No. 5131 (BD) Squadron RAF

{{Short description|Former bomb disposal squadron of the Royal Air Force}}

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = 5131 (BD) Squadron

| native_name =

| image =Dragon Runner Bomb Disposal Robot MOD 45151223.jpg

| alt = A small tracked robot in a sandy area

| caption = Dragon Runner Bomb Disposal Robot as used by 5131 (BD) Squadron

| dates = 21 April 1943{{sfn|Pitchfork|2008|p=120}}–31 March 2020

| country = United Kingdom

| countries =

| allegiance =

| branch = Royal Air Force

| type = Bomb disposal

| role = "To deliver and develop EOD capability to support UK defence policy" (Mission Statement){{cite web|title=RAF - Tactical Armament Squadron (TAS)|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmarham/aboutus/tas.cfm|website=www.raf.mod.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017|language=en}}

| size = 56

| command_structure = No. 42 Expeditionary Support Wing

| garrison = RAF Wittering

| garrison_label =

| nickname =

| patron =

| motto = E Nocentibus Innocentia ({{langx|la|(Out of harmful things, harmless things}}){{cite book|last1=Pine|first1=L G|title=A dictionary of mottoes|date=1983|publisher=Routledge and Kegan Paul|location=London|isbn=0-7100-9339-X|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/62 62]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/62}}

| website =

| current_commander =

| commander1 =

| commander1_label =

| commander2 =

| commander2_label =

| commander3 =

| commander3_label =

| commander4 =

| commander4_label =

| commander5 =

| commander5_label =

| commander6 =

| commander6_label =

| commander7 =

| commander7_label =

| commander8 =

| commander8_label =

| commander9 =

| commander9_label =

| notable_commanders =

| identification_symbol =

| identification_symbol_label =

}}

No. 5131 (BD) Squadron was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squadron of the Royal Air Force.

First formed in 1943, 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron was the Royal Air Force’s explosive ordnance disposal capability for 77 years. Its technicians were trained to deal with conventional munitions, chemical munitions and improvised explosive devices. The Squadron also responded to aircraft crashes; clearing the area of explosive risks and making any ordnance, aircraft assisted escape systems and flare countermeasures safe.

During the 77-year operational history of the squadron, it saw action in World War II, the Suez conflict, the Indonesian conflict, the Cyprus invasion, the Falkland Islands war, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland as well as Military Assistance to Police taskings in the UK.

The squadron deployed to EOD alerts throughout the United Kingdom and had an additional role to undertake worldwide. No. 5131 Sqn was disbanded during the lockdown at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as the RAF’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capability transferred to the Army. Restrictions at the time, however, made a full military parade impossible, and so the decision was made to wait for a more appropriate opportunity.

5131 was the oldest non army UK military EOD team that was qualified to deal with ejection seats, aircraft canopies, and bomb disposal work undertaken in the airfield environment. The squadron latterly operated out of RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire as an element of No. 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing (42 ESW).

In November 2018, it was announced that the squadron would be disbanded by 2020 with the work being passed onto the British Army EOD units.{{cite news |title=RAF bomb disposal squad to be disbanded |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-46141957 |accessdate=8 November 2018 |work=BBC News |date=8 November 2018}}

History

The history of the squadron dates back to the early days of the Second World War when four {{convert|50|kg|adj=on|order=flip}} bombs were detonated by an RAF bomb disposal team in the Shetland Islands.{{sfn|Mander|2017|pp=18-19}} At that time, there were over 29 bomb disposal squadrons in the RAF with upwards of 870 personnel spread across them.{{sfn|Mander|2017|p=18}} In the Second World War, the RAF looked after airfields and anything that involved ordnance dropped from aircraft (Axis or Allied), the Royal Navy looked after naval ordnance and the rest was taken care of by the Royal Engineers of the British Army.{{cite book|last1=Reece|first1=T. Dennis|title=Captains of bomb disposal 1942-1946|date=2005|publisher=Xlibris|location=Philadelphia|isbn=1-4134-8245-7|page=27|chapter=3. Air Forces in England}}{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=January 2018}} By the end of the war in Europe (VE Day), the RAF bomb disposal branch had dealt with over 176,000 weapons in Britain and Europe.{{sfn|Pitchfork|2008|p=120}} To date, the squadron is the Ministry of Defence's lead unit for the safe disposal of air weapons.{{cite web|last1=Palmer|first1=Ed|title=RAF Wittering|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwittering/newsweather/index.cfm?storyid=092F4ED0-5056-A318-A849835E0CCF72FE|website=www.raf.mod.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017|date=25 November 2016}}

