RFDC82 75th Ann of RAF Northolt RAF FDC signed Prime Minister THATCHER

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RFDC82 75th Ann of 10 Squadron RAF FDC signed OC 10 squadron & Prime Minister THATCHER RFDC 82 RAF Museum First Day Cover commemorating the 75th Anniversary of No 10 Squadron with artwork by Tony Theobald showing a Vickers VC10 at the bottom, with other aircraft flown during the Squadron's history including an AW FK8, BE 2c, Handley Page Halixfax, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Douglas Dakota. English Electric Canberra and Handley Page Victor. The cover bears the complete set of Queens Awards for Export and Technology stamps released on 10 April 1990 cancelled with BFPS 2220 postmark for the 75th Anniversary of No 10 Squadron. The cover is signed by Wing Commander PC Bingham RAF, Officer Commanding No 10 Squadron. The cover has been flown in VC10 XV107 from RAF Brize Norton over Farnborough where 10 Squadron was formed and then over former bases before returning to Brize Norton.Official cover, numbered and certified on reverse. History of No 10 Squadron No. 10 Sqn was formed from elements of No. 1 Reserve Sqn at Farnborough on 1 Jan 1915 with the customary selection of types. In July, the Squadron moved to St Omer, France and a month later began corps spotting duties with its BE2Cs for the Indian Corps during the Battle of Loos. The Squadron's next major action was during the Battle of Arras in April 1917 when it also carried out some bombing sorties. After the Armistice, No. 10 Sqn spent a short period in Germany prior to returning to the UK and its inevitable disbandment came at the end of 1919. It reformed on 3 Jan 1928 as a heavy bomber unit at Upper Heyford equipped with Hyderabads, and during the 1930s a succession of biplane bomber types were flown, including Hinaidis, Virginias and Heyfords.In January 1937, the Squadron moved to Dishforth and shortly after that re-equipped with Whitleys, taking these to war in 1939, initially on leaflet-dropping raids over Germany. The more modern Halifax arrived in late 1941, and these stayed with the squadron throughout the remainder of the War as part of Bomber Command's heavy bomber force. In May 1945, the Squadron transferred to Transport Command and received Dakotas, spending a short time in India before disbanding again in December 1947 only to reform a year later. During the Berlin Airlift, No. 10 Sqn flew Dakotas from Lubeck, but was again disbanded after the blockade was lifted. A four-year period of Canberra operations in the mid-1950s saw the unit involved in operations during the Suez Crisis. Another spell as a bomber Squadron followed when during 1958-64 it flew Victors from Cottesmore, before assuming its current guise as one of the RAF's strategic airlift squadrons after taking charge of the first of the new VC10s at RAF Fairford in July 1966. It moved to its current base at Brize Norton in May of the following year and since then, No. 10 Sqn has been involved in almost all of the UK's major operations and recently became a dual tanker/transport squadron when its aircraft were fitted with air-to-air refuelling pods. Cover has been signed by Wing Commander P C Bingham Officer Commanding 10 Squadron & Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Rt Hon The Baroness Thatcher OM FRS born October 13, 1925), is a British politician, the first woman to become leader of the British Conservative Party and the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a position she held from 1979 to 1990. Even before coming to power she was nicknamed The Iron Lady in Soviet propaganda, an appellation which stuck. After being first elected to parliament in 1959, she served as Education Secretary in the government of Edward Heath from 1970 to 1974. In 1975 she replaced Heath as leader of the Conservative Party. Under her leadership, the Conservatives won a landslide victory in the general elections of 1979, and she became the Prime Minister. She was reelected in 1983 and again in 1987. Thatcher's domestic policy was markedly conservative — she reduced public spending and privatized many government-owned companies. In 1984, she use... read more

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