No. 614 Squadron RAuxAF

No. 614 Squadron was originally formed on 1 June 1937 as an army co-operation squadron unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served during the Second World War first in this role and later as a bomber squadron. Upon reformation it served as a fighter squadron until the disbandment of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 10 March 1957.

History Formation and early years Formed at RAF Pengam Moors near Cardiff (the often cited Llandow was not erected yet) as an army co-operation squadron unit and part of the Auxiliary Air Force on 1 June 1937, No. 614 squadron was initially equipped with Hawker Hinds. By the end of the year it had received some additional Hawker Hectors which it flew until November 1939, when the squadron became operational on Westland Lysanders, the first of which had arrived in July of that year.

In support of Bomber Command In June 1940 No. 614 squadron moved to Scotland to carry out coastal patrols, covering an area from Inverness to Berwick, 'A' flight, which was detached to Inverness for that purpose, became No. 241 Squadron RAF in the process. From July 1941 it began re-equipping with Bristol Blenheims, a process completed by January 1942. In support of RAF Bomber Command's 'Thousand Bomber Raids' in May and June 1942, the squadron sent its Blenheims to attack enemy airfields in the Low Countries and in August 1942 it laid smoke screens for the landings at Dieppe.

In North Africa

In November 1942 the Squadron moved to North Africa. There the Squadron carried out attacks against enemy airfields and lines of communication until May 1943, when the fighting in that area ended. It then became involved in shipping escort duties in the Mediterranean until being disbanded on 25 January 1944 at Borizzo Airfield, Sicily.

On Halifaxes and Liberators The second incarnation of No. 614 Squadron had its origins in No. 462 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), formed on 7 September 1942 at Fayid, Egypt, under Article XV of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. This squadron contained mostly British aircrew and ground staff. Consequently, RAAF Overseas Headquarters requested that the squadron be renumbered and transferred to the RAF. On 15 February 1944, while it was en route to Celone, Italy the unit was renumbered as No. 614 Squadron. Equipped with Handley Page Halifaxes it was now involved in bombing missions over Italy and the Balkans and it also carried out supply drops to partisans in those areas. The Squadron re-equipped with Consolidated Liberators in March 1945, the Halifaxes finally being withdrawn in March 1945, but on 27 July 1945 it was disbanded at Amendola Airfield, Italy when it was renumbered as No. 214 Squadron RAF.

Post war With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, No. 614 Squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946 (though one source claims 26 August 1947) at RAF Llandow as a day fighter squadron. Recruiting of personnel did not start until November 1946 though. Initially the squadron was equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and these gave way to de Havilland Vampires in July 1950 but, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, the unit was disbanded on 10 March 1957.

Present No. 614 Sqn Royal Auxiliary Air Force was reformed in 2014 and is now a General Support Sqn (GSS) that provides dedicated support to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. It maintains a base in Cardiff and recruits from across South Wales and the West of England.

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data from FromToAircraftVariant June 1937 1939 Hawker Hind November 1937 February 1940 Hawker Hector Mk.I July 1939 July 1941 Westland Lysander Mk.II April 1941 January 1942 Westland Lysander Mks.III, IIIa July 1941 September 1942 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV August 1942 January 1944 Bristol Blenheim Mk.V February 1944 March 1945 Handley Page Halifax Mk.II August 1944 July 1945 Consolidated Liberator Mk.VIII November 1946 November 1948 Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e July 1948 April 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 July 1950 July 1953 de Havilland Vampire F.3 September 1951 March 1957 de Havilland Vampire FB.5 December 1954 February 1956 de Havilland Vampire FB.9

Squadron bases +Bases and airfields used by No. 614 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToName 1 June 1937 2 October 1939 RAF Pengam Moors 2 October 1939 8 June 1940 RAF Odiham 8 June 1940 5 March 1941 RAF Grangemouth 5 March 1941 27 September 1941 RAF Macmerry 27 September 1941 3 October 1941 RAF Odiham 3 October 1941 25 August 1942 RAF Macmerry 26 August 1942 16 November 1942 RAF Odiham 16 November 1942 17 November 1942 RAF Portreath 17 November 1942 5 December 1942 Blida, Algeria 5 December 1942 7 February 1943 Canrobert, Algeria 7 February 1943 22 May 1943 Oulmene, Algeria 22 May 1943 28 August 1943 Tafaraoui, Algeria 28 August 1943 25 January 1944 Borizzo, Sicily 28 February 1944 10 May 1944 Celone, Italy 10 May 1944 15 July 1944 Stornara, Italy 15 July 1944 27 July 1945 Amendola, Italy 10 May 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Llandow

Commanding officers +Officers commanding No. 614 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToName June 1937 September 1939 S/Ldr. R.E.C. Cadman September 1939 November 1939 F/Lt. L.J. Stickley November 1939 January 1940 S/Ldr. W.R. Wills-Sandford January 1940 June 1940 S/Ldr. A.A.N. Malan June 1940 February 1941 W/Cdr. D.J. Eayrs February 1941 August 1941 W/Cdr. H.M. Mulliken August 1941 June 1942 W/Cdr. R.E.S. Skelton June 1942 August 1943 W/Cdr. H.T. Sutton August 1943 February 1944 W/Cdr. C.K. Bonner February 1944 W/Cdr. W.T. Russell W/Cdr. J.S. Laird July 1945 W/Cdr. E.B.R. Lockwood May 1946 July 1950 S/Ldr. W.H. Irving July 1950 1954 S/Ldr. E.H. McHardy, DSO, DFC & Bar, CdG 1954 March 1957 S.Ldr. H.J.E. HoweMarch 2014July 2021W/Cdr. P.J. Sagar MBEJuly 2021W/Cdr. O.H. Walker

References

Notes

Bibliography

(reprinted 2007).

No. 614 Squadron RAuxAF

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