No. 616 Squadron RAF

No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron is an active Reserve unit of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) assigned to the RAF ISTAR Force at RAF Waddington. It was originally formed as a unit of the British Auxiliary Air Force in 1938, active throughout World War 2 as a fighter unit, becoming the 1st operational RAF unit to fly jets and disbanded in 1957. The unit reformed in its current guise in April 2019 as 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron RAF
Active1 November 1938 – 29 August 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957
1 April 2019 -
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeReserve Sqn
RoleISTAR
Part ofRoyal Auxiliary Air Force
Garrison/HQRAF Waddington
Motto(s)Latin: Nulla Rosa Sine Spina
(Translation: "No rose without a thorn")[1][2]
post 1951 aircraft insignia
Commanders
Honorary Air CommodoreThe Duke of Portland[3]
Notable
commanders		Colin Falkland Gray, Percy "Laddy" Lucas
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA white Yorkshire rose, superimposed on an arrow[2]
The badge commemorates the squadron's association with Yorkshire as the South Yorkshire Auxiliary Squadron[1]
Squadron CodesQJ (Apr 1939 – Jul 1941)[4]
YQ (Jul 1941 – Aug 1945,
1949 – Apr 1951)[5]
RAW (Jul 1946 – 1949)[6]

History and Operations

Formation

No. 616 Squadron was formed on 1 November 1938 at RAF Doncaster[7] and was at first allotted the bomber role, receiving Hawker Hinds for that role.[1] The role soon changed however and the squadron's first operational fighter aircraft were Gloster Gauntlet biplane fighters received in January 1939. Fairey Battle monoplane light bombers were delivered in May 1939 for training duties to assist the squadron in preparing for re-equipment with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Is in October 1939. During that month No. 616 moved to RAF Leconfield and by the end of November conversion to the modern fighter was complete.

The squadron's first operational sorties were over the Dunkirk withdrawal in late May 1940. During the first phase of the Battle of Britain No. 616 was based at Leconfield, moving south to RAF Kenley on 19 August to be nearer the front line. The improved Spitfire Mk.II was received in February 1941 and was used from April on sweeps over occupied France from RAF Tangmere, continuing until October.[8] Further periodic updating with Spitfire Mks.V, VI and VII continued through the mid-war years. From March 1943 onwards, No. 616 was stationed in southwest England.

First on Meteors
616 Squadron Meteor F Mark III takes off from B58/Melsbroek, Belgium, 1945

On 12 July 1944 the unit became the first RAF squadron to receive jet equipment in the form of Gloster Meteor Mk.I fighters, testing them at RAF Culmhead.[9] The first Meteor operational sortie was on 27 July from RAF Manston when it intercepted V-1 flying bombs launched against southern England. The first victories came on 4 August when one V1 was tipped over after a pilot's cannon jammed and another was shot down. The loss rate of the still unproven Meteor Mk.I was high, with three being written off in non-combat incidents between 15 and 29 August. Re-equipment with improved Meteor Mk.IIIs began in January 1945 and in February a detachment was deployed to Melsbroek near Brussels in Belgium. It was intended as a defence against Me 262s but in the event they did not ever face them. In early April the complete squadron moved to Gilze-Rijen in the Netherlands, commencing ground attack sorties on 16 April. The squadron was disbanded at Lübeck, Germany on 29 August 1945 by being renumbered to No. 263 Squadron RAF.[7][10][11]

Post-war

No. 616 squadron was officially reformed at RAF Finningley as the South Yorkshire Squadron on 10 May 1946,[7] with volunteers being recruited over the following few months till embodied on 11 July 1946.[7] It was allocated the night fighter role within Reserve Command and the first Mosquito T.3 trainers were received in October, but it was not until January 1948 that the operational Mosquito NF.30s were delivered to Finningley.

Gloster Meteor F.8 of 616 Squadron in 1955 wearing the distinctive unit markings.

