No. 230 Squadron RAF

No. 230 Squadron is an RAF squadron, currently based at RAF Benson. The squadron was part of Royal Air Force Germany, operating the Puma HC.1 there from 1980. Following the drawdown at the end of the Cold War, the squadron disbanded on 30 April 1992. This was short-lived however and the squadron reformed at RAF Aldergrove on 4 May 1992, again with the Puma HC.1.

The squadron is well experienced in night flying, almost a third of flights are undertaken after dark. The 2004 Future Capabilities chapter of the UK Defence White Paper, Delivering Security in a Changing World announced a plan to reduce the squadrons Puma force by 6 helicopters. It was announced in late 2008 that the squadron was to move to RAF Benson by 2010.

First formation
No. 230 Squadron was formed on 20 August 1918 at Felixstowe, consisting of three Flights. No.327 and 328 Flight used Felixstowe F.2 and F.2A flying boats and Fairey IIIs for maritime reconnaissance, whilst No.487 Flight flew Sopwith Camels on escort duties. At the end of World War I the squadron was retained as one of the few RAF coastal units. In 1920 the squadron got Felixstowe F.5 flying boats, and it moved to RAF Calshot in May 1922, where on 1 April 1923 it was renumbered to 480 Flight RAF.

First reformation
On 1 December 1934 No. 230 Squadron was reformed at RAF Pembroke Dock with Short Singapore flying boats. The Squadron used the Singapore till 1938, serving from Aboukir, Alexandria, Lake Timsah and after a short return to the UK, RAF Seletar. In 22 June 1938 the first Short Sunderland flying boat arrived, the aircraft the Squadron would be equipped with for the next 20 years, in fact until 28 February 1957 when the Squadron was disbanded at Pembroke Dock.

Second reformation
On 1 September 1958 No. 215 Squadron RAF at Dishforth was renumbered 230 Squadron, flying Scottish Aviation Pioneer light transport aircraft. From 1960 these were augmented with Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer aircraft. Westland Whirlwind HC.10 helicopters began to arrive in June 1962 to become the Squadron's standard equipment. In January 1963 No.230 Squadron moved to RAF Gütersloh, West Germany, returning to the UK in January 1965 before being transferred to Borneo. In 1967 the Squadron returned to the UK and in November 1971 began to convert to the Aérospatiale Puma HC.1 at RAF Odiham. On 14th October 1980, the squadron moved back to RAF Gütersloh, West Germany where they remained until being disbanded and reformed at RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland in April 1992.

230 sqn was one of two Northern Ireland based squadrons of the Royal Air Force, the other being 72 Squadron (equipped with Westland Wessex HC2s). 230 Squadron's 18 Puma aircraft were rotated with No. 33 Squadron's 15 Pumas to even out flight hours amongst the fleet (Northern Ireland based helicopters had a much higher operational tempo). In 230 Sqn service the main role of the fleet was tactical transport of the Security Forces, including the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), Police Service of Northern Ireland and the British Army, either to patrol points or one of the military bases dotted around Northern Ireland. A well travelled route for the Pumas, as well as for the visiting Chinooks of 7 and 18 Squadrons was to the Royal Irish Regiment camp at Ballykinler, South Down.

On 17 Nov 2009, 230 Squadron eventually left Northern Ireland for RAF Benson in Oxfordshire (together with 33 Squadron from RAF Odiham) after 17 years in province.

The Puma HC1 was withdrawn from service in December 2012 and is to be replaced with the HC2.