652 Sqn

This was formed as an Air Observer Post squadron with the flying personnel being provided by the Army, usually Royal Artillery, whilst the servicing personnel were a mix of RAF and Army personnel

Rank	Name	Date	Notes
May
Maj	R R Cobley	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn and assumed command of No 652 Sqn
Capt	Heathercoat	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	E B Ballard	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	D W Coyle	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	Dowse	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	Neilson	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn and attached to 30th Division, RA
Capt	Housden	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	Morgan	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	Cowan	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	Jackson	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	Waters	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Fg Off	Shaw	1 May 1942	Arrived on posting from RAF Bottisham for duty as Adjutant
Plt Off	J E Walthall	7 May 1942	Arrived on posting from HQ, Army Co-operation Command for duty as Equipment Officer
Capt	Heathercoat	9 May 1942	Attached to HMS Dundonald for FOO Course
Capt	Housden	9 May 1942	Attached to HMS Dundonald for FOO Course
Capt	D Eley	15 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	Hill	15 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	C J Lewis	15 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	B H J Camp	15 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	Shield	15 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	Skae	15 May 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Fg Off	Shaw	26 May 1942	Adjutant, posted to No 7 AACU
Capt	Morgan	30 May 1942	Attached to RAF Boscombe Down
Capt	Heathercoat	30 May 1942	Ceased to be attached to HMS Dundonald for FOO Course
Capt	Housden	30 May 1942	Ceased to be attached to HMS Dundonald for FOO Course
June
Capt	Neilson	1 Jun 1942	Ceased to be attached to 30th Division, RA
Plt Off	J E Walthall	1 Jun 1942	Attached to RAF Bottisham, pending move of squadron
Capt	D W Coyle	2 Jun 1942	Attached to GHQ, Home Forces Battle School, Barnard Castle
Plt Off	A L Johnson	5 Jun 1942	Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant
Capt	D W Coyle	7 Jun 1942	Ceased to be attached to GHQ, Home Forces Battle School, Barnard Castle
Capt	Housden	14 Jun 1942	Attached to No 651 Sqn, pending posting
Capt	Heathercoat	15 Jun 1942	Attached to No 651 Sqn, pending posting
Capt	Waters	17 Jun 1942	Attached to No 651 Sqn, pending posting
Capt	Shield	17 Jun 1942	Assumed duties of MT Officer
Capt	N J Murray	24 Jun 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	A J Nicholson	24 Jun 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	D Warren Loder	24 Jun 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
Capt	C H Colmar	24 Jun 1942	Arrived on posting from Holding Pool, Larkhill
July
Capt	Morgan	4 Jul 1942	Ceased to be attached to RAF Boscombe Down
Capt	Housden	10 Jul 1942	Posted to No 651 Sqn
Capt	Heathercoat	10 Jul 1942	Posted to No 651 Sqn
Capt	Waters	10 Jul 1942	Posted to No 651 Sqn
Capt	D Eley	22 Jul 1942	Attached to Reading for No 10 FIS Course
Capt	D W Coyle	27 Jul 1942	Assumed command of 'A' Flight
Capt	Neilson	27 Jul 1942	Assumed command of 'B' Flight
Capt	Skae	31 Jul 1942	Seriously injured in a flying accident
August
Capt	E B Ballard	6 Aug 1942	Posted to Staff College for 9th Intermediate Staff Course
Capt	N J Murray	24 Aug 1942	Admitted to West Sussex Hospital following a flying accident
Capt	D W Coyle	31 Aug 1942	Attached to No 651 Sqn
September
Capt	D W Coyle	8 Sep 1942	Posted to No 651 Sqn
Capt	Morgan	8 Sep 1942	Assumed command of 'A' Flight
Plt Off	J E Walthall	14 Sep 1942	Equipment Officer, attached to RAF Snailwell for temporary duty
Plt Off	W H Allen	14 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting for duty as Equipment Officer
Capt	C J Lewis	16 Sep 1942	Attached to No 50 Group Pool, pending course at No 4 FIS
Capt	B H J Camp	16 Sep 1942	Attached to No 50 Group Pool, pending course at No 4 FIS
Capt	C H Colmar	16 Sep 1942	Attached to No 50 Group Pool, pending course at No 4 FIS
Capt	Morgan	21 Sep 1942	Assumed command of 'C' Flight
Capt	Cowan	21 Sep 1942	Assumed command of 'A' Flight
Capt	Vipond	23 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from AOP Course, Larkhill
Capt	A Lyell	23 Sep 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight
Capt	E D V Prendergast	23 Sep 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight
Capt	D Eley	25 Sep 1942	Ceased to be attached to Reading for No 10 FIS Course
Capt	W E Wright	28 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight and allocated to 'C' Flight for training in AOP work
Capt	K P E Watkinson	28 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight and allocated to 'C' Flight for training in AOP work
Capt	E V Pugh	28 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight and allocated to 'C' Flight for training in AOP work
Capt	C C Seaford	28 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight and allocated to 'C' Flight for training in AOP work
Capt	Vipond	28 Sep 1942	Allocated to 'C' Flight for training in AOP work
Capt	A Lyell	29 Sep 1942	Ceased to be attached from No 1424 Flight
Capt	E D V Prendergast	29 Sep 1942	Ceased to be attached from No 1424 Flight
October
Capt	D Eley	5 Oct 1942	Posted to No 1424 Flight for duty as Flying Instructor
Capt	K P E Watkinson	23 Oct 1942	Posted to No 653 Sqn
Capt	P R Bray	27 Oct 1942	Arrived on posting from No 654 Sqn
November
Capt	A J Nicholson	19 Nov 1942	Attached to 70th Medium Regiment for temporary duty
Capt	Hill	19 Nov 1942	Attached to HQ RA, 4th Division for course on No 19 W/T set
Capt	J L Bray	27 Oct 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	G J Gilby	27 Oct 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	G T Procter	27 Oct 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	M A Loveridge	27 Oct 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
December
Plt Off	R F Sanders	2 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting for duty as Adjutant
Fg Off	Doyle	4 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting for duty as Medical Officer
Plt Off	Liddiard	7 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting for duty as Equipment Officer
Capt	Jago	14 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting (Instrument Rated Pilot)
Capt	Adams	14 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting (Instrument Rated Pilot)

