No. 608 Squadron RAF

No. 608 (North Riding) 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. 608 (North Riding) Squadron RAF
Active17 March 1930 – 31 July 1944
1 August 1944 – 24 August 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part ofRoyal Auxiliary Air Force
Nickname(s)"Thornaby's own"
Motto(s)Latin: Omnibus ungulis
(Translation: "With all talons")[1]
Battle honoursChannel & North Sea, 1939
Baltic, 1941–42
Mediterranean, 1942–43
Sicily, 1943
Anzio & Nettuno
France & Germany, 1944–45
German Ports, 1944–45
These seven honours are all emblazoned on the squadron standard
Commanders
Honorary Air CommodoreViscount Swinton (1934–1957)
Notable
commanders		Denis Finlay (1943-1944)[2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA falcon's leg, erased, belled and fessed[1]
The falcon's leg indicates the squadron's readiness to go into the air at any time and attack tooth and nail[3]
Squadron CodesPG (Oct 1938 – Sep 1939)[4]
UL (Sep 1939 – 1942)[5]
6T (1944 – 1945,1949 – Apr 1951)[6]
RAO (May 1946 – 1949)[7]

History

Formation and early years: Wapitis and Demons
An Avro Anson.

No. 608 Squadron was formed at Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire as No. 608 County of York (North Riding) Squadron, on 17 March 1930 as a day bomber squadron within the Auxiliary Air Force. Its initial equipment was the Avro 504 N and Westland Wapiti, which the squadron flew until they were replaced with Hawker Demon fighters in January 1937, when the squadrons role was changed to that of a fighter squadron. In May 1937 the name of the squadron was changed to No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron.[1] Shortly before the Second World War broke out, on 20 March 1939, the squadron's role was changed yet again, now into that of a general reconnaissance unit flying under RAF Coastal Command and they were re-equipped for that role with Avro Ansons.

Second World War

Reconnaissance with Ansons, Bothas, Blenheims and Hudsons
A Blackburn Botha.

The squadron started the war flying the Anson. In June 1940, it began the process of transferring to the Blackburn Botha torpedo bomber. These were found to be unsatisfactory, and by December 1940 the squadron was using its Avro Ansons. These soldiered on until February 1941, when Bristol Blenheim Mk.IVs arrived. However, these were soon replaced by Lockheed Hudsons, which the squadron flew from bases in Scotland, North Africa and Italy until 31 July 1944, when it was disbanded at Pomigliano, Italy.[8][9]

A Lockheed Hudson Mk.V

Pathfinding with Mosquitos

The squadron was reformed on 1 August 1944 at RAF Downham Market, Norfolk as a Mosquito squadron in No 8 (Pathfinder) Groups Light Night Striking Force. It continued to fly in this role, carrying out night attacks on Germany. On 2 May 1945, a Mosquito from 608 squadron dropped a 4,000lb bomb on the naval port at Kiel. It was the last British bombing raid of the war against Nazi Germany.[10]

It disbanded on 28 August 1945 at Downham Market.[8][9]

Post-war reformation: Mosquitos, Spitfires and Vampires

No. 608 squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946 at Thornaby in its original role as a light bomber squadron in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. It had however no operational aircraft before being redesignated as a night fighter unit in July 1947, when it received Mosquito NF.30s. These were flown until the squadron changed role yet again, this time to that of a day fighter squadron, receiving Spitfire F.22s in May 1948. From December 1949 these were gradually replaced with de Havilland Vampires, which the squadron flew until, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, it was disbanded on 10 March 1957.[8][9]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 608 Squadron RAF, data from[3][8][9][11][12]
From To Aircraft Version
June 1930January 1937Westland WapitiMk.IIa
January 1937March 1939Hawker Demon
March 1939April 1941Avro AnsonMk.I
June 1940December 1940Blackburn BothaMk.I
February 1941August 1941Bristol BlenheimMk.I
March 1941July 1941Bristol BlenheimMk.IV
July 1941July 1944Lockheed HudsonMk.V
March 1943July 1944Lockheed HudsonMk.VI
June 1943July 1944Lockheed HudsonMk.IIIa
August 1944April 1945de Havilland MosquitoMk.XX
October 1944April 1945de Havilland MosquitoMk.XXV
March 1945August 1945de Havilland MosquitoMk.XVI
July 1947January 1949de Havilland MosquitoNF.30
May 1948January 1951Supermarine SpitfireF.22
December 1949July 1953de Havilland VampireF.3
May 1951June 1951de Havilland VampireF.1
April 1952March 1957de Havilland VampireFB.5
April 1956February 1957de Havilland VampireFB.9

