No. 213 Squadron RAF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids No. 213 (Ceylon) Squadron RAF
Active	1 April 1918 - 31 December 1919 8 March 1937 - 30 September 1954 1 September 1955 – 31 December 1969
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Nickname(s)	The Hornets (1918) Ceylon
Motto(s)	Irritatus Lacessit Crabro Latin: "The Hornet Attacks When Roused"
Battle honours	Western Front 1914-1948*; Channel and North Sea 1939-1940; France and the Low Countries 1939-1940*; Dunkirk*; Battle of Britain 1940*; Home defence 1940-1945; Egypt and Libya 1940-1943*; Syria 1941*; El Alamein*; Mediterranean 1942-1943; South East Europe 1942-1945* Honours marked with an asterisk are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge	A Hornet
Squadron Codes	AK (Apr 1939 - Jan 1950)

No. 213 Squadron was a special unit of the Royal Air Force, also known as the RAF. It was first created on April 1, 1918. This happened when an older unit, called No. 13 (Naval) Squadron, changed its name. No. 13 (Naval) Squadron had started from an even earlier group, the Seaplane Defence Flight. This flight was formed in June 1917 to protect seaplanes flying from Dunkirk.

History of the Squadron

World War I: The Hornets are Born

The squadron's story began in June 1917 as the Seaplane Defence Flight. They flew small planes called Sopwith Pups. In January 1918, this group became No. 13 Squadron RNAS. Soon after, the Royal Naval Air Service joined with the Royal Flying Corps. Together, they formed the Royal Air Force. This is when the unit became No. 213 Squadron.

During this time, the squadron flew different planes. They used Sopwith Baby floatplanes and later the famous Sopwith Camels. It was during World War I that they got their cool nickname, "The Hornets." A Belgian General saw them defending his trenches. He said they attacked enemy planes "like angry hornets." This led to their squadron badge, which features a hornet. Their motto became Irritatus Lacessit Crabro, which means "The Hornet Attacks When Roused" in Latin. In March 1919, the squadron moved back to the UK. It was officially closed down on December 31, 1919.

Many brave pilots served with the squadron during the war. Some of these skilled pilots were known as flying aces. They included John Edmund Greene, Colin Brown, George Chisholm MacKay, and Ronald Graham.

World War II: Fighting for Freedom

The squadron was started again on March 8, 1937. They first flew Gloster Gauntlet II planes. By January 1939, they switched to the powerful Hawker Hurricanes. They flew these planes throughout the entire Second World War.

No. 213 Squadron played a big part in many important battles. They were part of the British Expeditionary Force. They also helped during the evacuation at Dunkirk. Later, they fought bravely in the Battle of Britain, defending the skies over the UK. After that, they moved to the Middle East. There, they were part of the Desert Air Force. During the war, they also flew other famous planes like Supermarine Spitfires and North American Mustangs.

After World War II: New Missions

After the Second World War ended, the squadron stayed in the Middle East. They flew Hawker Tempests and then de Havilland Vampires. From October 1948, they were based at Deversoir Air Base in the Suez Canal Zone. The squadron was closed down there on September 30, 1954.

The Jet Age: Flying Canberras

No. 213 Squadron was reformed one more time on September 1, 1955. This time, they flew English Electric Canberra jet planes. They were very good at flying low-level missions to stop enemies. They were the only squadron to fly a special version of the Canberra, the B(I).6. Their "Hornet" badge was still on the tail of their planes.

They were based at RAF Ahlhorn and later at RAF Bruggen. For a short time in 1956, a small group from the squadron was also based in the Netherlands. The squadron finally closed down for good on December 31, 1969.

Aircraft Flown by the Squadron

This table shows the different types of aircraft No. 213 Squadron flew over the years:

Images for kids

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  A 213 Sqn Hurricane I over Cyprus, circa 1941.