No. 656 Squadron RAF

No. 656 Squadron RAF
Active	31 Dec 1942 - 15 Jan 1947 29 Jun 1948 - 1 Sep 1957
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Air Oberservation Post Squadron
Motto	Latin: Volans et videns (Translation: "Flying and seeing")[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	In front of two gun barrels in saltire, a Chinthe head[1]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	de Havilland Tiger Moth Auster Auster AOP.6 Auster AOP.9

No. 656 Squadron RAF was a Air Oberservation Post unit of the Royal Air Force in India and Burma during the Second World War and afterwards in British Malaya. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadron of the RAF 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] With this it became 656 Light Aircraft Squadron Army Air Corps

History

Formation and World war II

No. 656 Squadron was formed at RAF Westley on 31 December 1942.^[4] It embarked for India in August 1943 and went into action during the Burma campaign with the Fourteenth Army. It was to take part in the Allied invasion of Malaya, but the Japanese surrendered before this took place and the squadron disbanded there on 15 January 1947.

Reformation and Operation Firedog

An Auster Mk.V, restored in wartime colours.

The squadron reformed from No. 1914 Flight RAF on 29 June 1948 at Sembawang in Malaya and served in British Malaya to support Army and Police against Communist guerillas before it went over to Army control in September 1957. 656 Squadron performed a total of 143,000 operations in Malaya during Operation Firedog.

Aircraft operated

An AOP.9 at Farnborough, September 1956.

Aircraft operated by no. 656 Squadron RAF, data from^[5][6]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
January 1943	August 1943	de Havilland Tiger Moth	Mk.II
January 1943	March 1943	Auster	Mk.I
February 1943	August 1943	Auster	Mk.III
November 1943	June 1945	Auster	Mk.III
October 1944	June 1945	Auster	Mk.IV
February 1945	January 1947	Auster	Mk.V
June 1948	May 1951	Auster	AOP.5
July 1950	April 1956	Auster	AOP.6
September 1955	September 1957	Auster	AOP.9

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Halley 1988, pp. 445–446.
2. ^ Halley 1988, p. 444.
3. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
4. ^ Maslen-Jones 1997, pp. 4 and 172.
5. ^ Halley 1988, p. 447.
6. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 103–104.

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. 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., 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Maslen-Jones, E.W., MC, DFC. Fire by Order: Recollections of Service with 656 Air Observation Post Squadron in Burma. Barnsley, UK: Leo Cooper/Pen And Sword Books, 1997. ISBN 0-85052-557-8.

External links

• Squadron histories for nos. 651-670 squadron on RAFWeb
• 656 Squadron Association

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