No. 605 Squadron RAF
No 605 Squadron was formed as an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron. Initially formed as a bomber unit, it was one of the most successful participants of the Battle of Britain. It also had the distinction of being active during the Second World War at two fronts at a time, when the squadron was split up between Malta and the Dutch East Indies. In its last incarnation as an active flying unit, the squadron served as the first jet fighter unit in the post-war Royal Auxiliary Air Force; 616 having already flown Gloster Meteors during the war. No. 605 Squadron was reformed as a RAuxAF Logistic Support Squadron on 1 Nov 2014 within No. 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing of the RAF A4 Force. Reservist recruitment commenced on 30 May 2015.
History
Formation and early years
No. 605 Squadron was formed on 5 October 1926 at RAF Castle Bromwich as a day bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force, recruiting in the Birmingham area. Initially equipped with DH.9As, it received Westland Wapitis in April 1930 and Hawker Harts in October 1934. The latter were replaced by Hawker Hinds in August 1936. On 1 January 1939 No. 605 squadron was redesignated as a fighter squadron and re-equipped with Gloster Gladiators.Second World War
s began to arrive a few weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War, and the squadron took up its war station at RAF Tangmere with a mixture of six Hurricanes and ten Gladiators, completing re-equipment during October 1939. In February 1940 the squadron moved to Scotland, but returned south in May to fly patrols over northern France for a week before moving back to Scotland at RAF Drem. It again moved south again in September for the closing stages of the Battle of Britain. It then continued to operate from bases in the south, carrying out escort duties and fighter sweeps until posted overseas.To the middle and far east
In November 1941, the squadron flew off the carrier to Malta, where it was retained as part of the island's defences, prior to continuing its journey to the Far East. Arriving in Singapore too late to prevent its capture, it moved to Sumatra and then to Java, in the event caught up in the Japanese invasion. It operated any aircraft it could fly until it ceased to exist with its personnel either escaping in small groups or being captured. In the meantime, a small detachment of the squadron had been left on Malta during the transit journey to the Far East and a unit there which began operations on 10 January 1942 used the squadron number in its reports, which ended the following month, on being absorbed into No. 185 Squadron RAF.Reformation as night intruders
A new No. 605 squadron was formed at RAF Ford on 7 June 1942, equipped with Douglas Boston and Havocs in the intruder role. These were replaced with de Havilland Mosquitoes from February 1943 and it continued to operate this type until the end of the war. During this period, Peter Middleton, the grandfather of the Duchess of Cambridge, was a pilot on the squadron. At this time, the Mosquito pilots used their wing-tips to divert V1 flying bombs off course whilst en route to London. The squadron moved to Belgium in March 1945 and then the Netherlands in April. The squadron disbanded by being re-numbered to No. 4 Squadron RAF on 31 August 1945 at Volkel Air Base.NF.30 of 605 Squadron in 1948
After the war
With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, No. 605 squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946 at RAF Honiley as a night fighter squadron, though its initial equipment of Mosquito NF.30s did not arrive until April 1947. In July 1948 the squadron's role was changed to that of a day fighter squadron, for which it received de Havilland Vampire F.1s, replacing them with Vampire FB.5s in May 1951. A little short of six years later the squadron was disbanded, along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, on 10 March 1957.Present day
No. 605 Squadron was reformed as a RAF Reserve Logistics Support Squadron on 1 Nov 2014 within No. 85 Expeditionary Logistics Wing of the RAF A4 Force. Based at RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, they started recruiting reservist drivers, chefs, suppliers and police from May 2015 onwards which will be broken down as 120 part-time and 14 full-time posts. They expect to be fully operational by May 2019.Aircraft operated
Squadron bases
Commanding officers
Commanding Officers of 605 Squadron include:| From | To | Name |
| October 1926 | March 1936 | S/Ldr. J.A.C. Wright, AFC, TD |
| March 1936 | December 1939 | S/Ldr. Lord Willoughby de Broke, MC, AFC |
| December 1939 | May 1940 | S/Ldr G.V. Perry |
| May 1940 | June 1940 | F/Lt. R.G. Grant-Ferris, MP |
| June 1940 | September 1940 | S/Ldr. W.M. Churchill, DSO, DFC |
| September 1940 | November 1940 | S/Ldr. A.A. McKellar, DSO, DFC |
| November 1940 | November 1940 | F/Lt. C.F. Currant, DFC |
| February 1942 | March 1942 | S/Ldr. E.W. Wright, DFM |
| June 1942 | August 1942 | W/Cdr. P.W. Townsend, DSO, DFC |
| August 1942 | May 1943 | W/Cdr. G.L. Denholm, DFC |
| May 1943 | September 1943 | W/Cdr. C.D Tomalin, AFC |
| September 1943 | April 1944 | W/Cdr. B.R.O'B Hoare, DSO, DFC and Bar |
| April 1944 | September 1944 | W/Cdr. N.J. Star, DFC |
| September 1944 | March 1945 | W/Cdr. R.A.Mitchell, DFC and Bar |
| March 1945 | April 1945 | S/Ldr. A.G.Woods, DFC |
| April 1945 | July 1945 | W/Cdr. A.W. Horne, DFC, AFC |
| July 1945 | May 1946 | S/Ldr. I.F.McCall, DFC |
| May 1946 | December 1947 | S/Ldr. R.J. Walker, DSO |
| December 1947 | July 1949 | S/Ldr. R.C.T. Goodwin, |
| July 1949 | August 1951 | S/Ldr. J.A. Timmis, |
| August 1951 | May 1956 | S/Ldr. P.M.R. Walton, |
| May 1956 | March 1957 | S/Ldr. R.E. Tickner, |
| March 1957 | All RAuxAF units disbanded | |
| August 2014 | Reformed as a Logistics Support and RAF Police Sqn | |
| August 2014 | November 2015 | Wg Cdr. M. Sherburn, |
| November 2015 | January 2016 | Sqn Ldr. T. Newton, |
| January 2016 | May 2019 | Wg Cdr. P.N. Bell, |
| May 2019 | July 2019 | Wg Cdr. A.G. Kime, |
| July 2019 | present | Sqn Ldr. C.J. Krolikowski, |