12. January 1916

No.32 Sqn formed at Netheravon

29 December 1919

No.32 Sqn disbanded at RAF Croydon

1 April 1923

No.32 Sqn reformed at RAF Kenley

3 February 1969

No.32 Sqn disbanded at RAF Akrotiri

3 February 1969

No.32 Sqn reformed at RAF Northolt

RAF Nordholt

3. Feb 1969

today

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12. Jan 1916

1. Feb 1916

Maj L W Rees VC

1. Feb 1916

Jul 1916

Capt S G Gilmour

Jul 1916

7 Jul 1916

Maj T A E Cairnes DSO

7 Jul 1916

8 Sep 1917

Maj John C Russell

8 Sep 1917

31 Dec 1919

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1 April 1923

Jul 1923

Sqn Ldr R S Maxwell MC, DFC

Jul 1923

 22 Oct 1923

Sqn Ldr Thomas E B Howe

 22 Oct 1923

15 Apr 1924

Sqn Ldr Horace P Lale

15 Apr 1924

 3 Aug 1926

Sqn Ldr Reginald B Mansell OBE

 3 Aug 1926

1 Dec 1929

Sqn Ldr Brian E Baker DSO, MC, AFC

1 Dec 1929

 7 Dec 1932

Sqn Ldr Douglas L Blackford

 7 Dec 1932

26 Mar 1934

Sqn Ldr George T Richardson

26 Mar 1934

12 Apr 1937

Sqn Ldr Arthur W B McDonald

12 Apr 1937

15 Jan 1938

Sqn Ldr/Wg Cdr Reginald Pyne DFC

15 Jan 1938

8 Dec 1938

Sqn Ldr Thomas B Prickman

8 Dec 1938

Oct 1939

Sqn Ldr R A Chignell

Oct 1939

May 1940

Sqn Ldr John Worrall

May 1940

Aug 1940

Sqn Ldr M N Crossley DSO, DFC

Aug 1940

Apr 1941

Sqn Ldr R A B Russell

Apr 1941

Oct 1941

Sqn Ldr T Grier DFC

Oct 1941

Dec 1941

Sqn Ldr R L Smith

Dec 1941

Apr 1942

Sqn Ldr E R Thorn DFC, DFM

Apr 1942

Sep 1942

Sqn Ldr E J Gracie DFC

Sep 1942

Sep 1942

Sqn Ldr J T Shaw

Sep 1942

Aug 1943

Sqn Ldr D Carlson

Aug 1943

Dec 1943

Sqn Ldr M S Lewis

Dec 1943

May 1944

Sqn Ldr N D Harrison

May 1944

Aug 1944

Sqn Ldr G F Silvester DFC

Aug 1944

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17 Apr 1946

Sqn Ldr Cyril S J West DFC

17 Apr 1946

Feb 1947

Sqn Ldr A G Todd DF

Feb 1947

Feb 1948

Sqn Ldr G R Crankthorp DFC

Feb 1948

Jun 1948

Sqn Ldr L F Kelley

Jun 1948

Aug 1949

Sqn Ldr P G Leggett

Aug 1949

Nov 1951

Sqn Ldr R N H Courtney DFC

Nov 1951

May 1952

Sqn Ldr R F T Doe DFC

May 1952

May 1953

Sqn Ldr J A Hemingway DFC

May 1953

Aug 1954

Sqn Ldr A H W Gilchrist DFC

Aug 1954

Nov 1956

Sqn Ldr G D Sutcliffe

Nov 1956

18 Jan 1957

Sqn Ldr P B Wills

18 Jan 1957

17 Sep 1959

Sqn Ldr W F Knapper

17 Sep 1959

15 Nov 1961

Sqn Ldr Michael W P Knight BA

15 Nov 1961

22 Oct 1963

Sqn Ldr E S Dodds

22 Oct 1963

21 Jan 1966

Sqn Ldr M J R Waters

21 Jan 1966

12 Jun 1968

Sqn Ldr I Henderson

12 Jun 1968

10 Jan 1969

Sqn Ldr B Butterworth BA

10 Jan 1969

3 Feb 1969

Sqn Ldr I Semple

3 Feb 1969

 1 Jan 1970

Sqn Ldr A A Wckham

 1 Jan 1970

 2 Aug 1971

Wg Cdr G Ross BSc

 2 Aug 1971

11 Jun 1973

Wg Cdr G O Graydon

11 Jun 1973

20 Oct 1975

Wg Cdr Thomas G R Osborn MBE;

