201 Sqn History
No. 1 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service, was formed at Fort Grange, Gosport on 16th October 1914. The Squadron was re-designated No. 201 in 1918 with the formation of the Royal Air Force and is therefore the oldest maritime aircraft squadron in the world. The Squadron has a long and distinguished history with battle honours from both the world wars and having been directly engaged in all the most recent UK military operations. As a consequence of the UK Strategic Defence Review and the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA 4 aircraft programme, May 2011 saw No. 201 Squadron’s disband for the third time in its history. The squadron reformed at RAF Lossiemouth in 2021 and continues in the maritime role flying the Boeing P8 Poseidon aircraft.
A Brief History of No 201 "Guernsey's Own" Squadron
Covering the first and second world wars, as well as the inter-war years and more recent operations, this short account also includes some details of the Squadron's affiliation with the island of Guernsey and the Fincastle Trophy. It concludes with a list of the Squadron's battle honours. Read article.