Besides dealing with unexploded ordnance dropped from the air, since the Second World War 5131 were deployed to most of the major theatres that the UK armed forces have been involved in (Falkland Islands, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan).{{cite web|last1=Branagh|first1=Ellen|title=Fresh back from Afghanistan...|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=E6212616-5056-A318-A8561AFE2620CAAA|website=www.raf.mod.uk|accessdate=8 June 2017|language=en}} During the beach landings on the 27 May 1982 at San Carlos in the Falklands Conflict, one of the officers of 5131 (BD) Squadron, needed to assess some unexploded ordnance that was lodged in the walls of the field hospital, but had to wait until daylight to do so. To alleviate the worry for the patients who could not be moved to safer medical care, he opted to sleep that night alongside the unexploded ordnance.{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=David|title=The Royal Navy and the Falklands war|date=1988|publisher=Leo Cooper Ltd|location=London|isbn=0-85052-0592|page=239|edition=Reprinted|chapter=The Break Out}} In the Afghanistan conflict, members of 5131 (BD) Squadron were part of the Joint Force Counter-IED Task Force alongside the British Army bomb disposal experts,{{cite news|last1=Wyatt|first1=Caroline|title=Why did bomb disposal expert Col Bob Seddon resign?|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8699902.stm|accessdate=9 June 2017|work=BBC News|date=24 May 2010}} although 5131 themselves are keen to point out that it is not their primary task. Counter-IED operations remained the mainstay of the Royal Logistic Corps bomb disposal technicians.{{sfn|Mander|2017|p=18}}

5131 Squadron had a remit to keep two teams on standby readiness to deploy around the United Kingdom to defuse and safely dispose of any conventional air dropped weapons (CMD - Conventional Munitions Disposal).{{cite web|title=Fancy a career in Bomb Disposal with the RAF?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2009/09/18/bomb_disposal_training_feature.shtml|website=bbc.co.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017|language=en-gb}} In addition to this, the squadron also had to support the Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) teams for counter-CBRN operations worldwide. The squadron was also utilised when RAF land was being sold off or disposed of; in this instance they were making sure that the ground is safe and no historical weapons are present.{{cite web|title=RAF - No 5131 (BD) Squadron|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwittering/aboutus/5131bdsquadron.cfm|website=www.raf.mod.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017}} As befits the squadron's heritage and loyalty, it was the only one of the EOD teams that operated in the defence community who were qualified to work on aircraft ejector seats and explosive canopy charges.{{sfn|Mander|2017|p=19}}

In the squadron's 77-year history, they were based at RAF Detling, RAF Doncaster, RAF Rufforth,{{cite web|title=The Discovery Service|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/record?catid=5033097&catln=6|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017}} RAF Stafford,{{cite web|title=The Discovery Service|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4102313|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017}} RAF North Luffenham and RAF North Coates.{{cite web|title=North Coates|url=http://www.forgottenairfields.com/united-kingdom/england/lincolnshire/north-coates-s1039.html|website=www.forgottenairfields.com|accessdate=9 June 2017|date=1 January 2013}} Since June 1995, and their disbandment in 2020, 5131 (BD) were based at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire and had responsibility for the disposal of air delivered weapons in the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Lloyd, Walsh, Montellier, Palmer|2016|p=43}}{{sfn|Lloyd, Walsh, Montellier, Palmer|2016|p=51}} Between 1970 and 1987, 5131 used Orford Ness as a site to destroy large amounts of munitions.{{cite web|title=Recent history on Orford Ness|url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/orford-ness-national-nature-reserve/features/recent-history-on-orford-ness|website=National Trust|accessdate=12 June 2017}} The squadron used a mock village set up in Rogue Sale Wood, which occupies the south-western edge of RAF Wittering where the squadron had its last base.{{cite journal|last1=Rawnsley|first1=Sharon|title=Cambridgeshire - RAF Wittering|journal=Sanctuary|date=2012|issue=41|page=76|publisher=Ministry of Defence|location=London|issn=0959-4132}}

