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No. 652 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It was previously No. 652 Squadron RAF, a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany.
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| No. 652 (Wildcat Fielding) Squadron AAC No. 652 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 May 1942 – 1 September 1957 (RAF) 1 September 1957 - present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Part of | 1 Regiment Army Air Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | RNAS Yeovilton |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1 |
Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664, 665 and 666, were AOP units of the Royal Canadian Air Force manned by Canadian and British personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.[1][2]
Royal Air Force
No. 652 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 May 1942 and went into action in Normandy on 7 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.
The squadron's motto was Latin: Sive aere sive campo
(Translation: "In the air and in the field"),[1] for an identification symbol it had "In front of wings conjoined in base, a gun barrel fesswise"[1] and for a identification symbol it used XM (Sep 1946–1951)[3][4]
- Claim to fame
'C' Flight, No. 652 Squadron RAF has been credited with firing the last British shots of the war in Europe while directing artillery fire at the siege of Dunkirk on 7 May 1945, sharing in this action with No. 665 Squadron RCAF.
- Post war service
After the German surrender it remained as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation, later of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.
The following flights operated in conjuction with the squadron: No. 1902 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'A' Flight[5] No. 1903 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'B' Flight[5] No. 1904 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'C' Flight[5] No. 1905 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron[5]
The unit was disbanded in September 1957, when it was merged into the Army Air Corps.[6]
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1942 | November 1942 | de Havilland Tiger Moth | Mk.II |
| August 1942 | March 1943 | Taylorcraft Plus | C.2 |
| October 1942 | March 1943 | Auster | Mk.I |
| March 1943 | March 1944 | Auster | Mk.III |
| February 1944 | August 1946 | Auster | Mk.IV |
| December 1944 | December 1953 | Auster | Mk.V |
| September 1946 | September 1957 | Auster | AOP.6 |
| January 1956 | September 1957 | Auster | AOP.9 |
| From | To | Base | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1942 | 15 June 1942 | RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire | |
| 15 June 1942 | 11 August 1942 | RAF Bottisham, Cambridgeshire | |
| 11 August 1942 | 31 December 1942 | RAF Westley, Suffolk | |
| 31 December 1942 | 20 February 1943 | RAF Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland | |
| 20 February 1943 | 28 March 1943 | RAF Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire | |
| 28 March 1943 | 2 July 1943 | RAF Methven, Perth and Kinross, Scotland | |
| 2 July 1943 | 7 November 1943 | RAF Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland | |
| 7 November 1943 | 25 March 1944 | RAF Ipswich, Suffolk | |
| 25 March 1944 | 29 April 1944 | RAF Denham, Buckinghamshire | |
| 29 April 1944 | 7 June 1944 | RAF Cobham, Surrey | |
| 6 June 1944 | 7 June 1944 | Bény-sur-Mer, Calvados, France | Advance Party |
| 7 June 1944 | 8 July 1944 | Plumetot, Calvados, France | |
| 8 July 1944 | 1 August 1944 | Reviers, Calvados, France | |
| 1 August 1944 | 13 August 1944 | Blainville-sur-Orne, Calvados, France | |
| 13 August 1944 | 17 August 1944 | Grentheville, Calvados, France | |
| 17 August 1944 | 23 August 1944 | St-Pierre-sur-Dives, Calvados, France | |
| 23 August 1944 | 26 August 1944 | Lisieux, Calvados, France | |
| 26 August 1944 | 3 September 1944 | 49 13'N 00 29'E, Calvados, France | |
| 3 September 1944 | 4 September 1944 | Foucart, Seine-Maritime, France | |
| 4 September 1944 | 14 September 1944 | Angerville-l'Orcher, Seine-Maritime, France | |
| 14 September 1944 | 17 September 1944 | Héricourt-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime, France | |
| 17 September 1944 | 23 September 1944 | Parfondeval, Seine-Maritime, France | |
| 23 September 1944 | 27 September 1944 | Buken, Flemish Brabant, Belgium | |
| 27 September 1944 | 5 October 1944 | Zoersel, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 5 October 1944 | 13 October 1944 | Het Geheul, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 13 October 1944 | 19 October 1944 | Turnhout, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 19 October 1944 | 23 October 1944 | 51 17'N 04 39'E, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 23 October 1944 | 1 November 1944 | Maria ter Heide, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 1 November 1944 | 4 November 1944 | Brasschaat, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 4 November 1944 | 10 November 1944 | Roosendaal, North Brabant, Netherlands | |
| 10 November 1944 | 31 December 1944 | Brasschaat, Antwerp, Belgium | |
| 31 December 1944 | 1 April 1945 | Tilburg, North Brabant, Netherlands | |
| 1 April 1945 | 3 April 1945 | Kleve, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany | |
| 3 April 1945 | 30 April 1945 | Zutphen, Gelderland, Netherlands | |
| 1 May 1945 | 14 June 1945 | Rhede, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany | |
| 14 June 1945 | 16 November 1945 | Deilinghofen, Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany | |
| 16 November 1945 | 29 April 1946 | RAF Hoya, Province of Hanover, British Zone of Occupation | |
| 29 April 1946 | 1 December 1947 | B.118/RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, British Zone of Occupation | Nos. 1902, 1903 & 1904 Flts. |
| 1 December 1947 | 1 May 1949 | B.156/RAF Luneburg, Lower Saxony, British Zone of Occupation | Nos. 1902, 1903, 1904 & 1905 Flts. |
| 1 May 1949 | 1 September 1957 | RAF Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany | Nos. 1901, 1904, 1905 & 1909 Flts. |
Army Air Corps
The squadron was transferred to the Army on 1 September 1957 while the unit was in Germany. Between 1966 and October 1969 the unit was employed as 1 Division Army Aviation HQ.[8]
During the Cold War, the squadron was part of No. 2 Regiment AAC (along with 662 Sqn), the two squadrons were at different locations, 662 Sqn was at Münster, and 652 was at Bünde. About 1984, as a result of changing the structure of AAC Regiments, 2 Regiment was disbanded and 652 Sqn became part of 1 Regiment AAC at Hildesheim, Germany - each regiment now consisting of three squadrons and a HQ Troop. Sometime after 1990, 1 Regiment moved to Gutersloh, Germany.[citation needed]
- Deployments
- Between September 1984 and February 1985, the unit deployed to the Falkland Islands being split between Goose Green and Port Stanley.[citation needed]
- Between September 2004 and October 2007, the unit deployed two times to Iraq (Operation Telic) with Westland Lynx's.[9]
- Between September 2009 and January 2012, 652 Sqn deployed to Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) with Lynx AH.9's.[9]
- Between January 1974 and May 1974 the Squadron was deployed to Northern Ireland (Operation Banner) operating six Westland Scouts from Long Kesh army base.
- Between November 1975 and March 1976 the Squadron was deployed to Northern Ireland (Operation Banner) operating six Westland Scouts from Longkesh army base.
The unit converted to the AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1 and moved to RNAS Yeovilton becoming the Wildcat Fielding Squadron, training aircrews.[10]
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