No. 625 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

History

The squadron was formed on 1 October 1943 at RAF Kelstern,

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

from 'C' flight of 100 Squadron. It was equipped with Avro Lancasters, as part of No. 1 Group RAF in

Bomber Command Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...

, of which it formed part between 18 October 1944 and 25 April 1945. The squadron mainly carried out night raids against Germany. On 5 April 1945, it moved to

RAF Scampton Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton is a Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and north-west of the city of Lincoln, England. RAF Scampton stands on the site of a Firs ...

. At the end of the war, the squadron dropped food to the starving Dutch people ( Operation Manna), and flew

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

repatriation flights from Belgium ( Operation Exodus) and repatriated British troops from Italy, before it was disbanded on 7 October 1945. In December 2010 the entire 625 Squadron Operational Records (ORB) and an Air Crew Roll Of Honour was compiled into a searchable database - contact www.lancaster-archive.com for more information

First operational mission

18–19 October 1943 *9 Lancasters bombed

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

Last operational mission

25 April 1945 *11 Lancasters bombed Obersalzberg

Last mission before V.E. (Victory of Europe) Day

7 May 1945 *13 Lancasters dropped supplies to Dutch at

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

and another Lancaster aborted

Aircraft operated

Squadron bases

The squadron memorial stands near the village of Kelstern. It was erected in 1964 and was the first to be erected to the memory of a single squadron.

Notable Members

* David Mattingley, DFC *Robert Byron Pattison, DFC *Donald Fairborn DFC *Francis Aldred *William Stuart Telford, DFC *Edward Norman (Ted) Bell, Distinguished Flying Cross, Australia. *James King law *Flt. Lt. Burford (Skipper, Kelstern 44-45) *F/S Tony Gilbert (Rear Gunner, Kelstern 44-45) *Sgt. Forder (Engineer, Kelstern 44-45) *F/O Lines (B/A, Kelstern 44-45) *F/S Hood (Navigator, Kelstern 44-45) *Sgt Baker (Mid Upper, Kelstern 44-45)

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Squadron history for nos. 621-650 sqn. at RAF Web

{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 625 Squadron Raf Bomber squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II 625 Squadron Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945