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No. 622 Squadron RAF

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No. 622 Squadron RAF
Active10 Aug 1943 – 15 Aug 1945
15 Dec 1950 – 30 Sep 1953
1 Oct 2012–present
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Auxiliary Air Force
RoleReserve Aircrew
BaseRAF Brize Norton
Motto(s)Latin: Bellamus Noctu
("We wage war by night")[1][2]
Commanders
Current
commander		Wg Cdr D James
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA long-eared owl volant affrontée, carrying in the claws a flash of lightning[1][2]
Squadron CodesGI (Aug 1943 – Apr 1945)[3][4]

No. 622 Squadron RAF is a reserve aircrew squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. During World War II, it operated as a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force. Post-war it served shortly as a transport squadron in the RAuxAF.

History

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World War II

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No. 622 Squadron was first formed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on 10 August 1943, equipped with Stirling Mk.III bombers, as part of 3 Group in Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Lancaster Mk.III bombers in December, after briefly operating Lancaster Mk.Is that month. It operated in Bomber Command's Main Force as part of No 3 Group until April 1945 when it moved to humanitarian duties dropping food to the Dutch (Operation Manna), repatriating POWs (Operation Exodus) and ferrying troops home from Italy. The Squadron was disbanded at Mildenhall on 15 August 1945.[1][2][5]

1950 to 1953

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Unlike many of its contemporaries 622 Squadron was reformed post-war as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force transport squadron at RAF Blackbushe on 15 December 1950. It now operated Valettas and consisted of a nucleus of regular officers who would be supplemented by personnel drawn from locally-based air charter operator Airwork Ltd. This arrangement proved to be unsuccessful however,[6] and the squadron was disbanded on 30 September 1953.[1][2]

Current role

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Originally formed as 1359 Flight RAF, it was attached to a Hercules OCU (Operational Conversion Unit, by this time the former No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit RAF had become No. 57 Squadron RAF), based at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire in 1994 for a 3-year trial period. After the success of the trial, its role expanded over the years to provide aircrews to all air transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft of the RAF. It moved to RAF Brize Norton in 2011. On 1 October 2012, in recognition of its continued work with the main squadrons, the flight was authorised by the Standing Committee of the Royal Air Force to be rebadged as 622 (Reserve Aircrew) Squadron.

According to its website, the mission statement is as follows:

To provide aircrews to the Air Transport and Air-to-Air Refuelling Forces either on call-out in times of crisis and war, or to provide peacetime support to maintain the operational capability of the RAF multi-engine squadrons

[7]

Aircraft operated

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Aircraft operated by no. 622 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2][5][6]
From To Aircraft Version
August 1943 December 1943 Short Stirling Mk.III
December 1943 August 1945 Avro Lancaster Mks.I, III
December 1950 September 1953 Vickers Valetta C.1

Squadron bases

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Bases used by no. 622 Squadron RAF, data from[1][2][5][6]
From To Base
10 August 1943 15 August 1945 RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
15 December 1950 30 September 1953 RAF Blackbushe, Hampshire
1994 June 2011 RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire
June 2011 Present RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Moyes 1976, p. 286.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Halley 1988, p. 438.
  3. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 45.
  4. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 76.
  5. ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 102.
  6. ^ a b c Rawlings 1982, p. 242
  7. ^ RAF Reserves – 622 (Reserve Aircrew). "RAF Reserves – 622 (Reserve Aircrew)".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

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  • 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.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
  • Rawlings, John D.R. (1982). Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 0-7106-0187-5.
  • Thomas, Andrew (23 December 1988 – 5 January 1989). "Night Warriors: No.622 Squadron, Royal Air Force". Aviation News. Vol. 17, no. 16. pp. 736–738.
  • Ward, Chris (1998). Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles, Number 119: 622 Squadron "Bellamus Noctu". Berkshire, UK: Ward Publishing.
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