No. 622 Squadron RAF

No. 622 Squadron RAF
Active	10 Aug 1943 - 15 Aug 1945 15 Dec 1950 - 30 Sep 1953
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Night-bomber Squadron Transport Squadron
Part of	3 Group Bomber Command
Base	RAF Mildenhall RAF Blackbushe
Motto	Latin: Bellamus Noctu ("We wage war by night")[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A long-eared owl volant affrontée, carrying in the claws a flash of lightning[1][2]
Squadron Codes	GI (Aug 1943 - Apr 1945)[3][4]

No. 622 Squadron RAF was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Post-war it served shortly as a transport squadron in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

History

World War II

No. 622 Squadron was first formed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on 10 August 1943, equipped with Stirling Mk.III bombers, as part of 3 Group in Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Lancaster Mk.III bombers in December, after briefly operating Lancaster Mk.Is that month. It operated in Bomber Command's Main Force as part of No 3 Group until April 1945 when it moved to humanitarian duties dropping food to the Dutch (Operation Manna), repatriating POWs (Operation Exodus) and ferrying troops home from Italy. The Squadron was disbanded at Mildenhall on 15 August 1945.^[1][2][5]

In the Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Unlike many of its contemporaries 622 Squadron was reformed post-war as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force transport squadron at RAF Blackbushe on 15 December 1950. It now operated Valettas and consisted of a nucleus of regular pilots and Radio Officers drawn from local firm Airwork Ltd. This proved to be a success,^[6] and the squadron operated in the Suez conflict.^[1][2] The squadron disbanded again on 30 September 1953 due to costing. The C/O was the famous Wing Commander Bob McIntosh (All weather Mac) who was, previous to this, the Chief Pilot of Airwork Ltd. The crews had two weeks a year extra training at RAF Dishforth where two of its Radio Officers,P/O Abrahams and P/O Jellett achieved the rare RAF VIP standard.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 622 Squadron RAF, data from^[1][2][5][6]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
August 1943	December 1943	Short Stirling	Mk.III
December 1943	August 1945	Avro Lancaster	Mks.I, III
December 1950	September 1953	Vickers Valetta	C.1

Squadron bases

Bases used by no. 622 Squadron RAF, data from^[1][2][5][6]

From	To	Base
10 August 1943	15 August 1945	RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
15 December 1950	30 September 1953	RAF Blackbushe, Hampshire

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Moyes 1976, p. 286.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Halley 1988, p. 438.
3. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 45.
4. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 76.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Jefford 2001, p. 102.
6. ^ ^{a b c} Rawlings 1982, p. 242.

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.
• 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: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• 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.
• Ward, Chris. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles, Number 119: 622 Squadron "Bellamus Noctu". Berkshire, UK: Ward Publishing, 1998.

External links

• 622 Squadron entry at RAF's official site
• No. 622 Squadron RAF movement and equipment history
• Squadron histories and more for nos. 621-650 sqn on RAFWeb