No. 603 Squadron RAF
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No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Scotland. The primary role of 603 Squadron, since reforming on 1 October 1999, has been as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing Force Protection and Mission Support. This mission support is provided for maritime forces; as well as Royal Air Force and NATO units, if required.
[edit] History
No. 603 Squadron was formed on 14 October 1925 at Turnhouse as a day bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force. Originally equipped with DH9As and using Avro 504Ks for flying training, the squadron re-equipped with Wapitis in March 1930, these being replaced by Harts in February 1934. On 24 October 1938, No. 603 was redesignated a fighter unit and flew Hinds until the arrival of Gladiators at the end of March 1939. Within two weeks of the outbreak of war in September 1939, the squadron began to receive Spitfires and passed on its Gladiators to other squadrons during October. It was operational with Spitfires in time to intercept the first German air raid on the British Isles on 16 October, when it destroyed the first enemy aircraft to be shot down over Britain in the Second World War. It remained on defensive duties in Scotland until the end of August 1940, when it moved to southern England for the remaining months of the Battle of Britain, returning to Scotland at the end of December. In May 1941, the squadron moved south again to take part in sweeps over France until the end of the year. After a further spell in Scotland, No.603 left in April 1942 for the Middle East where its ground echelon arrived early in June. The squadron's aircraft were embarked on the US carrier 'Wasp' and flown off to Malta on 20 April to reinforce the fighter defences of the beleaguered island. After nearly four months defending Malta, the remaining pilots and aircraft were absorbed by No.229 Squadron on 3 August 1942.
At the end of June 1942, No.603's ground echelon had moved to Cyprus, where it spent six months as a servicing unit before returning to Egypt. In February 1943, Beaufighters and crews arrived to begin convoy patrols and escort missions along the African coast and in August sweeps over German held islands in the Aegean and off Greece began. Attacks on enemy shipping continued until the lack of targets enabled the squadron to be returned to the UK in December 1944.
On 10 January 1945, No.603 reassembled at Coltishall and by curious coincidence, took over the Spitfires of No.229 Squadron and some of its personnel, the same squadron which had absorbed No.603 at Takali in 1942. Fighter-bomber sweeps began in February over the Netherlands and continued until April, when the squadron returned to its home base at Turnhouse for the last days of the war. On 15 August 1945, the squadron was disbanded.
No.603 reformed as a unit of the Auxiliary Air Force on 10 May and began recruiting personnel to man a Spitfire squadron during June at Turnhouse. Receiving its first Spitfire in October, it flew this type until conversion to Vampires in May 1951. By July it was completely equipped and the type was flown until disbandment on 10 March 1957.
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