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| Click Here For Full Artist Print Indexes | Aviation History Archive |
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Aviation Art Prints  Countries UK Squadron Index More Squadrons Squadrons 489 to 620  No.616 Sqn |
[UP] - No.489 Sqn RNZAF - No.501 Sqn - No.504 Sqn - No.514 Sqn - No.542 Sqn - No.550 Sqn - No.571 Sqn - No.576 Sqn - No.578 Sqn - No.601 Sqn - No.602 Sqn - No.603 Sqn - No.604 Sqn - No.605 Sqn - No.607 Sqn - No.609 Sqn - No.610 Sqn - No.611 Sqn - No.613 Sqn - No.615 Sqn - No.616 Sqn - No.619 Sqn - No.620 Sqn |
No.616 Sqn
Country : UK
Founded : 1st November 1938
Disbanded 10th March 1957
Codes : , QJ, RAW, YQ,
Nulla rosa sine spina - No rose without thorns
616 squadron was formed at Doncaster on 1st November 1938 as the last of the Auxiliary Squadrons. Formed initially as a bomber squadron equipped with Hawker Hinds, it was re-equipped with Gloster Gauntlets in June 1939 and transferred to Fighter Command. The squadrons first Spitfires arrived in late October. 616 first saw action and claimed its first victories whilst covering the evacuation from Dunkirk in May 1940. Returning to Yorkshire, the squadron claimed further enemy victims with 15th August standing out as a memorable day. 616 intercepted a large force of unescorted German bombers off the Yorkshire coast and claimed eight enemy aircraft destroyed. They moved to Kenley to join 11 Group at the height of the Battle of Britain, and destroyed 15 aircraft and claimed a further 15 as probables or damaged. During February 1941, 616 joined the Tangmere Wing led by Wg Cdr Douglas Bader. Flying Spitfire II fighters, they flew circus and ramrod sweeps over Northern France, and re-equipped with Spitfires Vb during July 1941. For the next two years 616 continued as a front line fighter squadron and was heavily engaged during the Dieppe expedition and later flying beach-head patrols on D-Day. In July 1944, 616 re-equipped with Gloster Meteor jet fighter thus becoming the first and only Allied squadron to operate jet aircraft in World War II. The squadron destroyed a number of V1 flying bombs whilst operating from Manston before joining the 2nd Tactical Air Force. In January 1945, 616 moved to the continent and operated in the ground attack role before being disbanded at Lubeck on 29th August. The squadron was re-formed at Finningley on 31st July 1946 equipped with Mosquito NF XXX night fighters which were replaced with Meteor F 3 day fighters a few months later. 616 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was finally disbanded at RAF Worksop on 10th March 1957 whilst equipped with Meteor F8 aircraft.
| No.616 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
The New Knights by David Pentland. (P) Spitfires of No.616 Squadron, September 1940. The aircraft nearest is K4330 QJ-G, the mount of Johnnie Johnson. |
Meteoric Victory by Tom Marchant. (PC) 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron Gloster Meteor Mk.1 EE218. Flown by Warrant Officer Sid Woodacre over Kent, August 1944. No.616 Sqn was chosen as the first unit to equip with the Gloster Meteor jet fighter - thus becoming the first RAF Jet Squadron. |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia N3093 of 616 Sqn RAF by Keith Woodcock. No text for this item |
We All Stand Together by Robert Taylor. Spitfires of 616 Squadron scramble from RAF Kenley during the heavy fighting of the Battle of Britain, late August 1940. Below them a Hurricane of 253 Squadron, sharing the same base, is being prepared for its next vital mission at a distant dispersal. All through the long summer of 1940, as Britain stood alone, a small band of fighter pilots took part in the greatest aerial battle in history. Day after day the men of Fighter Command valiantly took to the air to defend their country from the Luftwaffe and the threat of German invasion and Nazi tyranny. Outnumbered, but never out-fought, they fought to the point of exhaustion and, in doing so, paid a heavy price. But they won. |
Escort by Keith Woodcock. Royal Air Force Spitfires of No.616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron escort returning Bristol Blenheims of No.21 Squadron from a bombing mission over France. |
