No. 621 Squadron RAF

No. 621 Squadron RAF was a reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying from Somaliland and Aden. It was after the war stationed in Egypt and Palestine and tasked with air-sea rescue and was also active in Operation Sunburn, looking for illegal immigrants.

No. 621 Squadron RAF
Active12 Sep 1943 – 1 Sep 1946
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleReconnaissance
Air-sea rescue
Part ofBritish Forces Aden[1]
Motto(s)Ever Ready to Strike
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA hooded cobra[2]

History

No. 621 Squadron RAF was at Port Reitz, Kenya, on 12 September 1943[3] as a general reconnaissance unit. The most unusual sortie flown by the squadron was in November 1943, when it had to look for four thousand stolen camels on behalf of the army.[4] In a more serious series of sorties the squadron managed to knock-out the German submarine U-852, but at the beginning of 1945 activities had dropped so low that the squadron was reduced from 16 to 8 aircraft. In November the squadron converted to Warwicks and started in Operation Sunburn, looking for illegal immigrants into Palestine. In April to squadron moved to Palestine and converted to Lancasters. Shortly after it had completed that conversion the squadron was disbanded at RAF Ein Shemer by being re-numbered to No. 18 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1946.[2][3][5]

The present 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron has no links with 621 Squadron, and in fact traces its lines back to No. 87 Glider School RAF.[6][7]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by No. 621 Squadron RAF[2][4][5]
FromToAircraftVariant
September 1943January 1945Vickers WellingtonMk.XIII
January 1945December 1945Vickers WellingtonMk.XIV
March 1945November 1945Vickers WarwickGR.5
April 1946September 1946Avro LancasterASR.3 (special air-sea rescue version)

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by No. 621 Squadron RAF[2][4][5]
FromToBaseRemarks
12 September 19434 November 1943Port Reitz, KenyaDetachment at Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland
4 November 19435 December 1943Mogadishu, Italian SomalilandDetachments at Scusciuban, Italian Somaliland; Bandar Kassim, Italian Somaliland
and RAF Riyan, Aden Protectorate
5 December 194312 November 1945RAF Khormaksar, AdenDetachments at Scuscuiban, Italian Somaliland; Bandar Kassim, Italian Somaliland;
Riyan, Aden Protectorate; RAF Socotra, Aden Protectorate and Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland
12 November 194520 April 1946RAF Mersa Matruh, EgyptDetachments at RAF Aqir, Palestine and RAF Benina, Libya
20 April 19466 June 1946RAF Aqir, Palestine
6 June 19461 September 1946RAF Ein Shemer, Palestine

Commanding officers
Officers commanding No. 621 Squadron RAF[4]
FromToName
September 1943December 1944W/Cdr. P. Green, OBE, AFC
December 1944November 1945W/Cdr. F.T. Gardiner, DFC
November 1945February 1946S/Ldr. G. Schofield
February 1946September 1946W/Cdr. B.E. Peck, DFC
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References
Notes
  1. Delve 1994, pp. 76, 83.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 438.
  3. Lake 1999, pp. 272–273.
  4. Rawlings 1982, p. 242.
  5. Jefford 2001, p. 102.
  6. "History of 621 VGS". 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  7. Lake 1999, p. 113.
Bibliography
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • 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 Ltd., 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Lake, Alan. Flying Units of the RAF: The ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • 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.
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