No. 656 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 656 Squadron RAF was a Air Oberservation Post unit of the Royal Air Force
in India
and Burma during the Second World War and afterwards in British Malaya
. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadron of the RAF were Air Observation Post
units working closely with British Army
units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957 With this it became 656 Light Aircraft Squadron Army Air Corps
on 31 December 1942. It embarked for India in August 1943 and went into action during the Burma campaign
with the Fourteenth Army
. It was to take part in the Allied invasion of Malaya, but the Japanese surrendered before this took place and the squadron disbanded there on 15 January 1947.
The squadron reformed from No. 1914 Flight RAF on 29 June 1948 at Sembawang in Malaya and served in British Malaya
to support Army and Police against Communist guerillas before it went over to Army control in September 1957. 656 Squadron performed a total of 143,000 operations in Malaya during Operation Firedog.
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...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Burma during the Second World War and afterwards in British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadron of the RAF were Air Observation Post
Air Observation Post
An Air Observation Post is a British military aircraft used for active or passive observation of artillery actions.-History:Air Observation Post is the term used by the Royal Air Force and other services of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth air forces for an aeroplane or helicopter used in the...
units working closely with British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957 With this it became 656 Light Aircraft Squadron Army Air Corps
No. 656 Squadron AAC
656 Squadron is a unit of the British Army Air Corps. It was chosen as one of the AAC new Apache Squadrons and in April 2004 started its conversion to role. The first phase of this completed in October 2004...
Formation and World war II
No. 656 Squadron was formed at RAF WestleyWestley
-Places:United Kingdom*Westley, Shropshire*Westley, Suffolk*Westley, Unree, CambridgeshireUnited States*Westley, California-People:*David Westley, Papua New Guinean rugby league footballer*Westley, a character in The Princess Bride...
on 31 December 1942. It embarked for India in August 1943 and went into action during the Burma campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
with the Fourteenth Army
Fourteenth Army
A number of nations have had a Fourteenth Army:* Fourteenth Army * Fourteenth Army * Italian Fourteenth Army* Fourteenth United States Army, a World War II 'phantom' force...
. It was to take part in the Allied invasion of Malaya, but the Japanese surrendered before this took place and the squadron disbanded there on 15 January 1947.
Reformation and Operation Firedog
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
to support Army and Police against Communist guerillas before it went over to Army control in September 1957. 656 Squadron performed a total of 143,000 operations in Malaya during Operation Firedog.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1943 | August 1943 | 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 |
| January 1943 | March 1943 | Auster Taylorcraft Auster The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited company during the Second World War.-Design and development:... |
Mk.I |
| February 1943 | August 1943 | Auster | Mk.III |
| November 1943 | June 1945 | Auster | Mk.III |
| October 1944 | June 1945 | Auster | Mk.IV |
| February 1945 | January 1947 | Auster | Mk.V |
| June 1948 | May 1951 | Auster | AOP.5 |
| July 1950 | April 1956 | Auster | AOP.6 Auster AOP.6 -Bibliography:*Halley, J.J., The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988, Air-Britain, Tonbridge, ISBN 0-85130-164-9.... |
| September 1955 | September 1957 | Auster | AOP.9 Auster AOP.9 -See also:-Bibliography:... |