1917 to 1975


united kingdom 103 Squadron

Royal Air Force






103 Squadron Royal Air Force

103 Squadron
Formed at Beaulieu in Hampshire on 1 Sep 1917 as a light bomber unit, it served until just after WWI when it was disbanded. It was reformed under the RAF expansion plan in 1936, as a bomber squadron and served with distinction in WWII. It ended its fixed wing life with Canberra B.2 at RAF Gütersloh on 1 Aug 1956.
103 Squadron reformed in Aug 1959 with the Sycamore HR.14 from 284 Squadron at RAF Nicosia, where it provided air mobility to the security forces on Cyprus. On 31 Jul 1963 it was split into 1563 Flight (remaining at Nicosia) and 1564 Flight (departed to El Adem) and disbanded.

The very next day, the 103 Squadron number plate was in use again when it reformed from the Whirlwind HAR.10 of B Flight, 110 Squadron at RAF Seletar in Singapore. It maintained detachments at Tawau where it relieved 846 NAS Whirlwind HAS.7s in Apr 1964, Kuching (see image above), Labuan and Kai Tak and took over SAR cover from 110 Squadron with a detachment at Butterworth between Aug 1965 and Mar 1967.

It received a boost in numbers on 1 Nov 1965 when some of the ex-225 Squadron Whirlwinds and crews were reassigned. The unit moved to RAF Changi in Mar 1969 and it finally moved to RAF Tengah in Sep 1971. This was followed by the arrival of the Wessex HC.2 in Nov 1972 and its last Whirlwind departed during Dec. It was disbanded on 1 Aug 1975.




Aircraft were built from boxes at Seletar from end of 1962 . The squadron was operational within about 8 months and the first aircraft went to Kuching aboard HMS Albion when the Confrontation began. They then moved to Labuan and we did have a one aircraft deployment to Sibu until we were relieved by the Royal Navy

Sep 18, 1970 - During the Changi period a ceremony took place for the consecration and presentation of the squadron standard. The presenting officer was Air Chief Marshall The Earl of Bandon GBE CB CVO DSO RAF (Retired). Officer Commanding No 103 Squadron was Squadron Leader P R Bond.




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  Locations


YearsLocationICAO/FAA
1971/75SG Tengah Air BaseWSAT
1969/71SG Changi International AirportWSSS
1965/67MY ButterworthWMKB
1963/69SG SeletarWSSL
1959/63CY Nicosia (Lefkosia)LCNC


helicopter   Models


Years Models
1972/75 Wessex Wessex HC.2
1963/72 Whirlwind Whirlwind HAR.10
1959/63 Type 171 Sycamore






103 Squadron List of helicopters


C/N VersionBuiltIn this Org In other Org
13145 w/o 1959 Sycamore 4 1952 XE307 : 17 Sep 1959 Crashed and w/o in Cyprus, c 8nm SE of Nicosia (nr Tymbou / Ki+
Ministry of Defence (MoD) XE307
13271 w/o 1960 Sycamore 4 1955 XG511 : Rotor struck ships mast during rescue and crashed off Famagusta on 7 Dec 1+
13272 w/o 1963 Sycamore 4 1955 XG512 : Rotors struck ground after nosewheel collapsed on landing at Tobruk on 4 J+
13371 w/o 1963 Sycamore 4 1955 XG517 : Rotors struck ground on landing at Tobruk on 23 Aug 1963 while with 103Sq
13404 Scrapped Sycamore 4 1956 XJ895 : 275 Sq; 284 Sq from Sep 1959; El Adem Stn Flt; 103 Sq; 1564 Flt; CFS / S-J
13406 Sycamore 4 1956 XJ897 : 284 Sq; 103 Sq from Aug 1959; 1563 Flt from Aug 1963; CFS
13408 Sycamore 4 1956 XJ898 : 284 Sq; 103 Sq from Aug 1959; 1563 Flt from Aug 1963; Khormaksar SAR Flt; +
wa143 har.2 1956 XK987 B : ex 103 Sq / B, before 1972
wa144 Scrapped har.2 1956 XK988 : 103 Sq; 110 Sq; 103 Sq / D
13444 Sycamore 4 1957 XL824 : 284 Squadron from 1958; 103 Squadron from Aug 1959; 1564 Flight; CFS(H) fr+
Aerospace Bristol XL824
wa266 hcc.8 1959 XN126 : 110 Sq; 103 Sq; CFS(H); 22 Sq; CFS; 2 FTS
wa355 har10 1961 XP339 : 225 Sq, 103 Sq, 32 Sq; to Pryton Hill
- XP339
wa374 Scrapped har10 1962 XP358 : 103Sq/K by Aug 1963
wa377 Scrapped har10 1962 XP361 : 225 Sq; 110 Sq; 103 Sq; 22 Sq by 1981
wa378 Scrapped har10 1962 XP362 : 103 Sq / Q (date unknown)
wa386 har10 1962 XP398 : 225 Sq; 110 Sq; 103 Sq; 202 Sq; 1563 Flt to 84 Sq 1972.
wa388 har10 1962 XP400 : at 1 SoTT Halton as 8444M, ex 103 Sq / N by Jul 1975. Still there Jan 1980+
wa410 w/o 1967 har10 1963 XR478 : 103 Sq; 110 Sq; 230 Sq
wa412 w/o 1965 har10 1963 XR480 : HAR.10 to 103 Sq
wa414 Scrapped har10 1963 XR482 : 103 Sq; 110 Sq; 103 Sq; 110 Sq; 28 Sq
wa415 har10 1963 XR483 : 103Sq/X by Jul 1964 (SAR fit).
- N2979G
- -
wa121 hc.2 1962 XR588 : 28 Sq from Feb 1968; 103 Sq
Westland XR588
Ministry of Defence (MoD) XR588
wa531 hc.2 1966 XT604 : ff 7 Jul 1966, dd 2 Aug 1966 to RAF. Wessex HAR.2; Khormaksar SAR Flt Nov +
- XT604




  103 Squadron Operations


Dates Operation
1963-aug-011966-aug-11 MY Konfrontasi







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