No 601 (County of London) Squadron

No 601 (County of London) Squadron

Motto: None - The reason for this as quoted by Flt Lt Robin van Geene is: -

"600 and 601 Sqns had a great pre war rivalry, being both formed on the same day, and both based in adjacent hangers at RAF Hendon (Now the main building of the RAF Museum) When it came to choosing a crest and motto 601 chose the Latin for "One more than 600" i.e. 601 However this was considered by the College of Heralds, who never it seems had a sense of humour, to be a slight on the worthy name of 600 Sqn. The CO of 601 then decided if he couldn't have the motto he wanted, he wouldn't have a motto at all."

Formed at Northolt on 14 October 1925 as a light bomber squadron in the Auxiliary Air Force. As one of the first two Auxiliary squadrons, it was May 1926 before flying could begin and this was initially carried out on the Avro 504K. Operational aircraft arrived the following year in the form of DH9As. Wapiti's began arriving in November 1929, but the DH9As continued in use for another year. Conversion to Harts began in February 1933 and was completed by June. It continued in this role until 1 July 1934 when it was redesignated a fighter squadron, however, it was not re-equipped with Demons until August 1937.

Gauntlets arrived in November 1938 but in the following January it began converting to the twin engined Blenheim, which it took to war on patrol in September 1939. Single seat fighters returned in March 1940 with the arrival of Hurricanes. It operated from the UK except for a small detachment sent to France, taking part in the Battle of Britain and later conducting fighter sweeps and escort duties over the continent.

In August 1941, the squadron was chosen to introduce a new type into RAF service, the American Bell P39 Airacobra. However, this type was found totally unsuited to operations in the European environment and in March 1942, 601 reverted to Spitfires. The following month saw the squadron embark for the Middle East, flying off the carrier USS Wasp to join the air battles over Malta. In June the squadron moved to Egypt where it joined the Desert Air Force, continuing to fly operations in North Africa until June 1943 when it moved back to Malta in order to support the invasion of Sicily. It moved into Sicily after the landings and later supported the Eighth Army through Italy until disbanding on 7 May 1945.

With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 601 was reformed on 10 May 1946 at Hendon as a day fighter squadron. It was initially equipped with Spitfire LF 16s until December 1949 when Vampire F 3s replaced them fully. These were replaced by Meteor F 8s beginning in August 1952 but along with all the flying units of the RAuxAF, it was disbanded on 10 March 1957.

Standards:

Standard originally awarded on 15 Jan 1952 but presented

Battle Honours:

France & Low Countries, 1940; Dunkirk: Battle of Britain, 1940: Home Defence, 1940-42: Fortress Europe, 1941-42: Malta, 1942: Egypt & Libya, 1942: El Alamein: El Hamma: North Africa, 1943: Sicily, 1943: Italy, 1943-45: Anzio & Nettuno: Gustav Line: Gothic Line:

Squadron Codes used: -

YN Jan 1939 - Sep 1939
UF Sep 1939 - Apr 1942, Apr 1942 - Aug 1945
1 & 2 Apr 1942
RAH May 1946 - 1949
HT 1949 - Apr 1951

Aircraft operated by no. 601 Squadron

From	To	Aircraft	Version
May 1926	June 1926	Avro 504	K, N
June 1926	October 1930	Airco DH.9	A
November 1929	June 1933	Westland Wapiti	Mks.IIa, VI
February 1933	August 1937	Hawker Hart
August 1937	November 1938	Hawker Demon
November 1938	March 1939	Gloster Gauntlet	Mk.II
January 1939	March 1940	Bristol Blenheim	Mk.If
March 1940	March 1941	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.I
March 1941	January 1942	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIb
August 1941	March 1942	Bell Airacobra	Mk.I
March 1942	April 1942	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vb
May 1942	January 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.Vc
June 1943	August 1943	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IX
July 1943	June 1944	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.VIII
June 1944	May 1945	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IXb
December 1946	December 1949	Supermarine Spitfire	LF.16e
November 1949	September 1952	de Havilland Vampire	F.3
August 1952	March 1957	Gloster Meteor	F.8

