The Few
Statistics -- Leading aces
Table:
Rank

Pilot

Nationality

Squadron

Aircraft

Kills

Notes

1

Plt Off Eric Lock

United Kingdom

41

Spitfire

21

Total 26 kills. KIA 3 August 1941.

2

Sq/Ldr Archie McKellar

United Kingdom

605

Hurricane

19

Total 21 (possibly 22) three probable and three damaged. 5 Bf-109's on 7 October 1940. KIA 1 November 1940.

3

Sgt James Lacey

United Kingdom

501

Hurricane

18
(23 by end of November)

Total 28 kills.

4

Sgt Josef František

Czechoslovakia

303

Hurricane

17

Killed 8 October 1940.

5

Fg Off Brian Carbury

New Zealand

603

Spitfire

15 + ⅓

6

Fg Off Witold Urbanowicz

Poland

145 and 303

Hurricane

15

Total 18 (possibly 20) kills.

7

Plt Off Colin Gray

New Zealand

54

Spitfire

14 + ½

Total 27.7 kills.

8

Plt Off Bob Doe

United Kingdom

234 and 238

Spitfire / Hurricane

14 (+ 2 shared)

9

Flt Lt Paterson Hughes

Australia

234

Spitfire

14 + ⅚

KIA 7 September 1940.

10

Sqn Ldr Michael Crossley

United Kingdom

32

Hurricane

14

Wartime total 22 victories.

Considering the given table along with the textual context listed at the end.

Respond to the question below: What is the name of the pilot whose squadron won seven battle honours ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Eric Stanley Lock , DSO , DFC & Bar ( 19 April 1919 - 3 August 1941 ) was a British Royal Air Force ( RAF ) fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War . Born in Shrewsbury in 1919 Lock had his first experience of flying as a teenager . In the late 1930s with war a possibility and the likely event of him being called to arms , Lock decided that he would prefer to fight as an airman . He joined the RAF in 1939 . He completed his training in 1940 and was posted to No . 41 Squadron RAF in time for the Battle of Britain . Lock became the RAF 's most successful Allied pilot during the battle , shooting down 21 German aircraft and sharing in the destruction of one . After the Battle of Britain Lock served on the Channel Front , flying offensive sweeps over France . Lock went on to bring his overall total to 26 aerial victories , one shared destroyed and eight probable in 25 weeks of operational sorties over a one-year period - during which time he was hospitalised for six months . Included in his victory total were 20 German fighter aircraft , 18 of them Messerschmitt Bf 109s . In mid-1941 Lock was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant . Lock earned the nickname Sawn Off Lockie , because of his extremely short stature .
No . 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the RAF 's Test and Evaluation Squadron ( TES ) , based at RAF Coningsby , Lincolnshire . Its official title is 41 TES . The squadron was formed in 1916 during First World War as part of the Royal Flying Corps and served on the Western Front as a ground attack and fighter squadron . Disbanded in 1919 as part of the post-war draw down , No . 41 Squadron was re-formed as an RAF squadron in 1923 and remained on home service until 1935 when it was deployed to Aden during the Abyssinian crisis . During the Second World War , the squadron flew Supermarine Spitfire fighters and saw action over Dunkirk and the during the Battle of Britain in the early years of the war . Combat operations were flown from Britain over German-occupied Europe during 1941-1944 , before the squadron moved to the continent after the Normandy landings . During 1944-45 , the squadron supported the Allied advance into Germany and it remained there until mid-1946 as part of the occupation force following the end of hostilities . In the post war years , the squadron was disbanded and re-formed several times , operating a variety of jet aircraft in the fighter , reconnaissance and interceptor roles . In 2006 , the squadron was re-roled as the Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit . It remained in this role until 2010 when it became the RAF 's Test and Evaluation Squadron .
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before , during , and after World War II . Many variants of the Spitfire were built , using several wing configurations , and it was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft . It was also the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war . The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts ; nearly 60 remain airworthy , and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world . The Spitfire was designed as a short-range , high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell , chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works , which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928 . Mitchell pushed the Spitfire 's distinctive elliptical wing with cutting-edge sunken rivets ( designed by Beverley Shenstone ) to have the thinnest possible cross-section , helping give the aircraft a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters , including the Hawker Hurricane . Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937 , whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer , overseeing the Spitfire 's development through its multitude of variants . During the Battle of Britain , from July to October 1940 , the public perceived the Spitfire to be the main RAF fighter , though the more numerous Hurricane shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against Nazi Germany 's air force , the Luftwaffe . However , Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes because of the Spitfire 's higher performance . During the battle , Spitfires were generally tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters - mainly Messerschmitt Bf 109E-series aircraft , which were a close match for them . After the Battle of Britain , the Spitfire superseded the Hurricane to become the backbone of RAF Fighter Command , and saw action in the European , Mediterranean , Pacific , and South-East Asian theatres . Much loved by its pilots , the Spitfire served in several roles , including interceptor , photo-reconnaissance , fighter-bomber , and trainer , and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s .
Missing in action ( MIA ) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants , military chaplains , combat medics , and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire . They may have been killed , wounded , captured , or deserted . If deceased , neither their remains nor grave has been positively identified . Becoming MIA has been an occupational risk for as long as there has been warfare .
Squadron leader ( Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF ; formerly sometimes S/L in all services ) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence . It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure . An air force squadron leader ranks above flight lieutenant and immediately below wing commander and it is the most junior of the senior officer ranks . The air force rank of squadron leader has a NATO ranking code of OF-3 , equivalent to a lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy or a major in the British Army or the Royal Marines . The equivalent rank in the Women 's Auxiliary Air Force , Women 's Royal Air Force ( until 1968 ) and Princess Mary 's Royal Air Force Nursing Service ( until 1980 ) was squadron officer . Squadron leader has also been used as a cavalry command appointment ( UK ) and rank ( France ) since at least the nineteenth century . In Argentina it is used as a command appointment by both the army 's cavalry and by the air force 's flying units . The cavalry rank of squadron leader in France is also an OF-4 equivalent to a major , and the cavalry appointment of squadron leader in the UK generally corresponds to this rank as well .
