The Squadron lays claim to being the first military unit to fly in India, where it was based from 1915 to 1947.

31 Squadron was formed at Farnborough on 11 October 1915 as part of the Royal Flying Corps.

[4] The Squadron was initially composed of a single 'A' flight and was equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c.

31 Squadron was soon deployed to Risalpur, on the North-West Frontier in the British Raj, where they arrived on 26 December.

[5] In 1917, the Squadron sent a detachment to Khormaskar, Aden, to fly reconnaissance flights against Ottoman forces.

31 Squadron would remain operating in India throughout the entirety of the First World War, flying the B.E.2c, B.E.2e and the Henri Farman HF.27, primarily supporting the British Army against dissident tribesmen.

31 Squadron helped police the Waziristan and Afghanistan regions as well as supporting the British Army in putting down any rebellions.

[5] After re-equipping with the Valentia, the Squadron carried out attacks against Mirzali Khan (known as the Faqir of Ipi) during the 1939 Waziristan campaign.

[15] In April 1941, the Squadron started to be equipped with Douglas DC-2s and began flying support missions to RAF Habbaniya during the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état and the following Anglo-Iraqi War.

After the Japanese invasion of Burma, it flew missions between Calcutta and Rangoon dropping supplies for the XIVth Army.

In 1946, the Squadron was disbanded in Java and reformed at PAF Base Masroor, Mauripur Karachi, at that time in British India.

[16] At the end of 1947 it was again disbanded, but reformed in July 1948 when the Goldstars took over the aircraft and role of the Metropolitan Communications Squadron at RAF Hendon.

31 Squadron reverted to its previous identity, and moved to RAF Laarbruch in West Germany with English Electric Canberra PR.7s, becoming a photo reconnaissance unit.

31 Squadron hosted 3º Stormo of the Italian Air Force when they deployed to RAF Laarbruch in 1967.

[26] The squadron held their reformation parade at RAF Brüggen on 7 October 1971, with the occasion marked by a flypast of four Phantom FGR.2s.

31 Squadron were declared combat ready to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) on 1 March 1972, with the unit shortly after deploying to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, for an Armament Practice Camp (APC).

[28] On 25 June 1973, the Goldstars lost Phantom XV440 when it crashed into the Wadden Sea, killing pilot Flt.

31 (Designate) Squadron was formed on 1 January 1976 in preparation for conversion to the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 strike aircraft,[10] with the new OC Wg.

31 Squadron was declared combat ready to SACEUR, with conventional weapons and eight British WE.177 nuclear bombs from 1977.

31 (Designate) Squadron was formed in September 1984, when the unit took delivery of Panavia Tornado GR.1s at RAF Brüggen.

[34] The apparent mismatch between aircraft numbers and WE.177 numbers is explained thus: RAF staff planners expected up to one third attrition in a conventional European high-intensity war, and some aircraft were to be held back in reserve to ensure that if a conflict escalated to use of tactical nuclear weapons, there were sufficient aircraft surviving to deliver the squadron's full stockpile of eighteen nuclear weapons.

[37] On 1 January 1995, the squadron was declared operational in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) role equipped with the Air Launched Anti Radiation Missile ALARM Anti Radiation Missile.

[10] In 2003, the Goldstars formed the core of the Ali Al Salem Air Combat Wing in Kuwait; an amalgamated Composite squadron of Nos.

[24] The squadron completed a tour of Afghanistan on Operation Herrick in 2012 providing fast air support to ground troops in contact.

[40] On 12 August 2014, the Goldstars deployed to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, with six Tornados after the UK government authorised reconnaissance missions over Mount Sinjar in Iraq.