RAF Patch j 23 Squadron Royal Air Force Tornado F 3 AD Groundcrew

RAF Patch 23 Squadron Royal Air Force Tornado F 3 Ground Crew Patch Air Defence Late 1980s RAF Leeming Embroidered on twill cut edge 118mm by 74mm four and five eighth inches by two and seven eighth inches.

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Badge  An eagle preying on a falcon  approved by HM King George VI in April 1937. 

Motto  aggressus  Having always attacked 

Squadron history 

Finishing the war equipped with Mosquito aircraft carrying out intruder missions 23 Squadron disbanded in September 1945. 23 Squadron reactivated on 1 September 1946 at RAF Wittering equipped with Mosquito NF 30 night fighters upgraded to NF 36 aircraft before moving to RAF Coltishall,. The Squadron converted to Vampire NF 10 jet night fighter aircraft in 1953 and reequipped with Venom NF 2 night fighters in June 1954. Venom NF 3 night fighters were received in 1957 before converting to Javelin FAW 4 all weather fighter aircraft later in the year tasked with Air Defence and relocated to RAF Leuchars in March 1963. 23 Squadron reequipped with Lightning F 3 fighters in August 1964 continuing the Air Defence QRA role and upgrading to Lightning F 6 fighters in May 1967. 

23 Squadron relocated to RAF Coningsby and reequipped with Phantom II FGR 2 fighters on 1 November 1975 before moving to RAF Wattisham in February 1976 sharing QRA with 56 Squadrons Phantoms. The Squadron relocated to Port Stanley Airfield Falkland Islands on 1 November 1983 following the ejection of Argentinian Forces to provide air defence for the Falkland Islands Protection Zone moving to RAF Mount Pleasant when its construction was completed. The Squadron was disbanded 31 October 1988 leaving four Phantom FGR 2 Air Defence fighters to form 1435 Flight to continue the Falklands air defence role. 

23 Squadron reactivated at RAF Leeming the next day 1 November 1988 equipped with Tornado F 3 Air Defence fighters deploying for Operation Granby in 1990. With the end of the Cold War and the resulting reduction of the RAF the Squadron was disbanded on 26 February 1994. 

The Squadron reformed on 1 April 1996 at RAF Waddington tasked with Airborne Early Warning AEW sharing the RAFs E 3D Sentry AEW1 fleet with 8 Squadron carrying out operations in Europe including the former Yugoslavia and the Gulf Iraq and Afghanistan. 23 Squadron disbanded on 2 October 2009 with its assets amalgamated with 8 Squadron. 

This patch dates from the late 1980s Cold War.