No. 663 Squadron AAC 663 Interim Aviation Squadron No. 663 Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 14 Aug - 29 Oct 1946 (Polish) 1 July 1949 - 10 Mar 1957 (RAuxAF) 1 Oct 1969 - 1 Apr 1978 1 April 1978 – present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Aviation |
Part of | 3 Regiment Army Air Corps |
Base | Wattisham Flying Station |
Motto(s) | We fly for the guns. |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Major Si Beattie |
Insignia | |
Squadron badge heraldry | An Eagle displayed holding a snaffle bit |
Aircraft flown | |
Attack helicopter | Boeing AH-64E Apache |
663 Squadron AAC is a flying unit of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). [1]
No. 663 Squadron had been formed in northern Italy on 14 August 1944, as an air observation post (AOP) unit, and was composed of Polish officers and soldiers. The squadron was to spot for allied artillery units in that war zone. The unit left for the UK on 10 October 1946 and was formally disbanded on 29 October. [2]
663 Squadron was reformed as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) AOP unit on 1 July 1949, composed of Territorial Army artillery officers and soldiers. It was based at RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire, with detached flights. The RAuxAF was disbanded on 10 March 1957. [3]
Location | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|
RAF Ringway | 1 July 1949 | No. 1951 Flight RAF |
RAF Llandow | 1 July 1949 | No. 1952 Flight RAF |
RAF Llandow | 18 June 1953 | No. 1953 Flight RAF |
RAF Hooton Park | 1 July 1949 | No. 1954 Flight RAF |
RAF Hooton Park | 27 March 1953 | No. 1955 Flight RAF |
The unit was reformed as 663 Interim Aviation Squadron in October 1969 at Perham Down, Wiltshire, from 3 Flight AAC and the air troop of 15/19 Hussars and 5 Lt Regt RA. It was commanded by Maj Bill Duthoit, the Flt commanders being Capt J Orde and Capt Morley RA. Its allocated mission was to support army formations in the Salisbury Plain area. The unit's initial equipment was the Bell Sioux AH.1 helicopter, with these being later replaced by the Westland Scout AH.1 turbine helicopter. On 1 January 1973, the unit was renamed No. 663 Squadron AAC. The Squadron again disbanded in July 1977.
Following a restructuring of Army Air Squadrons, 660 Squadron was redesignated as 663 Squadron, part of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, based at Salamanca Barracks, Soest, Germany. Since 1993 it has been based at Wattisham Flying Station near Stowmarket, Suffolk. In recent years it has replaced its Westland Gazelles with Westland-assembled Boeing AH-64 Apache (AgustaWestland Apache) attack helicopters. More recently, the squadron has served in the Iraq War (Operation Telic), Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) [5] and the Baltics (Operation Cabrit). [6]
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Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove, also known as simply JHC FS Aldergrove, is a British military base located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Belfast, and adjoins Belfast International Airport. It is sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of a nearby hamlet.
No. 666 Squadron AAC (V) is a former squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It was previously No. 666 Squadron RAF, a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and afterwards became a Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) squadron between 1 May 1949 and 10 March 1957.
No. 663 Squadron was an air observation post (AOP) unit, manned with Polish Army personnel, which was officially formed in Italy on 14 August 1944. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons were air observation post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
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No. 671 Squadron AAC is squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps. It was previously No. 671 Squadron RAF, a glider squadron of the Royal Air Force active during the Second World War as part of No. 229 Group RAF, South East Asia Command.
No. 655 Squadron RAF was 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 Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
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No. 665 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 665 Squadron, a Royal Canadian Air Force air observation post squadron that was operational during the Second World War between 22 January and 10 July 1945.
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No. 652 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It was previously No. 652 Squadron RAF, a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany.
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664 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 664 Squadron, a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army during the Second World War and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
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