No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron is a British Royal Air Force squadron. It was first formed in 1936 and was disbanded in 1957 after seeing combat as a fighter unit during the Second World War. It was reformed as a reserve squadron in 2013.
Flight Lieutenant Barrie Heath of 611 Squadron, photographed in 1940 on the wing of Spitfire IIa P7883 "Grahame Heath", named after his brother.
Two Spitfire Mk.IX of 611 Sqn. over Biggin Hill in 1943.
On 1 January 1939, the unit became a fighter squadron, receiving its first Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I's in May. The squadron left for RAF Duxford on 13 August, as part of the Fighter Command's No. 12 Group, After a period of defensive duties on the east coast, No. 611 became fully operational from its RAF Digby base in Lincolnshire in May 1940, firstly over Dunkirk and then taking part in the Battle of Britain campaign with the Duxford Wing, 12 Group's 'Big Wing' formation. The squadron commenced offensive sweeps over occupied northern France in January 1941, based at RAF Hornchurch, moving to RAF Drem in Scotland for recuperation in November 1941. The unit moved south again in June 1942 to RAF Kenley for deployment on shipping reconnaissance, escort and defensive missions. For Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Normandy) it was equipped with the Spitfire V LF as part of Air Defence of Great Britain, though under the operational control of RAF Second Tactical Air Force. No. 611 provided covering patrols for the invasion from its base at RAF Deanland.[6] The squadron then moved to south-west England for a short period.
Long-range escort missions began to be flown from RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex, from late August 1944, until No. 611 moved to RAF Skeabrae in Orkney on 3 October. After converting to Merlin powered North American Mustang Mk.IV's the squadron again moved south, this time to RAF Hawkinge in Kent and resumed escort duties for the rest of the war. The squadron disbanded as an RAF squadron on 15 August 1945 at RAF Peterhead.[2]
Postwar operations
No. 611 Squadron Meteor F.8 WH505 'A' outside the Belfast Truss hangars at RAF Hooton Park in September 1952
The squadron reformed again at Liverpool's Speke airport on 10 May 1946 as a fighter squadron within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Because of growing airliner movements at Speke, the unit moved to RAF Woodvale near Southport on 22 July 1946 equipped with Spitfire F.14's and from June 1948 with the higher performance Spitfire F.22. Gloster Meteor F.4 jet fighters were received in May 1951, these requiring a move to the longer runways at RAF Hooton Park on the Wirral on 9 July. Re-equipment with updated Meteor F.8's came in December 1951 and these were flown from Hooton Park until the squadron disbanded on 10 March 1957, together with all other RAuxAF flying units.[2]
611 Squadron was reformed at RAF Woodvale during 2013 in line with the expansion of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force recommended by the Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) Commission and endorsed by the Air Force Board Standing Committee. The commission was set up by the Prime Minister in 2010 to examine the shape and role of the Reserve Forces as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The role of the squadron is to provide trained personnel to other RAF units.[7]
Eric Lock. July – November 1941 Top scoring British born pilot during the Battle of Britain and 26 confirmed victories during just six months of flying time.
Barrie Heath. Heath shot down four German aircraft between 1940 and 1941. After the war he went on to become the chairman of the engineering giant GKN.
Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN0-85059-364-6.
Brown, Squadron Leader Peter, AFC. Honour Restored: The Battle of Britain, Dowding and the Fight for Freedom. Spellmount, 2005.
Delve, Ken (1994). D-Day: The Air Battle. London: Arms & Armour Press.
Ferguson, Aldon P.; Hamlin, John (2004). Beware! Beware! The History of 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Reading, Berkshire, UK: Airfield Publications.
Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN0-85130-164-9.
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. ISBN1-85310-053-6.
Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN0-354-01027-1.
Rawlings, John (1978) [1969]. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (Revised ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. ISBN0-354-01028-X.
Smith, Richard C. (2002). Hornchurch Eagles: The Life Stories of Eight of the Airfield's Distinguished WW2 Fighter Pilots. London: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN1-904010-00-8.
Smith, Richard C. (2000). Hornchurch Scramble: The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield, Its Pilots, Groundcrew and Staff. Vol. One: 1915 to the End of the Battle of Britain. London: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN1-902304-62-4.
