No. 99 Squadron RAF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids No. 99 Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	15 August 1917 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 1 April 1920 (RAF) 1 April 1924 – 15 November 1945 17 November 1945 – 6 January 1976 November 2000 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Strategic and tactical air transport, aeromedical evacuation
Part of	No. 2 Group
Home station	RAF Brize Norton
Nickname(s)	'Madras Presidency'
Motto(s)	Quisque tenax (Latin for 'Each tenacious')
Aircraft	Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Battle honours	Western Front (1918)* Independent Force and Germany (1918) Mahsud (1919-1920) Waziristan (1919-1920) German Ports (1940-1941) Baltic (1940-1941) France and Low Countries (1940) Fortress Europe (1940-1942)* Ruhr 1940-1942* Berlin (1940-42)* Biscay Ports (1940) Arakan (1942-44) Burma (1944-45) Manipur (1944) Eastern Waters (1945) Afghanistan (2001–2014) Iraq (2003-2011) Libya (2011) * Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	A puma salient. Selected because the squadrons first aircraft had Puma engines, the cat chosen for independence and tenacity while the black colour signifies the night-bombing role.
Squadron codes	VF (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) LN (Sep 1939 – Feb 1942)

No. 99 Squadron is a special flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). They fly huge Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport planes from RAF Brize Norton in the UK. Their main job is to move important cargo and people around the world. This includes helping out during natural disasters and supporting military missions far from home.

This squadron has a long history. They were a bomber squadron in both World War I and World War II. They were also the first RAF unit to use several different types of aircraft over the years. Today, they are the only RAF squadron that flies the C-17 Globemaster.

History of No. 99 Squadron

Early Years: World War I

No. 99 Squadron started on 15 August 1917 in Wiltshire, England. They first used de Havilland DH.9 bomber planes. In 1918, they moved to France to join the Independent Air Force. This force was the RAF's main bombing group.

Their first mission was on 21 May 1918. They flew daylight raids against targets in Germany. These missions were very risky, and they lost many planes. For example, on one mission in July 1918, seven out of nine planes were shot down. The squadron was getting new planes when the war ended. During the war, they flew 76 bombing raids and dropped 61 tons of bombs.

In 1919, the squadron moved to India. They flew patrols over the North-West Frontier. This was during the Mahsud and Waziristan campaigns. The squadron was then renamed to No. 27 Squadron on 1 April 1920.

Between the World Wars

No. 99 Squadron started up again on 1 April 1924 in Wiltshire. They first flew Vickers Vimy planes. Later that year, they moved to Norfolk and got the unique Avro Aldershot heavy bomber.

A Vickers Vimy bomber

Handley Page Hyderabad H.P.24 Hyderabads

In 1925, they switched to Handley Page Hyderabad planes. They moved to RAF Upper Heyford in 1927. By 1929, they began using Handley Page Hinaidi aircraft. These planes were soon outdated.

In 1933, the squadron received the first Handley Page Heyford heavy bombers. These planes could carry twice as many bombs. Even so, they also became outdated quickly. The squadron kept the Heyford until 1938. Then, they switched to Vickers Wellington planes.

World War II Missions

No. 99 Squadron was the first unit to get the Vickers Wellington bomber. This was just before World War II began. Their first mission was on 8 September 1939. Three Wellingtons dropped leaflets over Germany.

99 Squadron Wellington air crew at RAF Waterbeach prepare for a night raid on Berlin

Ground crew check the bomb load on a 99 Squadron Wellington at Jessore, India, prior to a sortie over Burma

On 14 December 1939, 12 Wellingtons went on a mission to attack German warships. Five of their bombers were lost. The squadron was part of RAF Bomber Command. They bombed targets in Norway and Germany, mostly at night. In March 1941, they moved to RAF Waterbeach.

In February 1942, the squadron moved to India with their Wellingtons. They started flying missions against Japanese bases in Burma in November 1942. From September 1944, they used Consolidated Liberator planes. These allowed them to reach targets in Thailand and Malaya. Many Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force aircrew joined the squadron during this time. The squadron was officially closed down on 15 November 1945.

After the Wars: Transport Role

The squadron started up again on 17 November 1945. This time, they became a transport squadron. They used Avro York planes. They helped in the Berlin Airlift, which delivered supplies to West Berlin.

An Avro York

A Handley Page Hastings C.2

From 1949 to 1959, they flew Handley Page Hastings planes. These were transport aircraft. In 1956, they used them to drop paratroopers during the Suez crisis.

Bristol Britannia C.1 of 99 Squadron in 1976

From 1959, the squadron flew the Bristol Britannia. They used these long-range planes to help people in trouble spots around the world. This included places like Congo in 1960 and Aden in 1967. The squadron was closed down again on 6 January 1976.

Modern Era: C-17 Globemaster III

The squadron was reformed in November 2000. This was to operate the RAF's new C-17 aircraft. The first C-17 arrived at Brize Norton on 23 May 2001. One of their first big missions was moving Lynx helicopters to Macedonia. This was for a NATO peacekeeping force.

A No. 99 Squadron C-17 during August 2010

The C-17 has been very useful for the RAF. In 2009, the UK decided to buy a seventh aircraft. They bought an eighth C-17 in 2012.

In 2013, two No. 99 Squadron C-17s helped transport French military equipment to Mali. On 15 November 2013, a C-17 flew to the Philippines to help with aid after Typhoon Haiyan.

In August 2021, the C-17s helped with Operation Pitting. This was to evacuate people from Kabul. Four aircraft were used, and they carried more people than usual. On one flight, 436 people were on board. This was the most people ever flown on a single RAF aircraft.

On 13 September 2022, a C-17 from No. 99 Squadron carried the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. It flew from Edinburgh Airport to RAF Northolt for her state funeral.

Aircraft Used by No. 99 Squadron

The Handley Page H.P.33 Hinaidi

A Handley Page Heyford

Royal Air Force Bristol Britannia at Bristol Filton Airport in 1964

Bases of No. 99 Squadron

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons