84 SQUADRON
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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.
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 city 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.
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.
At present (1964) the primary role of the Squadron is the supply of up-country garrisons.