No. 600 (City of London) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force is a squadron of the RAF Reserves. It was formed in 1925 and operated as a night fighter squadron during the Second World War with great distinction. After the war, 600 Squadron went on to operate jet fighters until 1957. Reactivated in 1999, 600 Squadron is one of only two RAF Reserve units within the M25. It is a Headquarters Support Squadron and provides trained part-time reservists to support RAF operations around the world.

History

Formation No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF was formed at RAF Northolt on 14 October 1925 as a unit of the Auxiliary Air Force, equipped with Avro 504 trainers and Airco DH.9A day bombers. It moved to RAF Hendon at the end of 1926, replacing its DH.9As, veterans of the First World War, with more modern Westland Wapitis in 1929. It was designated a fighter squadron in July 1934.

Second World War

At the outbreak of war the squadron was equipped with Bristol Blenheim 1F long range fighters equipped with ventral gun packs, and moved from Hendon to RAF Northolt. Day and night patrols were flown, with experiments involving airborne radar beginning in December 1939. When the Germans invaded The Netherlands, the squadron flew patrols over the Low Countries, but on 10 May 1940 the squadron lost five out of six Blenheims sent to attack Waalhaven. In view of the inadequacy of Blenheims for daylight operations, 600 Sqn was allocated to night defence only a few days later. In September 1940, the first Bristol Beaufighter was received, conversion being completed early in 1941. In October 1940 the squadron moved to Yorkshire and in March 1941 to south-west England, where it remained until September 1942. In November 1942, 600 Sqn moved to North Africa to provide night cover for Allied bases and shipping. It was transferred to Malta in June 1943, and in September, to Italy where it spent the rest of the war on night defence and intruder missions. Re-equipment with Mosquitoes began in January 1945 and on 21 August 1945 the squadron disbanded, having become the highest scoring night fighter squadron in the RAF.

Post-war On 10 May 1946, 600 Sqn reformed at RAF Biggin Hill, as a day fighter squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force with Spitfires. It began to recruit during June and received its first operational aircraft in October. After receiving a De Havilland Vampire in October 1949 for jet conversion, it was allotted Meteors in March 1950 and flew these until the Royal Auxiliary Air Force disbanded this squadron and many others on 10 March 1957.

Present Since 1999, the Squadron has provided initial and professional training to part-time reservists in a variety of RAF ground trades – Operations, Intelligence, Personnel Support, Nursing, Medical & Logistics among others. Many 600 Squadron reservists have had the privilege of literally making the headlines – from exercises in Africa, the Middle East and Malaysia, to front-line operations in Iraq, Afghanistan the Falklands and further afield. More recently, reservists mobilised from their civilian lives to assist in the planning, and on the front-lines of the response to the global pandemic.

In the UK, Reservists from 600 Squadron have served on RAF stations, flying squadrons, at HQ Air Command, in joint operations rooms, with RAF Regiment Squadrons and in posts within the Ministry of Defence. Indistinguishable from full-time colleagues, part-time personnel have led change and success in the traditions of the unit, often gaining awards and commendations – or transferring into successful RAF Regular careers.

Meanwhile, 600 Squadron is one of just two RAF Reserve squadrons within Greater London, and with “Privileged Regiment Status” within the City of London, is regularly involved in high-profile ceremonial events there, or on the national stage.

600 Squadron still actively seeks to recruit and train motivated men and women who live within a 50-mile radius of RAF Northolt, with or without prior armed forces experience, and who have an interest in supporting the RAF in their spare-time.

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by no. 600 Squadron RAF, data from From To Aircraft Version October 1925 October 1929 Avro 504 K October 1925 October 1929 De Havilland DH9 A August 1929 January 1935 Westland Wapiti Mk.IIA August 1929 January 1935 Avro Tutor January 1935 May 1937 Hawker Hart February 1937 April 1939 Hawker Demon January 1939 October 1941 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IF November 1939 June 1940 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV September 1940 June 1941 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IF April 1941 April 1942 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IIF March 1942 February 1945 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VIF December 1944 August 1945 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.XIX October 1946 November 1947 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVe April 1947 November 1950 Supermarine Spitfire F.21 September 1948 March 1950 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 March 1950 April 1952 Gloster Meteor F.4 November 1951 March 1957 Gloster Meteor F.8

