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No. 614 Squadron RAF

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No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron RAuxAF
No. 614 Squadron RAF
Active1 Jun 1937 – 25 Jan 1944
3 Mar 1944 – 27 Jul 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 Mar 1957
10 Mar 2014 - present
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Air Force
Part ofRoyal Auxiliary Air Force
Garrison/HQTy Llewellyn, Morgan Street, Cardiff CF10 4FG
Nickname(s)County of Glamorgan
Motto(s)Welsh: Codaf I geisio
(Translated: "I rise to search")[1][2]
post 1950 aircraft insignia
Commanders
Honorary Air CommodoreR.E.C. Cadman
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryOn a demi-terrestrial globe, a red dragon passant[1][2]
The red dragon points to the squadrons connection with Wales[3]
Squadron CodesYX (Apr 1939 – 1940)[4]
LJ (1940 – Aug 1942)[5]
RAU (May 1946 – 1949)[6]
7A (1949–1950)[7]

No. 614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-operation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron. Upon reformation it served as a fighter squadron until the disbandment of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 10 March 1957.

History

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Formation and early years

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Formed at RAF Pengam Moors near Cardiff (the often cited Llandow was not erected yet) as an army co-operation squadron unit and part of the Auxiliary Air Force on 1 June 1937, No. 614 squadron was initially equipped with Hawker Hinds. By the end of the year it had received some additional Hawker Hectors which it flew until November 1939, when the squadron became operational on Westland Lysanders, the first of which had arrived in July of that year.[2]

In support of Bomber Command

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In June 1940 No. 614 squadron moved to Scotland to carry out coastal patrols, covering an area from Inverness to Berwick, 'A' flight, which was detached to Inverness for that purpose, became No. 241 Squadron RAF in the process.[8] From July 1941 it began re-equipping with Bristol Blenheims, a process completed by January 1942. In support of RAF Bomber Command's 'Thousand Bomber Raids' in May and June 1942, the squadron sent its Blenheims to attack enemy airfields in the Low Countries and in August 1942 it laid smoke screens for the landings at Dieppe.

In North Africa

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In November 1942 the Squadron moved to North Africa. There the Squadron carried out attacks against enemy airfields and lines of communication until May 1943, when the fighting in that area ended. It then became involved in shipping escort duties in the Mediterranean until being disbanded on 25 January 1944 at Borizzo Airfield, Sicily.[2]

On Halifaxes and Liberators

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The second incarnation of No. 614 Squadron had its origins in No. 462 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), formed on 7 September 1942 at Fayid, Egypt, under Article XV of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. This squadron contained mostly British aircrew and ground staff. Consequently, RAAF Overseas Headquarters requested that the squadron be renumbered and transferred to the RAF. On 15 February 1944, while it was en route to Celone, Italy the unit was renumbered as No. 614 Squadron. Equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes it was now involved in bombing missions over Italy and the Balkans and it also carried out supply drops to partisans in those areas. The Squadron re-equipped with Consolidated Liberators in March 1945, the Halifaxes finally being withdrawn in March 1945, but on 27 July 1945 it was disbanded at Amendola Airfield, Italy when it was renumbered as No. 214 Squadron RAF.[2]

Post war

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With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, No. 614 Squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946[2][9] (though one source[1] claims 26 August 1947) at RAF Llandow as a day fighter squadron. Recruiting of personnel did not start until November 1946 though. Initially the squadron was equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and these gave way to de Havilland Vampires in July 1950 but, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, the unit was disbanded on 10 March 1957.