Gloster Meteor Mk F.1 EE227 YQ-Y. by M A Kinnear. Aircraft History: EE227 was 13th out of a batch of 15 F.1 aircraft delivered to 616 Squadron during 1944. Following service with 616, the aircraft was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment and then to Rolls Royce, where it became the first aircraft to be fitted with turboprops (Rolls Royce Trents) It then went to the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment before returning to Rolls Royce and finally going back to the Royal Aircraft Establishment. After a distinguished career EE227 was struck off charge 27th June 1949. Squadron Leader Dennis Barry, Croix de Guerre Avec Palme: Born on 26th August 1921 in London Dennis Barry joined the Royal Air Force in October 1940. In 1941, following pilot training, he was posted to 504 County of Nottingham Squadron and flew both Hurricanes and Spitfires. In August 1943 he was sent on a flight leaders course at Charmy Down and posted to Ibsley as a Flight Commander in 616 South Yorkshire Squadron. In June 1944 with other 616 pilots he was sent to Farnborough for a conversion course to fly the new Gloster Meteor. During this period, USAAF daylight bombers were under attack by German Me262 jet fighters so, together with three other pilots, Dennis was attached to Debden, where they staed mock attacks against 180 bombers and fighters to help the Americans gauge the speed of jet aircraft. In July 1944 616 moved to RAF Manston and was involved with the interception of German V-1 flying bombs and on 29th August he flew EE227 on an operational sortie. In February 1945, Dennis took four meteors Mk III to Brussels/ Melsbroeck. To enable Allied ground forces to distinguish the Meteors from the German jet fighters, the aircraft were painted all white. Prior to the end of hostilities, as the Allies moved through Europe, 616 were involved with numerous attacks on airfields, road and rail traffic. They moved to Lubeck at the end of the war, from where Dennis Barry led the Squadron on a victory fly past at the Copenhagen air show. In May 1946 he was demobilised from the RAF and re-joined 616 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Finningley in March 1948, remaining with the squadron until July 1951. During this period on 8th January 1950 he probably became the only pilot to successfully bale out of a Meteor without the aid of an ejector seat. |
Supermarine Spitfire MKVb W3458 YQ-X. by M A Kinnear. Aircraft History: First flight 11th July 1941, then onto 12 Maintenance Unit 16th July 1941. W3458 was delivered to 616 Squadron on 23rd July 1941. It failed to return from operations over Northern France on 9th August 1941. Squadron Leader LH Buck Casson DFC, AFC: Coming from Sheffield Lionel H Casson was one of the original volunteer pilots to join 616 (South Yorkshire) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron on its formation at Doncaster in 1938. After pilot training, he served briefly with 79 Squadron flying Hurricanes from Biggin Hill before rejoining Spitfire equipped 616 at Leconfield in July 1940. With the squadron he flew south to Kenley in mid-August and over the next three weeks was involved in fierce fighting during the Battle of Britain. On 30th August he was credited with a probable and a damaged HE111. Two days later he claimed a Bf109 followed by the destruction of a Do17. After suffering severe losses, the squadron was withdrawn to Kirton-in-Lindsay on 4th September and after a rest period, 616 moved to Tangmere in February to join the Bader Wing. On 5th May 1941, Casson shared in the destruction of a Ju88 but was hit by return fire and was forced to bale out. Flying on daily sweeps and bomber escorts over Northern France, he destroyed a Bf109 on 22nd June and he claimed a damaged two days later. He was made Flight Commander in July and claimed two Bf109s as probables. On 9th August as he was leading his flight over St Omer, his aircraft was hit and he was forced to crash land. He was soon captured and spent the rest of the war in the infamous Stalag Luft 3. Shortly after his capture he was awarded the DFC. After his release four years later, he rejoined the peacetime 616 Squadron, equipped at first with Mosquito night fighters and then Meteor jet fighters. He was appointed as Commanding Officer in December 1950 during which time the Squadron won the coveted Esher Trophy awarded to the top Auxiliary Air Force squadron. After three years in command, he retired having been awarded the AFC for his outstanding leadership. |
Inspiration by John Young. Official limited edition print of the 60th Anniversary of the Douglas Bader Foundation. Douglas Bader (D-B) leading Dogsbody Section, 616 Squadron, including Johnnie Johnson (YQ-E) , Cocky Dundas (YO-A) and Jeff West (YQ-H) on his final operational take off from Westhampnett on August 9th 1941. |
Summer of 41 by Tom Marchant. The Pilot, Squadron Leader L.H. Buck Casson D.F.C., A.F.C., a founder member of 616 Squadron took this aircraft into action in July 1941. In August he was shot down over France and became a prisoner of war. After the war he returned to Command the Squadron flying Meteors. |
| Aces for : No.616 Sqn RAF | ||
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| James E Johnnie Johnson | 36.91 | The signature of James E Johnnie Johnson features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Colin Falkland Gray | 27.50 | |
| Tony Gaze | 12.50 | The signature of Tony Gaze features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Hugh Spencer Leslie Dundas | 11.00 | The signature of Hugh Spencer Leslie Dundas features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
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