Archibald Ashmore McKellar , DSO , DFC & Bar ( 10 April 1912 - 1 November 1940 ) was a flying ace of the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) during the Second World War . McKellar grew up and joined the family business in his native Scotland , but in 1936 , aged 24 , he joined the RAF and began pilot training . He completed his training in 1938 and was assigned to No . 602 ( City of Glasgow ) Squadron RAF , an Auxiliary Unit . In 1939 he converted to the Supermarine Spitfire fighter . He experienced his first combat with No . 602 Squadron , credited with two victories soon after the outbreak of war in 1939 against German bombers attacking Royal Navy ships and installations over northern Britain during the Phoney War period . McKellar 's first victory earned him the distinction of being the first pilot to shoot down a German aircraft over the British Isles during the war . A year later , he gained fame in 1940 during the Battle of Britain as a part of , and later squadron leader of , No . 605 Squadron RAF , equipped with the Hawker Hurricane fighter . The Auxiliary Unit was moved to southern England and participated in the large air battles . McKellar 's combat career proved to be very brief , lasting just over a year .
No 605 Squadron was formed as an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron . Initially formed as a bomber unit , it was one of the most successful participants of the Battle of Britain . It also had the distinction of being active during the Second World War at two fronts at a time , when the squadron was split up between Malta and the Dutch East Indies . In its last incarnation as an active flying unit , the squadron served as the first jet fighter unit in the post-war Royal Auxiliary Air Force ; 616 having already flown Gloster Meteors during the war . No . 605 Squadron was reformed as a RAuxAF Logistic Support Squadron on 1 Nov 2014 within No . 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing of the RAF A4 Force . Reservist recruitment commenced on 30 May 2015 .
Killed in action ( KIA ) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own combatants at the hands of hostile forces . The United States Department of Defense , for example , says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to hostile attack . KIAs include those killed by friendly fire in the midst of combat , but not from incidents such as accidental vehicle crashes , murder and other non-hostile events or terrorism . KIA can be applied both to front-line combat troops and to naval , air and support troops . Someone who is killed in action during a particular event is denoted with a † ( dagger ) beside their name to signify their death in that event or events . [ citation needed ] Further , KIA denotes a person to have been killed in action on the battlefield whereas died of wounds ( DOW ) relates to someone who survived to reach a medical treatment facility . The North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) also uses DWRIA , rather than DOW , for died of wounds received in action . However , historically , militaries and historians have used the former acronym . [ citation needed ] PKIA means presumed killed in action . This term is used when personnel are lost in battle , initially listed missing in action ( MIA ) , but after not being found , are later presumed to have not survived .
Sergeant ( /ˈsɑː ( r ) dʒənt/ SARJ-ənt ; abbreviated to Sgt . and capitalized when used as a named person 's title ) is a rank in many uniformed organizations , principally military and policing forces . The alternative spelling , serjeant , is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British Light Infantry . Its origin is the Latin serviens , 'one who serves ' , through the French term sergent . The term sergeant refers to a non-commissioned officer placed above the rank of a corporal and a police officer immediately below a lieutenant or , in the UK Police forces , below an inspector . In most armies the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of a squad ( or section ) . In Commonwealth armies , it is a more senior rank , corresponding roughly to a platoon second-in-command . In the United States Army , sergeant is a more junior rank corresponding to a four-soldier fireteam leader . More senior non-commissioned ranks are often variations on sergeant , for example staff sergeant , first sergeant , and sergeant major . Many countries use sergeant rank , whether in English or using a cognate with the same origin in another language . The equivalent rank in Arab armies is raqīb ( رقيب ) , meaning 'overseer ' or 'watcher ' .
James Harry Lacey , DFM & Bar ( 1 February 1917 - 30 May 1989 ) was one of the top scoring Royal Air Force fighter pilots of the Second World War and was the second highest scoring RAF fighter pilot of the Battle of Britain , behind Pilot Officer Eric Lock of No . 41 Squadron RAF . Lacey was credited with 28 enemy aircraft destroyed , five probables and nine damaged .
No 501 Squadron was the fourteenth of the twenty-one flying units in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force , the volunteer reserve part of the British Royal Air Force . The squadron won seven battle honours , flying Hurricane , Spitfire and Tempest fighter aircraft during World War II , and was one of the most heavily engaged units in RAF Fighter Command . In particular , the Squadron saw extensive action during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain . At present the unit is not flying any more and has a logistics role as part of No 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing .
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s-40s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) . It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by the Supermarine Spitfire 's role during Battle of Britain in 1940 , but the Hurricane inflicted 60 percent of the losses sustained by the Luftwaffe in the engagement , and fought in all the major theatres of the Second World War . The Hurricane originated from discussions between RAF officials and aircraft designer Sir Sydney Camm about a proposed monoplane derivative of the Hawker Fury biplane in the early 1930s . Despite an institutional preference for biplanes and lack of interest from the Air Ministry , Hawker refined their monoplane proposal , incorporating several innovations which became critical to wartime fighter aircraft , including retractable landing gear and the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine . The Air Ministry ordered Hawker 's Interceptor Monoplane in late 1934 , and the prototype Hurricane K5083 performed its maiden flight on 6 November 1935 . In June 1936 , the Hurricane went into production for the Air Ministry ; it entered squadron service on 25 December 1937 . Its manufacture and maintenance was eased by using conventional construction methods so that squadrons could perform many major repairs without external support . The Hurricane was rapidly procured prior to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 , when the RAF had 18 Hurricane-equipped squadrons in service . The aircraft was relied on to defend against German aircraft operated by the Luftwaffe , including dogfighting with Messerschmitt Bf 109s in multiple theatres of action . The Hurricane was developed through several versions , into bomber-interceptors , fighter-bombers , and ground support aircraft as well as fighters . Versions designed for the Royal Navy known as the Sea Hurricane had modifications enabling operation from ships . Some were converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts .
Josef František DFM & Bar ( 7 October 1914 - 8 October 1940 ) was a Czechoslovak fighter pilot and Second World War fighter ace who flew for the air forces of Czechoslovakia , Poland , France , and the United Kingdom . He was the highest-scoring non-British Allied ace in the Battle of Britain , with 17 confirmed victories and one probable , all gained in a period of four weeks in September 1940 . František was a brilliant pilot and combatant but had frequently breached air force discipline first in Czechoslovakia , then in France and finally in Britain . The RAF found it best to let him patrol alone , a role in which he was highly successful . He was killed in a crash in October 1940 in the final week of the Battle of Britain .
Czechoslovakia , or Czecho-Slovakia ( /ˌtʃɛkoʊsloʊˈvækiə , -kə- , -slə- , -ˈvɑː-/ ; Czech and Slovak : Československo , Česko-Slovensko ) , was a sovereign state in Central Europe that existed from October 1918 , when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire , until its peaceful dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 January 1993 . From 1939 to 1945 , following its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany , the state did not de facto exist but its government-in-exile continued to operate . From 1948 to 1990 , Czechoslovakia was part of the Eastern Bloc with a command economy . Its economic status was formalized in membership of Comecon from 1949 and its defense status in the Warsaw Pact of May 1955 . A period of political liberalization in 1968 , known as the Prague Spring , was forcibly ended when the Soviet Union , assisted by several other Warsaw Pact countries , invaded Czechoslovakia . In 1989 , as Marxist-Leninist governments and socialism were ending all over Europe , Czechoslovaks peacefully deposed their government in the Velvet Revolution ; state price controls were removed after a period of preparation . In 1993 , Czechoslovakia split into the two sovereign states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia .
No . 303 Squadron RAF ( Polish : 303 Dywizjon Myśliwski Warszawski im . Tadeusza Kościuszki , often shortened : Dywizjon 303 ) was one of 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) during the Second World War . Flying Hawker Hurricanes , the squadron claimed the largest number of aircraft shot down of the 66 Allied fighter squadrons engaged in the Battle of Britain , even though it joined the fray two months after the battle had begun . No . 303 Squadron RAF was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool , England before deployment to RAF Northolt on 2 August as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom . It had a distinguished combat record and was disbanded in December 1946 . Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry , wrote Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding , head of RAF Fighter Command , I hesitate to say that the outcome of the Battle
Flying officer ( Fg Off in the RAF and IAF ; FLGOFF in the RAAF ; FGOFF in the RNZAF ; formerly F/O in all services and still frequently in the RAF ) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence . It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure . In these cases a flying officer usually ranks above pilot officer and immediately below flight lieutenant . It has a NATO ranking code of OF-1 and is equivalent to a lieutenant in the British Army or the Royal Marines . However , it is superior to the nearest equivalent rank of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy . [ failed verification ] The equivalent rank in the Women 's Auxiliary Air Force was section officer .
Brian John George Carbury , DFC & Bar ( 27 February 1918 - 31 July 1961 ) was a New Zealand fighter ace of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War . He was credited with being one of four aces in a day in the Battle of Britain as he shot down five aircraft on 31 August 1940 . The others were Archie McKellar , Ronald Hamlyn , both British pilots , and Antoni Głowacki of Poland .
No . 603 ( City of Edinburgh ) Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force , based in Edinburgh , Scotland . On reforming on 1 October 1999 , the primary role of 603 Squadron , was as a Survive to Operate squadron , as well as providing Force Protection . 603 Sqn re-roled to become a reserve RAF Police unit from 1 April 2013 . The Squadron retains a squadron 's complement of RAF Regiment as part of its overall contribution to Force Protection and it still operates from a magnificent Victorian Town Mansion close to Edinburgh 's city centre , as it has since the Town Headquarters was bought for the squadron in 1925 . Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the Honorary Air Commodore to the Squadron , with those duties routinely carried out by Air Marshal Sir David Walker .
Witold Urbanowicz ( 30 March 1908 - 17 August 1996 ) was a Polish fighter ace of the Second World War . According to the official record , Witold Urbanowicz was the second highest-scoring Polish fighter ace , with 17 confirmed wartime kills and 1 probable , not counting his pre-war victory . He was awarded with several decorations , among others the Virtuti Militari and British Distinguished Flying Cross . He also published several books of memoirs .