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 608 Squadron RAF, data from[3][8][9][11][13]
From To Base
17 March 193014 January 1942RAF Thornaby, North Yorkshire (Det. at RAF Bircham Newton, Dyce)
14 January 19425 August 1942RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland
5 August 194227 August 1942RAF Sumburgh, Shetland, Scotland
27 August 194214 September 1942RAF Gosport, Hampshire
14 September 194229 October 1942RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire
29 October 19429 November 1942en route to North Africa
9 November 194214 November 1942RAF Gibraltar
14 November 19426 August 1943RAF Blida, Algeria
6 August 19434 September 1943Protville Airfield, Tunisia
4 September 194323 October 1943Borizzo Airfield, Sicily (Det. at Grottaglie)
23 October 194323 June 1943?Montecorvino Airfield, Italy
23 June 1943?31 July 1944Pomigliano, Italy
1 August 194428 August 1945RAF Downham Market, Norfolk
10 May 194616 June 1951RAF Thornaby, North Yorkshire
16 June 195112 July 1951RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland
12 July 195110 March 1957RAF Thornaby, North Yorkshire

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 608 squadron RAF, data from[11][14][15]
From To Name
March 19301932S/Ldr. W. Howard-Davies
1932December 1934S/Ldr. I.W.H. Thomson
December 1934December 1938S/Ldr. G.H. Ambler
December 1938May 1941W/Cdr. G. Shaw, DFC
May 1941November 1941W/Cdr. R.S. Derbyshire
November 1941February 1943W/Cdr. P.D.R. Hutchings, AFC
February 1943December 1943W/Cdr. C.M.M. Grece, DFC
December 1943July 1944W/Cdr. Denis Finlay OBE[16]
August 1944November 1944W/Cdr. W.W.G. Scott DFC
November 1944April 1945W/Cdr. R.C. Alabaster, DSO, DFC
April 1945August 1945W/Cdr. K. Gray
July 19461950S/Ldr. W.A. Brown, DFC
19501952S/Ldr. F.A. Robinson
19521955S/Ldr. G.A. Martin, DFC, AFC
1955March 1957S/Ldr. H.D. Costain
gollark: NOOOOOO!
gollark: ***eggbananalocked***
gollark: Most, really. They get taken eventually, especially as hatchlings.
gollark: I sometimes say no to hatchlings (but not in this case)!
gollark: BMP too.

References

Notes
  1. Halley 1988, p. 424.
  2. Not to be confused with his brother RAF Officer and Olympian Donald Osborne Finlay DFC AFC
  3. Moyes 1976, p. 278.
  4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
  5. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 101.
  6. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 100.
  7. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  8. Halley 1988, p. 425.
  9. Jefford 2001, p. 100.
  10. "Remembering the last raid on Nazi Germany". BBC News. 9 June 2015.
  11. Rawlings 1982, p. 237.
  12. Rawlings 1978, pp. 491–492.
  13. Rawlings 1978, p. 491.
  14. Bowyer 1984, p. 123.
  15. Hunt 1972, pp. 181–194.
  16. Not to be confused with his brother, RAF Officer and Olympian Donald Osborne Finlay DFC AFC

Bibliography
  • Bowyer, Chaz. Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-7110-1425-6.
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald & Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Wilkinson, Louise. The Kipper Patrol: The History of 608 (NR) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Thornaby Aerodrome, 1930–1957. Dartford, Kent, UK: Pneuma Springs Publishing, 2009. ISBN 1-905809-45-X.
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