No. 651 Squadron AAC


No. 651 Squadron Army Air Corps, is an aircraft squadron of the British Army, originally formed as No. 651 Squadron Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War, and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units which had both Army and RAF personnel. The pilots, drivers and signallers were in the Royal Artillery whilst the adjutants, technical staff and equipment officers came from the RAF. Air observation posts were used primarily for artillery spotting, but occasionally for liaison and other duties. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.

History

No 651 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 August 1941. It went into action in November 1942, during Operation Torch in North Africa. It later served in North Africa, Italy and finally Egypt from 1945 where it remained until 1 November 1955. On that same day, No. 657 Squadron RAF was re-numbered to 651 Squadron at RAF Middle Wallop, it now flew Sycamore helicopters as well as Austers.
No. 1908 Independent Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 651 Squadron previously 'A' Flight along with No. 1909 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 651 Squadron previously 'B' Flight.
On 1 September 1957, the squadron was transferred to the Army Air Corps and became No. 651 Squadron AAC.
On 1 April 2019, 651 Squadron and its aircraft, the Britten-Norman Defender and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, were transferred to the Royal Air Force as part of ISTAR Force in No. 1 Group based at RAF Waddington. 651 Squadron continued to operate the aircraft until they were retired from service on 30 June 2021. On 1 August 2021, 651 Squadron transferred back to the Army as part of 1 Regiment AAC.

Airfields used

BaseArrivalNotesNext BaseArrivalNotesNext BaseArrivalNotesNext BaseArrivalNotes
RAF Old Sarum1 August 1941FormedRAF Dumfries31 July 1942RAF Kidsdale11 August 1942Gourock30 October 1942En route to North Africa

BaseArrivalNotesNext BaseArrivalNotesNext BaseArrivalNotesNext BaseArrivalNotes
Algiers13 November 1942AlgeriaRAF Bone17 November 1942AlgeriaBéja11 December 1942TunisiaSouk el Arba12 January 1943Tunisia
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Medjez el Bab19 April 1943TunisiaLa Marsa14 May 1943TunisiaSfax22 May 1943TunisiaSousse25 May 1943Tunisia
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RAF Castel Benito4 June 1943LibyaSousse9 June 1943Tunisia--------

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Syracuse19 July 1943SicilyLentinti14 August 1943Italy3727N 1500E5 August 1943ItalyLentinti14 August 1943Italy
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Scordia1 September 1943SicilyVibo Valentine17 September 1943ItalyFirmo21 September 1943ItalyGioia del Colle24 September 1943Italy
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Altamura27 September 1943ItalyCanosa30 September 1943ItalySan Severo2 October 1943ItalyTorremaggiore10 October 1943Italy
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Serracapriola1 November 1943ItalyVastro8 November 1943ItalyBari7 March 1944ItalyPaglieta6 April 1944Italy
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San Vito9 June 1944ItalyRoseto degli Abruzzi20 June 1944ItalyTorre de Palme23 June 1944ItalyFermo29 June 1944Italy
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Recanati3 July 1944ItalySan Bernadino21 July 1944ItalyMonte Marciano29 July 1944ItalyFabriano19 August 1944Italy
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Pergola25 August 1944ItalyFossombrone29 August 1944ItalyMorciano5 September 1944ItalySerravalle25 September 1944Italy
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4402N 1230E4 October 1944ItalySanta Arcangelo15 October 1944ItalyCesena29 October 1944ItalyForlì16 November 1944Italy
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Porto San Elpidio24 January 1945ItalyForlì28 February 1945ItalyVilla Broochi6 March 1945Italy4428N 1214E31 March 1945Italy
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4424N 1202E12 April 1945Italy4431N 1204E15 April 1945ItalyMontesanto24 April 1945ItalyFerrara27 April 1945Italy
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Padua1 May 1945ItalyUdine4 May 1945ItalyKlagenfurt10 May 1945Austria----

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Gorizia7 October 1945ItalyRAF Aboukir9 November 1945EgyptRAF Ismailia10 November 1945EgyptRAF Ramleh2 February 1946Mandatory Palestine
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RAF Petah Tikva10 July 1946Mandatory PalestineRAF Qastina1 June 1947Mandatory PalestineRAF Petah Tikva11 February 1948Mandatory PalestineSarafand28 April 1948Mandatory Palestine
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RAF Fayid12 May 1948EgyptRAF Castel Benito26 August 1948LibyaRAF Ismailia15 November 1951EgyptDisbanded1 November 1955

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RAF Middle Wallop1 November 1955ReformedRAF Feltwell4 April 1957Disbanded - 1 September 1957.

Army Air Corps

  • Locations and notes: Formerly No. 651 Light Aircraft Squadron AAC
  • RAF Feltwell
RAF Debden
Middle Wallop
RAF Nicosia
Middle Wallop (1964 - 66