Poland ( Polish : Polska [ ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Rzeczpospolita Polska [ c ] [ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔˈspɔlita ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , is a country located in Central Europe . It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions , covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres ( 120,733 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With a population of nearly 38.5 million people , Poland is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union . Poland 's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw . Other major cities include Kraków , Łódź , Wrocław , Poznań , Gdańsk , and Szczecin . Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea , Lithuania , and Russia 's Kaliningrad Oblast to the north , Belarus and Ukraine to the east , Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south , and Germany to the west . The history of human activity on Polish soil spans almost 500,000 years . Throughout the Iron Age the area became extensively diverse , with various cultures and tribes settling on the vast Central European Plain . However , it was the Western Polans who dominated the region and gave Poland its name . The establishment of Polish statehood can be traced to AD 966 , when Mieszko I , ruler of the realm coextensive with the territory of present-day Poland , converted to Christianity . The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025 , and in 1569 it cemented its longstanding political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin . This union formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , one of the largest ( over 1,000,000 square kilometres - 400,000 square miles ) and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe , with a uniquely liberal political system which adopted Europe 's first written national constitution , the Constitution of 3 May 1791 .
No . 145 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that operated during World War I , World War II and the Cold War .
Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray , DSO , DFC & Two Bars ( 9 November 1914 - 1 August 1995 ) was a Royal Air Force ( RAF ) officer and the top New Zealand fighter ace of the Second World War . Born in Christchurch , Gray was accepted into the RAF in 1939 after two previous attempts failed on medical grounds . He flew with No . 54 Squadron during the Battles of France and Britain , and had shot down 14 aircraft and had a half share in another by September 1940 . He later added another 13 kills while leading fighter squadrons and wings in the North African and Italian Campaigns , and finished the war with a confirmed 27½ kills . After the war he held a number of staff and command positions in the RAF before his eventual retirement in 1961 . He returned to New Zealand to work for Unilever . He died in 1995 at the age of 80 .
Number 54 Squadron ( sometimes written as No . LIV Squadron ) is a squadron of the Royal Air Force . It is based at RAF Waddington , England . On 1 September 2005 it took on the role of Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance ( ISR ) Operational Conversion Unit , responsible for training all RAF crews assigned to the E-3D Sentry AEW1 and the Nimrod R1 and the Sentinel R1 as well as running the Qualified Weapons Instructor Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance Course ( QWI ISR ) . The squadron was previously a SEPECAT Jaguar strike fighter unit , operating from RAF Coltishall , until it was disbanded on 11 March 2005 . Since September 2005 the unit has been formally titled 54 ( Reserve ) Squadron , until the ( Reserve ) nameplate was removed from all training squadrons in 2018 .
Robert Francis Thomas Bob Doe , DSO , DFC & Bar ( 10 March 1920 - 21 February 2010 ) was a British fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War . He flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain , and was seconded to the Indian Air Force during the Burma campaign .
No . 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF , being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II . After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957 . In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn Operational Training Unit ( OTU ) , Tactical Weapon Unit ( TWU ) and part of No . 4 Flying Training School RAF until finally disbanded in 1994 .
No . 238 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force . It was first formed in 1918 by combining number 347 , 348 and 349 Flights at RAF Cattewater by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War . It was reformed for the Second World War , the Berlin Airlift and currently is a Line Training Flight ( LTF ) squadron based at RAF Cosford , albeit in a non-flying capacity .
Paterson Clarence Hughes , DFC ( 19 September 1917 - 7 September 1940 ) was an Australian fighter ace of World War II . Serving with the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) , he was credited with as many as seventeen aerial victories during the Battle of Britain , before being killed in action on 7 September 1940 . His tally made him the highest-scoring Australian of the battle , and among the three highest-scoring Australians of the war . Born in Cooma , New South Wales , Hughes joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet in 1936 . After graduating as a pilot , he chose to take a commission with the RAF . In July 1937 , he was assigned to No . 64 Squadron , which operated Hawker Demon and , later , Bristol Blenheim fighters . Posted to No . 234 Squadron following the outbreak of World War II , Hughes began flying Supermarine Spitfires as a flight commander . He shared in his unit 's first aerial victory on 8 July 1940 , and began scoring heavily against the Luftwaffe the following month . Known for his practice of attacking his targets at extremely close range , Hughes is generally thought to have died after his Spitfire was struck by flying debris from a German bomber that he had just shot down . He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross , and was buried in England .
Wing Commander Michael Nicholson Crossley , DSO , OBE , DFC ( 20 May 1912 - 1987 ) was a Royal Air Force flying ace who , during the Second World War , led No . 32 Squadron RAF in the Battle of Britain . Crossley shot down 20 enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of two others with one 'probable ' and one 'damaged ' . All of his victories were scored in the Hawker Hurricane .
No . 32 ( The Royal ) Squadron ( sometimes written as No . 32 ( TR ) Squadron ) of the Royal Air Force operates in the VIP and general air transport roles from RAF Northolt in Greater London . Originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps , the squadron saw action during the First and Second World Wars with fighter aircraft , but was disbanded in 1969 . The Metropolitan Communications Squadron , involved in the VIP transport role , was renamed as No . 32 Squadron at that time . In 1995 , the squadron was merged with the Queen 's Flight and incorporated 'The Royal ' title into its name . At this time the squadron moved from RAF Benson to RAF Northolt , where it remains . The merger ended the RAF 's provision of dedicated VIP transport aircraft ; the aircraft of 32 Squadron are available to VIP passengers only if not needed for military operations . Two flights within the squadron operate the British Aerospace 146 and AgustaWestland AW109 aircraft .