No. 608 Squadron

Motto: "Omnibus unguiis" (" With all talons").
Badge: A falcon's leg, erased, belied and fessed. The falcon's leg was chosen to indicate the squadron's readiness to go into the air at any time and attack tooth and nail.
Authority: King George VI, July 1937.

No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron was formed at Thornaby-onTees, Yorkshire, on 17th March 1930, as an Auxiliary Air Force light-bomber squadron, its first operational aircraft (not received until the summer) being the Westland Wapiti. In January 1937, it was converted to the fighter role and reequipped with Hawker Demons, and, a few months before the outbreak of war, underwent further changes and became a general-reconnaissance squadron. For nearly two years its main task was convoy escort with Anson, Botha and Blenheim aircraft. In mid-1941 it was re-equipped with Hudsons and was subsequently allotted more offensive tasks, including attacks on land targets on the Norwegian and Danish coasts. On 17th May 1942, it took part in an attack on the German cruiser Prinz Eugen.

In the closing months of 1942 the squadron moved to North Africa. Its role continued to be general reconnaissance and as the campaign progressed it moved on to Sicily and Italy.

The squadron was disbanded on 31st July 1944, but on the following day it re-formed at Downham Market in England as part of No 8 (PFF) Group's Light Night Striking Force. It was equipped with Mosquitos - Mk XXs initially - and between 5/6th August 1944 and 2nd/3rd May 1945, flew 1,726 operational sorties against key German industrial centres and ports, including Berlin, Frankfurt, Hanover, Essen, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Hamburg, Emden and Kiel.

Bomber Command WWII Bases: Re-formed 1.8.44 as a light bomber Sqn at

• Downham Market : Aug 1944 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• de Havilland Mosquito B.XX, B.XXV, B.XVI : Aug 1944 onwards

Code Letters:

• "6T"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 5/6th August 1944 : 1 Mosquito bombed Wanne-Eickel.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 2nd/3rd May 1945 : 15 Mosquitos, operating in two waves (of 7 & 8 respectively), bombed Kiel. Another Mosquito, despatched in first wave, aborted.

[ Aircraft | Background | Commanders | Diary | Anatomy | Groups ]
[ Famous Raids | Gallery | Squadrons | Stations ]

[ Home ]
[ Return to the RAF Site ]

© Crown Copyright 2004 and © Deltaweb International Ltd 2004