RAF squadron suffixes

[F4JPhantomII]

A few years ago I bought a 6 Squadron RAF crest patch which refers to the unit as No. 6 (Bomber) Squadron. I'm pretty sure it's a Jaguar era patch but for the life of me I can't find anything online which refers to 6 Squadron as a bomber unit other than photos of pins and patches. It appears they briefly operated Blenheims during the war and Canberras in the 50s and 60s but that's it. This led me to two different sets of questions that I hope someone on here might able to answer.

1) Did 6 Squadron ever have the bomber suffix and if so when?

2) How did/does the RAF apply suffixes to their units? I'm aware when a squadron became a reserve unit it gained the reserve suffix e.g. 56(F) and IV(AC) became 56(R) and IV(R). I also know that it was typically given to squadrons to reflect their role e.g. No. IX (Bomber) Squadron, but was/is there an actual system in place to award a unit with a suffix or to remove it? And why didn't squadrons like No. IV Squadron regain their Army Co-operation suffix when the reserve status was rescinded in 2018?

I know that is a lot of questions but I hope someone can help -- thanks.

[blakey]

But the Jaguar was a ground attack (bomber) aircraft

[Fighterfoto]

Can only answer the last point definitively, namely that following the removal of Reserve status it was for each squadron to apply for their original suffix to be reinstated. That happened with 72 so can only assume IV haven’t applied, there are enough Harrier Mafia knocking around who would have approved it.

[Gary]

It appears the 1957 white paper played a part, when they drastically reduced the size of the air force. Squadrons started dropping the suffixes and some crest were redesigned removing them. Some photos online show IX crest with and without the Bomber designation

Might be worth asking a question to the 6 Sqn Association if it’s still active

[Tanker Ray]

It is indeed an interesting question. I've also noticed tatt some squadron suffixes actually changed over time. For instance when 5 Sqn were on Lightnings, they were designated 5(F). But when they re-roled to the Sentinel, they became V(AC) presumably to honour their original role in WWI. This also raises an interesting point about the use of Roman numerals and when or why they become de facto.

TR

[Red Dragon]

I know a chap who was on the Army side of things as V (AC) Sqn was forming up on the Sentinel at Waddington. He said that the Generals were not very happy with the RAF's Roman numeral squadron numbering as V stood for 'volunteer' in the Army not as number 5!

[Ghastly Whisper]

Could it be the squadrons get a change of title whenever they get a new standard? 18 Sqn still have B yet fly chinooks!

One odd one I've found is 35 Sqn, they get No. XXXV (Madras Presidency) Squadron!!

[22A]

A few years ago I bought a 6 Squadron RAF crest patch which refers to the unit as No. 6 (Bomber) Squadron. I'm pretty sure it's a Jaguar era patch but for the life of me I can't find anything online which refers to 6 Squadron as a bomber unit other than photos of pins and patches. It appears they briefly operated Blenheims during the war and Canberras in the 50s and 60s but that's it. This led me to two different sets of questions that I hope someone on here might able to answer.

1) Did 6 Squadron ever have the bomber suffix and if so when?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._6_Squadron_RAF shwos AC, bomber and currently Fighter roles, but nothing on the Squadron Crest.
Following the Armistice, the squadron transferred to Iraq, arriving in July 1919. Operating in the army co-operation role in Northern Iraq, it was equipped with Bristol Fighters. It was later re-equipped with Fairey Gordons and assumed the bomber role.
The squadron relocated to Palestine in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role
re-equipping with the Jaguar GR.1 and T.2 at RAF Lossiemouth in 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, (I didn't know that when I was at Colt).
Now It has taken over the role of Quick Reaction Alert for the north of the United Kingdom

[WE.177]

A few years ago I bought a 6 Squadron RAF crest patch which refers to the unit as No. 6 (Bomber) Squadron. I'm pretty sure it's a Jaguar era patch but for the life of me I can't find anything online which refers to 6 Squadron as a bomber unit other than photos of pins and patches. It appears they briefly operated Blenheims during the war and Canberras in the 50s and 60s but that's it. This led me to two different sets of questions that I hope someone on here might able to answer.

1) Did 6 Squadron ever have the bomber suffix and if so when?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._6_Squadron_RAF shwos AC, bomber and currently Fighter roles, but nothing on the Squadron Crest.
Following the Armistice, the squadron transferred to Iraq, arriving in July 1919. Operating in the army co-operation role in Northern Iraq, it was equipped with Bristol Fighters. It was later re-equipped with Fairey Gordons and assumed the bomber role.
The squadron relocated to Palestine in 1938, reverting to the army co-operation role
re-equipping with the Jaguar GR.1 and T.2 at RAF Lossiemouth in 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, (I didn't know that when I was at Colt).
Now It has taken over the role of Quick Reaction Alert for the north of the United Kingdom

My bold above..

Sorry, going slightly off topic but I’m not too sure on that Whilst the weapons may have been allocated to the Sqn, I doubt they were actually deployed. As far as I’m aware Colt has never had the sort of storage area these would require. I’m ex RAF Police (1989-2011) and have never heard anybody being employed on Nuclear Security duties at Colt. It was always regarded as a “Blues unit” I.e a regular Police Flight on a normal RAF Station unlike the large squadrons at Laarbruch, Bruggen, Marham, Honington and to a certain extent St Mawgan.

[F4JPhantomII]

Thank you all for the answers -- especially fighterfoto for answering about the squadrons who formally had reserve status.

In regards to my question about No. 6 Squadron, I've done a little more digging and came across the Air Force List for January 1938: https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/9585/95858869.23.pdf, within it it specifically refers to No. 6 Squadron as 'No. 6 (Bomber) Squadron' -- in fact every squadron appears to carry a suffix (no roman numerals however). Having a look across the different volumes the RAF squadrons appear to lose their suffixes from the April 1939 issue onwards https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/9597/95976141.23.pdf, which I would imagine was for security reasons due to Germany occupying Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

I will take Gary's advice and get in contact with the 6 Squadron association as I still haven't been able to find any reference to No. 6 Squadron being officially called No. 6 (Bomber) Squadron after the Second World War.

[F4JPhantomII]

For anyone interested I did get a very helpful and prompt reply from the 6 Sqn association:

You are correct about 6 Squadron being referred to as 6 (Bomber) Squadron in the inter war years. If you look at page 25 of the attached history, you will see that it was called 6 (Army Cooperation) Squadron in March 1924 and renamed as 6 (Bomber) Squadron in April 1931. The Bomber designation was dropped during WW2 and unofficially it became the Tin-openers (or Can-openers) with the introduction of the S Gun equipped Hurricane IId.
I am not aware of the “Bomber” designation being used after WW2 during the Cold War Period. I was CO from 1977-80 in the early years of the Jaguar era and we never used the “Bomber” designation then.