TRUE STORY OF 666 SQUADRON RAF
No. 666 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Air Observation Post
(AOP) squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army and later part
of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. 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.
No. 666 Squadron RCAF was first formed on
5 March 19451 at
RAF Andover as an air observation post (AOP)
squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army. After a period
working together with the Canadian army and later with the
occupation forces in Germany the squadron disbanded on 30 September
1946.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._666_Squadron_RAF
No. 666 Squadron RCAF
Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF
were Air Observation Post units working closely with army units in
artillery spotting and liaison. Three additional squadrons were
Canadian, and approved on the RCAF list in
the late summer of 1944: No. 664 Squadron RCAF, No. 665 Squadron RCAF, and
No. 666 Squadron RCAF. The Canadian pilots
were officers recruited from the Royal Canadian Artillery and
trained to fly at 22 E.F.T.S. Cambridge, and further trained for
operational flying at No. 43 Operational Training Unit RAF, at RAF Andover.
The squadron was formed at RAF Andover,
England, on 5 March 1945, the third Air Observation Post squadron
consisting of Canadian personnel to be formed at RAF Andover, after a 1944 parliamentary debate in Ottawa,
Canada, resulted in the approval of three AOP
squadrons to be added to the RCAF list, in
support of the 1st Canadian Army. The squadron operated under the
overall command of No. 70 Group, RAF Fighter
Command.
Royal Canadian Artillery Major Dave Ely initially took command
of each of the three squadrons, and was assisted by two
RCAF Flight Lieutenants, D. Dougall (Acting
Squadron Adjutant) and A.R. Woodhouse (Squadron Equipment officer).
Major Ely was also assisted by nine AOP
trained Royal Artillery Officers, who began training the squadron’s
other ranks.
In the last week of March, 1945, 666 Squadron’s aircraft –
sixteen Auster Mark V’s – began to arrive, along with the
squadron’s ground transport. On 7 May 1945, ten qualified Canadian
AOP pilots were posted to the squadron, and
from their ranks, Captain A.B. Stewart was elevated to Squadron
Captain. In April, 666 began a succession of moves: on 17 April, to
Alfriston Aerodrome; on 28 May, to Gilze-Rijen, the Netherlands; on
6 June, to be headquartered at Hilversum, from where the squadron’s
three subordinate Flights were dispersed to Dordrecht, Alkmaar, and
Ede.
On 12 June, Major Ely left 666 Squadron after being reassigned
to Canadian Far East Force (CFEF), and was replaced by Major A.B.
Stewart as Officer Commanding. Through the summer of 1945, the
squadron was tasked with ‘air taxi’ duties in support of 1st
Canadian Infantry Division, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and #1
Canadian AGRA (Army Groups Royal Artillery).
On 25 June, 666 Squadron moved from Hilversum to Apeldoorn, the
Netherlands, joining 664 Squadron and 665 Squadron in that
location, then under the overall command of the First Canadian
Army.
With the disbanding of 665 (AOP) Squadron, on 10 July 1945, many
of the remaining personnel from that squadron were transferred to
666 Squadron. Tasking thereafter included VIP, Courier, and Communications Flight duties in support
of Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF). No. 666 Squadron
RCAF in its turn was disbanded at Apeldoorn,
the Netherlands, on 31 October 1945. The squadron had no motto or
heraldic crest assigned to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._666_Squadron_RCAF