At the end of 1948 No. 616 was redesignated as a day fighter squadron and began to receive Meteor F.3s in January 1949. Conversion to the updated Meteor F.8 took place in December 1951, which wore the distinctive Green and Gold Diamond markings of 616 Sqn on the rear fuselage. The squadron moved base to RAF Worksop on 23 May 1955, where it either disbanded on 10 March 1957 (per Halley and Jefford or Pitchfork), together with all RAuxAF flying units, or disbanded on 15 January 1957 according to Rawlings in Fighter Squadrons of the Royal Air Force, at RAF Finningley.[12]

Re-Activation & Current Role

In April 2019, the unit reformed as 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) at RAF Waddington to augment the RAF’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Force and delivering a Combat Air capability.[13] Personnel assigned to 616 Sqn are former Regular RAF specialists, providing expertise, experience and mentoring to augment the RAF's Front Line ISTAR Squadrons.[14]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 616 Squadron RAF, data from[7][15][16][17]
From To Aircraft Version Remarks
Nov 1938Jan 1939Hawker HindUsed for training
Jan 1939Dec 1939Gloster GauntletMk.II
May 1939Nov 1939Fairey BattleUsed for training
Oct 1939Feb 1941Supermarine SpitfireMk.I
Feb 1941Jul 1941Supermarine SpitfireMk.IIa
Jul 1941Jun 1942Supermarine SpitfireMk.Vb
Oct 1941Nov 1941Supermarine SpitfireMk.IIb
Apr 1942Nov 1943Supermarine SpitfireMk.VI
Sep 1943Aug 1944Supermarine SpitfireMk.VII
Jul 1944Jan 1945Gloster MeteorMk.I
Jan 1945Aug 1945Gloster MeteorMk.III
Sep 1947May 1949de Havilland MosquitoNF.30
Jan 1949May 1957Gloster MeteorF.3
Apr 1951Dec 1951Gloster MeteorF.4
Dec 1951Feb 1957Gloster MeteorF.8
Apr 2019DateSentryAEW.1
Apr 2019DateSentinelR.1
Apr 2019DateMQ-9A Reaper
Apr 2019DateShadowR.1

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 616 Squadron RAF, data from[2][7][12][18]
From To Base Remark
1 November 193823 October 1939RAF DoncasterFormed here
23 October 193923 February 1940RAF Leconfield
23 February 19409 March 1940RAF CatfossDetached due to thaw at Leconfield[19]
9 March 194027 May 1940RAF Leconfield
27 May 19406 June 1940RAF RochfordDetached for air cover during Dunkirk evacuation[20]
6 June 194019 August 1940RAF Leconfield
19 August 19403 September 1940RAF Kenley
3 September 19409 September 1940RAF Coltishall
9 September 194026 February 1941RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey
26 February 19419 May 1941RAF Tangmere
9 May 19416 October 1941RAF Westhampnett
6 October 194130 January 1942RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey
30 January 19423 July 1942RAF Kings Cliffe
3 July 19428 July 1942RAF West Malling
8 July 194229 July 1942RAF Kenley
29 July 194214 August 1942RAF Great Sampford
14 August 194220 August 1942RAF HawkingeDetached for Dieppe Raid[21]
20 August 19421 September 1942RAF Great Sampford
1 September 19427 September 1942RAF IpswichDet.
7 September 194223 September 1942RAF Great Sampford
23 September 194229 October 1942RAF Tangmere
29 October 19422 January 1943RAF Westhampnett
2 January 194315 March 1943RAF Ibsley
15 March 194318 March 1943RAF HarrowbeerDet.
18 March 194317 September 1943RAF Ibsley
17 September 194316 November 1943RAF Exeter
16 November 19431 December 1943RAF Fairwood CommonDetached for arnament practice camp[22]
1 December 194318 March 1944RAF Exeter
18 March 194424 April 1944RAF West Malling
24 April 194416 May 1944RAF Fairwood Common
16 May 194421 July 1944RAF Culmhead
21 July 194417 January 1945RAF Manston
17 January 194528 February 1945RAF Colerne
4 February 194526 March 1945B.58 Melsbroek, BelgiumDetachment flying all-white Meteors[23]
28 February 19451 April 1945RAF Andrews Field
1 April 194513 April 1945B.77/Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands
13 April 194520 April 1945B.91/Nijmegen, Netherlands
20 April 194526 April 1945B.109/Quakenbrück, Germany
26 April 19453 May 1945B.152/Fassberg, Germany
3 May 19457 May 1945B.156/Luneberg, Germany
7 May 194529 August 1945B.158/Lübeck, GermanyDisbanded here
10 May 194615 June 1951RAF FinningleyReformed here
15 June 195111 July 1951RAF Church FentonCall-up training during Korean crisis[24]
11 July 195123 May 1955RAF Finningley
23 May 195510 March 1957RAF WorksopDisbanded here
1 April 2019PresentRAF WaddingtonReformed here

