No. 88 Squadron

Motto: "En garde" ("Be on your guard").
Badge: A serpent gliding. The snake is based on the 1914-18 War badge of No.88 Squadron of the French Air Service (Escadrille SPA.88) with which this squadron was associated. The compliment of adopting this badge was warmly welcomed by the French Air Service at that time.
Authority: King George VI, November 1939.

No. 88 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Gosport, Hampshire, on 24th July 1917, and the following April went to France as a fighter-reconnaissance squadron equipped with Bristol Fighters. During its few months of active operations it claimed the destruction of 164 enemy aircraft. Its own casualties were 2 killed, 5 wounded and 10 missing.

Disbanded in 1919, the squadron was re-formed in 1937 as a bomber squadron and on the outbreak of war went to France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, flying Fairey Battles. On 20th September 1939, during a reconnaissance patrol over the enemy's front lines, one of its Battles scored Britain's first air combat "kill" of World War 2 when it shot down a Bf.109. (The person actually responsible for this "kill" was Sergeant F Letchford, an air observer; he was flying in an aircraft piloted by Flying Officer LH Baker.)

No. 88 Squadron returned to England in June 1940 - after having seen some very heavy fighting and having suffered heavy losses - and the following year, after a spell with Bristol Blenheims, became the first squadron to be equipped with Douglas Bostons. It took part in many shipping strikes and other bombing operations-including the attacks on gun positions in connection with the famous Dieppe raid of 19th August 1942 - and in 1943-44 attacked Noball (flying bomb) sites and invasion targets. On D-Day it laid a smoke screen for some of the assault troops. Towards the end of 1944, operating with the 2nd Tactical Air Force (of which it had been a part since June 1943), the squadron went to the Continent for the third time in its history. It was disbanded the following April.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:

• Boscombe Down : Jul 1937-Sep 1939
• Auberive-sur-Suippes, France : Sep 1939
• Mourmelon-le-Grand, France : Sep 1939-May 1940
  • Detachment at Perpignan/La Salanque in Mar/Apr 1940
• Les Grandes Chappelles, France : May 1940-Jun 1940
• Moisy, France : Jun 1940. (Another official source gives Ozouer-Ie-Doyen. Moisy may have been billet.)
• Driffield : Jun 1940
• Belfast/Sydenham, N. Ireland : Jun 1940-Jul 1941
• Swanton Morley : Jul 1941-Aug 1941
• Attlebridge : Aug 1941-Sep 1942
  • Detachments at Manston in Sep 1941; Long Kesh in Jan/Feb.; Abbotsinch in May; Ford in Jul.
  • Detached to Winfield and - after returning to Attlebridge - Ford in Aug 1942.
  • Detachment at Charmy Down in Sep 1942.
• Oulton : Sep 1942-Mar 1943
  • Detachments at Ford in Oct 1942 & Hurn in Mar 1943
• Swanton Morley : Mar 1943-Aug 1943

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Fairey Battle : Dec 1937-Jul 1941
• Bristol Blenheim IV : Jul 1941-Nov 1941
• Douglas Boston III and IIIA and IV : Oct 1941 onwards

Code Letters:

• During the 1938 Munich crisis No. 88 was allotted the code letters "HY". In WW2 its a/c were coded "RH".

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 18th & 19th September 1939 : Battles attempted reconnaissances to Franco-German frontier, but on each occasion had to abandon missions owing to bad weather. Next op was on 20th September 1939 when 3 Battles were despatched on reconnaissance patrol to within 3 miles of Franco-German frontier. Formation attacked by Bf.l09's over Aachen & two Battles shot down. Other Battle shot down a Bf.109 & returned safely to base.

First Bombing Mission in WWII:

• 10th May 1940 : Unknown number of Battles bombed German troops advancing through Luxembourg.

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