Cover bears full set of 1992 Europa (Expo 92 Seville, Olympics 92 Barcelona, Paralympics 92 Barcelona, Operation Raleigh and Christopher Columbus) stamps cancelled on 1st Day of Issue with  BFPS 2319 depicting 56 Squadron's Phonenix crest. Cover also depicts the Squadron Badge of 56 Squadron and a Phantom which was the aircraft flown by 56 Squadron (now they fly the Tornado).
Cover has been flown in Phamtp, pf 56 Squadron from RAF Wattisham home of the Firebirds from June 1976 to July 1992. The sortie profile included Air to Air Refuelling from a Hercules C-130 tanker, aboard which was the High Sheriff of Suffolk. The sortie also included Electronic Counter Measures training with Canberra aircraft from 360 Squadron.

Cover is signed by Wing Commander Doggett Officer Commanding  56 Squadron

56 Squadron

One of the most famous fighter squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps and early RAF, Number 56 Squadron was formed at Fort Rowner, Gosport on 9 June 1916 and soon after set about introducing the new Sopwith SE5 fighter/scout into service. In April 1917, the unit moved to France. Several famous Royal Flying Corps pilots served with the Squadron; Captain Albert Ball was a founder member, but was killed in May 1917 and posthumously awarded the VC; Lieutenant APF Rhys David spent a number of months with the Squadron and perhaps the most famous Royal Flying Corps pilot of the First World War, Captain James McCudden arrived with seven victories to his name. Six months later he left with a score of 57! By the time the War ended, the Squadron claimed 427 victories - all with SE5As.

The post-war cutbacks saw the Squadron disband in January 1920, but eight days later it was reformed at Aboukir, Egypt this time equipped with Sopwith Snipes. The unit was officially disbanded on 23 September 1922, but elements were hastily formed in a Flight and moved to Turkey during the Chanak crisis, remaining in-theatre until August 1923 under the control of No 208 Squadron at Constantinople. Somewhat confusingly, No 56 Squadron had reformed at Hawkinge in November 1922!

Between the Wars, the Squadron proper flew a succession of bi-plane fighters until, in May 1938, the Hurricane arrived. It was with this aircraft that the Squadron provided air cover for the Dunkirk evacuation and flew for the entire period of the Battle of Britain in the south of England before replacing them with Typhoon ground-attack aircraft in September 1941. The full potential of the aircraft was not realised until fighter-bomber operations started in November 1943. Summer 1944 saw the Squadron convert to Tempests and the unit concentrated on anti-V1 ('flying bomb') patrols before moving to France in September. No 56 remained in Germany until it was renumbered No 16 Squadron in March 1946, reforming the next day at Bentwaters with the renumbering of No 124 Squadron.

The following eight years were spent flying a variety of Meteor jet fighters until, in 1954 the ill-fated Supermarine Swift replaced them. Hunters arrived in May 1955, and these served until 1961 when the first Lightning twin-engined interceptors began to arrive. During the mid-1960s, the Squadron was chosen as Fighter Command's official demonstration team, and nine aircraft were often seen around the country performing at airshows and deafening the crowd! Following a four year stay in Cyprus, the Squadron converted to Phantoms in 1976 finally retiring the last of these in 1992 when the Squadron number was assigned as the Reserve Squadron identity for the Tornado F3 Operational Conversion Unit at Coningsby. At the end of March 2003, No 56 moved to RAF Leuchars in Fife to allow the airfield to be readied for Eurofighter Typhoon operations.

Aircraft: Tornado F3
Motto: Quid si coelum ruat - 'What if heaven falls?'
Badge: A phoenix - approved by King Edward VIII in July 1936. The phoenix was chosen to underline the Squadron's ability to reappear intact regardless of the odds.
Battle Honours: Western Front 1917-1918*, Arras, Ypres 1917*, Cambrai 1917, Somme 1918*, Amiens, Hindenburg Line, France and Low Countries 1940, Dunkirk*, Battle of Britain 1940*, Fortress Europe 1942-1944, Dieppe, France and Germany 1944-1945*, Normandy 1944*, Home defence 1942-1945, Arnhem*.

Phantom

The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem, supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. It was operated by the 56 Squadron RAF from June 1976 until July 1992.

Its primary mission capabilities are long range, high-altitude intercepts utilizing air-to-air missiles as primary armament; a 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon as secondary armament; long-range attack missions utilizing conventional or nuclear weapons as a primary armament; and close air support missions utilizing a choice of bombs, rockets and missiles as primary armament.

F-4K (Phantom FG1)
F-4M (Phantom FGR2)
F-4J mod (Phantom F3)

Engines:
(FG1) two Rolls-Royce Spey 203 turbofans with a maximum rating of 20,515lb (reheat) or 12,250lb (dry). (FGR2) two Spey 202 with similar ratings. (F3) two General Electric J79-8B or 10 after burning turbojets each rated at 17,900lb (reheat) 11,810 (dry).

Dimensions:
Span 38ft 6in, Length (FG1, FGR2) 57ft 7in. (F3) 38ft 3¾in. Height 16ft 9in. Wing area 530sq ft.

Weights
Empty (FG1) approx. 31,000lb, (FGR2) 31,350lb, (F3) 29,900lb.

Performance
Maximum level speed (FG1, FGR2) 1,386mph (Mach 2.1) at 40,000ft, (F3) 1,434mph (Mach 2.17) at 40,000ft. Initial climb (FG1, FGR2) 32,000ft/min, (F3) 41,750ft/min. Service ceiling (FG1, FGR2) 57,200ft, (F3) 61,900ft.
 

  We usually have lots of other items up for sale so why not have a look