No. 651 Squadron AAC

No. 651 Squadron Army Air Corps, is an aircraft squadron of the British Army, originally formed as No. 651 Squadron Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War, and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units which had both Army and RAF personnel. The pilots, drivers and signallers were in the Royal Artillery whilst the adjutants, technical staff and equipment officers came from the RAF. Air observation posts were used primarily for artillery spotting, but occasionally for liaison and other duties.[3] Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.[4][5]

No. 651 Squadron AAC
Squadron badge
Active
  • 1941–1955
  • 1955–1957
  • 1957 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeFlying squadron
Part of
Motto(s)Dirige (Latin for 'Direct') – as in "direct towards/pointing the way"[1]
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldryA seashell fired[1]
Squadron codesMA (1944 – 45, HQ Flight)[2]
MB (1944 – 45, 'A' Flight)[2]
MC (1944 – 45, 'B' Flight)[2]
MD (1944 – 45, 'C' Flight)[2]

History
An Auster AOP.5

No 651 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 August 1941. It went into action in November 1942, during Operation Torch in North Africa. It later served in North Africa, Italy and finally Egypt from 1945 where it remained until 1 November 1955. On that same day, No. 657 Squadron RAF was re-numbered to 651 Squadron at RAF Middle Wallop, it now flew Sycamore helicopters as well as Austers.

No. 1908 Independent Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 651 Squadron previously 'A' Flight along with No. 1909 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 651 Squadron previously 'B' Flight.[6]

On 1 September 1957, the squadron was transferred to the Army Air Corps and became No. 651 Squadron AAC.[7]

On 1 April 2019, 651 Squadron and its aircraft, the Britten-Norman Defender and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, were transferred to the Royal Air Force as part of ISTAR Force in No. 1 Group based at RAF Waddington.[8][9][10] 651 Squadron continued to operate the aircraft until they were retired from service on 30 June 2021.[8][11][12] On 1 August 2021, 651 Squadron transferred back to the Army as part of 1 Regiment AAC.[13]

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by no. 651 Squadron RAF, data from[1][14]
FromToAircraftVariant
August 1941July 1942TaylorcraftPlus C
September 1941October 1941TaylorcraftPlus D
October 1941December 1941Stinson VigilantMk.I
February 1942September 1942TaylorcraftPlus C.2
July 1942October 1943AusterMk.I
August 1943December 1944AusterMk.III
May 1944October 1945AusterMk.IV
December 1944June 1947AusterMk.V
November 1949February 1952AusterMk.V
March 1947October 1955AusterAOP.6
November 1949March 1952AusterAOP.5
November 1955September 1957Bristol SycamoreHC.11
November 1955September 1957AusterAOP.6

See also

References

Notes
  1. Halley 1988, p. 445.
  2. Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 89.
  3. Munro, Ronald Lyell. Above the Battle: An Air Observation Post Pilot at War (Kindle ed.). Pen and Sword. p. Kindle location 307–313.
  4. Halley 1988, p. 444.
  5. Jefford 2001, pp. 102–105.
  6. Lake 1999, p. 100.
  7. "651 Squadron Army Air Corps". British Army. Archived from the original on 4 June 2017.
  8. Jennings, Gareth (2 April 2019). "UK transfers Defender and Islander special mission aircraft from AAC to RAF". Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  9. Hay, Air Cdre Nick (2019). Michell, Simon (ed.). "ISTAR evolution". Air & Space Power 2019 Multi-Domain Operations for the Next Generation Air Force. Essex: Global Media Partners: 75. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  10. Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group [@@HarvSmyth] (1 April 2019). "Handover of Fixed Wing Manned Aerial Surveillance from Army to RAF" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. "Farewell Islander/Defender". Scramble. Dutch Aviation Society. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  12. "British Army Retires Final Defender, Islander Aircraft". Key.Aero. Key Publishing. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  13. 1 Regiment Army Air Corps [@@1_Regt_AAC] (1 August 2021). "651 Sqn AAC moves to 1 Regt AAC" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. Jefford 2001, pp. 102–103.

Bibliography
  • 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. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Lake, Alan (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.

Further reading
  • Warner, Guy (2011). First in the Field: 651 Squadron Army Air Corps. Pen & Sword Aviation. ISBN 978-1848842632.
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