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3rd Squadron Website
Welcome to the 3rd Squadron Home site.
Please feel free to look around and visit our forums.
Badge:
On a monolith, a cockatrice - approved by King George VI
in September 1937. The cockatrice was chosen because in
mythology it was the first creature to fly |  | Motto:
"Tertius Primus Erit" - "The Third shall be the First". This is a
reference to the fact that No 3 Squadron, RFC, was the first
to be equipped with heavier-than-air machines.
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The History of 3(F) Squadron:
No. 3 Squadron was one of the three founder squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps Squadrons formed on 13 May, 1912. The Squadron took over the aircraft of No. 2 (Aeroplane) Company at Larkhill. It deployed to France as part of the BEF in August 1914 on reconnaissance duties duties. Late in 1917, Sopwith Camels were received and the Squadron became a fighter/scout unit. After the Armistice in 1918, the Squadron disbanded and through the 1920s spent many short-lived periods at a variety of locations before arriving at Upavon in 1924 with Sopwith Snipes.
During their ten-year stay, the Squadron flew Woodcocks, Gamecocks and Bulldogs and also deployed to Sudan during the Abyssinian crisis in 1935. Upon its return, No 3 Squadron introduced the Gladiator into RAF service and just as the Second World War started received Hurricanes at Biggin Hill.A brief stint as part of the BEF in France was followed by relocation to Scotland on night-patrol duties. During 1943, the Squadron replaced the Hurricanes with Hawker Typhoons and switched to the anti-shipping and intruder roles. A switch to Tempests in 1944 saw No 3 Squadron destroy 288 V1 flying bombs, and move on to the Continent as part of the advance towards Germany.
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