Bases and airfields used by no. 601 Squadron

From	To	Base
14 October 1925	18 January 1927	RAF Northolt, Middlesex
18 January 1927	2 September 1939	RAF Hendon, Middlesex
2 September 1939	30 December 1939	RAF Biggin Hill, Kent
30 December 1939	1 June 1940	RAF Tangmere, Sussex (Dets. at Merville and Saint-Valery-en-Caux, France)
1 June 1940	17 June 1940	RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire
17 June 1940	19 August 1940	RAF Tangmere, Sussex
19 August 1940	2 September 1940	RAF Debden, Essex
2 September 1940	7 September 1940	RAF Tangmere, Sussex
7 September 1940	17 December 1940	RAF Exeter, Devon
17 December 1940	1 May 1941	RAF Northolt, Middlesex
1 May 1941	30 June 1941	RAF Manston, Kent
30 June 1941	16 August 1941	RAF Matlaske, Norfolk
16 August 1941	2 January 1942	RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire
2 January 1942	25 March 1942	RAF Acaster Malbis, York
25 March 1942	10 April 1942	RAF Digby, Lincolnshire
10 April 1942	20 April 1942	en route to Egypt
20 April 1942	23 June 1942	RAF Luqa, Malta (aircrew)
23 June 1942	25 June 1942	Maryut, Egypt (ground- and aircrew reunited)
25 June 1942	29 June 1942	LG.13/Sidi Haneish South, Egypt
29 June 1942	24 July 1942	LG.154, Egypt
24 July 1942	29 July 1942	LG.173, Egypt
29 July 1942	5 August 1942	LG.85, Egypt
5 August 1942	11 August 1942	LG.219 Kilo 8/Matariyah/Payne Field, Egypt
11 August 1942	22 August 1942	Helwan, Egypt
22 August 1942	26 September 1942	LG.154, Egypt
26 September 1942	7 November 1942	LG.92, Egypt
7 November 1942	9 November 1942	LG.21/Qotafiyah III, Egypt
9 November 1942	12 November 1942	LG.13/Sidi Haneish South, Egypt
12 November 1942	14 November 1942	LG.155, Egypt
14 November 1942	25 November 1942	Gambut West, Libya
25 November 1942	4 December 1942	Msus, Libya
4 December 1942	8 December 1942	El Hassiet, Libya
8 December 1942	21 December 1942	El Nogra, Libya
21 December 1942	31 December 1942	El Merduma, Libya
31 December 1942	9 January 1943	Alalm El Chel, Libya
9 January 1943	20 January 1943	Hamraiet, Libya
20 January 1943	17 February 1943	Darragh North, Libya
17 February 1943	26 February 1943	Castel Benito, Libya
26 February 1943	1 March 1943	Hazbub Main, Tunesia
1 March 1943	9 March 1943	Ben Gardane South, Tunesia
9 March 1943	11 March 1943	Hazbub North, Tunesia
11 March 1943	4 April 1943	Bu Grara, Tunesia (Det. at El Hamma, Tunesia)
4 April 1943	12 April 1943	Gabes Main, Tunesia
12 April 1943	16 April 1943	La Fauconnerie, Tunesia
16 April 1943	7 May 1943	Goubrine North, Tunesia
7 May 1943	21 May 1943	Hergla North, Tunesia
21 May 1943	15 June 1943	Ben Gardane North, Tunesia
15 June 1943	13 July 1943	RAF Luqa, Malta
13 July 1943	17 July 1943	Pachino, Sicily, Italy
17 July 1943	25 July 1943	Cassibile, Sicily, Italy
25 July 1943	5 October 1943	Lentini West
5 October 1943	18 October 1943	Tortorella
18 October 1943	26 November 1943	Triolo
26 November 1943	18 January 1944	Canne
18 January 1944	23 April 1944	Marcianise, Italy (Det. at Madna)
23 April 1944	12 June 1944	Venafro, Italy
12 June 1944	17 June 1944	Littorio, Italy
17 June 1944	3 July 1944	Fabrica, Italy
3 July 1944	24 August 1944	Perugia, Italy
24 August 1944	4 September 1944	Loreto, Italy
4 September 1944	4 December 1944	Fano, Italy
4 December 1944	3 May 1945	Bellaria, Italy
3 May 1945	14 August 1945	Treviso, Italy
10 May 1946	10 March 1957	RAF Hendon, Middlesex