654 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
July
Capt	T C J Willett	15 Jul 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn, promoted to Act Maj and assumed command of No 654 Sqn
Capt	J B Brundett	15 Jul 1942	Attached from No 653 Sqn, pending posting
Fg Off	R Fischel	18 Jul 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1472 Flight for duty as Adjutant
Capt	F N Lane	22 Jul 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Plt Off	J M Jones	31 Jul 1942	Arrived on posting from RAF Castle Bromwich for duty as Equipment Officer
August
Capt	T G Bishop	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	M J Magrath	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	H W Johnson	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	J A Denney	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	W J Butterworth	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	P J Wells	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	A H Cresswell	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	C F H Shepherd	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
Capt	J W Price	9 Aug 1942	Attached from No 1424 Flight, pending posting
September
Capt	F N Lane	1 Sep 1942	Assumed command of 'A' Flight
Capt	J B Brundett	1 Sep 1942	Assumed command of 'B' Flight
Capt	P R Bray	19 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight
Capt	P K Freeland	19 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight
Capt	T B Laird	19 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight
Capt	R M Carr	19 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight
Capt	J B Eldridge	19 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight
Capt	R H Purvis	19 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 1424 Flight
Capt	R V Waters	23 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	M J Magrath	24 Sep 1942	Posted to No 651 Sqn
Capt	P J Wells	24 Sep 1942	Posted to No 651 Sqn
Capt	J G Daniel	27 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting from No 651 Sqn
Capt	R A Donald	27 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting as supernumerary from No 651 Sqn for training
Capt	D R Ely	27 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting as supernumerary from No 651 Sqn for training
Capt	R R MacNeil	27 Sep 1942	Arrived on posting as supernumerary from No 651 Sqn for training
October
Capt	P R Bray	27 Oct 1942	Posted to No 652 Sqn
November
No personnel movements recorded in this month's ORB
December
Flt Lt	Hayward	1 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 4 Sqn for duty as Adjutant
Capt	Griffin	4 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	James	4 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	Bernstein	4 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	Ramsden	4 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Flt Lt	R Fischel	7 Dec 1942	Adjutant, posted to No 4 Sqn
Flt Lt	Reeves	19 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 13 Balloon Centre
Capt	King	20 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 653 Sqn
Capt	Ryan	20 Dec 1942	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU

Source - No 654 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2172)

Organisational Movements: Jul - Dec 1942

Date	Notes
July
15 Jul 1942	No 654 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum The following personnel arrived on posting: - 1 x Cpl Clerk 2 x Clerks/GD
17 Jul 1942	17 x ORs arrived on posting
29 Jul 1942	14 x Army Signallers arrived on posting from No 34 Signal Training Regiment, RA
August
3 Aug 1942	4 x Tiger Moths were delivered for training

4 Aug 1942	11 x Gunner Batmen arrived on posting from No 4 Field Training Regiment, RA
5 Aug 1942	15 x 30 cwt trucks collected from No 3 MU
6 Aug 1942	1 x Staff car and 4 x 5/10 cwt Hillman vans collected from No 7 MU
7 Aug 1942	1 x Workshop trailer collected from No 25 MU
10 Aug 1942	3 x Bedford 3-ton vans collected from No 3 MU
11 Aug 1942	15 x motor-cycles collected from No 61 MU
12 Aug 1942	2 x Tiger Moths were delivered from No 15 MU
16 Aug 1942	1 x Stores trailer collected from RAF Catterick
17 Aug 1942	2 x Tiger Moths were delivered
19 Aug 1942	1 x Tiger Moth, R6912, was delivered from No 15 MU
21 Aug 1942	1 x Office Fordson Tender collected from RAF Netheravon 1 x Tiger Moth was delivered from No 653 Sqn
24 Aug 1942	3 x Tiger Moths were delivered from No 653 Sqn
31 Aug 1942	Strength of the squadron on this date: - 12 x Army officers 2 x RAF officers 28 x Army ORs 87 x RAF ORs
September
1 Sep 1942	'A' and 'B' Flights formed
9 Sep 1942	Advance party departed RAF Old Sarum for RAF Firbeck
15 Sep 1942	Main party departed RAF Old Sarum for RAF Firbeck Air party departed RAF Old Sarum for RAF Firbeck Squadron placed under the control of No 33 Wing
19 Sep 1942	Rear party arrived at RAF Firbeck
25 Sep 1942	The squadron appears to have received at least one Auster aircraft by this date

29 Sep 1942	Strength of the squadron on this date: - 23 x Army officers 2 x RAF officers 28 x Army ORs 96 x RAF ORs
October
26 Oct 1942	3 x Auster aircraft transferred to No 652 Sqn Army MT commenced arriving
31 Oct 1942	Establishment of Army MT completed except one Maintenance lorry Strength of the squadron on this date: - 19 x Army officers 2 x RAF officers 72 x Army ORs 82 x RAF ORs
November
1 Nov 1942	Squadron became self-accounting
19 Nov 1942	Last of RAF MT handed over
20 Nov 1942	Squadron moved from RAF Firbeck to RAF Bottisham
25 Nov 1942	Rear party arrived at RAF Bottisham
28 Nov 1942	Squadron ordered to mobilise for overseas
December
5 Dec 1942	First third of squadron personnel proceeded on embarkation leave
13 Dec 1942	Second third of squadron personnel proceeded on embarkation leave
16 Dec 1942	Final third of squadron personnel proceeded on embarkation leave
23 Dec 1942	8 x aircraft flown to an MU for packing
24 Dec 1942	8 x aircraft flown to an MU for packing

Source - No 654 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2172)