Number 208 (R) Squadron

Acting Officer Commanding: Air Chief Marshal Alec Walker

208(R) Squadron is Part of 4FTS at RAF Valley teaching new students the skills needed to fly the fast jets into combat scenarios, this includes low level naviagtion, formation flying, air combat manouevres and other tactical skills.

The Squadron's roots can be traced to No. 8 (Naval) Squadron, formed at Dunkirk in the October of 1916 flying Sopwith Pups, 1½ Strutters and Nieuport Scouts. During World War I the Squadron was re-equipped with Sopwith Camels for artillery spotting. When the RAF was formed on 1st April 1918 the Sqaduron was renumbered, 208 Squadron RAF.

During World War II the Squadron flew Westland Lysander reconnaissance aircraft and Hawker Hurricane fighters on army co-operation duties in the North African Campaign and the Greek Campaign of 1941. During the war it included a significant number of Royal Australian Air Force and South African Air Force personnel, along with other nationalities.

The unit was later stationed in Palestine, before returning to North Africa. It briefly converted to Curtiss Tomahawks, but received Supermarine Spitfires in late 1943 and flew them for the remainder of the war. From 1944, it took part in the Italian Campaign.

Shortly after the war 208 Squadron moved back to Palestine where it was involved in operations against the Egyptian Air Force. In 1948, the Squadron moved to the Egyptian Canal Zone. It saw action in the Israeli War of Independence, losing four Spitfires in combat with Israeli Air Force aircraft.

In 1951, the Squadron relocated to RAF Fayid where it's Spitfires were replaced with Gloster Meteor jets. From there it moved to RAF Abu Sueir, relocating to RAF Takhali, Malta, in late 1956, with interim spells earlier in the year at RNAS Hal Far, Malta, and RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. It disbanded at Takhali in January 1956. It reformed the same month in the UK at RAF Tangmere from a nucleus of No. 34 Squadron RAF. Two months later it returned to the Middle East with De Havilland Vampires and subsequently the Hawker Hunter FGA.9. In 1958 and early 1959 it operated from Nicosia and Akrotiri with a detachment at Amman. The squadron disbanded at RAF Akrotiri on 31 March 1959. The next day, 1 April 1959, it reformed at RAF Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya, by the re-numbering of No. 142 Squadron RAF under Squadron Leader R. Ramirez. It operated from Eastleigh from April 1959 to March 1960, being redeployed home to RAF Stradishall from March to June 1960, but returning to Eastleigh in June, sending detachments to Kuwait and Bahrain during the period. It was moved to Khormaksar once again in November 1961, under Air Forces Arabian Peninsula, which became Air Forces Middle East the same year. In June 1964 it moved to Muharraq in Bahrain. The squadron remained in the Middle East until September 1971 when it was disbanded as a consequence of British drawdown of the armed forces from East of Suez.

208 Squadron reformed in 1974 with Blackburn Buccaneers and operated in the low-level strike role, flying from RAF Lossiemouth from 1980 as part of No. 18 Group RAF. The unit was one of the last to operate the type before it went out of service in 1994. With the retirement of the Buccaneers the Squadron was reformed at RAF Valley in Anglesey with the British Aerospace Hawk T1 for Pilot Training.

The vRAFs 208(R) Squadron is Dedicated to Providing the Highest Quality of Fast jet Pilot Instruction Available within VATSIM.