No. 653 Squadron (RAF): Second World War

Aircraft - Locations - Group and Duty - Books

No.653 Squadron was an Air Observation Post that landed in Normandy towards the end of June 1944 and that supported army in Europe for the rest of the war.

Air Observation Post squadrons were created to provide airborne observers for the artillery (see No.651 Squadron for more details). Most of their aircrews came from the army, and they used light aircraft (most Austers) which flew above their own guns using the altitude to spot targets over the horizon.

No.653 Squadron was formed on 20 June 1942. It spent just over two years preparing for combat, and moved to Normandy on 27 June 1944, D+21. The squadron supported army as it advanced across north-western Europe and into Germany. The squadron was disbanded in Germany on 15 September 1945.

Aircraft
June-September 192: Tiger Moth
August 1942-March 1943: British Taylorcraft Auster I
March 1943-April 1944: British Taylorcraft Auster III
February 1944-September 1945: British Taylorcraft Auster IV
July 1944-September 1945: British Taylorcraft Auster V

Location
June-July 1942: Old Sarum
July-September 1942: Farnborough
September 1942-August 1943: Penshurst
August-September 1943: Sissinghurst
September-December 1943: Penshurst
December 1943: Weston Zoyland
December 1943-June 1944: Penshurst
June 1944-May 1945: Dispersed around bases in northern Europe
May-June 1945: Altona
June-September 1945: Hoya

Squadron Codes: -

Duty
1942-June 1944: Air Observation Post, Home Based
June 1944 onwards: Air Observation Post, north-western Europe

Books

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