Source - No 652 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2170)

Organisational Movements: May - Dec 1942

Date	Notes
May
1 May 1942	No 652 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum
17 May 1942	1 x Tiger Moth was delivered

23 May 1942	1 x Tiger Moth was delivered
24 May 1942	1 x Tiger Moth was delivered
June
13 Jun 1942	Advance party moved from RAF Old Sarum to RAF Bottisham
15 Jun 1942	Main party moved from RAF Old Sarum to RAF Bottisham Rear party moved from RAF Old Sarum to RAF Bottisham
30 Jun 1942	Personnel strength on this date: - 16 x RA Officers posted (3 x attached to No 651 Sqn) 4 x RA Officers, attached pending posting authority 2 x RAF Officers 130 x Other Ranks and 1 x attached (27 of which were Army personnel)
July
3 Jul 1942	1 x Tiger Moth was delivered
7 Jul 1942	4 x Tiger Moths were delivered
8 Jul 1942	3 x Tiger Moths were delivered
24 Jul 1942	Advance party moved from RAF Bottisham to Westley Hall ALG, Bury St Edmunds
27 Jul 1942	'A', 'B' and 'C' Flights were formed
31 Jul 1942	Personnel strength on this date: - 16 x RA Officers posted 2 x RAF Officers 127 x Other Ranks
August
11 Aug 1942	Squadron moved from RAF Bottisham to Westley Hall ALG, Bury St Edmunds
18 Aug 1942	1 x Taylorcraft Plus C3 was delivered

20 Aug 1942	1 x Taylorcraft was delivered
30 Aug 1942	'A' Flight detached to Narford to work with 1st Division
31 Aug 1942	Personnel strength on this date: - 15 x RA Officers posted 2 x RAF Officers 116 x Other Ranks
September
2 Sep 1942	'B' Flight detached to Lodge Farm, Costessey, Norwich to work with 76th Division
19 Sep 1942	1 x Taylorcraft was delivered
21 Sep 1942	'A' Flight advance party returned to Westley
23 Sep 1942	'A' Flight main and rear party returned to Westley
25 Sep 1942	'C' Flight returned to Westley from Redesdale
30 Sep 1942	Personnel strength on this date: - 20 x RA Officers posted 2 x RAF Officers 117 x Other Ranks
October
4 Oct 1942	1 x Tiger Moth was collected from No 54 MU following repair
12 Oct 1942	2 x Auster Is were delivered

14 Oct 1942	30 x Army personnel arrived on posting as a result of new establishment
16 Oct 1942	2 x Auster Is were delivered
18 Oct 1942	1 x Auster I was delivered New officers arrived on posting following local OTU Course
25 Oct 1942	5 x Tiger Moths collected by ATA for disposal
27 Oct 1942	3 x Auster Is were collected from No 654 Sqn 1 x Taylorcraft was delivered
31 Oct 1942	Personnel strength on this date: - 20 x RA Officers posted 2 x RAF Officers 156 x Other Ranks (RA - 71, RAF - 85)
November
27 Nov 1942	1 x Auster I was delivered
28 Nov 1942	Squadron received order from HQ ACC to mobilise
29 Nov 1942	Mobilisation commenced
30 Nov 1942	Personnel strength on this date: - 18 x RA Officers posted 2 x RAF Officers 139 x Other Ranks
December
2 Dec 1942	Squadron received Army Order to mobilise
4 Dec 1942	First half of squadron proceeded on embarkation leave
8 Dec 1942	Second half of squadron proceeded on embarkation leave
13 Dec 1942	12 x aircraft were delivered to RAF Sealand
20 Dec 1942	'C' Flight departed for RAF Dumfries
21 Dec 1942	'C' Flight arrived at RAF Dumfries
28 Dec 1942	All vehicles loaded in preparation for departure from Westley
31 Dec 1942	Squadron departed Westley for RAF Dumfries, each flight proceeding independently

Source - No 652 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2170)