No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron is a British Royal Air Force squadron. It was first formed in 1936 and was disbanded in 1957 after seeing combat as a fighter unit during the Second World War. It was reformed as a reserve squadron in 2013.

History

Early years The squadron was formed at RAF Hendon, Middlesex on 10 February 1936 as a day bomber unit. The squadron set up its permanent base at RAF Speke (now Liverpool John Lennon Airport) on 6 May and began recruiting personnel from Liverpool and the surrounding area. Its first Hawker Hart light bombers arrived in June, being replaced by Hawker Hinds from April 1938.

Wartime operations

On 1 January 1939, the unit became a fighter squadron, receiving its first Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I's in May. The squadron left for RAF Duxford on 13 August, as part of the Fighter Command's No. 12 Group, After a period of defensive duties on the east coast, No. 611 became fully operational from its RAF Digby base in Lincolnshire in May 1940, firstly over Dunkirk and then taking part in the Battle of Britain campaign with the Duxford Wing, 12 Group's 'Big Wing' formation. The squadron commenced offensive sweeps over occupied northern France in January 1941, based at RAF Hornchurch, moving to RAF Drem in Scotland for recuperation in November 1941. The unit moved south again in June 1942 to RAF Kenley for deployment on shipping reconnaissance, escort and defensive missions. For Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy) it was equipped with the Spitfire V LF as part of Air Defence of Great Britain, though under the operational control of RAF Second Tactical Air Force. No. 611 provided covering patrols for the invasion from its base at RAF Deanland. The squadron then moved to south-west England for a short period.

Long-range escort missions began to be flown from RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex, from late August 1944, until No. 611 moved to RAF Skeabrae in Orkney on 3 October. After converting to Merlin powered North American Mustang Mk.IV's the squadron again moved south, this time to RAF Hawkinge in Kent and resumed escort duties for the rest of the war. The squadron disbanded as an RAF squadron on 15 August 1945 at RAF Peterhead.

Postwar operations

The squadron reformed again at Liverpool's Speke airport on 10 May 1946 as a fighter squadron within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Because of growing airliner movements at Speke, the unit moved to RAF Woodvale near Southport on 22 July 1946 equipped with Spitfire F.14's and from June 1948 with the higher performance Spitfire F.22. Gloster Meteor F.4 jet fighters were received in May 1951, these requiring a move to the longer runways at RAF Hooton Park on the Wirral on 9 July. Re-equipment with updated Meteor F.8's came in December 1951 and these were flown from Hooton Park until the squadron disbanded on 10 March 1957, together with all other RAuxAF flying units.

611 Squadron was reformed at RAF Woodvale during 2013 in line with the expansion of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force recommended by the Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) Commission and endorsed by the Air Force Board Standing Committee. The commission was set up by the Prime Minister in 2010 to examine the shape and role of the Reserve Forces as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The role of the squadron is to provide trained personnel to other RAF units.

Notable Pilots

Eric Lock. July – November 1941 Top scoring British born pilot during the Battle of Britain and 26 confirmed victories during just six months of flying time. Barrie Heath. Heath shot down four German aircraft between 1940 and 1941. After the war he went on to become the chairman of the engineering giant GKN. Roland "Bee" Beamont. Famous test pilot.

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by no. 611 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToAircraftVersion June 1936 April 1938 Hawker Hart April 1938 June 1939 Hawker Hind May 1939 September 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I Aug 1940 October 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa October 1940 March 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I February 1941 May 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa May 1941 July 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Va June 1941 November 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb November 1941 February 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mks.IIa, IIb January 1942 July 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb July 1942 July 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX July 1943 July 1944 Supermarine Spitfire LF.Mk.Vb July 1944 March 1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX December 1944 December 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VII March 1945 August 1945 North American Mustang Mk.IV November 1946 August 1949 Supermarine Spitfire FR.14 February 1949 November 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 May 1951 April 1952 Gloster Meteor F.4 March 1952 February 1957 Gloster Meteor F.8

