Country United Kingdom Part of British Forces Aden | Branch Royal Air Force Motto(s) Ever Ready to Strike | |
Active 12 Sep 1943 – 1 Sep 1946 Role Reconnaissance
Air-sea rescue | ||
No. 621 Squadron RAF was a reconnaissance squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying from Somaliland and Aden. It was after the war stationed in Egypt and Palestine and tasked with air-sea rescue and was also active in Operation Sunburn, looking for illegal immigrants.
History
No. 621 Squadron RAF was at Port Reitz, Kenya, on 12 September 1943 as a general reconnaissance unit. The most unusual sortie flown by the squadron was in November 1943, when it had to look for four thousand stolen camels on behalf of the army. In a more serious series of sorties the squadron managed to knock-out the German submarine U-852, but at the beginning of 1945 activities had dropped so low that the squadron was reduced from 16 to 8 aircraft. In November the squadron converted to Warwicks and started in Operation Sunburn, looking for illegal immigrants into Palestine. In April to squadron moved to Palestine and converted to Lancasters. Shortly after it had completed that conversion the squadron was disbanded at RAF Ein Shemer by being re-numbered to No. 18 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1946.
The present 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron has no links with 621 Squadron, and in fact traces its lines back to No. 87 Glider School RAF.