No. 612 Squadron RAF

No. 612 Squadron RAF was originally formed in 1937 as an Army Co-operation unit, and flew during the Second World War in the General Reconnaissance role. After the war the squadron was reformed and flew in the Day Fighter role until disbanded in 1957. At present the squadron has a non-flying role as a RAF Medical Reserves unit.

No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron RAuxAF
Active1 June 1937 – 9 July 1945
10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957
1997 – present
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleRAF Medical Reserves
Part ofRoyal Auxiliary Air Force
BaseRAF Leuchars
Nickname(s)County of Aberdeen
Motto(s)Latin: Vigilando Custodimus
(Translation: "We stand guard by vigilance")[1][2]
Commanders
Honorary Air CommodoreSir Ian Forbes-Leith (48–57)
Finlay Crerar (57-present)
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryIn front of a trident and a harpoon in saltire a thistle dipped and leaved
The trident and harpoon point to the squadrons anti-submarine role, while the thistle signifies its ties with Aberdeen[1][2]
Squadron CodesDJ (Jul 1939 – Sep 1939)[3]
WL (Sep 1939 – Aug 1943)[4]
8W (Jul 1944 – Jul 1945,
1949 – Apr 1951)[5]
RAS (May 1946 – 1949)[6]

History

Formation and early years
An Avro Anson

No. 612 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 June 1937 at RAF Dyce as an army co-operation unit of the Auxiliary Air Force and was initially equipped with two-seat Avro Tutor training aircraft. In December 1937 it had received two-seat Hawker Hector Army co-operation aircraft, which were retained when the squadron converted from the Army Co-operation to the General Reconnaissance role. In July 1939 the squadron received Avro Ansons which had room for four crew members and had a much better range, making them better suited for the reconnaissance role.

Second World War: on Whitleys and Wellingtons

No. 612 squadron entered the Second World War as a maritime reconnaissance ("General Reconnaissance") unit within RAF Coastal Command, flying with the Avro Ansons. These were replaced from November 1940 with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, and from November 1942 on these made again gradually (April 1943 saw the last Whitley leave the squadron) way for various marks of specially adapted General Reconnaissance (GR) versions of the Vickers Wellington, which the squadron continued to fly until the end of the war. The squadron disbanded on 9 July 1945 at RAF Langham.

A 612 Sqn crew with a Whitley VII in Iceland, November 1942.

Post-war: on Spitfires and Vampires

No. 612 squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946 at RAF Dyce as a fighter squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Initially the squadron was equipped with Griffon-engined Spitfire F.14s and in November 1948 it got additional Merlin-engined Spitfire LF.16e fighters.[2][7] It converted to de Havilland Vampire FB.5s in June 1951, flying these first from RAF Leuchars and later from RAF Edzell and, when the runway was extended, again from RAF Dyce until disbandment on 10 March 1957, on the same day as all other flying units of the RAuxAF.

Present: field surgical support

The squadron was reformed in 1997 at RAF Leuchars from The Air Transportable Surgical Squadron, and maintained that units role of field surgical support. In 2001 the squadron had its first operational role in support of Operation Saif Sareea II, an exercise in Oman. Over a hundred military personnel were treated, mainly for heat-related injuries. In 2003 the squadron was first mobilised for support in a combat zone, in support of Operation TELIC. Squadron members were deployed to Kuwait and Cyprus and finally worked at field hospitals in Basra and Al Ahmara in Iraq. In 2006 No. 612 squadron was again mobilised to support operations in Iraq and was deployed to the field hospital at Shaibah Logistic Base (SLB). Thereafter, the Sqn continued to deploy dedicated medical specialists to augment the Military Hospital and the MERT at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, earning admiration and commendations for their work. The Sqn continues to train and deploy as required and has now built up an outstanding relationship during 2017-2018 with a USAF Reserve Medical Sqn, which allows for multi-national training. No 612 Sqn goes from strength to strength !

