No. 619 Squadron RAF

No. 619 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, flying Lancaster bombers from bases in Lincolnshire.

No. 619 Squadron RAF
Active18 April 1943 – 18 July 1945
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeInactive
RoleHeavy Bomber Squadron
Part ofNo. 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command[1]
Motto(s)Latin: Ad Altoria
(Translation: "To higher things")[2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA heron vigilant, holding before him a battle axe with its right paw (unofficial)[3]
Squadron CodesKV (Apr 1939 - Sep 1939
allocated, but never used)[4]
PG (Apr 1943 - Jul 1945)[5][6]
Aircraft flown
BomberAvro Lancaster
Four-engined heavy bomber
TrainerAirspeed Oxford
Twin-engined trainer[7]

History
Flying Officer P Ingleby, the navigator of a Lancaster of 619 Squadron based at RAF Coningsby, seated at his table in the aircraft

The squadron was formed out of elements of 97 Squadron[7][8] at RAF Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire on 18 April 1943, equipped with Lancaster Mk.III bombers, as part of 5 Group in Bomber Command. It also flew Lancaster Mk.I bombers. Their first mission was flown in the night of 11 June 1943, when 12 Lancasters were sent to bomb targets in Düsseldorf, and the last bombing mission was flown on 25 April 1945, when 6 Lancasters tried to bomb Obersalzberg. The last operational mission was flown a day later, when 2 Lancasters laid mines in the Oslo Fjord near Horten. After that mission the squadron ferried ex-prisoners of war back to the United Kingdom from Belgium (Operation Exodus).[9] The squadron operated out of various Lincolnshire stations, before being disbanded at RAF Skellingthorpe on 18 July 1945.

Members of the squadron were awarded 1 DSO, 76 DFCs and 37 DFMs. The squadron was mentioned 10 times in despatches.[10]

Aircraft operated
Lancaster LM446 of no. 619 Squadron, coded PG-H
Aircraft operated by no. 619 Squadron RAF, data from[2][8][11][12]
FromToAircraftVersion
18 April 194318 September 1943Airspeed OxfordMks.I, II
18 April 194318 July 1945Avro LancasterMks.I, III

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by no. 619 Squadron RAF, data from[2][8][11]
FromToBase
18 April 19439 January 1944RAF Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
9 January 194417 April 1944RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire
17 April 194428 September 1944RAF Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire
28 September 194430 June 1945RAF Strubby, Lincolnshire
30 June 194518 July 1945RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire

Notable people
  • Charles Clarke: served as an bomb aimer, shot down in 1944, interned in Stalag Luft III, was a spotter and forger for the Great Escape, retired from RAF as an Air Commodore.
  • Nick Knilans: American who served with the squadron from 1943 to 1944, later served with No. 617 Squadron RAF (the "Dambusters")

Commanding officers
Officers commanding no. 619 Squadron RAF, data from[13]
FromToName
20 April 194317 August 1943W/Cdr. I.J. McGhie, DFC
20 August 19434 December 1943W/Cdr. W. Abercromby, DFC
4 December 194323 May 1944W/Cdr. J.R. Jeudwine, OBE, DFC
23 May 194426 July 1944W/Cdr. J.R. Maling, AFC
28 July 194421 February 1945W/Cdr. A.R. Millward, DFC
21 February 194514 June 1945W/Cdr. S.G. Birch, DFC
14 June 194518 July 1945W/Cdr. Flett

See also

References
Notes
  1. Delve 1994, pp. 69, 77.
  2. Moyes 1976, p. 285.
  3. Rew 1988, pp. coverpage.
  4. Squadron Codes on RafWeb Archived 14 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 82.
  6. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 97.
  7. Lake 1999, p. 272.
  8. Jefford 2001, p. 102.
  9. Moyes 1976, p. 286.
  10. Rew 1988, pp. 62–63.
  11. Halley 1988, p. 436.
  12. Hamlin 2001, p. 56.
  13. Rew 1988, p. 64.
Bibliography
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Charpentier, Alain; Lacey-Johnson, Lionel; Jeudwine, Geoffrey (1999). Global Warrior. Southport: Lionel Lacey-Johnson. ISBN 0-9536418-0-5.
  • Clark, Bryan (2004). 619: The History of a Forgotten Squadron. Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK: Woodfield Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-903953-51-0.
  • Clarke, Charles (1988). Squadron 619, Royal Air Force: "Ad Altiora". UK: Privately Printed.
  • Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • 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.
  • Hamlin, John F. (2001). The Oxford, Consul & Envoy File. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-289-0.
  • 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.
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying Units of the RAF: The ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • 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.
  • Rew, Steve (1988). 619 Squadron History (2nd ed.). Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK: Self-published manuscript.
  • Ward, Chris (1996). Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles no. 117: 619 Squadron. Sudbury, Suffolk, UK: Ward Publishing.

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