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 616 Squadron RAF, data from[25][26]
From To Name
November 1938September 1939S/Ldr the Earl of Lincoln
September 1939May 1940S/Ldr W.K. Beisiegel
May 1940September 1940S/Ldr M. Robinson
September 1940September 1941S/Ldr H.F. Burton, DFC
September 1941February 1942S/Ldr C.F. Gray, DFC & Bar
February 1942January 1943S/Ldr H.L.I. Brown DFC
January 1943April 1943S/Ldr G.S.K. Haywood
April 1943April 1943S/Ldr P.W. Lefevre DFC
April 1943July 1943S/Ldr P.B. Lucas DFC
July 1943July 1944S/Ldr L.W. Watts DFC
July 1944May 1945W/Cdr A. McDowall DFM & Bar
May 1945August 1945W/Cdr E.E. Schrader DFC
July 1946December 1950S/Ldr K. Holden DFC
December 1950November 1954S/Ldr L.H. Casson DFC
November 1954March 1957S/Ldr W.G. Abel
April 2019PresentSqn Ldr

Notable Members of 616 Squadron
  • Air Vice Marshal James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson CB CBE DSO & Two Bars DFC & Bar
  • Group Captain Sir Hugh Dundas CBE DSO & Bar DFC
  • Group Captain Denys Gillam DSO & Two Bars DFC & Bar AFC
  • Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader CBE DSO & Bar DFC & Bar DL FRAeS
gollark: I forgot.
gollark: Oh no.
gollark: Please view the manual for more details.
gollark: That's actually nontrivial.
gollark: Who thought this was a useful thing to say?

See also

References

Notes
  1. Rawlings 1978, p. 509.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 434.
  3. Pitchfork 2009, pp. 124–125.
  4. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
  5. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 117.
  6. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  7. Jefford 2001, p. 101.
  8. Sarkar 2011, p. 43.
  9. Berryman 2006, pp. 50–86.
  10. Halley 1988, p. 329.
  11. Pitchfork 2009, p. 109.
  12. Rawlings 1978, p. 510.
  13. "616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Reformation at RAF Waddington". RAF Waddington News. RAF Waddington. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  14. https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/squadrons/616-squadron-rauxaf/
  15. Hunt 1972, p. 413.
  16. Rawlings 1978, pp. 510–511.
  17. Halley 1988, p. 435.
  18. Pitchfork 2009, p. 151.
  19. Pitchfork 2009, p. 17.
  20. Pitchfork 2009, p. 19.
  21. Hunt 1972, p. 407.
  22. Pitchfork 2009, p. 86.
  23. Pitchfork 2009, pp. 102–103.
  24. Pitchfork 2009, p. 117.
  25. Pitchfork 2009, p. 150.
  26. Rawlings 1978, p. 511.

Bibliography
  • Berryman, David. Somerset airfields in the Second World War. Newbury, UK: Countryside Books, 2006. ISBN 1-85306-864-0.
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken and Graham Pitchfork South Yorkshire's Own: 616 Squadron RAF. Doncaster Books, 1990.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1981–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Hunt, Leslie. Twenty-One Squadrons: The History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–1957. London: Garnstone Press, 1972. ISBN 0-85511-110-0.
  • 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, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Pitchfork, Graham. The RAF's first jet squadron: 616 (South Yorkshire) History 1938–57. The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press Ltd., 2009. ISBN 0-7524-4914-1.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Robinson, Anthony. RAF Squadrons in the Battle of Britain. London: Arms and Armour Press Ltd., 1987 (republished 1999 by Brockhampton Press, ISBN 1-86019-907-0.).
  • Sarkar, Dilip. Spitfire Ace of Aces: The True Wartime Story of Johnnie Johnson. Amberley Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4456-0475-6.
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