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No. 84 Squadron was formed at Beaulieu in January, 1917. In
September of the same year it was sent to
France, where it flew the famous Short S.E.
5. The Squadron record was a remarkable one.
For instance, twenty-two enemy aircraft shot
down before breakfast on 10th February,
1918; the Squadron boasted such famous names
as Sholto-Douglas,
Beauchamp-Procter, McCudde and Falkenberg. |
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 Flt.-Lt.
Beauchamp-Procter won all of his decorations on No. 8
Squadron:— the V.C., D.S.O., M.C. and D.F.C. At one time
the Squadron had 72 aircraft, in sharp contrast to the
size of present day Squadrons which are limited by the
expense an complexity of aircraft.
In 1920
the Squadron was disbanded but was re-formed in Baghdad
as a Bomber Squadron three months later. Shortly
afterwards it was moved to Shaibah where it remained
until after the outbreak of the last war. Whilst in this
theatre the Squadron flew D.H.9a's, Wapitis and Vincents
successively. Its achievement included the first
photographic survey of Southern Iraq and in its spare
time, assistance in the excavation of the ancient cit of
Ur.
After
the outbreak of the last world war it flew Blenheims in
the Mediterranean theatre and in the Middle East. It was
move to Sumatra and Java in January, 1942, but
unfortunately was overrun in March of that year. Of the
six hundred squadron personnel, 135 were evacuated by
boat to Karachi. Twelve of the remainder, showing great
enterprise, sailed an old lifeboat to Australia. The
trip took 44 days and the survivors were sustained
primarily by cans of American beer (the consumption of
canned beer is a tradition which 84 Squadron maintains
to this day).
The
Squadron was re-formed in India with Vengeance ground
attack aircraft which it operated in Burma until the end
of the war.
After
the war, 84 Squadron was used in the Dutch troubles in
Indonesia and remained in the Far East until October,
1948, when it returned to its old home, Shaibah.
However, its stay was short-lived for it was sent to
Malaya in 1950 to operate against the terrorists.
Regretfully the Squadron was grounded and eventually
disbanded in 1953 due to structural failures in the
Brigands which it was then operating. However, to
perpetuate the tradition of this illustrious Squadron,
No. 204 Squadron, then stationed at Fayi in the Canal
Zone, was re-designated 84 Squadron. |
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84
Squadron operated Valettas at Fayid, Abu-Suer and in the
Buraimi Oasis crisis until 1958, when, whilst stationed
at Khormaksar, it was re-equipped with Beverleys. The
Squadron was to play a prominent part in the Kuwait crisis and,
in fact, sustained the only losses through enemy action
when two bombs were planted on its aircraft. More
recently the Squadron was involved in the Brunei crisis,
and together with 30 Squadron formed the mainstay of the
operation in which 800 troops were flown into Swaziland.
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Beverley
landing at Khormaksar
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At
present (1964) the primary role of the Squadron is the supply
of up-country garrisons. |
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