No. 669 Squadron AAC

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No. 669 (HQ) Squadron AAC
669 Aviation Squadron
No. 669 Squadron RAF
Active16 November 1944 – 31 December 1944 (RAF)
1 January 1945 – 10 November 1945 (RAF)
1 June 1971 - 1 September 1976
1 April 1978 - 31 July 2016
HQ Sqn in 2021 into 3 Regt AAC
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army.svg Army Air Corps
Part of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps
Garrison/HQ Wattisham Flying Station

No. 669 (HQ) Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC) which was disbanded as a flying Squadron on 31 July 2016 and reformed as HQ Sqn 3AAC in 2021. It was formerly No. 669 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 [1]

Contents

History

Royal Air Force

No. 669 Squadron RAF was formed on 16 November 1944 at Bikram, Patna, British India [2] as a glider squadron, with the intention of being used for airborne operations by South East Asia Command. However, after a short period it was redesignated No. 671 Squadron RAF, due to an earlier mix-up of squadron designations and bases. [2] The squadron was reformed anew the next day, with the same role and at the right base, and continued to train, as part of No. 343 Wing RAF, until the surrender of Japan, when it became surplus to requirements. The squadron was disbanded on 10 November 1945 at Fatehjang, British India. [2]

Army Air Corps

The squadron was reformed as part of the British Army's Army Air Corps as 669 Aviation Squadron at RAF Wildenrath under the control of No. 1 Wing AAC operating de Havilland Canada Beaver AL.1s and Westland Scout AH.1s. The squadron was renamed to 669 Squadron AAC on 1 January 1973 and was deployed to Northern Ireland for various times between October 1973 and February 1976. The squadron was disbanded on 1 September 1976 and became No. 12 Flight AAC. [3]

The squadron was reformed at Hobart Barracks, Detmold, Germany on 1 April 1978, from 659 Squadron, 9 Regt operating the Scout AH.1, continuing with Northern Ireland deployments. 669 moved to AAC Wattisham during 1995 becoming part of 4 Regt and operating the Westland Lynx AH.7 and the Westland Gazelle AH.1 in the anti-tank role. The Gazelles were removed during 2007 and the squadron moved to 9 Regt. [3] Its last base was Dishforth Airfield operating the AgustaWestland Lynx AH.9A until 31 July 2016.

For 15 months until November 2016 the squadron operated as the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) Aviation Support Squadron based at Nanyuki Airfield. [4]

Today

The squadron was reformed in 2021 to become the HQ squadron for 3 Regiment AAC.

A de Havilland Tiger Moth restored in wartime colours. DH 82A Tiger Moth - N81DH.jpg
A de Havilland Tiger Moth restored in wartime colours.

Aircraft operated

A Waco CG-4 (Hadrian) in British service. Waco Hadrian.jpg
A Waco CG-4 (Hadrian) in British service.
Aircraft operated by no. 669 Squadron RAF, data from [2]
FromToAircraftVariant
November 1944December 1944 Waco Hadrian
June 1945July 1945Waco Hadrian
July 1945November 1945 de Havilland Tiger Moth Mk.II

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 669 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [5]
FromToBase
16 November 194431 December 1944 Bikram, Bihar, British India
1 January 194519 March 1945 Basal, Punjab, British India
19 March 194527 May 1945 Belgaum, Karnataka, British India
27 May 194523 June 1945Upper Topa Camp, Punjab, British India
23 June 19456 July 1945Basal, Punjab, British India
6 July 194510 November 1945 Fatehjang, Punjab, British India

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Delve 1994 , p. 84
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Halley 1988 , p. 452.
  3. 1 2 "669 Squadron". British Army units from 1945 on. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/TheArmyAirCorps/posts/army-air-corps-leaves-kenya-on-wednesday-30th-of-november-2016-the-army-air-corp/1529907803703502/
  5. ↑ Jefford 2001 , pp. 266–271.

Bibliography

  • Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN   1-85310-451-5.
  • 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.
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