No. 625 Squadron RAF

No. 625 Squadron RAF
Active	1 October 1943 - 7 October 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Inactive
Role	Bomber Squadron
Part of	No. 1 Group RAF, Bomber Command
Motto	We Avenge[1][2]
Aircraft	Avro Lancaster
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	Within a circular chain of seven links, a Lancaster rose[2] The Lancaster rose stands for the aircraft used, the seven links the number of personnel in one such aircraft[1]
Squadron Codes	CF (Oct 1943 - Oct 1945)[3][4]
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Avro Lancaster Four-engined heavy bomber

No. 625 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

History

The squadron was formed on 1 October 1943 at RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire from 'C' flight of 100 Squadron. It was equipped with Avro Lancasters, as part of No. 1 Group RAF in Bomber Command, of which it formed part between 18 October 1944 and 25 April 1945. The squadron mainly carried out night raids against Germany. On 5 April 1945, it moved to RAF Scampton. At the end of the war, the squadron dropped food to the starving Dutch people (Operation Manna), and flew Prisoner of War repatriation flights from Belgium (Operation Exodus) and repatriated British troops from Italy, before it was disbanded on 7 October 1945.

In December 2010 the entire 625 Squadron Operational Records (ORB) and a Air Crew Roll Of Honour was compiled into a searchable database - contact www.lancaster-archive.com for more information

^[1][2][5]

First operational mission

18/19 October 1943

• 9 Lancasters bombed Hannover^[6]

Last operational mission

25 April 1945

• 11 Lancasters bombed Berchtesgaden^[6]

Last mission before V.E. (Victory of Europe) Day

7 May 1945

• 13 Lancasters dropped supplies to Dutch at Rotterdam and another Lancaster aborted^[6]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 625 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][5][6]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
October 1943	October 1945	Avro Lancaster	Mks.I & II

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 625 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][5][6]

From	To	Base
October 1943	April 1945	RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire
April 1945	October 1945	RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Moyes 1976, p. 287.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Halley 1988, p. 440.
3. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 26.
4. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 65.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Jefford 2001, p. 102.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} Moyes 1976, p. 288.

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, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-853100-536-1. (2nd edition 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.)
• Mattingley, Christobel. Battle Order 204. Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2007. ISBN 1-74175-161-6.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London, UK: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1964, 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01024-1.
• Ward, Cris. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles, Number 121: 625 Squadron. "We Avenge". Berkshire, UK: Ward Publishing, 1998.

External links

• Squadron history for nos. 621-650 sqn. at RAF Web
• 625 sqn. page of RAF website
• 625 Sqn Information at Lancaster-Archive.com