Staff on the squadron were recruited from the Weapons Technician branch of Trade Group 1 in the Royal Air Force.{{cite web|title=RAF Recruitment {{!}} Weapon Technician|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/roles/roles-finder/technical-and-engineering/weapon-technician/|website=www.raf.mod.uk|accessdate=12 June 2017|language=en}} The squadron was featured on the BBC One Show in August 2011 when presenter Lucy Siegle took part in a bomb disposal exercise.{{cite web|last1=Woods|first1=Lesley|title=RAF Bomb Disposal|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=38C3C83D-5056-A318-A8E22688E506B5CD|website=www.raf.mod.uk|accessdate=9 June 2017|date=11 August 2011}}

Personnel assigned to the squadron were allowed to wear the BD patch on the uniform; this differed from the official squadron badge and has a vertically assigned bomb in the middle, surrounded by two sets of laurel leaves and the initials 'BD' upon it.{{cite book|last1=Hobart|first1=Malcolm|title=Badges and uniforms of the Royal Air Force|date=2012|publisher=Pen & Sword Aviation|location=Barnsley|isbn=9781848848948|page=79}}

In November 2018, it was announced that the squadron would disband by 2020 with all EOD work being undertaken by the British Army as it has "more qualified personnel than the RAF, spread over a wider geographical area." The Royal Navy will keep their specialist maritime EOD units and the Metropolitan Police in London will deal with any devices found in their area.{{cite news |last1=Mander |first1=Simon |title=Bombshell MoD rulng axes WWII Squadron |work=RAF News |issue=1455 |date=16 November 2018 |page=5|issn=0035-8614}}

However, there still remains RAF Bomb Disposal personnel assigned to DEMS Trg Regt instructing in both Conventional Munitions Disposal (CMD) and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD).

Notable awards

RAF bomb disposal technicians have won a total of 43 bravery awards including six George Crosses and eleven George Medals.{{sfn|Mander|2017|p=19}}

Squadron Leader Wilson Charlton - awarded the George Cross after defusing more than 200 bombs in two months during the Battle of Britain.{{cite news|last1=Rowley|first1=Tom|title=WWII bomb disposal expert defused more than 200 bombs in two months|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9718068/WWII-bomb-disposal-expert-defused-more-than-200-bombs-in-two-months.html|accessdate=12 June 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=3 December 2012|language=en}}
Flight lieutenant Ted Costick - awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal for defusing a {{convert|750|lb|adj=on}} bomb in a hotel on the seafront at Famagusta, Cyprus, whilst under fire from the Turkish Army and the Cypriot National Guard in July 1974.{{cite news|last1=Keleny|first1=Anne|title=Squadron Leader Ted Costick, bomb disposal officer decorated for bravery - obituary|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/squadron-leader-ted-costick-bomb-disposal-officer-who-was-awarded-the-queen-s-gallantry-medal-for-a6698911.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/squadron-leader-ted-costick-bomb-disposal-officer-who-was-awarded-the-queen-s-gallantry-medal-for-a6698911.html |archive-date=21 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=12 June 2017|work=The Independent|date=18 October 2015}}
Chief technician Dave Lowe - awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal for defusing IEDs in Afghanistan in 2011. CT Lowe was the first non-RLC technician to pass the IED High Threat Operator's course.{{cite news|last1=Briggs|first1=Stephen|title=Bomb expert's gallantry medal|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/bomb-expert-s-gallantry-medal-1-3113102|accessdate=12 June 2017|work=Peterborough Today|date=3 October 2011|language=en}}

References

=Sources=

{{cite report|last1=Lloyd|first1=Furz|last2=Walsh|first2=Tony|last3=Montellier|first3=Clive|last4=Palmer|first4=Ed|title=Royal Air Force Wittering - from century to century 1916–2016|publisher=Royal Air Force Air Media Centre|location=High Wycombe|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwittering/rafcms/mediafiles/C6A0B4E1_B5FD_F7D4_93EA68A8D6F1FE8F.pdf|year=2016|ref= {{Harvid|Lloyd, Walsh, Montellier, Palmer|2016}} }}
{{cite journal|last=Mander|first=Simon|title=Dealing with the legacy of WWII bombs|journal=RAF News|date=2 June 2017|publisher=Royal Air Force|location=High Wycombe|issn=0035-8614}}
{{cite book|last=Pitchfork|first=Colin|title=The Royal Air Force Day by Day|year=2008|publisher=History Press|location=Stroud|isbn=978-0-7509-4309-3}}

External links

[http://www.rafht.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/24/no-5131-bomb-disposal-squadron/ RAF Heraldry Trust webpage about 5131 Squadron]

Category:Explosive ordnance disposal units and formations

Category:Squadrons of the Royal Air Force

Category:Military units and formations established in 1943

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 2020