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No. 680 Squadron RAF

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No. 680 Squadron RAF
Active1 February 1943 – 1 September 1946
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RolePhoto-reconnaissance
Part ofNo. 206 Group RAF, Middle East Command[1]
AHQ Egypt, Middle East Command[2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryNo badge known to have been authorised[3]
Squadron MarkingsNo code(s) are known to have been carried by this squadron[3][4][5]
Towards the end of the war Mosquitoes of 680 squadron carried red/white diagonal stripes on their rudders[3]

No. 680 Squadron RAF was a photo-reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force, active during the Second World War.

History

No. 680 Squadron RAF was formed in February 1943 from 'A' Flight of No. 2 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU),[6] equipped with a variety of aircraft including Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, Bristol Beaufighters and Lockheed Electras. It continued in the photographic reconnaissance role, operating in North Africa and the Mediterranean. In early 1944, the unit converted to Martin Baltimores and de Havilland Mosquitoes, deploying to Sicily and Sardinia later in the year.[7] After the end of the war, 680 Squadron flew surveying missions in the Middle East, before being disbanded by renumbering it to No. 13 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1946.[3][6]

Noted squadron members

A well-known Australian actor, Charles "Bud" Tingwell, piloted Spitfires and Mosquitoes with the squadron.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 680 Squadron[3][6][7]
From To Aircraft Variant
February 1943 February 1944 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
February 1943 March 1943 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.Ic
February 1943 June 1944 Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mks.IV, V
February 1943 September 1944 Lockheed Electra
February 1943 January 1945 Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mk.IX
March 1943 June 1943 Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mk.VI
March 1943 December 1944 Hawker Hurricane PR.Mk.IIb
August 1943 July 1946 Supermarine Spitfire PR.XI
February 1944 May 1944 Martin Baltimore Mks.IIIa, V
February 1944 July 1944 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
February 1944 September 1946 de Havilland Mosquito Mks.IX & XVI
March 1946 September 1946 de Havilland Mosquito PR.34

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 680 Squadron RAF, data from[3][6][7]
From To Base Remark
1 February 1943 25 February 1945 LG.219 Kilo 8/Matariyah/Payne Field, Egypt Dets. at Tunisia, Cyprus and Italy
25 February 1945 9 July 1946 RAF Deversoir, Egypt Dets. at Iran, Iraq and Palestine
9 July 1946 1 September 1946 RAF Ein Shemer, Palestine

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 680 squadron RAF, data from[3][8]
From To Name
February 1943 October 1944 W/Cdr. J.R. Whelan, DFC & Bar
October 1944 September 1946 W/Cdr. J.C. Paish

References

Notes

  1. ^ Delve 1994, pp. 67 and 76.
  2. ^ Delve 1994, p. 82.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rawlings 1982, p. 244.
  4. ^ Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 148.
  5. ^ Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 233.
  6. ^ a b c d Halley 1988, pp. 452–453.
  7. ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 105.
  8. ^ Bowyer 1984, p. 130.

Bibliography

  • Bowman, Martin. Mosquito Photo-Reconnaissance Units of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-891-7.
  • Bowyer, Chaz. Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. London: 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.
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • 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, 1918-88. 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, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • 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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