No. 652 Squadron RAF
Active1 May 1942 – 1 September 1957
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleAir observation post squadron
Motto(s)Latin: Sive aere sive campo
(Translation: "In the air and in the field")[1]
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldryIn front of wings conjoined in base, a gun barrel fesswise[1]
Identification
symbol		XM (Sep 1946–1951)[2][3]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissancede Havilland Tiger Moth
Taylorcraft Auster
Auster AOP.6

No. 652 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany. 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, 665 and 666, were AOP units of the Royal Canadian Air Force manned by Canadian and British personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.[1][4]

History

A postwar restored DH-82A Tiger Moth

Formation and World War II

No. 652 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 May 1942 and went into action in Normandy on 7 June 1944 in support of the British Second Army and the Operation Overlord landings. Most of its pilots and observers came from the British Army, while maintenance was carried out by RAF personnel. The squadron moved with the Second Army through France, Belgium and the Netherlands into Germany.

Claim to fame

'C' Flight, No. 652 Squadron RAF has been credited with firing the last British shots of the war in Europe while directing artillery fire at the siege of Dunkirk on 7 May 1945, sharing in this action with No. 665 Squadron RCAF.

Post war service

After the German surrender it remained as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation, later of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.

No. 1902 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'A' Flight also No. 1903 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'B' Flight[5] No. 1904 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'C' Flight[5] No. 1905 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron[5]

The unit was disbanded in September 1957, when it was merged into the Army Air Corps. It will be a Lynx Wildcat OCU Squadron in the future.[6]

The original squadron is represented today by 652 Squadron of 1 Regiment, Army Air Corps

Auster AOP.6 silhouette

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by 652 Squadron[1][7]
FromToAircraftVariant
May 1942November 1942de Havilland Tiger MothMk.II
August 1942March 1943Taylorcraft PlusC.2
October 1942March 1943AusterMk.I
March 1943March 1944AusterMk.III
February 1944August 1946AusterMk.IV
December 1944December 1953AusterMk.V
September 1946September 1957AusterAOP.6
January 1956September 1957AusterAOP.9

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no.652 Squadron RAF, data from[1][4]
FromToBaseRemark
1 May 194215 June 1942RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire
15 June 194211 August 1942RAF Bottisham, Cambridgeshire
11 August 194231 December 1942RAF Westley, Suffolk
31 December 194220 February 1943RAF Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
20 February 194328 March 1943RAF Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire
28 March 19432 July 1943RAF Methven, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
2 July 19437 November 1943RAF Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland
7 November 194325 March 1944RAF Ipswich, Suffolk
25 March 194429 April 1944RAF Denham, Buckinghamshire
29 April 19447 June 1944RAF Cobham, Surrey
6 June 19447 June 1944Bény-sur-Mer, Calvados, FranceAdvance Party
7 June 19448 July 1944Plumetot, Calvados, France
8 July 19441 August 1944Reviers, Calvados, France
1 August 194413 August 1944Blainville-sur-Orne, Calvados, France
13 August 194417 August 1944Grentheville, Calvados, France
17 August 194423 August 1944St-Pierre-sur-Dives, Calvados, France
23 August 194426 August 1944Lisieux, Calvados, France
26 August 19443 September 194449 13'N 00 29'E, Calvados, France
3 September 19444 September 1944Foucart, Seine-Maritime, France
4 September 194414 September 1944Angerville-l'Orcher, Seine-Maritime, France
14 September 194417 September 1944Héricourt-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime, France
17 September 194423 September 1944Parfondeval, Seine-Maritime, France
23 September 194427 September 1944Buken, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
27 September 19445 October 1944Zoersel, Antwerp, Belgium
5 October 194413 October 1944Het Geheul, Antwerp, Belgium
13 October 194419 October 1944Turnhout, Antwerp, Belgium
19 October 194423 October 194451 17'N 04 39'E, Antwerp, Belgium
23 October 19441 November 1944Maria ter Heide, Antwerp, Belgium
1 November 19444 November 1944Brasschaat, Antwerp, Belgium
4 November 194410 November 1944Roosendaal, North Brabant, Netherlands
10 November 194431 December 1944Brasschaat, Antwerp, Belgium
31 December 19441 April 1945Tilburg, North Brabant, Netherlands
1 April 19453 April 1945Kleve, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany
3 April 194530 April 1945Zutphen, Gelderland, Netherlands
1 May 194514 June 1945Rhede, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany
14 June 194516 November 1945Deilinghofen, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany
16 November 194529 April 1946RAF Hoya, Province of Hanover, British Zone of Occupation
29 April 19461 December 1947B.118/RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, British Zone of OccupationNos. 1902, 1903 & 1904 Flts.
1 December 19471 May 1949B.156/RAF Luneburg, Lower Saxony, British Zone of OccupationNos. 1902, 1903, 1904 & 1905 Flts.
1 May 19491 September 1957RAF Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, West GermanyNos. 1901, 1904, 1905 & 1909 Flts.

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Halley 1988, p. 445.
  2. ↑ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 114.
  3. ↑ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 160.
  4. 1 2 Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
  5. 1 2 3 Lake 1999, p. 99.
  6. ↑ "Janes | Latest defence and security news".
  7. ↑ Jefford 2001, p. 103.

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • 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.
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
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