No. 654 Squadron RAF

No. 654 Squadron RAF
Active	15 July 1942 - 24 June 1947
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Air Observation Post Squadron
Motto	Progressive[1]
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	A propellor and gun barrel in saltire[1]
Squadron codes	QA (1944 - May 1945, HQ Flight)[2] QB (1944 - May 1945, 'A' Flight)[2] QC (1944 - May 1945, 'B' Flight)[2] QD (1944 - May 1945, 'C' Flight)[2]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	de Havilland Tiger Moth Taylorcraft Auster

No. 654 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. 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, 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.^[3][4]

History

de Havilland DH-82b Tiger Moth.

No. 654 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 15 July 1942 and went into action on August 1943 in North Africa. From December 1943, it served in Italy, where it remained until disbanding at Campoformido on 24 June 1947.

Present

The original squadron is represented today by 654 Squadron of 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps.

Aircraft operated

An Auster Mk.III

Aircraft operated by no. 654 Squadron RAF, data from^[1][5]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
July 1942	September 1942	de Havilland Tiger Moth	Mk.II
September 1942	December 1942	Auster	Mk.I
December 1942	October 1944	Auster	Mk.III
June 1944	June 1947	Auster	Mk.IV
December 1944	June 1947	Auster	Mk.V

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Halley 1988, p. 446.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 98.
3. ^ Halley 1988, p. 444.
4. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
5. ^ Jefford 2001, p. 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

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