No. 653 Squadron RAF

No. 653 Squadron RAF
No. 653 Squadron RAF
Active 20 Jun 1942 - 15 Sep 1945
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Role Air Observation Post Squadron
Motto Latin: Ubique Speculabundus
(Translation: "The eyes of the guns are everywhere")[1]
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry In front of two gun barrels in saltire, an eagle's head affrontée erased[1]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance Taylorcraft Auster
Trainer de Havilland Tiger Moth
No. 653 Squadron AAC
Active 11 May 1958 - 19 Oct 1967
1 Nov 1971 - present
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army.svg British Army
Motto Latin: Ubique Speculabundus
(Translation: "The eyes of the guns are everywhere")[1]
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry In front of two gun barrels in saltire, an eagle's head affrontée erased[1]

No. 653 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Squadron Numbers 651 to 663 were Air Observation Post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664-666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.[2][3]

Contents

History

No. 653 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 20 June 1942.[4] In September 1942, the squadron was deployed to RAF Penshurst.[5] The squadron relocated to Normandy on 27 June 1944,[6] in support of the British Second Army and the Operation Overlord landings. Most of its pilots and observers came from the British Army, while maintenance was carried out by RAF personnel. The squadron moved with the Second Army through France and the Netherlands into Germany, and was disbanded at Hoya in Germany in September 1945, after the German surrender.[4]

Present

No. 653 Squadron came into being again in Cyprus on 11 May 1958, but now as a squadron of the Army Air Corps and served in Aden from 9 March 1961 till 1967,[7] and today it is represented 653 Squadron of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps.

Aircraft operated

An Army Air Corps Auster AOP.5 Air Observation Post aircraft. One example is maintained by the Army Historic Aircraft Flight
Aircraft operated by no. 653 Squadron RAF, data from[4]
From To Aircraft Variant
June 1942 September 1942 de Havilland Tiger Moth
Aug 1942 March 1943 Auster Mk.I
March 1943 April 1944 Auster Mk.III
February 1944 September 1945 Auster Mk.IV
July 1944 September 1945 Auster Mk.V

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Halley 1988, p. 446.
  2. ^ Halley 1988, p. 444.
  3. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
  4. ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 103.
  5. ^ "Leigh in the War, 1939-45". Leigh and District Historical Society. September 1993. http://www.leighhistorical.org.uk/References/Leigh_at_War.pdf. Retrieved 13 January 2010. 
  6. ^ "No.653 Squadron". National Cold War Exhibition. http://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/explore/squadron.cfm?number=653. Retrieved 13 January 2010. 
  7. ^ Farrar-Hockley 1994, p. 237.
Bibliography
  • Farrar-Hockley, General Sir Anthony (1994), The Army in the Air: The History of the Army AIr Corps, Stroud, Gloustershire, UK: Allan Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-0617-0. 
  • Halley, James J. (1988), The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988, Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., ISBN 0-85130-164-9. 
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd). (2001), RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., ISBN 1-84037-141-2. 

Related content

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • No. 16 Squadron RAF — Active 10 February 1915 – Present Role Elementary Flying Training …   Wikipedia

  • No. 41 Squadron RAF — Official Squadron Badge of No. 41 Squadron RAF Active 14 July 1916 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 99 Squadron RAF — No. 99 Squadron Royal Air Force Official squadron crest for no. 99 squadron RAF Active 15 Aug 1917 2 Apr 1920 1 Apr 1924 15 Nov 1945 17 Nov 1947 7 Jan 1976 1 Jan 2002 Present Day …   Wikipedia

  • No. 1 Squadron RAF — Official Squadron Badge of No. 1 Squadron RAF Active 1 April 1911 (RE), 13 May 1912 (RFC), 1 April 1918 (RAF) to 1 Novemb …   Wikipedia

  • No. 201 Squadron RAF — Official Squadron crest for No. 201 Squadron RAF Active 17 Oct 1914(RNAS) 21 Jun 1915 6 Dec 1916 1 Apr 1918 1 Apr 1918(RAF) 31 Dec 1919 1 Jan 1929 28 Feb 1957 …   Wikipedia

  • No. 230 Squadron RAF — Active 20 Aug 1918 1 Apr 1923 1 Dec 1934 28 Feb 1957 1 Sep 1958 3 Dec 1971 1 January 1972 30 April 1992 4 May 1992 present …   Wikipedia

  • No. 208 Squadron RAF — Active 26 October 1916 – 7 November 1919 1 February 1920 30 March 1959 1 April 1959 10 September 1971 1 March 1974 31 March 1994 1 April 1994 present Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 92 Squadron RAF — Active 1 September 1917 (RFC) 1919 1939 1946 1947 1994 2009 present Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 46 Squadron RAF — No. 46 Squadron Active 19 April 1916 31 August 1975 Country United Kingdom Branch Royal Air Force Size squadron No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps …   Wikipedia

  • No. 609 Squadron RAF — No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron Active 10 Feb 1936 15 Sep 1945 31 Jul 1946 10 Mar 1957 1 Jul 1998 present Country Unite …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”