Smith, Richard C. (2001). Hornchurch Offensive: The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield, its Pilots, Groundcrew and Staff. Vol. Two: 1941 to the Airfield's Final Closure. London: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN1-902304-79-9.
Smith, Richard C. (2004). Second To None: A Pictorial History of Hornchuch Aerodrome through Two World Wars and Beyond, 1915–1962. London: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN1-904010-78-4.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, (Part Work 1982–1985), Orbis Publishing, pp 4238/9
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to No. 611 Squadron RAF.
611 RAUxAF
The Official 611 Squadron website
Article about Norwegian Arne Austeen, former 611 pilot
January 14, 2023
squadron, west, lancashire, squadron, british, royal, force, squadron, first, formed, 1936, disbanded, 1957, after, seeing, combat, fighter, unit, during, second, world, reformed, reserve, squadron, 2013, west, lancashire, squadron, rauxafno, squadron, badgeac. No 611 West Lancashire Squadron is a British Royal Air Force squadron It was first formed in 1936 and was disbanded in 1957 after seeing combat as a fighter unit during the Second World War It was reformed as a reserve squadron in 2013 No 611 West Lancashire Squadron RAuxAFNo 611 Squadron badgeActive10 February 1936 15 August 194510 May 1946 10 March 19572013 currentCountryUnited KingdomBranchRoyal Auxiliary Air ForcePart ofRoyal Auxiliary Air ForceBaseRAF WoodvaleNickname s West LancashireMotto s Beware Beware 1 2 CommandersHonorary Air CommodoreG L PilkingtonNotablecommandersRoland Bee BeamontInsigniaSquadron BadgeIn front of a trident a rose 2 The rose points to the County of Lancaster and the trident to Liverpool 1 Squadron CodesGZ May 1939 Sep 1939 3 FY Sep 1939 Aug 1945 and 1949 Apr 1951 4 RAR May 1946 1949 5 Post 1950 squadron roundel Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years 1 2 Wartime operations 1 3 Postwar operations 2 Notable Pilots 3 Aircraft operated 4 Squadron bases 5 Commanding officers 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Citations 7 2 Bibliography 8 External linksHistory EditEarly years Edit The squadron was formed at RAF Hendon Middlesex on 10 February 1936 1 2 as a day bomber unit The squadron set up its permanent base at RAF Speke now Liverpool John Lennon Airport on 6 May and began recruiting personnel from Liverpool and the surrounding area Its first Hawker Hart light bombers arrived in June being replaced by Hawker Hinds from April 1938 Wartime operations Edit Flight Lieutenant Barrie Heath of 611 Squadron photographed in 1940 on the wing of Spitfire IIa P7883 Grahame Heath named after his brother Two Spitfire Mk IX of 611 Sqn over Biggin Hill in 1943 On 1 January 1939 the unit became a fighter squadron receiving its first Supermarine Spitfire Mk I s in May The squadron left for RAF Duxford on 13 August as part of the Fighter Command s No 12 Group After a period of defensive duties on the east coast No 611 became fully operational from its RAF Digby base in Lincolnshire in May 1940 firstly over Dunkirk and then taking part in the Battle of Britain campaign with the Duxford Wing 12 Group s Big Wing formation The squadron commenced offensive sweeps over occupied northern France in January 1941 based at RAF Hornchurch moving to RAF Drem in Scotland for recuperation in November 1941 The unit moved south again in June 1942 to RAF Kenley for deployment on shipping reconnaissance escort and defensive missions For Operation Overlord the Allied invasion of Normandy it was equipped with the Spitfire V LF as part of Air Defence of Great Britain though under the operational control of RAF Second Tactical Air Force No 611 provided covering patrols for the invasion from its base at RAF Deanland 6 The squadron then moved to south west England for a short period Long range escort missions began to be flown from RAF Bradwell Bay Essex from late August 1944 until No 611 moved to RAF Skeabrae in Orkney on 3 October After converting to Merlin powered North American Mustang Mk IV s the squadron again moved south this time to RAF Hawkinge in Kent and resumed escort duties for the rest of the war The squadron disbanded as an RAF squadron on 15 August 1945 at RAF