Commanding officers +Officers commanding no. 600 Squadron RAF From To Name October 1925 1926 W/Cdr. A.W.H. James, MC 1926 1931 S/Ldr. the Hon. F.E. Guest 1931 July 1934 S/Ldr. S.B. Collett July 1934 June 1937 S/Ldr. P.G. Stewart June 1937 December 1939 S/Ldr. G.L.S. Dawson – Damer, the Viscount Carlow December 1939 May 1940 S/Ldr. J.M. Wells May 1940 September 1940 F/Lt. de B. Clarke September 1940 November 1940 S/Ldr. H.L. Maxwell, DSO November 1940 January 1941 S/Ldr. C.A. Pritchard January 1941 December 1941 W/Cdr. George Stainforth, AFC December 1941 May 1942 W/Cdr. H.M. Pearson, DFC May 1942 November 1942 W/Cdr. A.G. Miller, DFC, Order of Lenin November 1942 December 1942 W/Cdr. J.R. Watson December 1942 March 1944 W/Cdr. Patrick Green, DSO, DFC March 1944 December 1944 W/Cdr. L.H. Styles, DFC December 1944 August 1945 W/Cdr. A.H. Drummond July 1946 July 1948 S/Ldr. T.N. Hayes, DFC July 1948 August 1950 S/Ldr. D.E. Proudlove August 1950 October 1953 S/Ldr. J.P. Meadows, DFC, AFC October 1953 March 1957 S/Ldr. J. McCormack, AFC

Honorary air commodores +Honorary Air Commodores of No. 600 Squadron RAF From To Name 1931 1937 The Rt Hon Frederick Guest 1937 1941 George Lloyd, 1st Baron Lloyd 1942 1949 Sir Archibald Sinclair 1949 1957 The Queen (The Queen Mother from 1952) 1999 2002 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 2006 present Hugh Trenchard, 3rd Viscount Trenchard

Squadron bases +Bases and airfields used by no. 600 Squadron RAF From To Base Remark 14 October 1925 18 January 1927 RAF Northolt, Middlesex 18 January 1927 1 October 1938 RAF Hendon, Middlesex 1 October 1938 3 October 1938 RAF Kenley, Surrey 3 October 1938 25 August 1939 RAF Hendon, Middlesex 25 August 1939 2 October 1939 RAF Northolt, Middlesex 2 October 1939 16 October 1939 RAF Hornchurch, Essex Det. at RAF Manston, Kent 16 October 1939 20 October 1939 RAF Rochford, Essex 20 October 1939 27December1939 RAF Hornchurch, Essex 27December1939 16 May 1940 RAF Manston, Kent 16 May 1940 20 June 1940 RAF Northolt, Middlesex 20 June 1940 22 August 1940 RAF Manston, Kent 22 August 1940 12September1940 RAF Hornchurch, Essex 12September1940 12 October 1940 RAF Redhill, Surrey 12 October 1940 14 March 1941 RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire Dets. at RAF Drem, East Lothian, Scotland; RAF Acklington, Northumberland and RAF Prestwick, Ayrshire 14 March 1941 27 April 1941 RAF Drem, East Lothian, Scotland Det. at RAF Prestwick, Ayrshire 27 April 1941 18 June 1941 RAF Colerne, Wiltshire 18 June 1941 27 June 1941 RAF Fairwood Common, Gower, Wales Det. at RAF Predannack, Cornwall 27 June 1941 6 October 1941 RAF Colerne, Wiltshire Det. at RAF Predannack, Cornwall 6 October 1941 2 September 1942 RAF Predannack, Cornwall 2 September 1942 14 November 1942 RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire 14 November 1942 18 November 1942 RAF Portreath, Cornwall 18 November 1942 7 December 1942 RAF Blida, Algeria 7 December 1942 3 January 1943 RAF Maison Blanche, Algeria 3 January 1943 25 June 1943 Setif, Algeria Dets. at Souk-el-Khemis; 'Paddington'. Tunisia; Bone, Tunisia; RAF Tingley, Algeria and Monastir, Tunisia 25 June 1943 26 July 1943 RAF Luqa, Malta 26 July 1943 30 September 1943 Cassibile (Sicily), Italy 30 September 1943 2 February 1944 Montecorvino Airfield, Italy Dets. at Brindisi, Tortorella, Gaudo and Lago, all Italy 2 February 1944 22 March 1944 Marcianise, Italy 22 March 1944 1 April 1944 Pomigliano, Italy 1 April 1944 13 June 1944 Marcianise, Italy 13 June 1944 19 June 1944 La Banca, Italy 19 June 1944 5 July 1944 Voltone, Italy 5 July 1944 29 July 1944 Follonica, Italy 29 July 1944 25 August 1944 Rosignano, Italy Det. at Falconara, Italy 25 August 1944 15 December 1944 Falconara, Italy Dets. at Rosignano, Iesi and Bellaria, all in Italy 15 December 1944 24 May 1945 Cesenatico, Italy 24 May 1945 26 July 1945 Campoformido, Italy 26 July 1945 21 August 1945 Aviano, Italy 10 May 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Biggin Hill

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

No. 600 (City of London) Squadron on the RAF web site 600 Squadron Association Bases of No. 600 Squadron during the Second World War History of No.'s 600–604 Squadrons at RAF Web Aircraft and markings of No. 600 Squadron