RAF Patch j 12 Squadron Royal Air Force Buccaneer Maritime

RAF Patch 12 Squadron Royal Air Force Buccaneer S 2B Tactical Nuclear Maritime Strike 1985 RAF Lossiemouth Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 88mm three and one half inches diameter.

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12 Squadron was reactivated in 1962 with Vulcan V Bombers initially at RAF Coningsby then RAF Cottesmore and role for the delivery of Yellow Sun one megaton free-fall strategic nuclear bombs for m dium to high altitude release. The advent of effective Soviet SAMs made high-flying bombers vulnerable and in late 1966 the Squadron took delivery of WE177B strategic nuclear laydown bombs for low-level penetration missions and were assigned to SACEUR as part of the UK strategic nuclear forces deployed as a temporary stop-gap until the UK Polaris force began to take over the strategic nuclear delivery role. The Squadron stood down from this role at the end of 1967.

12 squadron reformed at RAF Honington in October 1969 with Buccaneer strike aircraft assigned to SACLANT in the anti-shipping role equipped with WE.177 nuclear bombs and free-falling conventional HE bombs and from 1974 with Martel missiles for non-nuclear strike. The Squadron moved to RAF Lossiemouth in 1980 and disbanded in 1993.

In September 1993 12 Squadron reformed at RAF Marham with Tornado GR1 with WE.177 nuclear weapons on the disbandment of 27 Squadron and relocated to RAF Lossiemouth.

During December 1998 the Squadron took part in Operation Desert Fox the four-day air campaign against Iraq. Deployments to the Gulf continued and in 2001 the Squadron was upgraded to Tornado GR4 and included major contributions in 2003 as part of Operation Telic as well as supporting the first free elections in Iraq for 50 years in January 2005. In 2006 and again in 2008 the Squadron provided armed over watch for UK
and US ground operations in Iraq. Shortly afterwards, as British troops withdrew from the country, the Tornado fleet based in the region returned to the UK.

In June 2009 the Squadron deployed to Kandahar the first Tornado GR4 operations in Afghanistan replacing Harrier GR9s in Afghanistan providing support ISAF including Close Air Support CAS for amongst others British American Canadian and Afghan troops in all parts of the country. On the 16 October 2009 12 Bomber Squadron returned to RAF Lossiemouth replaced by a RAF Marham based GR4 squadron.

Between subsequent Op Herrick deployments during 2011 12 B Squadron was deployed to Gioia del Colle in support Operation Ellamy the military intervention in Libya carrying out Storm Shadow raids on hardened targets in Libya.

This patch dates from 1985.