron re-formed at Butterworth in Australia on 15 March 1947 as a meteorological unit disbanding in November 1947. The Squadron re-activated on 8 December 1947 at RAF Netheravon with Dakotas moving to RAF Waterbeach on 11 December 1947 deploying to Germany in December 1948 carrying out transport missions during the Berlin Airlift. 18 Squadron returned to RAF Oakington in October 1949 located back to RAF Waterbeach prior to disbanding on 20 February 1950.

The Squadron re-activated at RAF Scampton as a bomber unit on 1 August 1953 with Canberra B2s. The Squadron relocated to RAF Upwood in 1955 as RAF Scampton became a V-bomber base. The squadron formed part of the Upwood Wing and participated in the Suez crisis in 1956 before disbanding on 1 February 1957. 18 Squadron reformed on the renaming of C Flight 199 Squadron at RAF Finningley on 16 December 1958 flying Valiants with the specialist task of radio and radar jamming. With electronic counter-measures becoming incorporated into most aircraft of the V bomber force the Squadron was disbanded on 31 March 1963.

18 Squadron re-activated at RAF Odiham with Wessex HC2 in 1964 providing tactical helicopter support to the British Army relocating to RAF Gutersloh West Germany in 1965. The Squadron provided regular detachments to Nicosia Cyprus in support of the UN before returning RAF Acklington in 1969 moving to RAF Odiham and then back to RAF Gutersloh West Germany in August 1970 and disbanded again on 30 November 1980.  

The Squadron reformed at RAF Odiham on 4 August 1981 as the RAFs first Chinook Squadron and took four aircraft on the Falklands Task Force to retake the Islands following the invasion by Argentina in 1982. Three Chinook HC 1s were lost when the Atlantic Conveyor was sunk and the survivor Bravo November ZA718 played a very important legendary role in the land battles flying almost continuously carrying 1,500 troops, 600 tons of equipment and 650 prisoners of war in 150 sorties with the pilot Squadron Leader Richard Langworthy AFC RAF awarded a DFC.

Following the conflict the Squadron added a number of Puma HC 1 helicopters to its strength and in 1984 relocated to RAF Gutersloh West Germany then RAF Laarbruch. The Squadron converted to Chinook HC 2s in 1993 prior to returning to RAF Odiham in 1997 where the Puma HC 1s were reassigned to 33 Squadron at RAF Benson. The Squadron formed part of Chinook Wing of Joint Helicopter Force.

18 Squadrons Chinook HC 2s took part in the UKs deployment to the Gulf following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and operated with 7 and 27 Squadron during Operation Telic in Iraq and Operation Herrick in Afghanistan with regular deployments as 1310 Chinook Flight.

This patch dates from 1984.