No. 651 Squadron RAF

No. 651 Squadron RAF
Active	1 Aug 1941 - 1 Nov 1955 1 Nov 1955 - 1 Sep 1957
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Air Observation Post Squadron
Motto	Latin: Dirige (Translation: "Direct" (as in "direct towards/pointing the way"))[1]
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	A seashell fired[1]
Squadron codes	MA (1944 - 45, HQ Flight)[2] MB (1944 - 45, 'A' Flight)[2] MC (1944 - 45, 'B' Flight)[2] MD (1944 - 45, 'C' Flight)[2]
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	Bristol Sycamore
Reconnaissance	Taylorcraft Auster Stinson Vigilant Auster AOP.6

No. 651 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons - Nos. 664, 665 and 666 - were RCAF AOP squadrons manned by Canadian and British personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.^[3][4]

History

No 651 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 August 1941. It went into action in November of that year, during Operation Torch in North Africa. It later served in Italy, North Africa, and finally Egypt from 1945 were it remained until 1 November 1955. On that same day, No. 657 Squadron RAF was re-numbered to 651 Squadron at RAF Middle Wallop, it now flew Sycamore helicopters as well as Austers. On 1 September 1957 the squadron was transferred to the Army Air Corps and became No. 651 Squadron AAC. The original squadron is represented today by 651 Squadron of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.

Aircraft operated

A Stinson Vigilant

An Auster AOP.5

Aircraft operated by no. 651 Squadron RAF, data from^[1][5]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
August 1941	July 1942	Taylorcraft	Plus C
September 1941	October 1941	Taylorcraft	Plus D
October 1941	December 1941	Stinson Vigilant	Mk.I
February 1942	September 1942	Taylorcraft	Plus C.2
July 1942	October 1943	Auster	Mk.I
August 1943	December 1944	Auster	Mk.III
May 1944	October 1945	Auster	Mk.IV
December 1944	June 1947	Auster	Mk.V
November 1949	February 1952	Auster	Mk.V
March 1947	October 1955	Auster	AOP.6
November 1949	March 1952	Auster	AOP.5
November 1955	September 1957	Bristol Sycamore	HC.11
November 1955	September 1957	Auster	AOP.6

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Halley 1988, p. 445.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 89.
3. ^ Halley 1988, p. 444.
4. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
5. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–103.

Bibliography

• 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. (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. 

External links

• Squadron histories for nos. 651-670 squadron on RAFWeb
• Elite UK Forces

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