Squadron bases +Bases and airfields used by no. 611 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToBase 10 February 1936 6 May 1936 RAF Hendon, Middlesex 6 May 1936 13 August 1936 RAF Speke, Lancashire 13 August 1936 10 October 1939 RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire 10 October 1939 14 December 1940 RAF Digby, Lincolnshire 14 December 1940 27 January 1941 RAF Rochford, Essex 27 January 1941 20 May 1941 RAF Hornchurch, Essex 20 May 1941 16 June 1941 RAF Rochford, Essex 16 June 1941 13 November 1941 RAF Hornchurch, Essex 13 November 1941 3 June 1942 RAF Drem, East Lothian, Scotland 3 June 1942 13 July 1942 RAF Kenley, Surrey 13 July 1942 20 July 1942 RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk 20 July 1942 27 July 1942 RAF Redhill, Surrey 27 July 1942 1 August 1942 RAF Ipswich, Suffolk 1 August 1942 23 September 1942 RAF Redhill, Surrey 23 September 1942 1 July 1943 RAF Biggin Hill, Kent 1 July 1943 31 July 1943 RAF Matlaske, Norfolk 31 July 1943 4 August 1943 RAF Ludham, Norfolk 4 August 1943 6 September 1943 RAF Coltishall, Norfolk 6 September 1943 13 September 1943 RAF Southend, Essex 13 September 1943 8 February 1944 RAF Coltishall, Norfolk 8 February 1944 19 February 1944 RAF Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland 19 February 1944 29 February 1944 RAF Coltishall, Norfolk 29 February 1944 23 June 1944 RAF Deanland, Sussex 23 June 1944 3 July 1944 RAF Harrowbeer, Devon 3 July 1944 17 July 1944 RAF Predannack, Cornwall 17 July 1944 30 August 1944 RAF Bolt Head, Devon 30 August 1944 3 October 1944 RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex 3 October 1944 31 December 1944 RAF Skeabrae, Orkney, Scotland 31 December 1944 3 May 1945 RAF Hawkinge, Kent 3 May 1945 7 May 1945 RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire 7 May 1945 15 August 1945 RAF Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 10 May 1946 26 June 1946 RAF Speke, Lancashire 26 June 1946 22 July 1946 RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire 22 July 1946 9 July 1951 RAF Woodvale, Lancashire 9 July 1951 10 March 1957 RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire 2013 present RAF Woodvale, Merseyside

Commanding officers +Officers commanding no. 611 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToName 8 February 1939 4 September 1939 S/Ldr. G.L. Pilkington 4 September 1939 19 October 1940 S/Ldr. J.E. McComb, DFC 19 October 1940 18 May 1941 S/Ldr. E.R. Bitmead, DFC 18 May 1941 28 June 1941 S/Ldr. F.S. Stapleton, DFC 28 June 1941 17 November 1941 S/Ldr. E.H. Thomas, DFC 17 November 1941 12 September 1942 S/Ldr. D.H. Watkins, DFC 12 September 1942 17 February 1943 S/Ldr. H.T. Armstrong, DFC 17 February 1943 22 April 1943 S/Ldr. C. 'Wag' Haw, DFM, Order of Lenin 22 April 1943 26 August 1943 S/Ldr. E.F.J. Charles, DFC 26 August 1943 26 August 1944 S/Ldr. W.A. Douglas, DFC 26 August 1944 17 January 1945 S/Ldr. P.R. McGregor, CdG 17 January 1945 13 July 1945 S/Ldr. D.H. Seaton, DFC 13 July 1945 15 August 1945 S/Ldr. P.C.P. Farnes, DFM 10 May 1946 31 August 1948 S/Ldr. W.J. Leather, DFC 31 August 1948 6 November 1951 S/Ldr. R.P. Beamont, DSO, DFC 6 November 1951 May 1952 S/Ldr. H.R.P. Pertwee, DFC May 1952 May 1952 S/Ldr. D.P. Sampson, DFC May 1952 15 January 1954 S/Ldr. S.G. Nunn, DFC 15 January 1954 1 June 1956 S/Ldr. S. Kirtley 1 June 1956 10 March 1957 S.Ldr. S. Walker

See also List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons List of Royal Air Force stations List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

Bibliography

Brown, Squadron Leader Peter, AFC. Honour Restored: The Battle of Britain, Dowding and the Fight for Freedom. Spellmount, 2005.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing, pp 4238/9

External links

611 RAUxAF The Official 611 Squadron website Article about Norwegian Arne Austeen, former 611 pilot