No. 654 Squadron AAC (654 Sqn) is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC) that is currently the Headquarters Squadron for 4 Regt AAC. It was formerly No. 654 Squadron RAF, 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 British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.[2][3]
| No. 654 Squadron AAC 654 Aviation Squadron 654 Light Aircraft Squadron No. 654 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 15 July 1942 – 24 June 1947 (RAF) 1 September 1958 – July 2014 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Army Air Corps |
| Role | Regimental Headquarters[1] |
| Part of | 4 Regiment Army Air Corps |
History
editRoyal Air Force
edit
No. 654 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 15 July 1942 and went into action in August 1943 in North Africa. From December 1943, it served in Italy, where it remained until disbanding at Campoformido on 24 June 1947.
No. 1906 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 654 Squadron previously elements of 'A' & 'B' Flights along with No. 1907 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 654 Squadron previously elements of 'A' & 'C' Flights.[4]
The squadron had the motto Progressive,[5] it used a identification symbol of A propeller and gun barrel in saltire[5] It used identification symbols: QA (1944 – May 1945, HQ Flight)[6] QB (1944 – May 1945, 'A' Flight)[6]QC (1944 – May 1945, 'B' Flight)[6] QD (1944 – May 1945, 'C' Flight)[6]
| 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 |
Army Air Corps
editThe squadron was formed on 1 September 1958 in Germany and employed as 2 Division Aviation HQ between 1964 and October 1969.[8]
Between February and March 1991 the squadron was in Iraq as part of Operation Desert Sabre (the ground phase of Operation Granby) using Westland Lynx AH1GT's against armoured vehicles of the Iraqi 12th Armoured Division. They returned to Hobart Barracks on 22 March 1991 without any losses.
654 AAC disbanded in July 2014, as part of Army 2020.[9]
At some point the squadron was reformed and became the Headquarters Squadron for 4 Regiment Army Air Corps.
- Deployments
- Operation Herrick (Afghanistan):
- September 2008 – January 2009
- September 2010 – January 2011
- January 2012 – May 2012
- September 2013 – January 2014
- Aircraft operated
The squadron operated a variety of helicopters:
- Saunders-Roe Skeeter AOP.12[10]
- Westland Sioux AH.1
- Westland Lynx AH.1GT[10]
- Westland Scout AH.1[10]
- AgustaWestland Apache AH.1
Locations
editSee also
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2023. p. 75.
- ^ Halley 1988, p. 444.
- ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
- ^ Lake 1999, p. 100.
- ^ a b c Halley 1988, p. 446.
- ^ a b c d Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 98.
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 103.
- ^ Farrar-Hockley 1994, p. 237.
- ^ "654 Squadron's Last Parade Before Disbandment | Forces TV". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
- ^ a b c "654 Squadron". Helis. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
Bibliography
edit- Farrar-Hockley, A (1994). The Army In The Air. UK: Alan Sutton Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7509-0617-0.
- Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. 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, C.G. (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.
- Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
Further reading
edit- "654 Squadron Army Air Corps". British Army. Archived from the original on 17 July 2016.
- "History of 654 Squadron". British Army. Archived from the original on 8 November 2008.