No. 657 Squadron RAF


No. 657 Squadron RAF was 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 Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664-666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.

History

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 original squadron is represented today by 657 Squadron AAC of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.

Aircraft operated

FromToAircraftVariant
Feb 1943May 1943AusterMk.I
May 1943Oct 1944AusterMk.III
Jun 1944Mar 1945AusterMk.IV
Dec 1944Mar 1945AusterMk.V
Apr 1945Nov 1952AusterMk.V
Mar 1946Dec 1952AusterAOP.4
Jun 1946Nov 1955AusterAOP.6
Apr 1947Apr 1951Sikorsky HoverflyMk.II
Sep 1951Nov 1955Bristol SycamoreHC.11

Squadron bases