Peterhead 2 Postwar operations Edit No 611 Squadron Meteor F 8 WH505 A outside the Belfast Truss hangars at RAF Hooton Park in September 1952 The squadron reformed again at Liverpool s Speke airport on 10 May 1946 as a fighter squadron within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Because of growing airliner movements at Speke the unit moved to RAF Woodvale near Southport on 22 July 1946 equipped with Spitfire F 14 s and from June 1948 with the higher performance Spitfire F 22 Gloster Meteor F 4 jet fighters were received in May 1951 these requiring a move to the longer runways at RAF Hooton Park on the Wirral on 9 July Re equipment with updated Meteor F 8 s came in December 1951 and these were flown from Hooton Park until the squadron disbanded on 10 March 1957 together with all other RAuxAF flying units 2 611 Squadron was reformed at RAF Woodvale during 2013 in line with the expansion of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force recommended by the Future Reserves 2020 FR20 Commission and endorsed by the Air Force Board Standing Committee The commission was set up by the Prime Minister in 2010 to examine the shape and role of the Reserve Forces as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review The role of the squadron is to provide trained personnel to other RAF units 7 Notable Pilots Edit Barrie Heath with a piece of a Dornier Do 215 Eric Lock July November 1941 Top scoring British born pilot during the Battle of Britain and 26 confirmed victories during just six months of flying time Barrie Heath Heath shot down four German aircraft between 1940 and 1941 After the war he went on to become the chairman of the engineering giant GKN Roland Bee Beamont Famous test pilot Aircraft operated EditAircraft operated by no 611 Squadron RAF data from 2 8 9 From To Aircraft VersionJune 1936 April 1938 Hawker HartApril 1938 June 1939 Hawker HindMay 1939 September 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IAug 1940 October 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIaOctober 1940 March 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IFebruary 1941 May 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIaMay 1941 July 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk VaJune 1941 November 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk VbNovember 1941 February 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mks IIa IIbJanuary 1942 July 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk VbJuly 1942 July 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXJuly 1943 July 1944 Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VbJuly 1944 March 1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXDecember 1944 December 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIIMarch 1945 August 1945 North American Mustang Mk IVNovember 1946 August 1949 Supermarine Spitfire FR 14February 1949 November 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F 22May 1951 April 1952 Gloster Meteor F 4March 1952 February 1957 Gloster Meteor F 8Squadron bases EditBases and airfields used by no 611 Squadron RAF data from 2 8 10 From To Base10 February 1936 6 May 1936 RAF Hendon Middlesex6 May 1936 13 August 1936 RAF Speke Lancashire13 August 1936 10 October 1939 RAF Duxford Cambridgeshire10 October 1939 14 December 1940 RAF Digby Lincolnshire14 December 1940 27 January 1941 RAF Rochford Essex27 January 1941 20 May 1941 RAF Hornchurch Essex20 May 1941 16 June 1941 RAF Rochford Essex16 June 1941 13 November 1941 RAF Hornchurch Essex13 November 1941 3 June 1942 RAF Drem East Lothian Scotland3 June 1942 13 July 1942 RAF Kenley Surrey13 July 1942 20 July 1942 RAF Martlesham Heath Suffolk20 July 1942 27 July 1942 RAF Redhill Surrey27 July 1942 1 August 1942 RAF Ipswich Suffolk1 August 1942 23 September 1942 RAF Redhill Surrey23 September 1942 1 July 1943 RAF Biggin Hill Kent1 July 1943 31 July 1943 RAF Matlaske Norfolk31 July 1943 4 August 1943 RAF Ludham Norfolk4 August 1943 6 September 1943 RAF Coltishall Norfolk6 September 1943 13 September 1943 RAF Southend Essex13 September 1943 8 February 1944 RAF Coltishall Norfolk8 February 1944 19 February 1944 RAF Ayr Ayrshire Scotland19 February 1944 29 February 1944 RAF Coltishall Norfolk29 February 1944 23 June 1944 