No. 616 Squadron RAF

No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron RAF
Official squadron crest for No. 616 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, formed at RAF Doncaster, November 1938
Active	1 November 1938 - 29 August 1945 10 May 1946 - 10 March 1957
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Part of	Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Motto	Latin: Nulla Rosa Sine Spina (Translation: "No rose without a thorn")[1][2]
post 1951 aircraft insignia
Commanders
Honorary Air Commodore	The Duke of Portland[3]
Notable commanders	Colin Falkland Gray, Percy "Laddy" Lucas
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A 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 Codes	QJ (Apr 1939 - Jul 1941)[4] YQ (Jul 1941 - Aug 1945, 1949 - Apr 1951)[5] RAW (Jul 1946 - 1949)[6]

No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron was a unit of the British Auxiliary Air Force and later the Royal Auxiliary Air Force between 1938 and 1957.

History and Operations

Formation

No. 616 Squadron was formed on 1 November 1938 at RAF Doncaster^[7] and was at first allotted the role of bomber squadron, receiving Hawker Hinds for that role.^[1] The role soon changed however and the squadrons 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.I's 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, continuing until October. 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

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.^[8] 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.III's 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 262's 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][9][10]

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. At the end of 1948 No. 616 was redesignated as a day fighter squadron and began to receive Meteor F.3's in January 1949. Conversion to the updated Meteor F.8 took place in December 1951. The squadron moved base to RAF Worksop on 23 May 1955, where it disbanded on 10 March 1957 (per Halley and Jefford or Pitchfork), together with all RAuxAF flying units. Research has shown that Rawlings in 'Fighter Squadrons of the Royal Air Force' incorrectly lists the squadron as disbanding at RAF Finningley on 15 February 1957.^[11]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 616 Squadron RAF, data from^{[7][12][13][14]}

From	To	Aircraft	Version	Remarks
Nov 1938	Jan 1939	Hawker Hind		Used for training
Jan 1939	Dec 1939	Gloster Gauntlet	Mk.II
May 1939	Nov 1939	Fairey Battle		Used for training
Oct 1939	Feb 1941	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.I
Feb 1941	Jul 1941	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IIa
Jul 1941	Jun 1942	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vb
Oct 1941	Nov 1941	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IIb
Apr 1942	Nov 1943	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.VI
Sep 1943	Aug 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.VII
Jul 1944	Jan 1945	Gloster Meteor	Mk.I
Jan 1945	Aug 1945	Gloster Meteor	Mk.III
Sep 1947	May 1949	de Havilland Mosquito	NF.30
Jan 1949	May 1957	Gloster Meteor	F.3
Apr 1951	Dec 1951	Gloster Meteor	F.4
Dec 1951	Feb 1957	Gloster Meteor	F.8

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 616 Squadron RAF, data from^{[2][7][11][15]}

From	To	Base	Remark
1 Nov 1938	23 Oct 1939	RAF Doncaster	Formed here
23 Oct 1939	23 Feb 1940	RAF Leconfield
23 Feb 1940	9 Mar 1940	RAF Catfoss	Detached due to thaw at Leconfield[16]
9 Mar 1940	27 May 1940	RAF Leconfield
27 May 1940	6 Jun 1940	RAF Rochford	Detached for air cover during Dunkirk evacuation[17]
6 Jun 1940	19 Aug 1940	RAF Leconfield
19 Aug 1940	3 Sep 1940	RAF Kenley
3 Sep 1940	9 Sep 1940	RAF Coltishall
9 Sep 1940	26 Feb 1941	RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey
26 Feb 1941	9 May 1941	RAF Tangmere
9 May 1941	6 Oct 1941	RAF Westhampnett
6 Oct 1941	30 Jan 1942	RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey
30 Jan 1942	3 Jul 1942	RAF Kings Cliffe
3 Jul 1942	8 Jul 1942	RAF West Malling
8 Jul 1942	29 Jul 1942	RAF Kenley
29 Jul 1942	14 Aug 1942	RAF Great Sampford
14 Aug 1942	20 Aug 1942	RAF Hawkinge	Detached for Dieppe Raid[18]
20 Aug 1942	1 Sep 1942	RAF Great Sampford
1 Sep 1942	7 Sep 1942	RAF Ipswich	Det.
7 Sep 1942	23 Sep 1942	RAF Great Sampford
23 Sep 1942	29 Oct 1942	RAF Tangmere
29 Oct 1942	2 Jan 1943	RAF Westhampnett
2 Jan 1943	15 Mar 1943	RAF Ibsley
15 Mar 1943	18 Mar 1943	RAF Harrowbeer	Det.
18 Mar 1943	17 Sep 1943	RAF Ibsley
17 Sep 1943	16 Nov 1943	RAF Exeter
16 Nov 1943	1 Dec 1943	RAF Fairwood Common	Detached for arnament practice camp[19]
1 Dec 1943	18 Mar 1944	RAF Exeter
18 Mar 1944	24 Apr 1944	RAF West Malling
24 Apr 1944	16 May 1944	RAF Fairwood Common
16 May 1944	21 Jul 1944	RAF Culmhead
21 Jul 1944	17 Jan 1945	RAF Manston
17 Jan 19745	28 Feb 1945	RAF Colerne
4 Feb 1945	26 Mar 1945	B.58 Melsbroek, Belgium	Detachment flying all-white Meteors[20]
28 Feb 1945	1 Apr 1945	RAF Andrews Field
1 Apr 1945	13 Apr 1945	B.77/Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands
13 Apr 1945	20 Apr 1945	B.91/Nijmegen, Netherlands
20 Apr 1945	26 Apr 1945	B.109/Quakenbrück, Germany
26 Apr 1945	3 May 1945	B.152/Fassberg, Germany
3 May 1945	7 May 1945	B.156/Luneberg, Germany
7 May 1945	29 Aug 1945	B.158/Lübeck, Germany	Disbanded here
10 May 1946	15 Jun 1951	RAF Finningley	Reformed here
15 Jun 1951	11 Jul 1951	RAF Church Fenton	Call-up training during Korean crisis[21]
11 Jul 1951	23 May 1955	RAF Finningley
23 May 1955	10 Mar 1957	RAF Worksop	Disbanded here

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 616 Squadron RAF, data from^[22][23]

From	To	Name
November 1938	September 1939	S/Ldr. the Earl of Lincoln
September 1939	May 1940	S/Ldr. W.K. Beisiegel
May 1940	September 1940	S/Ldr. M. Robinson
September 1940	September 1941	S/Ldr. H.F. Burton, DFC
September 1941	February 1942	S/Ldr. C.F. Gray, DFC & Bar
February 1942	January 1943	S/Ldr. H.L.I. Brown, DFC
January 1943	April 1943	S/Ldr. G.S.K. Haywood
April 1943	April 1943	S/Ldr. P.W. Lefevre, DFC
April 1943	July 1943	S/Ldr. P.B. Lucas, DFC
July 1943	July 1944	S/Ldr. L.W. Watts, DFC
July 1944	May 1945	W/Cdr. A. McDowall, DFM & Bar
May 1945	August 1945	W/Cdr. E.E. Schrader, DFC
July 1946	December 1950	S/Ldr. K. Holden, DFC
December 1950	November 1954	S/Ldr. L.H. Casson, DFC
November 1954	March 1957	S/Ldr. W.G. Abel

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• squadron histories for nos. 611-620 sqn
• Squadron History 616 Sqn

Related content