No. 49 Squadron RAF
| No. 49 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 15 Apr 1916 – 18 July 1919, 10 Feb 1936 - 1 Aug 1955 1 May 1956 – 1 May 1965 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Cave canem ("Beware of the Dog") |
| Battle honours | Western Front, 1917-18*: Cambrai, 1917*: Somme, 1918*: Channel & North Sea, 1939-40: France & Low Countries, 1940: Invasion Ports, 1940: German Ports 1940 -45*: Ruhr, 1940 - 45*: Fortress Europe, 1940 -44*: Berlin, 1943-44*: Italy, 1943-44: Biscay Ports, 1943: Normandy, 1944: France & Germany, 1944-45*: Walcheren: Rhine: Honours marked with an asterisk are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | A greyhound courant. The greyhound is indicative of speed. |
| Squadron codes | XU Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 EA Sep 1939 - Apr 1951 |
No. 49 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force formed during World War I, re-formed in the build up to World War II, and later took part in the Cold War.
The unit is noted for its role in the British atomic and hydrogen bomb programmes. During Operation Buffalo in 1956, a Vickers Valiant from the squadron became the first British aircraft to drop a live atomic bomb. A year later, the squadron was entrusted with the task of dropping hydrogen bombs in Operation Grapple.