No. 657 Squadron AAC

No. 657 Squadron AAC was a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC), part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing based at RAF Odiham. The squadron disbanded in May 2018 after the retirement of the Westland Lynx.

It was formerly No. 657 Squadron RAF, a unit of the Royal Air Force in North Africa, Italy and the Netherlands during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.

History Royal Air Force No. 657 Squadron was formed at RAF Ouston on 31 January 1943. It went into action in August of that year, in North Africa. It later served in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. In November 1945, the squadron returned to the UK and continued to support army units in the South of England until disbanded by being renumbered No. 651 Squadron RAF on 1 November 1955.

No. 1900 Independent Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 657 Squadron previously 'A' & 'B' Flights along with No. 1901 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 657 previously 'C' Flight.

The squadron's motto was: Latin: Per terras perque caelum(Translation: "By land and sky") and their identification symbol was a hand couped at the wrist, holding a gun barrel. Its identification symbols were VA 1944–45 (HQ Flight) VB 1944–45 ('A' Flight) VC 1944–45 ('B' Flight) VD 1944–45 ('C' Flight) TS (1945 – Jan 1947)

+Aircraft operated by No. 657 Squadron RAF From To Aircraft Variant Feb 1943 May 1943 Auster Mk.I May 1943 Oct 1944 Auster Mk.III Jun 1944 Mar 1945 Auster Mk.IV Dec 1944 Mar 1945 Auster Mk.V Apr 1945 Nov 1952 Auster Mk.V Mar 1946 Dec 1952 Auster AOP.4 Jun 1946 Nov 1955 Auster AOP.6 Apr 1947 Apr 1951 Sikorsky Hoverfly Mk.II Sep 1951 Nov 1955 Bristol Sycamore HC.11

+Bases and airfields used by No. 657 Squadron RAF From To Base 31 Jan 1943 1 May 1943 RAF Ouston, Northumberland 1 May 1943 26 Jun 1943 RAF Westly 26 Jun 1943 15 Aug 1943 RAF Clifton 15 Aug 1943 24 Aug 1943 en route to North Africa 24 Aug 1943 22 Sep 1943 Algiers, Algeria 22 Sep 1943 16 Oct 1943 Bone, Algeria 16 Oct 1943 9 Jan 1944 Philippeville, Algeria 9 Jan 1944 16 Jan 1944 Châteaudun, Algeria 16 Jan 1944 28 Feb 1944 en route to Italy 28 Feb 1944 8 Apr 1944 Vasto, Italy 8 Apr 1944 11 May 1944 Presenzano, Italy 11 May 1944 5 Jun 1944 Campozilonne, Italy 5 Jun 1944 9 Jun 1944 Anagni, Italy 9 Jun 1944 23 Jun 1944 Civita Castellana, Italy 23 Jun 1944 29 Jun 1944 Città della Pieve, Italy 29 Jun 1944 4 Jul 1944 Ravigliano, Italy 4 Jul 1944 18 Jul 1944 Creti/Foiano, Italy 18 Jul 1944 19 Aug 1944 Carraia, Italy From To Base 19 Aug 1944 1 Sep 1944 Iesi, Italy 1 Sep 1944 6 Oct 1944 Landing ground on south bank of river Foglia, Italy 6 Oct 1944 21 Oct 1944 Rimini, Italy 21 Oct 1944 4 Nov 1944 Savignano, Italy 4 Nov 1944 29 Nov 1944 Cesena, Italy 29 Nov 1944 15 Dec 1944 Cervia, Italy 15 Dec 1944 21 Mar 1945 San Pancrazio, Italy 21 Mar 1945 24 Mar 1945 Ravenna, Italy 24 Mar 1945 30 Mar 1945 Leghorn, Italy 30 Mar 1945 11 Apr 1945 Via Marseille, France, to The Netherlands 11 Apr 1945 16 Apr 1945 Gilze-Rijen, the Netherlands 16 Apr 1945 21 Apr 1945 Doetinchem, the Netherlands 21 Apr 1945 4 May 1945 Otterloo, the Netherlands 4 May 1945 16 May 1945 Teuge. the Netherlands 16 May 1945 20 Jun 1945 Hilversum, the Netherlands 20 Jun 1945 16 Nov 1945 Goslar, British Zone of Occupation 16 Nov 1945 26 Jan 1946 Wiltshire 26 Jan 1946 19 Jan 1948 RAF Andover, Hampshire 19 Jan 1948 1 Nov 1955 RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire

Army Air Corps No. 657 Squadron traces its lineage to the Royal Air Force No. 657 Squadron formed in January 1943 and disbanded in November 1955.

No. 657 Squadron AAC was formed on 1 January 1973 as part of 1 Regiment AAC. The squadron served in Northern Ireland, based at Shackleton Barracks. In 1976–77 the squadron was based at Soltau, West Germany, attached to the 7th Armoured Brigade; later the squadron relocated to Hildesheim, West Germany. On 1 March 1978, No. 665 Squadron AAC was re-designated as 657 Squadron, based at Kirkee Barracks in Colchester. In July 1990, the squadron relinquished its independent status by becoming part of 9 Regiment AAC and moved to Oakington in Cambridgeshire and then in February 1991 to Dishforth Airfield in North Yorkshire.

In June 2000, the squadron once again became independent when it moved to RAF Odiham in Hampshire. In September 2000, two Westland Lynx helicopters took part in Operation Barras in Sierra Leone. In April 2001, the squadron became part of the newly formed Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.

Afghanistan incident On 26 April 2014, a Lynx crashed in Takhta Pul district of Kandahar Province, killing all five British personnel on board. They were Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer 2 Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters of the Army Air Corps, Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan of the Royal Air Force and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas of the Intelligence Corps. As at 28 April 2014, the cause was described as an accident, despite Taliban claims that they had caused the crash. The Telegraph described it as a "routine training mission". The site, variously described as "close to Kandahar base" and "30 miles from the Pakistani border", was secured for recovery of the bodies and aircraft. A full report into the accident was published in July 2015, by the Ministry of Defence and the Military Aviation Authority.

Disbandment With the Lynx reaching the end of its operational life in January 2018, the squadron disbanded in May 2018.

Plans to purchase modified AgustaWestland Wildcat helicopters to replace the Lynx in the special forces role were dropped due to budget constraints. The squadron's special forces role has therefore been taken over by a flight of special forces-trained personnel within the existing Wildcat fleet.

No. 657 Squadron AAC

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