1409 (METEOROLOGICAL) FLIGHT
Formed at Oakington on 1 April 1943 and flew weather-reconnaissance flights for Bomber Command and the American Eighth Air Force until the end of the war. Unarmed Mosquitoes were used for all of these flights.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
1409 Flight flew 1,364 sorties and lost 3 aircraft (0.2 percent) on 632 occasions (mostly days).
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 15006-15007). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
623 SQUADRON
Formed in 3 Group on 10 August 1943 and flew Stirlings from Downham Market until disbanded on 6 December 1943.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
623 Squadron flew 150 Stirling sorties and lost 10 aircraft (6.7 percent) in 19 bombing and 22 minelaying raids. 1 further Stirling was destroyed in a crash.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14957-14961). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
625 SQUADRON
Formed in 1 Group on 1 October 1943 and flew Lancasters from Kelstern until nearly the end of the war and then 5 raids from Scampton in April 1945.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
625 Squadron flew 3,385 Lancaster sorties and lost 66 aircraft (1.9 percent) in 191 bombing and 2 minelaying raids. A further 8 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14962-14966). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
626 SQUADRON
Formed in 1 Group on 7 November 1943 and flew Lancasters from Wickenby until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
626 Squadron flew 2,728 Lancaster sorties and lost 49 aircraft (1.8 percent) in 187 bombing and 18 minelaying raids. A further 11 Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14966-14970). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
627 SQUADRON
Formed at Oakington in 8 Group on 12 November 1943 as a Mosquito squadron for the Light Night Striking Force. Transferred to 5 Group for that group’s marker force on 15 April 1944 and flew from Woodhall Spa until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Raids Flown 8 Group Mosquitoes – 73 bombing 5 Group Mosquitoes – 121 marking, 6 minelaying, 4 Window, 35 weather/ photo recce Total – 121 marking, 73 bombing, 45 others = 239 raids Sorties and Losses 8 Group Mosquitoes – 477 sorties, 4 aircraft lost (0.8 percent) 5 Group Mosquitoes – 1,058 sorties, 15 aircraft lost (1.4 percent) Total – 1,535 sorties, 19 aircraft lost (1.2 percent)
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14970-14979). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
630 SQUADRON
Formed in 5 Group on 15 November 1943 and flew Lancasters from East Kirkby until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
630 Squadron flew 2,453 Lancaster sorties and lost 59 aircraft (2.4 percent) in 180 bombing and 22 minelaying raids. 11 further Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14980-14984). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
635 SQUADRON
Formed as a Pathfinder squadron in 8 Group on 20 March 1944 and flew Lancasters from Downham Market until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
635 Squadron flew 2,225 Lancaster sorties and lost 34 aircraft (1.5 percent) in 189 raids. 7 further Lancasters were destroyed in crashes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Victoria Cross: Squadron Leader I. W. Bazalgette, D.F.C., posthumously, Trossy-St-Maxim flying-bomb site, 4 August 1944. Carried out the first operational trials of the Lancaster Mark VI from July to November 1944.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14984-14991). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
640 SQUADRON
Formed in 4 Group and flew Halifaxes from Lissett (only 2 raids) and Leconfield until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
640 Squadron flew 2,423 Halifax sorties and lost 40 aircraft (1.7 percent) in 170 bombing raids.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14991-14995). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
692 (FELLOWSHIP OF THE BELLOWS) SQUADRON
Formed in 8 Group on 1 January 1944 as a Mosquito squadron for the Light Night Striking Force and flew from Graveley until the end of the war.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
692 Squadron flew 3,237 Mosquito sorties and lost 17 aircraft (0.5 percent) in 308 bombing and 2 minelaying raids.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The ‘Fellowship of the Bellows’ was a patriotic organization of Anglo-Argentine businessmen and families in Buenos Aires who raised money for the purchase of aircraft for the R.A.F. The ‘Bellows’ were to help ‘raise the wind’. Dropped the first 4,000-lb bombs by Mosquitoes, on Düsseldorf, 23/ 24 February 1944.
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 14995-15003). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.
1409 (METEOROLOGICAL) FLIGHT
Formed at Oakington on 1 April 1943 and flew weather-reconnaissance flights for Bomber Command and the American Eighth Air Force until the end of the war. Unarmed Mosquitoes were used for all of these flights.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
1409 Flight flew 1,364 sorties and lost 3 aircraft (0.2 percent) on 632 occasions (mostly days).
Everitt, Chris; Middlebrook, Martin (2014-04-02). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book (Kindle Locations 15006-15007). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.