RAF 624 (Special Duties ) Squadron

 

624 (Special Duties) Squadron was formed at Blida Algeria in September 1943 from 1575 Flight. Its duties were to drop supplies & agents to the resistance in the South of France, Italy, Yugoslavia etc. It was tasked by a Special Operations Executive unit known as I.S.S.U.6 (Inter Services Signals Unit 6), and situated on the coast west of Algiers.

 

1575 Flight was formed at Tempsford in May 1943 with a flight of Halifax’s and two Ventura 11 aircraft under the command of Sqn Ldr J.B. Austin.

 

I was the navigator of Ventura AE948, captained by P/O Bob Forbes RNZAF. We flew out to Blida in June 1943. The Halifax’s operating over the South of France, whilst the Ventura’s started operating from Tunisia and were also used as VIP transport by I.S.S.U.6.

 

Ventura AE 881 captained by Flying Officer Boothby went missing in September 1943 and the other crashed on landing on an airstrip in Tunisia on 27^th September 1943. They were not replaced, my crew were posted, but I remained with the squadron at Sidi Amor in Tunisia. Wing Commander C Stanbury now commanded 624 Squadron.

 

A Flight commander was Sq Ldr Austin and B Flight commander was Sq Ldr Mawer.

 

After a few weeks the Squadron moved to Brindisi, the advance party of about 200 airmen and motor transport under Flt Lt Short as O/C and myself as adjutant moved by road to Birgerta and then by Tank Handling Ship (LST) to Terants and on by road to Brindisi, which had only recently been evacuated by the Germans. The rest of the squadron followed with the Halifax’s and began operating over the Balkans.

 

After a couple of months, the squadron returned to Blida in February 1944 for operations over the South of France. I was acting as Squadron Operations Officer.

 

A number of Stirling 1V aircraft wre added to the squadron. As the liberation of France proceeded the squadron was disbanded in September 1944. I understand that it was later re-formed with the Walrus aircraft as a mine-spotting squadron in Italy.

 

The squadron was pretty well self supporting, having its own ancillary services.

 

A number of the aircrew were from Canada, Australia & New Zealand.

 

Wing Commander Stanbury DSO DFC later Group Captain died in 1996 at the age of 80.

Squadron Leader Allen Mawer DFC later an Air Commodore has also passed away.

Squadron Leader Austin DFC Croix De Guerre is I believe still around.

Stories

Recollections of 624 Squadron by John D Russell ( FLT. LT )