Design Details — RAF IX Squadron Signature

This Signature tee reinterprets the distinctive identity of the Royal Air Force's No. IX (Bomber) Squadron through restrained graphics and carefully balanced placement, drawing on the squadron's historic insignia and the markings carried by its combat aircraft.

At the heart of the composition sits the Flight Insignia Signature Mark, a refined red, white and blue graphic positioned discreetly on the upper-left chest. Its clean, flowing form establishes the contemporary character of the design, while the sleeve details preserve the visual heritage of IX Squadron.

The left sleeve features the squadron's unmistakable green bat, outlined in yellow — a symbol closely connected to its long association with night operations and its enduring motto, *Per Noctem Volamus*.

The right sleeve carries the low-viz RAF roundel set against the distinctive green and yellow identification bars associated with the squadron's aircraft.

Presented on Heather Military Green, the design balances the distinctive heraldic colours with a muted, understated garment. The interior is finished with a discreet Flight Insignia neck label, completing a composition that brings more than a century of RAF squadron heritage into the restrained visual language of the Signature Series.

No. IX (Bomber) Squadron — Through the Night

The history of No. IX (Bomber) Squadron reaches back to December 1914, when it was first established as No. 9 (Wireless) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. Re-formed in 1915, the squadron served on the Western Front during the First World War, undertaking reconnaissance and bombing operations in the formative years of military aviation.

Following its re-establishment in 1924, IX Squadron developed into a dedicated bomber unit, eventually becoming closely associated with night operations. Its motto, *Per Noctem Volamus* — “Through the night we fly” — and the bat depicted on its official badge reflect a heritage that would become inseparable from the squadron's identity.

During the Second World War, IX Squadron operated the Vickers Wellington before converting to the Avro Lancaster in 1942. As part of RAF Bomber Command, it participated in major operations over occupied Europe, including the attack on the German research establishment at Peenemünde in August 1943.

On 12 November 1944, Lancasters of IX Squadron joined aircraft from No. 617 Squadron in Operation Catechism, the attack that sank the German battleship *Tirpitz* near Tromsø, Norway. Equipped with the 12,000 lb Tallboy bomb, the Lancasters carried out one of the most significant precision bombing operations of the war.

The post-war years brought successive generations of bomber aircraft, including the Avro Lincoln, English Electric Canberra and Avro Vulcan. In 1982, IX Squadron became the RAF's first frontline unit equipped with the Panavia Tornado GR1, beginning an era of low-level strike operations that would define the squadron for almost four decades.

The Tornado years saw IX Squadron deployed on operations over Iraq, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya. The aircraft also provided a distinctive visual chapter in the squadron's history, with special anniversary markings incorporating its traditional green bat and green-and-yellow identification bars.

Following the retirement of the Tornado in 2019, IX Squadron re-formed at RAF Lossiemouth with the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, taking on a new role within the RAF's combat air capability. The transition marked another evolution in a history that had already spanned reconnaissance biplanes, heavy bombers, nuclear-capable jets and modern strike aircraft.

The Flight Insignia Signature design draws on this continuity. The RAF roundel and identification bars recall the markings carried by IX Squadron aircraft, while the green bat preserves the emblem that has connected generations of aircrew across changing aircraft and operational roles.

More than a century after the squadron's formation, its identity remains unmistakable.

“Per Noctem Volamus.”

“Through the night we fly.”