No. 620 Squadron RAF

No. 620 Squadron RAF
No 620 Squadron RAF
620 Badge JPEG.jpg
Official Squadron badge of No 620 Squadron RAF
Active 17 June 1943 - 1 September 1946
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Role Bomber
Airborne forces
Transport
Part of No 3 Group RAF, Bomber Command
No 38 Group RAF, Fighter Command[1]
No 38 Group RAF, Transport Command[2]
Motto Latin: Dona ferentes adsumus
(Translation: "We are coming bringing gifts")[3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry In front of a demi-pegasus couped, a flash of lightning[3][4]
Squadron Codes QS (Jun 1943 - 1946)[5][6]
D4 (Nov 1943 - 1946)[7][8]

No 620 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. During its existence it served as bomber, airborne forces and transport squadron.

Contents

History

No 620 Squadron was formed at RAF Chedburgh on 17 June 1943 as a heavy bomber squadron equipped with the Short Stirling. It was a part of No.3 Group of RAF Bomber Command and carried out night bombing missions until November 1943 when it was transferred to No 38 Group RAF and moved to RAF Leicester East in preparation for airborne forces operations. By March 1944 the squadron had been moved to RAF Fairford to prepare for D-Day and completed many practice missions in Gloucestershire area such a parachuting and glider towing.

On D-Day itself, the squadron took part in Operation Tonga and dropped paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division near Caen. After these events, the squadron was used to resupply Allied forces in France, mainly SOE and the French Resistance. No 620 Squadron also took part in Operation Market Garden, where they towed gliders and dropped paratroopers belonging to the 1st Airborne Division. They also flew operations to resupply the struggling ground forces in and around Arnhem. After these operations the squadron flew some missions in support of the resistance in the Netherlands and in Norway.[3]

Throughout Operation Varsity in March 1945 the squadron towed 30 gliders, carrying anti tank and artillery weapons to their destination near the Rhine.

After VE Day, the squadron helped to transport ex-POWs, troops and supplies around Europe. The Stirlings which they had used throughout the war began to be replaced in May 1945 by Halifaxes, and the sphere of operations was changed from Western-Europe to Greece, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Italy and Palestine. In December 1945 the squadron was moved to Tunisia and shortly thereafter to Palestine and Egypt and the squadron began missions in the Middle East. By June 1946 it received also some Dakotas, but on 1 September 1946 the squadron was disbanded at RAF Aqir, Palestine by being renumbered to No. 113 Squadron RAF.

Aircraft operated

Stirling Mk.IVs of 620 Squadron, RAF during Operation Market Garden in September 1944
Aircraft operated by No 620 Squadron RAF, data from[4][9][10]
From To Aircraft Version
June 1943 August 1943 Short Stirling Mk.I
August 1943 February 1944 Short Stirling Mk.III
February 1944 July 1945 Short Stirling Mk.IV
May 1945 September 1946 Handley Page Halifax Mks.III, VII
June 1946 September 1946 Douglas Dakota C.4
August 1946 September 1946 Handley Page Halifax A.9

Squadron Stations

Stations and airfields used by No 620 Squadron RAF, data from[3][4][9]
From To Station Remark
17 June 1943 23 November 1943 RAF Chedburgh, Suffolk
23 November 1943 18 March 1944 RAF Leicester East, Leicestershire Det. at RAF Hurn, Dorset
18 March 1944 17 October 1944 RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
17 October 1944 December 1945 RAF Great Dunmow, Essex
December 1945 15 January 1946 El Aouina, Tunisia
15 January 1946 6 March 1946 RAF Aqir, Palestine
6 March 1946 14 June 1946 RAF Cairo West, Egypt Det. at RAF Shallufa, Egypt, Apr-Jun 46
14 June 1946 1 September 1946 RAF Aqir, Palestine

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No 620 Squadron RAF, data from[11][12]
From To Name
17 June 1943 4 October 1944 W/Cdr. D.H. Lee, DFC
4 October 1944 1 July 1945 W/Cdr. G.T. Wynne-Powell, DFC
1 July 1945 27 July 1945 W/Cdr. G.H. Briggs, DFC
27 July 1945 September 1945 W/Cdr. K.R. Slater, AFC
September 1945 1946 W/Cdr. R.I. Alexander, DFC
1946 September 1946 W/Cdr. M. Thomas

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Delve 1994, pp. 69–70.
  2. ^ Delve 1994, p. 81.
  3. ^ a b c d Rawlings 1982, p. 241.
  4. ^ a b c Halley 1988, p. 437.
  5. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, pp. 86–87.
  6. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 99.
  7. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 32.
  8. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 68.
  9. ^ a b Jefford 2001, p. 102.
  10. ^ Rawlings 1982, pp. 241–242.
  11. ^ Rawlings 1982, p. 242.
  12. ^ http://www.raf38group.org/620squadron

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988 ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). 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., 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Patient, Joe. Pilot: a Tale of High Adventure. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword/Leo Cooper, 1997. ISBN 0-85052-544-6.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
  • Williams, Dr. Dennis J. Stirlings in Action with the Airborne Forces: Air Support for SAS and Resistance Operations During WWII. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84415648-1.

External links

Related content


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • No. 113 Squadron RAF — Active 1 Aug 1917 1 Feb 1920 18 May 1937 15 Oct 1945 1 Sep 1946 1 Apr 1947 1 May 1947 1 Sep 1948 22 Jul 1959 10 Jul 1963 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 7 Squadron RAF — Official Squadron Crest Active 1 May 1914 8 August 1914 29 September 1914 31 December 1919 1 June 1923 8 April 1940 1 August 1940 1 January 1956 1 November 1956 3 …   Wikipedia

  • No. 616 Squadron RAF — No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron RAF Official squadron crest for No. 616 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, formed at RAF Doncaster, November 1938 A …   Wikipedia

  • No. 612 Squadron RAF — No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron RAF Active 1 June 1937 9 July 1945 10 May 1946 10 March 1957 1997 present Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 613 Squadron RAF — No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAF Active 1 February 1939 7 August 1945 10 May 1946 10 March 1957 Country United Kingdo …   Wikipedia

  • No. 614 Squadron RAF — No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron RAF Active 1 Jun 1937 25 Jan 1944 3 Mar 1944 27 Jul 1945 10 May 1946 10 Mar 1957 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 615 Squadron RAF — No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron RAF Active 1 Jun 1937 10 Jun 1945 10 Jun 1945 25 Sep 1945 10 May 1946 10 Mar 1957 Country …   Wikipedia

  • No. 619 Squadron RAF — Active 18 April 1943 18 July 1945 Country United Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • No. 618 Squadron RAF — Mosquito B Mark IV development aircraft, DK290/G of the Aeroplane and Arma …   Wikipedia

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

Share the article and excerpts

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