XXV (Fighter) Squadron

History

1915   Formed from 6 Reserve Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, at Montrose. Moved to France with the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b in February 1916; squadron pilots shot down German ace Max Immelmann on 18 June. Switched primarily to bombing from late 1916; re-equipped with Airco DH.4 from mid-1917. Disbanded January 1920.

1920   Re-formed in April on the Snipe, briefly serving as the only home-based fighter squadron. Moved to Constantinople, for policing duties, in 1922, returning in 1923. Re-equipped with the Gloster Grebe in 1924 and Armstrong Whitworth Siskin in 1929.

1932   Re-equipped with the Fury, using it for tied-together team aerobatics at the 1933, 1934 and 1935 Hendon Pageants. Converted onto the Hawker Demon in 1937 and Gladiator in June 1938.

1938   No. 25 Squadron became a Blenheim IF night-fighter unit from December. Later also operating the Blenheim IVF, it became a pioneer of radar-guided night-fighting, employing air intercept (AI) radar from mid-1940. Bristol Beaufighter IF arrived from September 1940, Douglas Havoc from July 1941 and Mosquito from October 1942.

1944   By now flying the Mosquito NFXVII, 25 Squadron switched its primary effort from bomber support and night intruder missions to nocturnal anti-flying bomb patrols.

1951   Re-equipped with the de Havilland Vampire NF10 in July; Meteor NF12 and 14 arrived in 1954.

1958   Disbanded in June, re-formed in July by renumbering 153 Squadron. Now a Javelin FAW7 and, later, FAW9 operator. Disbanded 1962.

1963   XXV(F) Squadron re-formed, equipped with the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile system for the protection of various locations in the UK and West Germany.

1989   In October, XXV(F) Squadron disbanded and immediately re-formed as a nascent Tornado F3 operator at RAF Leeming. Became operational in January 1990, subsequently deploying for the 1991 Gulf War, Operation DENY FLIGHT over the former Yugoslavia, Operations BOLTON (SOUTH) and RESINATE (SOUTH) over Iraq, and maintaining its commitment to UK and Falkland Islands QRA and the Baltic Air Policing mission. Disbanded 4 April 2008.

2018   XXV(F) Squadron re-formed at RAF Valley on 8 September as a Hawk T2 operator alongside IV(AC) Squadron.