| No. 43 (China-British) Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 15 April 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 31 Dec 1919 (RAF) 1 July 1925 – 16 May 1947 1 February 1949 – 14 October 1967 1 September 1969 – 13 July 2009 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Nickname(s) | 'The Fighting Cocks' |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Gloria finis ("Glory is the end")[1] |
| Battle honours | Western Front (1917–1918), Arras (1917), Ypres (1917)*, Cambrai (1917), Somme (1918)*, Lys, Amiens (1918), Dunkirk (1940)*, Battle of Britain (1940)* , Home Defence (1940–1942), Fortress Europe (1942), Dieppe, *North Africa (1942–1943)*, Sicily (1943), Salerno, Italy (1943–1945), Anzio and Nettuno*, Gustav Line, France and Germany (1944)*, Gulf (1991), Iraq (2003) Honours marked with an asterisk* are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge | A Gamecock[2] |
| Squadron Roundel |  |
| Squadron Codes | NQ (Nov 1938 – Sep 1939) FT (Sep 1939 – May 1947) SW (Feb 1949 – Apr 1951) AA–AZ (1986 – Jul 1989) GA–GZ (Sep 1989 – June 2009) |
Number 43 Squadron, nicknamed the Fighting Cocks, was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in April 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It saw distinguished service during two world wars, producing numerous "aces". The squadron last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland, in the air defence role, until it was disbanded in July 2009.
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 91. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 116.