On being redesignated No 1 (Naval) Wing its constituent units were designated as lettered squadrons, 'A' Squadron being equipped with Nieuport 17 scouts.  In June 1916 'A' Squadron received its first Sopwith Triplane, although it was December before the squadron had a full complement of these and February before the last Nieuport left.  In December 1916, 'A' Squadron reverted to the designation No 1 (Naval) Squadron and the following month moved to Chipilly, joining 14th Wing of the RFC.  The squadron operated with the RFC until November 1917, when it returned to naval control at Dunkirk and the following month returned to Britain, where it re-equipped with Camels.

The squadron returned to France in February 1918 and the following month became involved in combating the German's spring offensive, gradually moving from defensive duties to a ground attack role.  Shortly after the start of the spring  offensive on 1 April 1918, the squadron was absorbed into the newly formed RAF and was renumbered as No 201 Squadron.  For the remainder of the war, the squadron continued both these types of operations as well as escorting day bombers of the Independent Force.  Remaining in France immediately after the war, it returned to Britain (Lake Down) in February 1919, disbanding on 31 December of the same year.

Although classed as a senior RAF squadron, it was 1 January 1929 before it reformed at Calshot when No 480 (General Reconnaissance) was raised to squadron status.  It was equipped with Southampton flying boats until December 1936 when re-equipment with Saro Londons was completed, having begun the previous April.  A year before war broke out, the squadron moved to Invergordon for a month and then the month before war was declared it moved to Sullom Voe.  From November 1939 to May 1940 it was back at Invergordon, where it converted to the Sunderland before returning to Sullom Voe.  From these bases it carried out anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols of the North Sea and along the Norwegian coast.

From October 1941 until August 1945 the squadron was based at Castle Archdale on Lough Erne in Northern Ireland except for April to November 1944, when it was based at Pembroke Dock to assist in covering the English Channel during the build up to and after the Normandy landings.  During this period it was gradually upgraded in equipment from the Sunderland I to the Sunderland III and in February 1945  it began to receive the Sunderland V, which it then operated until February 1957.  In August 1945, it moved to its new peacetime base of Pembroke Dock but in March 1946 this was changed to Calshot.  From here it was involved in the Berlin Airlift flying supplies onto Lake Havel in the city.  After the Airlift it returned to Pembroke Dock and remained there until disbanding on 28 February 1957.

The squadron reformed on 1 October 1958, when No 220 Squadron at St Mawgan was renumbered.  It was still a Maritime Reconnaissance unit but was now equipped with the Shackleton MR Mk 3 and in March 19665 it moved to Kinloss in Scotland, where it is still based today, having re-equipped with the Nimrod MR Mk 1 in October 1970 and MR Mk 2 from January 1982 to February 1983.

Motto:     Hic et ubique (Here and everywhere)

 

Standards	Battle Honours*
Award of Standard originally announced on 15 Jan 1952, effective 1 Apr 1951 but presented:- lst - 16 December 1955 AVM G W Tuttle 2nd - 9 November 1984 HRH The Duke of Edinburgh	Western Front, 1915-1918: Arras: Ypres, 1917: Somme, 1918: Amiens: Hindenburg Line: Channel & North Sea, 1939-1945: Norway, 1940: Atlantic, 1941-1945: Bismarck: Biscay, 1941 1945: Normandy, 1944: South Atlantic, 1982: Gulf, 1991:  Iraq 2003:

Squadron Codes used: -