No. 603 Squadron RAF: Difference between revisions

No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The primary role of 603 Squadron, since reforming on 1 October, 1999, has been as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing Force Protection and Mission Support. This mission support is provided for maritime forces; as well as Royal Air Force and NATO units, if required.

History

No. 603 Squadron was formed on 14 October, 1925 at Turnhouse as a day bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. Originally equipped with DH9As and using Avro 504Ks for flying training, the squadron re-equipped with Wapitis in March 1930, these being replaced by Harts in February 1934. On 24 October, 1938, No. 603 was redesignated a fighter unit and flew Hinds until the arrival of Gladiators at the end of March 1939.

In August 1939, New Zealand born PO Flt Lt Brian Carbury was attached to No. 603 Squadron as training officer, to bring the squadron up to standard on Spitfires.^[1] As war approached the squadron was put on a full time footing, and within two weeks of the outbreak of World War Two, Carbury was permanently attached and the squadron began to receive Spitfires, passing on its Gladiators to other squadrons during October.

Scotland was far away from any "easy" targets in the south of England, but none the less was in range for Nazi Germany's long rang Luftwaffe bombers and reconnoissance sorties. The squadron was operational with Spitfires in time to intercept the first German air raid on the British Isles on 16 October, when it shot down a Junkers Ju-88 bomber into the North Sea east of Dalkeith - the first enemy aircraft to be shot down over Britain since 1918, and the first in the Second World War. It remained on defensive duties in Scotland until 27 August 1940, when it moved on rotation to Southern England, based at RAF Hornchurch where it became operational from 27 August 1940 for the remaining months of the Battle of Britain. Two days after the squadron became operational in southern England, Carbury claimed the first of his 15 1/2 victories, becoming the fifth highest scoring fighter ace of the Battle of Britain - he was awarded Distinguished Flying Cross and DFC Bar as a result of service with No. 603 during the battle. PO Richard Hillary was shot down on 3 September in combat with Bf 109's of Jagdgeschwader 26 off Margate at 10:04hrs - rescued by the Margate lifeboat, he was severely burned and spent the next three years in hospital.^[2]

Returning to Scotland at the end of December, Carbury damaged a Ju 88 on Christmas Day over St Abb's Head, before he left the squadron from January 1941 for full time duties as a training officer at the Central Flying School. In May 1941, the squadron moved south again to take part in sweeps over France (termed "rhubarb's"), until the end of the year. After a further spell in Scotland, No.603 left in April 1942 for the Middle East where its ground echelon arrived early in June. The squadron's aircraft were embarked on the US carrier 'Wasp' and flown off to Malta on 20 April to reinforce the fighter defences of the beleaguered island. After nearly four months defending Malta, the remaining pilots and aircraft were absorbed by No. 229 Squadron on 3 August, 1942.

At the end of June 1942, No.603's ground echelon had moved to Cyprus, where it spent six months as a servicing unit before returning to Egypt. In February 1943, Beaufighters and crews arrived to begin convoy patrols and escort missions along the African coast and in August sweeps over German held islands in the Aegean and off Greece began. Attacks on enemy shipping continued until the lack of targets enabled the squadron to be returned to the UK in December 1944.

On 10 January, 1945, No. 603 reassembled at Coltishall and by curious coincidence, took over the Spitfires of No.229 Squadron and some of its personnel, the same squadron which had absorbed No. 603 at Takali in 1942. Fighter-bomber sweeps began in February over the Netherlands and continued until April, when the squadron returned to its home base at Turnhouse for the last days of the war. On 15 August, 1945, the squadron was disbanded.

No. 603 reformed as a unit of the Auxiliary Air Force on 10 May 1946 and began recruiting personnel to man a Spitfire squadron during June at Turnhouse. Receiving its first Spitfire in October, it flew this type until conversion to Vampires in May 1951. By July it was completely equipped and the type was flown until disbandment on 10 March, 1957.

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the formation of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 2007, for the next 2 seasons the Flight's Supermarine Spitfire IIa, P7350, which fought in 603 Sqn during the Battle of Britain will carry the 603 Squadron letters XT-L, those of Gerald 'Stapme' Stapleton's personal aircraft.

Previous aircraft operated

• Airco DH9A October 1925 - March 1930
• Avro 504K October 1925 - March 1930 (used for flying training)^[3]
• Westland Wapitis March 1930 - February 1934
• Hawker Harts February 1934 - February 1938
• Hawker Hinds February 1938 - March 1939
• Gloster Gladiators March 1939 - September 1939
• Supermarine Spitfires September 1939 - February 1943 and January 1945 - May 1951
• Bristol Beaufighters February 1943 - January 1945
• De Havilland Vampires May 1951 - March 1957

Notable personnel

• PO Flt Lt Brian Carbury DFC*, who claimed 15 1/2 victories with No. 603, making him the fourth highest scoring ace of the Battle of Britain
• Richard Hillary, Spitfire pilot who was shot down on 3 September, 1940, was badly burned, and wrote a book The Last Enemy.
• B. G. 'Stapme' Stapleton who shot down Franz von Werra, the only German PoW to escape and return to the Third Reich.

References

• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1980. ISBN 0-85130-083-9.
• Jefford, C.G., Wing Commander MBE, BA, RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1998 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (Second edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1969 (Second edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
• Ross, David M.S.; Blanche, Bruce J. S/L and Simpson, William. The Greatest Squadron of Them All: The Definitive History of 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, RauxAF: Formation to 1941, Vol.1. London, Grub Street Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-904010-49-0.
• Ross, David M.S.; Blanche, Bruce J. S/L and Simpson, William. The Greatest Squadron of Them All: The Definitive History of 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, RauxAF: 1941 to Date, Vol.2. London, Grub Street Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-904010-51-2.

Notes

External links

• Official RAuxAF 603 Sqdn website
• Official RAF historical 603 sqdn website
• World War 2 Ex-RAF website - Reuniting friends and lost pals
• Battle-of-Britain.co.uk 603 Sqdn website
• Photographs of 603 Sqdn during WW2
• Aces High II game website - 603 Sqdn
• Battle of Britain Memorial Flight website
• Details of Spitfire P7350

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons