No. 622 Squadron

Motto: "Bellamus noctu" ("We wage war by night").
Badge: A long-eared owl volant affrontée, carrying in the claws a flash of lightning. The design is symbolic of the nocturnal activities of the squadron.
Authority: King George VI, October 1944.

No. 622 Squadron was formed at Mildenhall, Suffolk, on 10th August 1943, as a heavy-bomber squadron in No. 3 Group. Equipped originally with Stirlings, it was re-equipped with Lancasters in December 1943/January 1944. One of its Lancasters topped the century mark on operations; this was LL885 "J-Jig", a Mark I, which between 3Oth/3lst March 1944 (when it made its first operation-against Nuremberg) and 22nd April 1945 (when it finished with a sortie against Bremen) flew 113 operational sorties.

After finishing its offensive the squadron dropped food supplies to the starving Dutch people, ferried British ex-POWs home from the Continent, and British troops home from Italy.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:
Formed 10.8.43 as No. 622 (Bomber) Squadron from "C" FIt, of No. 15 (Bomber) Squadron at

• Mildenhall, Suffolk : Aug 1943 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Short Stirling III : Aug 1943-Dec 1943
• Avro Lancaster B.I, B.III : Dec 1943 onwards

Code Letters:

• "GI"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 10/11th August 1943 : 5 Stirlings bombed Nuremberg & 2 more Stirlings aborted.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 22nd April 1945 : 14 Lancasters despatched to bomb Bremen. 13 completed duty & returned to base & the other aircraft was shot down.

Last Mission before VE Day:

• 7th May 1945 : 17 Lancasters dropped supplies to Dutch at Leiden.

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