No. 614 Squadron RAF

No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron RAF
Active 1 Jun 1937 – 25 Jan 1944
3 Mar 1944 – 27 Jul 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 Mar 1957
10 Mar 2014 - present
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part of Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Garrison/HQ Ty Llewellyn, Morgan Street, Cardiff CF10 4FG
Motto Welsh: Codaf I geisio
(Translated: "I rise to search")[1][2]
post 1950 aircraft insignia
Commanders
Honorary Air Commodore R.E.C. Cadman
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry On a demi-terrestrial globe, a red dragon passant[1][2]
The red dragon points to the squadrons connection with Wales, 614 being the Glamorgan Squadron[3]
Squadron Codes YX (Apr 1939 – 1940)[4]
LJ (1940 – Aug 1942)[5]
RAU (May 1946 – 1949)[6]
7A (1949–1950)[7]

No. 614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-operation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron. Upon reformation it served as a fighter squadron until the disbandedment of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 10 March 1957.

History

Formation and early years

Formed at RAF Pengam Moors near Cardiff (the often cited Llandow was not erected yet) as an army co-operation squadron unit and part of the Auxiliary Air Force on 1 June 1937, No. 614 squadron was initially equipped with Hawker Hinds. By the end of the year it had received some additional Hawker Hectors which it flew until November 1939, when the squadron became operational on Westland Lysanders, the first of which had arrived in July of that year.[2]

In support of Bomber Command

In June 1940 No. 614 squadron moved to Scotland to carry out coastal patrols, covering an area from Inverness to Berwick, 'A' flight, which was detached to Inverness for that purpose, became No. 241 Squadron RAF in the process.[8] From July 1941 it began re-equipping with Bristol Blenheims, a process completed by January 1942. In support of RAF Bomber Command's 'Thousand Bomber Raids' in May and June 1942, the squadron sent its Blenheims to attack enemy airfields in the Low Countries and in August 1942 it laid smoke screens for the landings at Dieppe.

In North Africa

In November 1942 the Squadron moved to North Africa. There the Squadron carried out attacks against enemy airfields and lines of communication until May 1943, when the fighting in that area ended. It then became involved in shipping escort duties in the Mediterranean until being disbanded on 25 January 1944 at Borizzo Airfield, Sicily.[2]

On Halifaxes and Liberators

The second incarnation of No. 614 Squadron had its origins in No. 462 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), formed on 7 September 1942 at Fayid, Egypt, under Article XV of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. This squadron contained mostly British aircrew and ground staff. Consequently, RAAF Overseas Headquarters requested that the squadron be renumbered and transferred to the RAF. On 15 February 1944, while it was en route to Celone, Italy the unit was renumbered to No. 614 Squadron. Equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes it was now involved in bombing mission over Italy and the Balkans and it also carried out supply drops to partisans in those areas. The Squadron re-equipped with Consolidated Liberators in March 1945, the Halifaxes finally being withdrawn in March 1945, but on 27 July 1945 it was disbanded at Amendola Airfield, Italy when it was renumbered to No. 214 Squadron RAF.[2]

Post war

With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, No. 614 Squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946[2][9] (though one source[1] claims 26 August 1947) at RAF Llandow as a day fighter squadron. Recruiting of personnel did not start until November 1946 though. Initially the squadron was equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and these gave way to de Havilland Vampires in July 1950 but, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, the unit was disbanded on 10 March 1957.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from[2][9][10][11][12]
From To Aircraft Variant
June 1937 1939 Hawker Hind
November 1937 February 1940 Hawker Hector Mk.I
July 1939 July 1941 Westland Lysander Mk.II
April 1941 January 1942 Westland Lysander Mks.III, IIIa
July 1941 September 1942 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
August 1942 January 1944 Bristol Blenheim Mk.V
February 1944 March 1945 Handley Page Halifax Mk.II
August 1944 July 1945 Consolidated Liberator Mk.VIII
November 1946 November 1948 Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e
July 1948 April 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22
July 1950 July 1953 de Havilland Vampire F.3
September 1951 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.5
December 1954 February 1956 de Havilland Vampire FB.9

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from[2][9][10][11][12]
From To Name
1 June 1937 2 October 1939 RAF Pengam Moors
2 October 1939 8 June 1940 RAF Odiham
8 June 1940 5 March 1941 RAF Grangemouth
5 March 1941 27 September 1941 RAF Macmerry
27 September 1941 3 October 1941 RAF Odiham
3 October 1941 25 August 1942 RAF Macmerry
26 August 1942 16 November 1942 RAF Odiham
16 November 1942 17 November 1942 RAF Portreath
17 November 1942 5 December 1942 Blida, Algeria
5 December 1942 7 February 1943 Canrobert, Algeria
7 February 1943 22 May 1943 Oulmene, Algeria
22 May 1943 28 August 1943 Tafaraoui, Algeria
28 August 1943 25 January 1944 Borizzo, Sicily
28 February 1944 10 May 1944 Celone, Italy
10 May 1944 15 July 1944 Stornara, Italy
15 July 1944 27 July 1945 Amendola, Italy
10 May 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Llandow

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from[11][13]
From To Name
June 1937 September 1939 S/Ldr. R.E.C. Cadman
September 1939 November 1939 F/Lt. L.J. Stickley
November 1939 January 1940 S/Ldr. W.R. Wills-Sandford
January 1940 June 1940 S/Ldr. A.A.N. Malan
June 1940 February 1941 W/Cdr. D.J. Eayrs
February 1941 August 1941 W/Cdr. H.M. Mulliken
August 1941 June 1942 W/Cdr. R.E.S. Skelton
June 1942 August 1943 W/Cdr. H.T. Sutton
August 1943 February 1944 W/Cdr. C.K. Bonner
February 1944 W/Cdr. W.T. Russell
W/Cdr. J.S. Laird
July 1945 W/Cdr. E.B.R. Lockwood
May 1946 July 1950 S/Ldr. W.H. Irving
July 1950 1954 S/Ldr. E.H. McHardy, DSO, DFC & Bar, CdG
1954 March 1957 S.Ldr. H.J.E. Howe

References

Notes

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.
  • Egles, Dudley C. Just One of the Many, A Navigator’s Memoirs. Hutton Close, South Church, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK: The Pentland Press, 1996. ISBN 1-85821-401-7.
  • 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.
  • Hunt, Leslie. Twenty-One Squadrons: The History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–1957. London: Garnstone Press, 1972. ISBN 0-85511-110-0.
  • 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 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd 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.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1969 (second edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Scotland, Tom. Voice from the Stars, A Pathfinder’s story. Lynwood, Australia: Tom & Laurel Scotland, 1993 (reprinted 2007). ISBN 1-875317-09-0.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 614 Squadron RAF.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, August 23, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.