207 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORY

207 (Reserve) Squadron RAF - What was new?

2013 Oct 3: Laying Up of the Standard in Lincoln Cathedral

2012 The 207R Sqn Disbandment Parade takes place at RAF Linton on Ouse

2011 As a result of the financial cuts the Squadron becomes a Flight of 72(R) Squadron at RAF Linton on Ouse and a Disbandment Parade is to be planned

2010 Sqn Ldr Andy Scott succeeds Sqn Ldr Rich Saunders as OC 207(R) Squadron

Ones for the album

please click for a larger image of the all important unit badge

note the tail badge!
images credit: Cpl Scott Robertson

See also Prince William gets his Wings 11 April 2008

Jon Dunn's Green Endorsement for his handling of the forced landing at Rufforth. A solid pat on the back!
RAF flier wins praise for landing stricken Tucano York Press report 16 Aug 2008

11 Jan 2008 Sqn Ldr Rich Saunders is OC 207R in succession to Sqn Ldr Jack Christen wef 23 November 2007. Sqn Ldr Christen is now Deputy CI 1FTS at Linton.

RAF confirms that Prince William will train at Linton airbase: Flt Lt Robbie Lees will be instructing F/O Wales on the Tucano in the Linton phase of the four month period that Prince William will be spending with the RAF. An RAF spokesman is reported as saying "He has expressed a personal interest to fly, but we are not teaching him to be an operational pilot. We are teaching him to be a competent pilot for his future roles. There are no plans for William to fly front-line aircraft in an operational role, so we have cut out anything not needed for his role." York Press 4 Jan 2008

Flight Lieutenant Pete Howlett retires after 42 years' service in the RAF: The RAF's oldest full-time flying instructor [207 Sqn] hung up his helmet and boots for the last time today after 42 years service. York Press report 20 Dec 2007


Flight Lieutenant Pete Howlett AFC an A1 rated QFI at RAF
Linton-on-Ouse with the Tucano in which he flew his last sortie
after 42 years service, aged 62.
Pete Howlett in 1982 with his AFC

Note from the press release: RAF flying instructors are considered amongst the best in the world. They are graded B2 or B1 when they begin instructional duties. When their teaching ability reaches a very high standard they are awarded A2. Almost all RAF instructors are B1 or A2. To be awarded A1 status is very rare. Pilots have to be graded as 'excellent' in both their flying and instructional ability. An A1 instructor is exceptional and is used to assess standards, not only of students but also instructors. Images: Matt Clark

RAF top-guns fly high for charity appeal Pilots at RAF Linton-on-Ouse will go head to head this week when they take part in a competition to find the base's aces in the coveted Staff Navigation Trophy. Pilot officer Tom Balicki and Flight Lieutenant Rob Causer, of 207 Squadron at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, get the fundraising to swell funds for for the Press's Guardian Angels Appeal (which is looking to raise £300,000 to create a children's high-dependency care unit for York Hospital) under way ahead of the staff navigation trophy.
York Press 29 Oct 2007

18 September 2007: via Alan Mawby and Frank Pollard: The 2007 Battle of Britain weekend went very well. At the Friday Cocktail Party the section we were directed to was hosted by Jack Christen.

The service at the Minster was well organised as usual. It was preceded by a march past and a four ship Tucano flypast dead on 11.15 with Jack in the lead. We retired with a party of mess friends to the Monk Bar Hotel for an excellent lunch.

These photos by Alan Mawby were taken at York Minster (just outside the West Door) after the Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication on Battle of Britain Sunday (18 September). The Standard Bearer is Flight Lieutenant Geoff Williams of 207(R)Sqn and the escorts are Sergeant Markland (P Ed Section) and Sergeant Jenny Campbell (Air Traffic Control).

As reported in the local York media, on the afternoon of Wednesday 5th September 2007 a Tucano aircraft, from 1 FTS at RAF Linton on Ouse, after encountering power problems, made an emergency landing at the Gliding Club on the site of former RAF Rufforth, a few miles from base. It was being flown by a student on 225 Course supervised by a 207R Squadron instructor. They were unharmed and the aircraft was later moved into a hangar at Rufforth. A member of 207 Squadron Association resident in Rufforth, who was quickly on the scene, gave an interesting account to members attending the squadron reunion at Derby on 8th September.

