The Aviation Magazine No 57 Special Edition 2018 Volume 9 Issue 4 | Page 16

With the introduction of the Hanriot-Dupont HD.1, in 1917, the squadron badge,
the Scottish Thistle or Chardon d’Ecosse, appeared for the first time on their air-
craft. The original design was painted by pilot André de Meulemeester and con-
sisted of a slim stalk with a number of leaves and a flower resembling the cork of
a bottle of Champaign. The design was redesigned by Willy Coppens with more
detail to the flower. The inspiration for the thistle most likely came from a unit of
the Regiment of Scots Guards, stationed near their airfield. The motto “Nemo me
impune lacessit” (no man provokes me with impunity) had British origins as it
was used by the Most Noble and Most Ancient Order of the Thistle, formed in
1687 by King James II.
As WWI came to an end, and the period prior to WWII, the 1 Sqn went through
several changes and locations, flying a wide variety of aircraft. They included:
 Avro 504K and N versions
 Fokker D.VII F-2
 Morane Saulnier MS.30.E1 (for evaluation)
 Spad XIII
 Nieuport D29
 Fiat CR1 (for evaluation)
 Avia BH21
 Nieuport ND-72
 Fairley Firefly IIM