No. 652 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It was previously No. 652 Squadron RAF, a unit of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany.
Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664, 665 and 666, were AOP units of the Royal Canadian Air Force manned by Canadian and British personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.[1][2]
No. 652 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire, on 1 May 1942 and went into action in Normandy on 7 June 1944 in support of the British Second Army and the Operation Overlord landings. Most of its pilots and observers came from the British Army, while maintenance was carried out by RAF personnel. The squadron moved with the Second Army through France, Belgium and the Netherlands into Germany.
The squadron's motto was Latin: Sive aere sive campo
(Translation: "In the air and in the field"),[1] for an identification symbol it had "In front of wings conjoined in base, a gun barrel fesswise"[1] and for a identification symbol it used XM (Sep 1946–1951)[3][4]
'C' Flight, No. 652 Squadron RAF has been credited with firing the last British shots of the war in Europe while directing artillery fire at the siege of Dunkirk on 7 May 1945, sharing in this action with No. 665 Squadron RCAF.
After the German surrender it remained as part of the British Air Forces of Occupation, later of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.
The following flights operated in conjuction with the squadron: No. 1902 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'A' Flight[5]No. 1903 Air Observation Post Flight which was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'B' Flight[5]No. 1904 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron previously 'C' Flight[5]No. 1905 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 652 Squadron[5]
The unit was disbanded in September 1957, when it was merged into the Army Air Corps.[6]
The squadron was transferred to the Army on 1 September 1957 while the unit was in Germany. Between 1966 and October 1969 the unit was employed as 1 Division Army Aviation HQ.[8]
During the Cold War, the squadron was part of No. 2 Regiment AAC (along with 662 Sqn), the two squadrons were at different locations, 662 Sqn was at Münster, and 652 was at Bünde. About 1984, as a result of changing the structure of AAC Regiments, 2 Regiment was disbanded and 652 Sqn became part of 1 Regiment AAC at Hildesheim, Germany - each regiment now consisting of three squadrons and a HQ Troop. Sometime after 1990, 1 Regiment moved to Gutersloh, Germany.[citation needed]
The unit converted to the AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1 and moved to RNAS Yeovilton becoming the Wildcat Fielding Squadron, training aircrews.[10]