No.601 Squadron
- Badge
- A winged sword
- Motto
- None
- Formed
- 14 October 1925
- Disbanded
- 10 March 1957
No 601 Squadron was formed at RAF Northolt on 14 October 1925 as the “County of London” squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force. Operating as a light bomber unit flying did not begin until May 1926. In January 1927 the unit moved to RAF Hendon. In July 1934 the squadron was redesignated a fight unit. During the German blitzkrieg on France in May 1940 the unit briefly moved to the Continent. During the Battle of Britain it was based in southern England.
In August 1941 it re-equipped with American Airacobras but it was unable to use these aircraft to their best advantage an soon discarded them. In April 1942 the squadron moved to the Middle East. No 601 Squadron was then involved in the North African war until its successful conclusion in May 1943. In June it moved to Malta and in July it moved again this time to Sicily. In October 1943 it moved to Italy where it remained for the rest of the war. On 14 August 1945 the unit disbanded.
On 10 May 1946 the squadron reformed at RAF Hendon. It moved to RAF North Weald in 1949 and converted to jet -fighters. On 10 March 1957 the unit disbanded.
AIRCRAFT
504K/N 1926 - 1926
DH9A 1926 - 1930
Wapiti 1929 - 1933
Hart 1933 - 1937
Demon 1937 - 1938
Gauntlet 1938 - 1939
Blenheim If 1939 - 1940
Hurricane I/II 1940 - 1942
Airacobra 1941 - 1942
Spitfire V/VIII/IX 1942 - 1945
Spitfire 16 1946 - 1949
Vampire 3 1949 - 1952
Meteor 8 1952 - 1957
Mosquito XIX 1945 - 1945
Spitfire 14/21/22 1946 - 1950
Meteor 4/8 1950 - 1957
Reference Sources
The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force
James J Halley Air Britain (Historians) Ltd 1988
RAF Squadrons
Wg Cdr C G Jefford Airlife 2001
Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
Phillip J R Moyes Macdonald & Jane’s 1976
Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft
John D R Rawlings Crecy Books 1993
« back to all squadrons