No. 626 Squadron RAF

Last updated

No. 626 Squadron RAF
Active7 November 1943 – 14 October 1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
TypeInactive
RoleBomber Squadron
Base RAF Wickenby
Motto(s)To Strive and not to Yield [1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryOn the waves of the sea, an ancient ship, sails furled, charged on the bow with an eye [1] [2]
Squadron CodesUM (Nov 1943 – Oct 1945) [3] [4]
Aircraft flown
Bomber Avro Lancaster
four-engined heavy bomber

No. 626 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1945.

Contents

History

Members of the 626 squadron 626raf.jpg
Members of the 626 squadron

The squadron was formed on 7 November 1943 at RAF Wickenby from C Flight of No. 12 Squadron. [1] [2] It operated in the strategic bombing role with the Avro Lancaster. It was disbanded on 14 October 1945, having spent the last months of the war on food droppings (Operation Manna) and transport duties (Operation Exodus), repatriating former prisoners of war and bringing British troops home from Italy. [1]

First operational mission

10/11 November 1943

Last operational mission

25 April 1945

Last mission before V.E. day

7 May 1945

RAF Wickenby Memorial. Wickenby Memorial.jpg
RAF Wickenby Memorial.

The squadron flew 2,728 sorties during the Second World War for the loss of 49 aircraft. [5]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 626 Squadron RAF [1] [2] [6]
FromToAircraftVariant
November 1943October 1945 Avro Lancaster Mks. I & III

Squadron bases

Base used by No. 626 Squadron RAF [1] [2] [6]
FromToName
November 1943October 1945 RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire

Notable personnel

See also

Related Research Articles

No. 578 Squadron RAF Military unit

No. 578 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 640 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 635 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 630 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 623 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force for several months in 1943 during the Second World War.

No. 619 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, flying Lancaster bombers from bases in Lincolnshire.

No. 514 Squadron RAF was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 692 Squadron RAF was a light bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

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

No. 582 Squadron RAF was a bomber pathfinder squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

No. 513 Squadron RAF was a non-operational bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force in 1943.

No. 358 Squadron RAF Military unit

No. 358 Squadron RAF was a Bomber and Special duties squadron of the Royal Air Force flying with South East Asia Command from 1944 to 1945.

No. 61 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed as a fighter squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed in 1937 as a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force and served in the Second World War and after, until disbanded in 1958.

No. 608 Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. It flew during its existence as a bomber, fighter and reconnaissance unit and was the only RAF squadron to be equipped with the unsuccessful Blackburn Botha torpedo bomber.

No. 576 Squadron RAF Military unit

No. 576 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Second World War heavy bomber squadron.

No. 550 Squadron RAF Military unit

No. 550 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Formed at RAF Waltham on 25 November 1943, 550 Squadron flew Avro Lancaster bombers as part of No. 1 Group RAF. In early 1944, the squadron was moved to RAF North Killingholme, Lincolnshire where it continued operations until May 1945, when it began dropping food over the Netherlands as a relief effort as part of Operation Manna. The squadron was disbanded on 31 October 1945. Today, a surviving Lancaster bomber continues to fly in the markings of BQ-B "Phantom of the Ruhr" EE139 from 550 squadron as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

No. 571 Squadron RAF was a Second World War Royal Air Force pathfinder squadron operating the de Havilland Mosquito.

No. 103 Squadron RAF Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II and the Cold War, switching to helicopters in the late 1950s until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.

No. 627 Squadron RAF Military unit

No. 627 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Mosquito aircraft pathfinder bomber squadron that operated during the Second World War.

No. 156 Squadron RAF Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

No. 156 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was active as a bomber unit in World War II.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Moyes 1976, p. 288.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Halley 1988, p. 440.
  3. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 101.
  4. ↑ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 109.
  5. ↑ Falconer 2003 , p. 257
  6. 1 2 Jefford 2001 , p. 102.
  7. 1 2 3 "626 Squadron and RAF Wickenby" . Retrieved 6 April 2015.

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN   0-85059-364-6.
  • Falconer, Jonathan (2003). Bomber Command Handbook, 1939–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Sutton Publishing. ISBN   0-7509-3171-X.
  • 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 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-85310-053-6.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN   0-354-01027-1.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.