No. 692 Squadron RAF

No. 692 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron RAF
Active 1 January 1944 – 20 September 1945
Country United Kingdom 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

No. 692 Squadron RAF was a light bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

History

Loading a 4,000-lb "Cookie" onto a Mosquito B Mk IV at RAF Graveley

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

Aircraft operated by no. 692 Squadron RAF, data from[2][6][8]
From To Aircraft Variant
January 1944 June 1944 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.IV
March 1944 September 1945 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.XVI

Commanding officers

Though bearing the squadron marlings of 571 squadron here, this aircraft, Mosquito Mk.XVI ML963, was first issued to 109 squadron on 9 March 1944, going on to 692 squadron on the 24th of the same month.
Officers commanding no. 692 Squadron RAF, data from[9]
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

Stations and airfields used by no. 692 Squadron RAF, data from[2][6][8]
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

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Bowman, Martin. Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units, 1942–45. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1997. ISBN 978-1-85532-690-3.
  • Bowyer, Chaz. Mosquito Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-7110-1425-6.
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Falconer, Jonathan. Bomber Command Handbook, 1939–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-3171-X.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd). RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of All RAF Squadrons and Their Antecedents Since 1912, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-85310-053-6. (second revised edition 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.)
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1964 (2nd edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
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