No. 673 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 673 Squadron RAF was a glider
squadron of the Royal Air Force
, active during the Second World War.
in (then) British India on 1 January 1945 as a glider
squadron, with the intention of being used for airborne operations by South East Asia Command
. It continued to train, as part of No. 344 Wing RAF, until the surrender of Japan
, when it became surplus to requirements; the squadron was disbanded on 25 October 1945 at Kargi Road
.
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
squadron of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, active during the Second World War.
History
No. 673 Squadron was formed at Bikram, PatnaBikram, Patna
Bikram is a town and an assembly constituency in Paliganj subdivision of Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar.-Politics:Bikram assembly constituency is part of Pataliputra .Bikram assembly constituency covers Naubatpur and Bikram community development blocks, and Kaoria, Bindaul, Kunwa,...
in (then) British India on 1 January 1945 as a glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
squadron, with the intention of being used for airborne operations by South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
. It continued to train, as part of No. 344 Wing RAF, until the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, when it became surplus to requirements; the squadron was disbanded on 25 October 1945 at Kargi Road
Kota, Bilaspur
Kota is a town and a nagar panchayat in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.-Geography:Kota is located at . It has an average elevation of 330 metres ....
.
Present
The original squadron is represented today by 673 Squadron of 2 (Training) Regiment, Army Air Corps.Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1945 | September 1945 | Hadrian Waco CG-4 The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4 by the United States Army Air Forces, and named Hadrian in British military service.... |
|
| January 1945 | September 1945 | de Havilland Tiger Moth De Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft... |
Mk.II |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 27 January 1945 | 19 February 1945 | Bikram Bikram, Patna Bikram is a town and an assembly constituency in Paliganj subdivision of Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar.-Politics:Bikram assembly constituency is part of Pataliputra .Bikram assembly constituency covers Naubatpur and Bikram community development blocks, and Kaoria, Bindaul, Kunwa,... , Bihar Bihar Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.... , British India |
| 19 February 1945 | 10 April 1945 | Belgaum Belgaum Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad.... , Karnataka Karnataka Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava... , British India |
| 10 April 1945 | 26 August 1945 | Bikram, Bihar, British India |
| 26 August 1945 | 16 September 1945 | Tilda Tilda Newra Tilda Newra is a city and a municipality in Raipur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.-Demographics: India census, Tilda Newra had a population of 26,637. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Tilda Newra has an average literacy rate of 63%, higher than the national... , Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000.... , British India |
| 16 September 1945 | 25 October 1945 | Kargi Road Kota, Bilaspur Kota is a town and a nagar panchayat in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.-Geography:Kota is located at . It has an average elevation of 330 metres .... , Chhattisgarh, British India |