Summary
No. 692 Squadron RAF was a light bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
| No. 692 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 January 1944 – 20 September 1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Light Bomber Squadron |
| Part of | No. 8 Group RAF, Bomber Command |
| Nickname(s) | Fellowship of the Bellows |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Polus Dum Sidera Pascet (Translation: "So long as the sky shall feed the stars")[1][2] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | S/Ldr. (then) S.D. Watts, the first pilot to drop a 4,000 lbs "Cookie".[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | In front of a pair of wings conjoined in base, a dagger, point downwards[1][2] |
| Squadron Codes | P3 (Jan 1944 – Jun 1945)[3][4][5] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Bomber | de Havilland Mosquito |
History edit
The squadron was formed on 1 January 1944 at RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire as a light bomber unit,[2] equipped with Mosquito Mk.IV bombers, as part of the Light Night Striking Force of No. 8 Group RAF in Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Mosquito Mk.XVI bombers from March 1944 and by June 1944 the squadron had completely switched over to the newer variant.[2][6]
It was the first squadron to carry 4,000 lb bombs in Mosquitos,[1] used in an attack on Düsseldorf.[7] The squadron was also the first Mosquito unit to carry out minelaying operations.[7] Most operations were at low level, including one mission when the squadron dropped 4,000 lb bombs into the mouth of tunnels in the Ardennes.[1] At the end of the war the squadron was disbanded on 20 September 1945 at RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire.[2][8] The squadron had carried out 3,237 operational sorties (though one source claims a far lower number of sorties, 1,457[9]) for the loss of 17 aircraft.[10]
Aircraft operated edit
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1944 | June 1944 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.IV |
| March 1944 | September 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XVI |
Commanding officers edit
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| January 1944 | March 1944 | W/Cdr. W.G. Lockhart, DSO, DFC |
| March 1944 | July 1944 | W/Cdr. S.D. Watts, DFC (RNZAF) |
| July 1944 | September 1945 | W/Cdr. J. Northrop, DFC, AFC |
Squadron Airfields edit
| From | To | Name | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 1944 | 4 June 1944 | RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire | Formed here |
| 4 June 1944 | 20 September 1945 | RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire | Disbanded here |
See also edit
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b c d e Moyes 1976, p. 291.
- ^ a b c d e f g Halley 1988, p. 457.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 84.
- ^ Bowyer 1984, p. 142.
- ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 96.
- ^ a b c Moyes 1976, p. 292.
- ^ a b Bowyer 1984, p. 132.
- ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 106.
- ^ a b Bowyer 1984, p. 135.
- ^ Falconer 2003, p. 257.
Bibliography edit
- Bowman, Martin (1997). Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units, 1942–45. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-690-3.
- Bowyer, Chaz (1984). Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1425-6.
- Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Falconer, Jonathan (2003). Bomber Command Handbook, 1939–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3171-X.
- 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.
- Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
External links edit
- No. 692 Squadron RAF movement and equipment history Archived 22 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- History of No. 692 Squadron
- Nos. 671–1435 Squadron Histories Archived 30 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Remembrance to two fallen squadron members