19 Squadron
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Motto:
Possunt quia posse videntur - 'They can because they think they
can'.
No. 19 Squadron was formed from a nucleus provided by No. 5 Reserve
Squadron at Castle Bromwich on 1 September 1915. It was almost a
year later that the Squadron went to France, flying contact patrols
with BE12s before re-equipping with French-built Spads. These were
used to strafe ground troops during the battles at Arras, Messines
Ridge and Ypres. Early in 1918, Sopwith Dolphins arrived and these
were used in bomber escort duties.
A year after the end of the War, the Squadron was disbanded
reforming on 1 April 1924 at Duxford. The Squadron remained at
Duxford throughout the inter-war years with a succession of
fighters: Siskins, Bulldogs and Gauntlets before the classic
Spitfire arrived in August 1938. The Squadron remained in the UK
after the outbreak of war, and was part of No. 12 Group, Fighter
Command, during the Battle of Britain. Later versions of Spitfires
were flown until the arrival of Mustangs for close-support duties in
early 1944. After D-Day, No. 19 briefly went across the Channel
before starting long-range escort duties with Coastal Command off
the coast of Norway. In March 1946, Spitfires replaced the Mustangs,
but the association was short-lived as Hornets began to arrive later
that year. It wasn't until 1951 that the Squadron received its first
jet aircraft, the Meteor. Hunters replaced these in 1956, before
Lightnings arrived in late 1962 and the Squadron moved to Gutersloh,
Germany. By 1977, the Lightnings had been traded in for Phantoms,
and the Squadron moved to Wildenrath where it remained until the
station closed, and the Squadron disbanded in January 1992. The
numberplate was then assigned to one of the three Hawk squadrons at
RAF Valley; No. 63 (Reserve) Squadron becoming No. 19 (Reserve)
Squadron in September 1992.
Disbandment:
As a consequence of the UK's Strategic Defence and Security
Review in 2010, the Air Force Board decided in 2011 that 19
Squadron's training role with the Hawk T2 at RAF Valley should be
transferred to a resurrected 4(R) Squadron. 19 Squadron, one of the
last surviving Battle of Britain Squadrons, disbanded on 24 November
2011, 96 years after it was first formed.
The disbandment event, held at RAF Valley, was led by the Wg Cdr Kevin Marsh, the last Commanding Officer of 19 Squadron. In attendance were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB ADC BSc FRAeS CCMI RAF, former Air Chief Marshal Sir William Wratten, GBE, CB, AFC and Flt Lt Ken Wilkinson AE who flew Spitfires in the Battle of Britain on 19 Squadron.