20 Oct 1975

23 Dec 1977

Wg Cdr R Felix MVO

23 Dec 1977

21 Dec 1979

Wg Cdr A F A Gallow

21 Dec 1979

12 Dec 1981

Wg Cdr P Goodman

12 Dec 1981

27 Apr 1984

Wg Cdr Martyn J Gardiner BSc

27 Apr 1984

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1995

Wg Cdr A J Barrett

1995

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2001

Wg Cdr John D Maas

2001

2003

Wg Cdr D Lee

2003

2005

Wg Cdr T Barrett

2005

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Wg Cdr Stephen Courtnadge

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today

Formed on 12 January 1916 at Netheravon, it was designated a fighter squadron and following work up on Vickers FB5s and Henri Farmans, it took its operational equipment, DH2s to the Western Front in May 1916.  A year later these were replaced with DH5s and these in turn by SE5As in December 1917.  The unit operated over the Western Front until the Armistice and eventually returned to Tangmere in March 1919 but later moved to Croydon, where it disbanded on 29 December 1919.

The squadron was reformed (single flight) on 1 April 1923 at Kenley, equipped with Snipes.  Second and third flights were added in December 1923 and June 1924, bringing the squadron to full strength.  Grebes replaced the Snipes in December 1924 with successive re-equipment coming in the form of Siskins (April 1928), Bulldogs (September 1930) and Gauntlets (July 1936).

The squadron received Hurricanes a year before World War Two broke out and was initially engaged on defensive patrols over France from British bases and took part in the early part of the Battle of Britain.  However, the squadron moved north to Acklington in August 1940 and did not return to south until December.  Continuing in the defensive role for a further fifteen months when it began to train for the night intruder role, still equipped with Hurricanes.  These operations began in July 1942 but in September it joined the forces preparing for the invasion of North Africa.

By December 1942 it was operating in Algeria providing air cover to coastal convoys and port facilities in the area.  Spitfires arrived in August 1943 and in October the squadron re-located to Italy but was soon back in Algeria.  In January 1944 it returned to Italy, remaining until October 1944 when it moved to Greece and then it February 1945 it moved again, this time to Palestine, and then to Egypt in Oct 1946, where it remained until May 1948.

From Palestine the squadron re-located to Cyprus and converted to Vampires the following March.  A return to Egypt came in January 1951 and Venoms in January 1955.  At the same time the squadron moved to the Persian Gulf (Shaibah) and nine months later to Malta (Takali).  August 1956 saw the squadron move to Amman in Jordan but in January 1957 it briefly returned to the UK (Weston Zoyland) and converted to the Canberra, which it took back to Cyprus , remaining there until disbanding again on 3 February 1969.

However, the same day the No 32 Squadron was reborn by renaming the Metropolitan Communications Squadron.  Based at Northolt it was equipped with a variety of light transport and communications aircraft including helicopters and continues in that role to the present time.  On 1 April 1995 it was renamed No 32 (The Royal) Squadron when it took on the additional tasks previously fulfilled by the Queen's Flight, which was disbanded as a cost cutting measure.   In 2006 it was announced that the Royal/VIP service currently operated by No 32 Squadron would be replaced in eighteen months time by one run by the Department of Transport.  As a result the squadron will take on a more operational role although it will continue to fly MoD ministers and RAF officers as well as other government officials into operational areas.