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No. 655 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with 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.[3][4]

No. 655 Squadron RAF
Active	30 Nov 1942 – 31 Aug 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Air Observation Post Squadron
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	No badge known[1]
Squadron codes	PA (1944 – Aug 1945, HQ Flight)[2] PB (1944 – Aug 1945, 'A' Flight)[2] PC (1944 – Aug 1945, 'B' Flight)[2] PD (1944 – Aug 1945, 'C' Flight)[2]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	Taylorcraft Auster

History

No. 655 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 30 November 1942 and went into action on August 1943 in North Africa. From December 1943, it served in Italy, where it remained until disbanding at Ronchi on 31 August 1945. 655 Avn. Sqn. Army Air Corps was the 1st (BR) Corps support Squadron at Detmold in West Germany, during the days of the British Army of the Rhine. 655 Sqn., (The Scottish Horse), a title used to remember the unit's connections with its R.A.F. precedents, and the Italian campaign, provided battlefield support, observation, casevac, and Anti Tank Guided Weapon operations in the forward area in the event of the then expected European War. As in common with all A.A.C. units at that time 655 Squadron operated Westland upgraded Bell 47 G4 and Westland 'Scout'AH Mk'1 Helicopters.[5]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 655 Squadron RAF, data from[1][6]

From	To	Aircraft	Variant
December 1942	February 1943	Auster	Mk.I
February 1943	August 1944	Auster	Mk.III
June 1944	August 1945	Auster	Mk.IV
January 1945	August 1945	Auster	Mk.V

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• No. 679 (The Duke of Connaught's) Squadron AAC

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Squadron histories for nos. 651–670 squadron on RAFWeb

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