No. 63 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia

In World War I

No. 63 Squadron was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...

, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...

 in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last minute the squadron was re-tasked to operate against the Turkish army in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...

 (Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

) and was re-equipped with R.E.8's
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed by John Kenworthy. Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was more difficult to fly, and was regarded with great suspicion at first in the Royal...

 for its new mission, when the squadron arrived in the Middle East in August 1917. No. 63 Squadron remained in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war, and it was disbanded in 1920.

Prelude to war

In February 1937, now as a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 unit, the squadron was refounded at Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...

, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

 as a bomber unit, and three months later became the first unit to receive the Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...

 aircraft. Early in 1939 the unit was assigned an aircrew training role, and received a number of Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...

s, but the unit lost its separate identity in April 1940 when it became a part of No. 12 OTU.

In World War II

On 15 June 1942 No. 63 Squadron was reformed from part of No. 239 Squadron
No. 239 Squadron RAF
No. 239 Squadron RAF was an anti-submarine squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War I. During World War II the squadron performed as an army co-operation squadron and later as a night intruder unit. After the war the squadron was disbanded....

 at Gatwick, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

, and commenced flying from Odiham
Odiham
Odiham is a historic village and large civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It is twinned with Sourdeval in the Manche Department of France. The current population is 4,406. The parish contains an acreage of 7,354 acres with 50 acres of land covered with water. The nearest...

 with Alison engined Mustangs in January 1943. In January 1944 the squadron moved to Turnhouse in Scotland and was re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

s in April 1944, converting to Spitfire Vs in early May '44. By the end of September the squadron was based at Lee on Solent, preparing for D-Day. during the allied landings 63 Squadron flew spotter flights above the Royal Navy, providing a form of Forward Air Control (FAC) for the naval gunners supporting the troops on land. The pilots of the squadron at this stage were drawn from former Army co-operation units, the Royal Marines and the Fleet Air Arm as well as the RAF. In September 1944 the squadron re located to North Weald. The squadron was disbanded on 30 January 1945.

Post-war: enter the jets

No. 164 Squadron
No. 164 Squadron RAF
No. 164 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a fighter squadron during the Second World War composed of Argentine volunteers.-Background:No. 164 Squadron RAF was originally founded on 1 June 1918, but never received aircraft and was disbanded on 4 July 1918...

 was renumbered as No. 63 Squadron on 1 September 1946, using Spitfires. In April 1948 the squadron was re-equipped with Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...

 jet fighters. The squadron moved to Waterbeach
Waterbeach
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :...

, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...

, in May 1950, where it remained until it was disbanded on 31 October 1958, having operated Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...

 fighters for the last two years. 63 Squadron reformed as a 'Shadow' unit for the Day Fighter Combat Squadron of the Central Fighter Establishment from 30 November 1958 until 1 June 1963. On the same day the number was transferred to No 229 OCU as the 'Shadow' designation for one of its constituent squadrons. On 2 September 1970 No 229 OCU was re-designated as a Tactical Weapons Unit and 63 squadron remained one of its 'Shadow' units. 63 squadron was transferred to No 2 TWU on 1 August 1980 operating BAe Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...

 and when that unit was redesignated No 7 FTS on 1 April 1992, 63 Squadron remained a component part until 23 September 1992; when 63 Squadron last disbanded and its role was transferred to 19(R) Squadron.

Aircraft operated

! style="text-align: left;"|From
! style="text-align: left;"|To
! style="text-align: left;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left;"|Version
|-
| Jul 1916
| June 1917
| various
|
|-
| Aug 1917
| Dec 1919
| Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
| B.E.2e
|-
| Aug 1917
| Apr 1919
| de Havilland DH4
|
|-
| Aug 1917
| Feb 1918
| Bristol Scout
Bristol Scout
The Bristol Scout was a simple, single seat, rotary-engined biplane originally intended as a civilian racing aircraft. Like other similar fast, light aircraft of the period - it was acquired by the RNAS and the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type...


|
|-
| Aug 1917
| Apr 1918
| Spad S.7
SPAD S.VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics...


|
|-
| Sep 1917
| Feb 1920
| Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed by John Kenworthy. Intended as a replacement for the vulnerable B.E.2, the R.E.8 was more difficult to fly, and was regarded with great suspicion at first in the Royal...


|-
| Sep 1917
| Aug 1919
| Martinsyde G.102
Martinsyde G.100
-See also:-References:* Aircraft of World War I, Kenneth Munson, 1967 Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-0356-4-External links:* http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/martinsyde_g100.php* http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=721...


|
|-
| Jan 1919
| Dec 1919
| Bristol M.1
Bristol M.1
|-See also:-External links:* * * * *...


| M.1c
|-
| Feb 1919
| Apr 1919
| Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S...


| S.E.5a
|-
| May 1919
| Aug 1919
| Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...


|
|-
| Feb 1937
| Mar 1937
| Hawker Hind
Hawker Hind
-See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3....


|
|-
| Mar 1937
| Jun 1937
| Hawker Audax
|
|-
| May 1937
| Apr 1940
| Fairey Battle
Fairey Battle
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...


|
|-
| Mar 1939
| Apr 1940
| Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...


| Mk.I
|-
| Jun 1942
| May 1944
| P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...


| Mk.I, Ia
|-
| Mar 1944
| May 1944
| Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...


| Mk.IIc, Mk.IV
|-
| Mar 1944
| Jan 1945
| Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...


| Mk.Vb
|-
| Sep 1946
| Mar 1948
| Supermarine Spitfire
| LF.16e
|-
| Apr 1948
| Jun 1948
| Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...


| F.3
|-
| Jun 1948
| Jan 1951
| Gloster Meteor
| F.4
|-
| Dec 1950
| Jan 1957
| Gloster Meteor
| F.8
|-
| Nov 1956
| Sep 1992
| Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...


| various
|-
| Aug 1980
| Sep 1992
| BAE Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...


|

External links

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