RAF Deanland Sussex23 June 1944 3 July 1944 RAF Harrowbeer Devon3 July 1944 17 July 1944 RAF Predannack Cornwall17 July 1944 30 August 1944 RAF Bolt Head Devon30 August 1944 3 October 1944 RAF Bradwell Bay Essex3 October 1944 31 December 1944 RAF Skeabrae Orkney Scotland31 December 1944 3 May 1945 RAF Hawkinge Kent3 May 1945 7 May 1945 RAF Hunsdon Hertfordshire7 May 1945 15 August 1945 RAF Peterhead Aberdeenshire Scotland10 May 1946 26 June 1946 RAF Speke Lancashire26 June 1946 22 July 1946 RAF Hooton Park Cheshire22 July 1946 9 July 1951 RAF Woodvale Lancashire9 July 1951 10 March 1957 RAF Hooton Park CheshireRAF Woodvale LancashireCommanding officers EditOfficers commanding no 611 Squadron RAF data from 11 12 From To Name8 February 1939 4 September 1939 S Ldr G L Pilkington4 September 1939 19 October 1940 S Ldr J E McComb DFC19 October 1940 18 May 1941 S Ldr E R Bitmead DFC18 May 1941 28 June 1941 S Ldr F S Stapleton DFC28 June 1941 17 November 1941 S Ldr E H Thomas DFC17 November 1941 12 September 1942 S Ldr D H Watkins DFC12 September 1942 17 February 1943 S Ldr H T Armstrong DFC17 February 1943 22 April 1943 S Ldr C Wag Haw DFM Order of Lenin22 April 1943 26 August 1943 S Ldr E F J Chorley DFC26 August 1943 26 August 1944 S Ldr W A Douglas DFC26 August 1944 17 January 1945 S Ldr P R McGregor CdG17 January 1945 13 July 1945 S Ldr D H Seaton DFC13 July 1945 15 August 1945 S Ldr P C P Farnes DFM10 May 1946 31 August 1948 S Ldr W J Leather DFC31 August 1948 6 November 1951 S Ldr R P Beamont DSO DFC6 November 1951 May 1952 S Ldr H R P Pertwee DFCMay 1952 May 1952 S Ldr D P Sampson DFCMay 1952 15 January 1954 S Ldr S G Nunn DFC15 January 1954 1 June 1956 S Ldr S Kirtley1 June 1956 10 March 1957 S Ldr S WalkerSee also EditList of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons List of Royal Air Force stations List of former Royal Air Force stationsReferences EditCitations Edit a b c Moyes 1976 p 279 a b c d e f g Halley 1988 p 428 Bowyer amp Rawlings 1979 p 14 Bowyer amp Rawlings 1979 p 42 Bowyer amp Rawlings 1979 p 138 Delve 1994 p 137 611 West Lancashire Royal Air Force Retrieved 5 March 2016 a b Jefford 2001 pp 100 101 Rawlings 1978 pp 498 500 Rawlings 1978 p 498 Rawlings 1978 p 500 611 Squadron Commanding Officers Bibliography Edit Bowyer Michael J F Rawlings John D R 1979 Squadron Codes 1937 56 Cambridge UK Patrick Stephens Ltd ISBN 0 85059 364 6 Brown Squadron Leader Peter AFC Honour Restored The Battle of Britain Dowding and the Fight for Freedom Spellmount 2005 Delve Ken 1994 D Day The Air Battle London Arms amp Armour Press Ferguson Aldon P Hamlin John 2004 Beware Beware The History of 611 West Lancashire Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force Reading Berkshire UK Airfield Publications Halley James J 1988 The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force amp 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 Rawlings John 1978 1969 Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft Revised ed London Macdonald and Jane s Publishers Ltd ISBN 0 354 01028 X Smith Richard C 2002 Hornchurch Eagles The Life Stories of Eight of the Airfield s Distinguished WW2 Fighter Pilots London Grub Street Publishing ISBN 1 904010 00 8 Smith Richard C 2000 Hornchurch Scramble The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield Its Pilots Groundcrew and Staff Vol One 1915 to the End of the Battle of Britain London Grub Street Publishing ISBN 1 902304 62 4 Smith Richard C 2001 Hornchurch Offensive The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield its Pilots Groundcrew and Staff Vol Two 1941 to the Airfield s Final Closure London Grub Street Publishing ISBN 1 902304 79 9 Smith Richard C 2004 Second To None A Pictorial History of Hornchuch Aerodrome through Two World Wars and Beyond 1915 1962 London Grub Street Publishing ISBN 1 904010 78 4 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Part Work 1982 1985 Orbis Publishing pp 4238 9External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to No 611 Squadron RAF 611 RAUxAF The Official 611 Squadron website Article about Norwegian Arne Austeen former 611 pilot Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title No 611 Squadron RAF amp oldid 1129051094, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
