The Royal Air Force’s (RAF) 14 Squadron will retire its long-standing nickname, “the Crusaders,” following a complaint.
The decision, first reported by The Daily Mail, was made after an internal formal complaint was filed, claiming that the reference to the Crusades was offensive to the Muslim community.
“The traditions and informal nicknames used by the RAF in the earliest days of the service have a place in our history, however, some are no longer appropriate in the 21st Century,” an RAF spokesperson told BBC News.
Despite the change, the squadron will retain its royal crest, which King George VI approved in May 1937. The squadron badge features Saint George’s Cross and a medieval helmet along with the motto ‘I spread my wings and keep my promise’ written in Arabic.
One of the RAF’s longest-serving squadrons
The squadron was formed in 1915 and received its nickname after flying missions in the Sinai and Palestine campaign, which took place in the Middle East during the First World War.
In March 2011, the squadron was disbanded as the Panavia Tornado attack aircraft it flew was being phased out.
14 Squadron was later reformed in October 2011 as a battlefield reconnaissance unit and has since operated Beechcraft Shadow R1 (King Air 350CER) observation aircraft from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
