No. 692 Squadron RAF

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No. 692 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron RAF
Active1 January 1944 – 20 September 1945
Country
S/Ldr. (then) S.D. Watts, the first pilot to drop a 4,000 lbs "Cookie".[1]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryIn front of a pair of wings conjoined in base, a dagger, point downwards[1][2]
Squadron CodesP3 (Jan 1944 – Jun 1945)[3][4][5]
Aircraft flown
Bomberde Havilland Mosquito

No. 692 Squadron RAF was a light bomber squadron of the

Second World War
.

History

Loading a 4,000-lb "Cookie" onto a Mosquito B Mk IV at RAF Graveley

The squadron was formed on 1 January 1944 at

Light Night Striking Force of No. 8 Group RAF in Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Mosquito Mk.XVI bombers from March 1944 and by June 1944 the squadron had completely switched over to the newer variant.[2][6]

It was the first squadron to carry 4,000 lb bombs in Mosquitos,

The squadron had carried out 3,237 operational sorties (though one source claims a far lower number of sorties, 1,457[9]) for the loss of 17 aircraft.[10]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 692 Squadron RAF, data from[2][6][8]
From To Aircraft Variant
January 1944 June 1944 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.IV
March 1944 September 1945 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.XVI

Commanding officers

Though bearing the squadron markings of 571 Squadron here, this aircraft, Mosquito Mk.XVI ML963, was first issued to 109 Squadron on 9 March 1944, going on to 692 squadron on the 24 of the same month.
Officers commanding no. 692 Squadron RAF, data from[9]
From To Name
January 1944 March 1944
W/Cdr. W.G. Lockhart, DSO, DFC
March 1944 July 1944 W/Cdr. S.D. Watts, DFC (RNZAF)
July 1944 September 1945 W/Cdr. J. Northrop, DFC, AFC

Squadron Airfields

Stations and airfields used by No. 692 Squadron RAF, data from[2][6][8]
From To Name Remark
1 January 1944 4 June 1944 RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire Formed here
4 June 1944 20 September 1945
RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire
Disbanded here

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Moyes 1976, p. 291.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Halley 1988, p. 457.
  3. ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 84.
  4. ^ Bowyer 1984, p. 142.
  5. ^ Flintham & Thomas 2003, p. 96.
  6. ^ a b c Moyes 1976, p. 292.
  7. ^ a b Bowyer 1984, p. 132.
  8. ^ a b c Jefford 2001, p. 106.
  9. ^ a b Bowyer 1984, p. 135.
  10. ^ Falconer 2003, p. 257.

Bibliography

External links