No. 622 Squadron RAF

No. 622 Squadron RAF
Active	10 Aug 1943 – 15 Aug 1945; 15 Dec 1950 – 30 Sep 1953; 1 Oct 2012–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Role	Reserve Aircrew
Base	RAF Brize Norton
Motto(s)	Latin: Bellamus Noctu; ("We wage war by night")[1][2]
Commanders
Current; commander	Sqn Ldr Roisin O'Brien OBE
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A long-eared owl volant affrontée, carrying in the claws a flash of lightning[1][2]
Squadron Codes	GI (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

World War II

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

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 pilots and Radio Officers drawn from local firm Airwork Ltd. This proved to be a success,[6] and the squadron operated in the Suez conflict.[1][2] The squadron disbanded again on 30 September 1953 due to cost. The C/O was the famous Wing Commander Bob McIntosh (All weather Mac) who was, previous to this, the Chief Pilot of Airwork Ltd. The crews had two weeks a year extra training at RAF Dishforth where two of its Radio Officers,P/O Abrahams and P/O Jellett achieved the rare RAF VIP standard.

Current role

Originally formed as 1359 Flight RAF, it was attached to a Hercules OCU (Operational Conversion Unit), 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

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

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

Notes

Moyes 1976, p. 286.
Halley 1988, p. 438.
Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 45.
Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 76.
Jefford 2001, p. 102.
Rawlings 1982, p. 242.
RAF Reserves – 622 (Reserve Aircrew). "RAF Reserves – 622 (Reserve Aircrew)".

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.
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.

Ward, Chris (1998). Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles, Number 119: 622 Squadron "Bellamus Noctu". Berkshire, UK: Ward Publishing.

External links

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[Moyes1976p286-1] Moyes 1976, p. 286.

[Halley1988p438-2] Halley 1988, p. 438.

[3] Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 45.

[4] Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 76.

[Jefford2001p102-5] Jefford 2001, p. 102.

[Rawlings1982p242-6] Rawlings 1982, p. 242.

[7] RAF Reserves – 622 (Reserve Aircrew). "RAF Reserves – 622 (Reserve Aircrew)".