No. 619 Squadron RAF

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No. 619 Squadron RAF
No. 619 Squadron RAF badge.png
619 Squadron Crest
Active18 April 1943 – 18 July 1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
TypeInactive
RoleHeavy Bomber Squadron
Part of No. 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command [1]
Motto(s) Latin: Ad Altoria
(Translation: "To higher things") [2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA heron vigilant, holding before him a battle axe with its right paw (unofficial) [3]
Squadron CodesKV (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939
allocated, but never used) [4]
PG (Apr 1943 – Jul 1945) [5] [6]
Aircraft flown
Bomber Avro Lancaster
Four-engined heavy bomber
Trainer Airspeed Oxford
Twin-engined trainer [7]

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.

Contents

History

Flying Officer P Ingleby, the navigator of a Lancaster of 619 Squadron based at RAF Coningsby, seated at his table in the aircraft Lancaster navigator WWII IWM CH 12288.jpg
Flying Officer P Ingleby, the navigator of a Lancaster of 619 Squadron based at RAF Coningsby, seated at his table in the aircraft

The squadron was formed out of elements of 97 Squadron [7] [8] at RAF Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire on 18 April 1943, equipped with Lancaster Mk.III bombers, as part of 5 Group in Bomber Command. It also flew Lancaster Mk.I bombers. Their first mission was flown in the night of 11 June 1943, when 12 Lancasters were sent to bomb targets in Düsseldorf, and the last bombing mission was flown on 25 April 1945, when 6 Lancasters tried to bomb Obersalzberg. The last operational mission was flown a day later, when 2 Lancasters laid mines in the Oslo Fjord near Horten. After that mission the squadron ferried ex-prisoners of war back to the United Kingdom from Belgium (Operation Exodus). [9] The squadron operated out of various Lincolnshire stations, before being disbanded at RAF Skellingthorpe on 18 July 1945.

Members of the squadron were awarded 1 DSO, 76 DFCs and 37 DFMs. The squadron was mentioned 10 times in despatches. [10]

Aircraft operated

Lancaster LM446 of no. 619 Squadron, coded PG-H Avro Lancaster Mk 1 ExCC.jpg
Lancaster LM446 of no. 619 Squadron, coded PG-H
Aircraft operated by no. 619 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [8] [11] [12]
FromToAircraftVersion
18 April 194318 September 1943 Airspeed Oxford Mks.I, II
18 April 194318 July 1945 Avro Lancaster Mks.I, III

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 619 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [8] [11]
FromToBase
18 April 19439 January 1944 RAF Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
9 January 194417 April 1944 RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire
17 April 194428 September 1944 RAF Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire
28 September 194430 June 1945 RAF Strubby, Lincolnshire
30 June 194518 July 1945 RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire

Notable people

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 619 Squadron RAF, data from [13]
FromToName
20 April 194317 August 1943W/Cdr. I.J. McGhie, DFC
20 August 19434 December 1943W/Cdr. W. Abercromby, DFC
4 December 194323 May 1944W/Cdr. J.R. Jeudwine, OBE, DFC
23 May 194426 July 1944W/Cdr. J.R. Maling, AFC
28 July 194421 February 1945W/Cdr. A.R. Millward, DFC
21 February 194514 June 1945W/Cdr. S.G. Birch, DFC
14 June 194518 July 1945W/Cdr. Flett

See also

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References

Notes
  1. Delve 1994, pp. 69, 77.
  2. 1 2 3 Moyes 1976, p. 285.
  3. Rew 1988, pp. coverpage.
  4. Squadron Codes on RafWeb Archived 14 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 82.
  6. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 97.
  7. 1 2 Lake 1999, p. 272.
  8. 1 2 3 Jefford 2001 , p. 102.
  9. Moyes 1976 , p. 286.
  10. Rew 1988 , pp. 62–63.
  11. 1 2 Halley 1988 , p. 436.
  12. Hamlin 2001 , p. 56.
  13. Rew 1988 , p. 64.
Bibliography