RAF Patch c 101 Squadron Royal Air Force Crest VC 10 Tanker 2003

RAF Patch 101 Squadron Royal Air Force Crest Patch 2003 RAF Brize Norton VC 10 Tanker Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 108mm by 88mm four and one quarter inches by three seven sixteenth inches.

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Badge  Issuant from the battlements of a tower, a demi lion rampant guardant – approved by King George VI in February 1938. The battlements symbolise the Squadron’s pioneering role in the development of power-operated gun turrets, while the lion indicates the unit’s fighting power and spirit.

Motto:  Mens agitat molem – ‘Mind over matter’

Squadron History

101 Squadron flew Blenhiem Wellington and Lancaster bombers during WWII initially based at RAF West Raynham then RAF Ludford Magna. The Squadron flew more raids on France and Germany than any other bomber squadron and suffered the highest casualties of any RAF Squadron in the war.  

101 Squadron relocated to RAF Binbrook in October 1945 and in June 1946 reequipped with Lincoln bombers. The Squadron deployed to Egypt in October 1947 and conducted small scale raids against the Quteibi tribe at Thumier in Aden. The Squadron returned to the UK carrying out a goodwill tour of Turkey on the way back. 

101 Squadron became the RAFs first jet bomber unit on the 25th May 1951 when it equipped with Canberra B2 aircraft carrying out service trails and becoming was fully operational by January 1952. The Squadron trained crews for other Canberra Squadrons until the OCU was formed. From the trained crews the Binbrook Canberra Wing of five Squadrons had been formed by August 1952 at RAF Binbrook comprising 9 12 50 101 and 617 Squadrons. 

101 Squadron upgraded to Canberra B6 aircraft in 1954 and deployed to Malaya in early 1955 to carry out the first RAF jet bomber operations against terrorist targets on 25th April 1955. 101 Squadron deployed again to Malaya in June 1956 returning home in August 1956 only to deploy to Malta in October 1956 for Operation Musketeer during the Suez crisis carrying out bombing raids against Egypt. The Squadron returned to RAF Binbrook in November 1956 and 101 Squadron was disbanded in February 1957. 

101 Squadron reactivated at RAF Finningley in October 1957 equipped with Vulcan B nuclear weapon armed bombers as part of RAF Bomber Commands V Bomber Force as the main platform for the UKs strategic nuclear deterrent. The Squadron relocated to RAF Waddington in 1961 and upgraded to Vulcan B1A bombers with ECM pods and became the first Vulcan Squadron to qualify in air to air refuelling using this to set a world speed record for London to Aden in March 1962 and in July 1963 a flight of three 101 Squadron Vulcans broke the speed record for a flight from RAF Waddington to Perth Australia.  

With the advent of effective Soviet SAMs Bomber Command reassigned V bombers from high altitude operations to low level penetration operations in March 1963 the Squadron adopted a mission profile that included a pop up manoeuvre from 500 1000 ft to above 12000 ft altitude for safe release of Yellow Sun Mk2 Nuclear Weapon.  

101 Squadron received Vulcan B2 bombers and WE 177B tactical nuclear bombs in January 1968 which enabled aircraft to remain at low level during weapons release. The Squadron completed a number of deployments to the Far East and Australia over the next few years.  

Following the transfer of responsibility for the nuclear deterrent to the Royal Navy in 1969 the Squadron was reassigned to SACEUR for tactical strike missions armed with WE 177B tactical nuclear bombs and conventional munitions striking at enemy concentrations and infrastructure beyond the forward edge of the battlefield.  

In 1974 101 Squadron won the Navigation Trophy in the USAF Strategic Air Command GIANT VOICE bombing competition. The Squadrons scheduled disbandment for May 1982 was postponed following the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands and the Squadron took part in Operation Corporate with 101 Squadron crews carrying out the first and last Operation Blackbuck Vulcan bombing raids on Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands from their base on Ascension Island an 8000 mile air to air refueled round trip. The Squadron disbanded on 4 August 1982. 

101 Squadron reformed on 1 May 1984 at RAF Brize Norton equipped with VC10 K2 tanker aircraft to provide air to air refueling. During the last years of the Cold War 101 Squadrons main operational role was supporting the Lightning Phantom and Tornado fighters of the UKs air defence forces intercepting Soviet intruder aircraft and also provided support for world wide exercise deployments. Following the end of the Cold War the Squadron has provided AAR support to British and Coalition Forces in conflicts in the Middle East Africa and Europe including Desert Shield Desert Storm Operation Warden Iraq Deny Flight Balkans Op Jural Bolton and Desert Fox Iraq Op Oracle Afghanistan Op Telic Iraq Op Herrick Afghanistan and supported allied air strikes over Libya 2011.  

101 Squadron retired its VC10 tankers and replaced them with Airbus Voyager on 20 September 2013.  

This patch dates from 2003.