Puneet Varma (Editor)

No. 626 Squadron RAF

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Country
  
United Kingdom

Type
  
Inactive

Base
  
RAF Wickenby

Branch
  
Royal Air Force

Role
  
Bomber Squadron

Active
  
7 November 1943 – 14 October 1945

No. 626 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1945.

Contents

History

The squadron was formed on 7 November 1943 at RAF Wickenby from C Flight of No. 12 Squadron. It operated in the strategic bombing role with the Avro Lancaster. It was disbanded on 14 October 1945, having spent the last months of the war on food droppings (Operation Manna) and transport duties (Operation Exodus), repatriating former prisoners of war and briging British troops home from Italy.

First operational mission

10/11 November 1943

  • 7 Lancasters bombed Modane

    • Last operational mission

    25 April 1945

  • 14 Lancasters bombed Berchtesgaden

    • Last mission before V.E. day

    7 May 1945

  • 19 Lancasters dropped supplies to the Dutch in Rotterdam

    • The squadron flew 2,728 sorties during the Second World War for the loss of 49 aircraft.

    Notable personnel

  • Michael Bentine – Intelligence Officer
  • Colin Tapley – Flying Control Officer
  • Eric Simms – bomb-aimer

    • References

    No. 626 Squadron RAF Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA