Country United Kingdom | Branch Royal Air Force | |
Active 20 Jun 1942 – 15 Sep 1945 Role Air Observation Post Squadron Motto(s) Latin: Ubique Speculabundus
(Translation: "The eyes of the guns are everywhere") Squadron badge heraldry In front of two gun barrels in saltire, an eagle's head affrontée erased | ||
No. 653 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Squadron Numbers 651 to 663 were Air Observation Post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
Contents
The squadron is now No. 653 Squadron AAC
History
No. 653 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 20 June 1942. In September 1942, the squadron was deployed to RAF Penshurst. The squadron relocated to Normandy on 27 June 1944, in support of the British Second Army and the Operation Overlord landings. Most of its pilots and observers came from the British Army, while maintenance was carried out by RAF personnel. The squadron moved with the Second Army through France, Belgium and the Netherlands into Germany, and was disbanded at Hoya in Germany in September 1945, after the German surrender.
Present
No. 653 Squadron came into being again in Cyprus on 11 May 1958, but now as a squadron of the Army Air Corps and served in Aden from 9 March 1961 till 1967, and today it is represented as No. 653 Squadron AAC of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, flying the Apache attack helicopter.