Commanding Officers since reformation of No 612 (County of Aberdeen) Sqn at RAF Leuchars (now Leuchars Station) in 1997

19972001Wg Cdr J Curnow
20012003Wg Cdr H Grant
20032007Wg Cdr W Pugsley
20072011Wg Cdr A M Moodie OBE QVRM AE
20112014Wg Cdr J P Goodall
20142018Wg Cdr A Cowan
2018to dateWg Cdr B M Colligan TD VR

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 612 Squadron RAF, data from[2][7][8][9]
From To Aircraft Version
June 1937December 1937Avro Tutor
December 1937November 1939Hawker HectorMk.I
July 1939November 1941Avro AnsonMk.I
November 1940December 1941Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyMk.V
May 1941June 1943Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyGR.Mk.VII
November 1942February 1943Vickers WellingtonGR.Mk.VIII
May 1943June 1943Vickers WellingtonGR.Mk.XII
June 1943July 1945Vickers WellingtonGR.Mk.XIV
November 1946October 1949Supermarine SpitfireF.14
November 1948July 1951Supermarine SpitfireLF.16e
June 1951March 1957de Havilland VampireFB.5

Squadron bases
data from[2][7][8][9]
From To Base Remark
1 June 19371 April 1941RAF Dyce, Aberdeenshire, Scotland(Dets. at RAF Bircham Newton, RAF Stornoway, RAF Wick)
1 April 194115 December 1941RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland(Dets. at RAF Limavady, RAF St Eval, RAF Reykjavik)
15 December 194118 August 1942RAF Reykjavik, Iceland(Det. at RAF St Eval)
18 August 194223 September 1942RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex(Dets. at RAF Wick, RAf St Eval)
23 September 194218 April 1943RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland(Dets. at RAF St Eval, RAF Skitten)
18 April 194325 May 1943RAF Davidstow Moor, Cornwall
25 May 19431 November 1943RAF Chivenor, Devon(Det. at RAF Davidstow Moor)
1 November 19433 December 1943RAF St Eval, Cornwall
3 December 194326 January 1944RAF Chivenor, Devon
26 January 19441 March 1944RAF Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
1 March 19449 September 1944RAF Chivenor, Devon(Det. at RAF Limavady)
9 September 194419 December 1944RAF Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
19 December 19449 July 1945RAF Langham, Norfolk
10 MAy 194614 July 1951RAF Dyce, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
14 July 195114 October 1951RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland
14 October 195112 November 1952RAF Edzell, Angus, Scotland
12 November 195210 March 1957RAF Dyce, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
1997RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland2014 Now an Army Base - Leuchars Station where No 612 Sqn are still based

Commanding officers-1937-1957
Data Sources:[8][10][11]
From To Name
June 1937June 1940W/Cdr. F. Crerar
June 1940July 1941W/Cdr. J.B.M. Wallis
July 1941January 1942W/Cdr. D.R. Shore
January 1942July 1942W/Cdr. R.T. Corry
July 1942April 1943W/Cdr. R.M. Longmore, CBE
April 1943June 1943W/Cdr. J.S. Kendrick
June 1943January 1944W/Cdr. J.B. Russell, DSO
January 1944February 1945W/Cdr. D./M. Brass, DSO
February 1945May 1945W/Cdr. A.M. Taylor
May 1945July 1945W/Cdr. G. Henderson
November 1946August 1948S/Ldr. R.R. Russell
August 1948September 1948S/Ldr. Child
October 1948S/Ldr. Webb
November 1950December 1952S/Ldr. Guy W. Cory, AFC
December 1952S/Ldr. Nigel H.McLean
19551957S/Ldr. T.E. Johnston, Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)DFC
February 1957March 1957Flt Lt R Robertson

References

Notes
  1. Rawlings 1982, p. 237.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 429.
  3. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
  4. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 109.
  5. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 113.
  6. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.
  7. Rawlings 1978, p. 501.
  8. Rawlings 1982, p. 238.
  9. Jefford 2001, p. 101.
  10. Hunt 1972, pp. 339–340.
  11. 612 Sqn RAuxAF ORB, TNA AIR 27/2518 & 27/2676

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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