Wartime Ace 207 Gunner who served at Linton as an AC2 gets massive press coverage June 2007

A mission to keep our fighter pilots on the ball - Yorkshire Post 15 June 2007

Dinner to celebrate 90th Anniversary of the beginning of the Squadron 1 June 2007

76 Squadron at Linton again 22 May 2007

207 Student pilot Rich Crabbe raises £425 in London Marathon for RAFA 2 May 2007

207's Nick Callinswood hosts birthday treat at Linton for brothers 30 April 2007

Comrades in Arms go back to base 207 Lancaster Engineers John Allinson & Eric Walbank visit their old squadron. 12 March 2007

Linton's History Room now open to the public at weekends 19 Feb 2007

Sixty years apart but still on the same plane Frank Pollard interviewed for the MoD's FOCUS magazine, together with Linton navigator instructor Flt Lt Rod Clark who flew fourteen combat missions on the Tornado during the second Gulf War of 2003. 7 Feb 2007

Colin Denwood Wireless Operator 1944 visits 207 2 Feb 2007

Alan Mawby in the news again - this time with Dick Shuster - 15,000 hours between them - see the not totally accurate report from Yorkshire TV's website! 12 May 2004

Reduced numbers to enter fast-jet training - as reported in RAF News 16 April, 2004

40 years on - a surprise for Alan Mawby 6 April 2004

Anything you can do we can do ... click on link to see what experienced hands you are in! 31 Jan 2004

PRESENTATION OF THE NEW STANDARD 25TH NOVEMBER 2003 19 Dec 2003

A new Squadron Standard was presented to No 207 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Linton-on-Ouse on Tuesday 25 November 2003.

The new Standard replaces the original Standard which was presented by Her Majesty The Queen in 1956 and laid up in Leicester Cathedral in 1984. The ceremony took place in the morning and was followed by a Squadron Open Afternoon.

Former members of No 207 Squadron, members of the Squadron Association, and those with a close association with either No 207 Squadron or No 7 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service who wished to attend were invited to register their interest. The Squadron Project Officer was Squadron Leader P Stockley.

There is a page on the day on the 207 Sqn RAF History website.

The Badges page has been updated with new images.

Website changes
April 5 2003 New website addresses:
207 (Reserve) Squadron RAF is now at www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/207R
207 Squadron RAF Association is now at www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk

March 2003 Badges page updated and new aircraft livery shown. The Ancestors link provides the genealogy of the Squadron.
November 2002 On the website: this page added - 207 Squadron Badge story - more images added to the Squadron at work page - see the CO and History Officer at 207 Association Reunion Derby.

News
193 Course Graduation: We had a very successful graduation for 193 Course on Friday 11 October, the first Graduation of 207 pilots since the re-forming of the Squadron. The day started with several hours of flypasts and displays by RAF aircraft, including a Diamond 9 Tucano flypast by instructors from 1 FTS. The Graduation Ceremony and Wings Presentation then took place in the Officers' Mess. The Reviewing Officer for 207(R) Sqn's first graduation was AOC 3 Group, Rear Admiral Lidbetter - highly appropriate given 207's formation from No.7 Sqn RNAS in 1918! This was followed by a Formal Lunch (with 207 Sqn Silver on the tables), Prize Giving and speeches. In the evening a party was organised by the Course in the Officers' Mess for the families, friends and mess members.

Gp Capt Harrison replaced Gp Capt Cornfield as Stn Cdr on 6 December. At Gp Capt Cornfield's dining-out of the Mess and the RAF ACM Allison (the previous CAS) was the guest of honour and Sqn Ldr Dolding was PMC. We are grateful to Gp Capt Cornfield for the role he played in the return of 207.

Phil Kemp has moved on to CFS and is succeeded as Association Liaison Officer by Alan Mawby who is also Sqn History Officer. Phil has been very supportive in providing photos and the Association wish him well in his new role.

207 Sqn Association's President Wg Cdr Ken Marwood AFM RAF(Retd) could not attend the 193 Course graduation as he was out of the country. He was looking forward to attending on the next 207 Graduation (195) on 31 Jan 2003 but was stymied by the appalling weather ... even the Reviewing Officer got stuck in the snow, so the Linton's Station Commander Gp Capt Harrison had to take over. The Association are wondering how long it will be before one of their Members reports that they attended the graduation of a great/grandchild on 207(R) - or that an ATC Cadet in the Squadrons linked with the Association (207 Cranfield and 2266 Spilsby) graduates on the Squadron?

207 Sqn RAF Association, which came into being after the Squadron disbanded at Northolt, was savouring to the full the novelty of there being 'news from the Squadron' in their latest newsletter!

At the end of February 2003 came the introduction of 207 livery on 10 of Linton's Tucanos - see Badges page.