No. 651 Squadron AAC explained

Unit Name:	No. 651 Squadron AAC
Dates:	1 Aug 1941 – 1 Sept 1957 (RAF) 1957 – present
Country:	United Kingdom
Type:	Flying squadron
Specialization:	-->
Command Structure:	1 Regiment
Motto:	– as in "direct towards/pointing the way"
Colours:	-->
Colours Label:	-->
Identification Symbol:	A seashell fired
Identification Symbol Label:	Squadron badge heraldry
Identification Symbol 2:	MA (1944 – 45, HQ Flight) MB (1944 – 45, 'A' Flight) MC (1944 – 45, 'B' Flight) MD (1944 – 45, 'C' Flight)
Identification Symbol 2 Label:	Squadron codes

No. 651 Squadron Army Air Corps, is an aircraft squadron of the British Army, originally formed as No. 651 Squadron Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War, and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units which had both Army and RAF personnel. The pilots, drivers and signallers were in the Royal Artillery whilst the adjutants, technical staff and equipment officers came from the RAF. Air observation posts were used primarily for artillery spotting, but occasionally for liaison and other duties.^[1] Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.

History

No 651 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 August 1941. It went into action in November 1942, during Operation Torch in North Africa. It later served in North Africa, Italy and finally Egypt from 1945 where it remained until 1 November 1955. On that same day, No. 657 Squadron RAF was re-numbered to 651 Squadron at RAF Middle Wallop, it now flew Sycamore helicopters as well as Austers.

No. 1908 Independent Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 651 Squadron previously 'A' Flight along with No. 1909 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 651 Squadron previously 'B' Flight.

On 1 September 1957, the squadron was transferred to the Army Air Corps and became No. 651 Squadron AAC.^[2]

On 1 April 2019, 651 Squadron and its aircraft, the Britten-Norman Defender and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, were transferred to the Royal Air Force as part of ISTAR Force in No. 1 Group based at RAF Waddington.^{[3] [4] [5]} 651 Squadron continued to operate the aircraft until they were retired from service on 30 June 2021.^{[3] [6] [7]} On 1 August 2021, 651 Squadron transferred back to the Army as part of 1 Regiment AAC.^[8]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 651 Squadron RAF, data from! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Variant

August 1941	July 1942		Plus C
September 1941	October 1941	Taylorcraft	Plus D
October 1941	December 1941		Mk.I
February 1942	September 1942	Taylorcraft	Plus C.2
July 1942	October 1943		Mk.I
August 1943	December 1944	Auster	Mk.III
May 1944	October 1945	Auster	Mk.IV
December 1944	June 1947	Auster	Mk.V
November 1949	February 1952	Auster	Mk.V
March 1947	October 1955		AOP.6
November 1949	March 1952	Auster	AOP.5
November 1955	September 1957		HC.11
November 1955	September 1957		AOP.6

Airfields used

North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)

Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes
	13 November 1942	Algeria			17 November 1942	Algeria			11 December 1942	Tunisia			12 January 1943	Tunisia
	19 April 1943	Tunisia			14 May 1943	Tunisia			22 May 1943	Tunisia			25 May 1943	Tunisia
	4 June 1943	Libya		Sousse	9 June 1943	Tunisia

Italy and Austria

Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes
	19 July 1943	Sicily			14 August 1943	Italy		3727N 1500E	5 August 1943	Italy		Lentinti	14 August 1943	Italy
	1 September 1943	Sicily			17 September 1943	Italy			21 September 1943	Italy			24 September 1943	Italy
	27 September 1943	Italy			30 September 1943	Italy			2 October 1943	Italy			10 October 1943	Italy
	1 November 1943	Italy			8 November 1943	Italy			7 March 1944	Italy			6 April 1944	Italy
	9 June 1944	Italy			20 June 1944	Italy			23 June 1944	Italy			29 June 1944	Italy
	3 July 1944	Italy		San Bernadino	21 July 1944	Italy			29 July 1944	Italy			19 August 1944	Italy
	25 August 1944	Italy			29 August 1944	Italy		Morciano	5 September 1944	Italy		Serravalle	25 September 1944	Italy
4402N 1230E	4 October 1944	Italy			15 October 1944	Italy			29 October 1944	Italy			16 November 1944	Italy
	24 January 1945	Italy			28 February 1945	Italy			6 March 1945	Italy		4428N 1214E	31 March 1945	Italy
4424N 1202E	12 April 1945	Italy		4431N 1204E	15 April 1945	Italy			24 April 1945	Italy			27 April 1945	Italy
	1 May 1945	Italy			4 May 1945	Italy			10 May 1945	Austria

Middle East

Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes		Next Base	Arrival	Notes
	7 October 1945	Italy			9 November 1945	Egypt			10 November 1945	Egypt			2 February 1946	Mandatory Palestine
	10 July 1946	Mandatory Palestine			1 June 1947	Mandatory Palestine			11 February 1948	Mandatory Palestine			28 April 1948	Mandatory Palestine
	12 May 1948	Egypt			26 August 1948	Libya			15 November 1951	Egypt			Disbanded	1 November 1955

See also

• List of Army Air Corps aircraft units
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Bibliography

• Book: Flintham . Vic . 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 . 1-84037-281-8.
• Book: Halley, James J.. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. 1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.. 0-85130-164-9.
• Book: Jefford, C.G.. RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. 2001. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Airlife Publishing Ltd. . 1-84037-141-2.
• Book: Lake . Alan . Flying units of the RAF . 1999 . Airlife . Shrewsbury . 1-84037-086-6 .

Further reading

• Book: Warner, Guy . First in the Field: 651 Squadron Army Air Corps . Pen & Sword Aviation . 2011 . 978-1848842632.

Notes and References

1. Book: Munro . Ronald Lyell . Above the Battle: An Air Observation Post Pilot at War . Pen and Sword . Kindle location 307–313 . Kindle.
2. Web site: 651 Squadron Army Air Corps . British Army . https://web.archive.org/web/20170604232001/http://www.army.mod.uk/aviation/30331.aspx . 4 June 2017. dead.
3. News: Jennings. Gareth. UK transfers Defender and Islander special mission aircraft from AAC to RAF. Jane's Defence Weekly. 2 April 2019. 23 February 2020.
4. Hay . Air Cdre Nick . Michell . Simon . ISTAR evolution . Air & Space Power 2019 Multi-Domain Operations for the Next Generation Air Force . 75 . 13 August 2021 . 2019 . Global Media Partners . Essex.
5. @HarvSmyth. Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group. 1112730019372195842. 1 April 2019. Handover of Fixed Wing Manned Aerial Surveillance from Army to RAF..
6. News: Farewell Islander/Defender . 13 August 2021 . Scramble . Dutch Aviation Society . 11 July 2021.
7. News: British Army Retires Final Defender, Islander Aircraft . 13 August 2021 . Key.Aero . Key Publishing . subscription . 12 July 2021.
8. @1_Regt_AAC. 1 Regiment Army Air Corps. 1421870891508633600. 1 August 2021. 651 Sqn AAC moves to 1 Regt AAC..