No. 614 Squadron RAF

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No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron RAuxAF
No. 614 Squadron RAF badge.png
Official Squadron Badge of No. 614 Squadron RAF
Active1 Jun 1937 – 25 Jan 1944
3 Mar 1944 – 27 Jul 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 Mar 1957
10 Mar 2014 - present
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Part of Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Garrison/HQTy Llewellyn, Morgan Street, Cardiff CF10 4FG
Nickname(s)County of Glamorgan
Motto(s) Welsh: Codaf I geisio
(Translated: "I rise to search") [1] [2]
post 1950 aircraft insignia RAF 614 sqn.svg
Commanders
Honorary Air Commodore R.E.C. Cadman
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryOn 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 CodesYX (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 disbandment of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 10 March 1957.

Contents

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 as No. 614 Squadron. Equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes it was now involved in bombing missions 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 as 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.

Present

Currently 614 Squadron is part of the Royal Air Force Reserves, based in Cardiff, Wales. [10]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [9] [11] [12] [13]
FromToAircraftVariant
June 19371939 Hawker Hind
November 1937February 1940 Hawker Hector Mk.I
July 1939July 1941 Westland Lysander Mk.II
April 1941January 1942Westland LysanderMks.III, IIIa
July 1941September 1942 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
August 1942January 1944Bristol BlenheimMk.V
February 1944March 1945 Handley Page Halifax Mk.II
August 1944July 1945 Consolidated Liberator Mk.VIII
November 1946November 1948 Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e
July 1948April 1951Supermarine SpitfireF.22
July 1950July 1953 de Havilland Vampire F.3
September 1951March 1957de Havilland VampireFB.5
December 1954February 1956de Havilland VampireFB.9

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [9] [11] [12] [13]
FromToName
1 June 19372 October 1939 RAF Pengam Moors
2 October 19398 June 1940 RAF Odiham
8 June 19405 March 1941 RAF Grangemouth
5 March 194127 September 1941 RAF Macmerry
27 September 19413 October 1941RAF Odiham
3 October 194125 August 1942RAF Macmerry
26 August 194216 November 1942RAF Odiham
16 November 194217 November 1942 RAF Portreath
17 November 19425 December 1942 Blida, Algeria
5 December 19427 February 1943 Canrobert, Algeria
7 February 194322 May 1943Oulmene, Algeria
22 May 194328 August 1943 Tafaraoui, Algeria
28 August 194325 January 1944 Borizzo, Sicily
28 February 194410 May 1944 Celone, Italy
10 May 194415 July 1944 Stornara, Italy
15 July 194427 July 1945 Amendola, Italy
10 May 194610 March 1957 RAF Llandow

Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from [12] [14]
FromToName
June 1937September 1939 S/Ldr. R.E.C. Cadman
September 1939November 1939 F/Lt. L.J. Stickley
November 1939January 1940S/Ldr. W.R. Wills-Sandford
January 1940June 1940S/Ldr. A.A.N. Malan
June 1940February 1941 W/Cdr. D.J. Eayrs
February 1941August 1941W/Cdr. H.M. Mulliken
August 1941June 1942W/Cdr. R.E.S. Skelton
June 1942August 1943W/Cdr. H.T. Sutton
August 1943February 1944W/Cdr. C.K. Bonner
February 1944W/Cdr. W.T. Russell
W/Cdr. J.S. Laird
July 1945W/Cdr. E.B.R. Lockwood
May 1946July 1950S/Ldr. W.H. Irving
July 19501954S/Ldr. E.H. McHardy, DSO, DFC & Bar, CdG
1954March 1957S.Ldr. H.J.E. Howe

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Rawlings 1978, p. 502.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Halley 1988, p. 431.
  3. ↑ Rawlings 1982, p. 239.
  4. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 118.
  5. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 67.
  6. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  7. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 21.
  8. ↑ Rawlings 1982 , pp. 239–240.
  9. 1 2 3 Jefford 2001 , p. 101.
  10. ↑ "Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  11. 1 2 Rawlings 1978 , p. 503.
  12. 1 2 3 Rawlings 1982 , p. 240.
  13. 1 2 Moyes 1976 , pp. 281.
  14. ↑ Hunt 1972 , pp. 343–355.

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN   0-85059-364-6.
  • Egles, Dudley C. (1996). Just One of the Many, A Navigator’s Memoirs. Hutton Close, South Church, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK: The Pentland Press. ISBN   1-85821-401-7.
  • 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.
  • Hunt, Leslie (1972). Twenty-One Squadrons: The History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–1957. London: Garnstone Press. ISBN   0-85511-110-0.
  • 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.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN   0-7106-0187-5.
  • Rawlings, John (1978) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (Revised ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. ISBN   0-354-01028-X.
  • Scotland, Tom (1993). Voice from the Stars, A Pathfinder’s story. Lynwood, Australia: Tom & Laurel Scotland. ISBN   1-875317-09-0. (reprinted 2007).
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