No. 659 Squadron RAF

Royal Air Force air observation post squadron during World War II

No. 659 Squadron AAC
Active	30 April 1943 – 14 August 1947
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Air observation post squadron
Motto(s)	Latin: Quovis per ardua (Translation: "Everywhere through difficulties")^[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A hawk volant affrontée the head to the dexter^[1]
Squadron Codes	No code(s) known^[2]
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	Auster Single-engined Army liaison monoplane

Military unit

No. 659 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the 21st Army Group during World War II. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with 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.^[3]^[4]

History

No. 659 Squadron was formed at RAF Firbeck on 30 April 1943^[1] with the Auster III and from March 1944 the Auster IV. The squadron role was to support the Army and in June 1944 it moved to France. Fighting in the break-out from Normandy it followed the army across the low countries and into Germany. In October 1945 the squadron left for India, where it was eventually disbanded at Lahore on 14 August 1947.^[5]

The squadron today is represented by 659 Squadron of 9 Regiment, Army Air Corps.

Aircraft operated

A postwar Auster Mk.V, restored in wartime colours.

Aircraft operated by no. 659 Squadron RAF, data from^[1]^[5]
From	To	Aircraft	Variant
May 1943	March 1944	Auster	Mk.III
March 1944	July 1945	Auster	Mk.IV
July 1944	August 1947	Auster	Mk.V
May 1946	August 1947	Auster	AOP.6

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Halley 1988, p. 448.
^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 233.
^ Halley 1988, pp. 444–451.
^ Jefford 2001, pp. 102–104.
^ ^a ^b Jefford 2001, p. 104.

Bibliography

Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

External links

Squadron history for nos. 651–670 sqn. at RAF Web
659 sqn. page of RAF website

Royal Air Force flying squadrons

Currently active

Inactive

Australian Flying Corps units
attached to the RAF
during the First World War

67 (1 Sqn AFC)
68 (2 Sqn AFC)
69 (3 Sqn AFC)
71 (4 Sqn AFC)

Article XV (Commonwealth) air force units attached to the RAF during the Second World War

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)	400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)	450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 466 467
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)	485 486 487 488 489 490

Squadrons formed from
non-Commonwealth personnel
during the Second World War

Argentine	164
Belgian	349 350
Czechoslovak	310 311 312 313
Dutch	320 (Netherlands) 321 (Netherlands) 322 (Dutch)
French	326 327 328 329 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347

Greek	13 335 336
Norwegian	330 331 332 333 334
Polish	300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 315 316 317 318 663
United States	71 121 133
Yugoslav	351 352