Present

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No. 614 Sqn Royal Auxiliary Air Force was reformed in 2014 and is now a General Support Sqn (GSS) that provides dedicated support to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. It maintains a base in Cardiff and recruits from across South Wales and the West of England.[10]

Aircraft operated

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Aircraft operated by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from[2][9][11][12][13]
From To Aircraft Variant
June 1937 1939 Hawker Hind
November 1937 February 1940 Hawker Hector Mk.I
July 1939 July 1941 Westland Lysander Mk.II
April 1941 January 1942 Westland Lysander Mks.III, IIIa
July 1941 September 1942 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
August 1942 January 1944 Bristol Blenheim Mk.V
February 1944 March 1945 Handley Page Halifax Mk.II
August 1944 July 1945 Consolidated Liberator Mk.VIII
November 1946 November 1948 Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e
July 1948 April 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22
July 1950 July 1953 de Havilland Vampire F.3
September 1951 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.5
December 1954 February 1956 de Havilland Vampire FB.9

Squadron bases

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Bases and airfields used by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from[2][9][11][12][13]
From To Name
1 June 1937 2 October 1939 RAF Pengam Moors
2 October 1939 8 June 1940 RAF Odiham
8 June 1940 5 March 1941 RAF Grangemouth
5 March 1941 27 September 1941 RAF Macmerry
27 September 1941 3 October 1941 RAF Odiham
3 October 1941 25 August 1942 RAF Macmerry
26 August 1942 16 November 1942 RAF Odiham
16 November 1942 17 November 1942 RAF Portreath
17 November 1942 5 December 1942 Blida, Algeria
5 December 1942 7 February 1943 Canrobert, Algeria
7 February 1943 22 May 1943 Oulmene, Algeria
22 May 1943 28 August 1943 Tafaraoui, Algeria
28 August 1943 25 January 1944 Borizzo, Sicily
28 February 1944 10 May 1944 Celone, Italy
10 May 1944 15 July 1944 Stornara, Italy
15 July 1944 27 July 1945 Amendola, Italy
10 May 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Llandow

Commanding officers

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Officers commanding No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from[12][14]
From To Name
June 1937 September 1939 S/Ldr. R.E.C. Cadman
September 1939 November 1939 F/Lt. L.J. Stickley
November 1939 January 1940 S/Ldr. W.R. Wills-Sandford
January 1940 June 1940 S/Ldr. A.A.N. Malan
June 1940 February 1941 W/Cdr. D.J. Eayrs
February 1941 August 1941 W/Cdr. H.M. Mulliken
August 1941 June 1942 W/Cdr. R.E.S. Skelton
June 1942 August 1943 W/Cdr. H.T. Sutton
August 1943 February 1944 W/Cdr. C.K. Bonner
February 1944 W/Cdr. W.T. Russell
W/Cdr. J.S. Laird
July 1945 W/Cdr. E.B.R. Lockwood
May 1946 July 1950 S/Ldr. W.H. Irving
July 1950 1954 S/Ldr. E.H. McHardy, DSO, DFC & Bar, CdG
1954 March 1957 S.Ldr. H.J.E. Howe
March 2014 July 2021 W/Cdr. P.J. Sagar MBE
July 2021 W/Cdr. O.H. Walker

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Rawlings 1978, p. 502.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Halley 1988, p. 431.
  3. ^ Rawlings 1982, p. 239.
  4. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 118.
  5. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 67.
  6. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  7. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 21.
  8. ^ Rawlings 1982, pp. 239–240.
  9. ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 101.
  10. ^ "614 squadron RAUXAF". raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b Rawlings 1978, p. 503.
  12. ^ a b c Rawlings 1982, p. 240.
  13. ^ a b Moyes 1976, pp. 281.
  14. ^ Hunt 1972, pp. 343–355.

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.
  • Egles, Dudley C. (1996). Just One of the Many, A Navigator’s Memoirs. Hutton Close, South Church, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK: The Pentland Press. ISBN 1-85821-401-7.
  • 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.
  • Hunt, Leslie (1972). Twenty-One Squadrons: The History of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 1925–1957. London: Garnstone Press. ISBN 0-85511-110-0.
  • 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.
  • Rawlings, John (1978) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (Revised ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
  • Scotland, Tom (1993). Voice from the Stars, A Pathfinder’s story. Lynwood, Australia: Tom & Laurel Scotland. ISBN 1-875317-09-0. (reprinted 2007).

Further Reading

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  • Wade, Martin (2024). On Dragon's Wings:A History of No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Talybont, Aberystwyth: Y Lolfa. ISBN 978-1800995994.
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