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619 Squadron
Official Squadron badge of No. 619 Squadron RAF
Active
Country
Branch
Motto(s)
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Squadron Badge
heraldry
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Squadron
Codes
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Bomber
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18 April 1943 – 18 July 1945
United Kingdom
Royal Air Force
Ad Altoria
A heron vigilant, holding before him a battle axe with its right paw
KV (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939
allocated, but never used)[4]
PG (Apr 1943 – Jul 1945)
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Avro Lancaster
Four-engined heavy bomber
Airspeed Oxford
Twin-engined trainer
Insignia
Aircraft flown
No. 619 Squadron RAF
No. 619 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, flying Lancaster bombers from bases in Lincolnshire.
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The Squadron was formed out of elements of 97 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa on 18 April 1943 before moving onto nearby RAF Coningsby in January 1944, equipped with Lancaster Mk.III bombers, as part of 5 Group in Bomber Command. It also briefly flew Lancaster Mk.I bombers in the first month of operation. Their first mission was flown on the night of 11 June 1943, when 12 Lancasters were sent to bomb targets in Düsseldorf, and the last bombing mission was flown on 25 April 1945, when 6 Lancasters tried to bomb SS barracks at Berchtesgaden. The last operational mission was flown a day later, when 2 Lancasters laid mines in the Oslo Fjordnear Horten. After that mission the squadron ferried ex-prisoners of war back to the United Kingdom from Belgium (Operation Exodus). The squadron operated out of various Lincolnshire stations, before being disbanded at RAF Skellingthorpe on 18 July 1945.
Members of the squadron were awarded 1 DSO, 76 DFCs and 37 DFMs. The squadron was mentioned 10 times in despatches.
Flying Officer P Ingleby, the navigator of a Lancaster of 619 Squadron based at RAF Coningsby, seated at his table in the aircraft
On Friday 15th April 2011 the 619 Squadron Association, including family and friends, had their yearly reunion at the Thorpe Camp Visitor Centre, Tattershall Thorpe. Members of the 619 Sqn their families and friends in front of the War Memorial. L.- R.- Sqn Ldr Joe Dutton and Friends of the 619 Sqn. Mr and Mrs A “Sandy” Sandison (Sqn Ldr) Photos by Thorpe Camp Preservation Group.
Lancaster LM446 of no. 619 Squadron, coded PG-H
Air Commodore Charles Clarke OBE
619 Squadron Lancasters bomb aimer. Shot down on the night of 24/25 February 1944 on a raid to Schweinfurt (FTR 24 Feb 944 - POW).
On Friday the 20th April 2012
Wreath Laying at the Memorial Garden
