Badge:
A fox's head - a reference to the Fairy Fox; a high speed day
bomber of the 1920's
Code
Letters: PH
& GZ ('C' Flight 1943)
Group:
1 Group from June 1940
12
Squadron RFC (Royal Flying Corp) was formed on 4 February 1915 at
Netheravon in Wiltshire. In September of that year the squadron
was sent to France and was equipped with BE2's. The squadron was
engaged on army co-operation duties until the Armistice in November
1918 and was to remain in Germany until 1922 when it was disbanded.
The
squadron reformed in April 1923 at Northolt as a bomber squadron
equipped with DH9's, Fairy Fawns and Fairy Foxes. The polished silver
metal cowlings of the Fairy Fox aircraft gave the squadron its nickname,
"Shiny Twelve". In 1935 after the Italians had invaded
Abyssinia the squadron moved to Aden to reinforce the Middle East
Command.
By
1938 the squadron was equipped with Fairey Battles and when war
broke out 16 of these aircraft landed in France as part of No. 76
Wing of the Advanced Air Striking Force. During the summer of 1940
Flying Officer D.E. Garland and Sgt T. Gray - pilot and observer
respectively - were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Garland
had led a low-level attack on a metal bridge over the Albert Canal
at Veldwezelt causing great damage with bombs.
The
squadron then moved to Finningley in June 1940, then to Binbrook
in early July. In August it began attacking shipping in the German
held channel ports. In November the squadron began to re-equip with
Wellington Bombers and training was begun. In April 1941 12 Squadron
sent 28 aircraft on the first of the 1,000 bomber raids the target
being Cologne.
During
the winter of 1942/43 No. 12 converted to Lancasters at Wickenby
and thereafter continued to play a prominent role in Bomber Command's
offensive until April 1945.
12
Squadron suffered the second highest percentage losses in Bomber
Command (highest was 57 Sqn) and the highest losses in 1 Group
