661 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
August
No personnel movements recorded in this month's ORB
September
Flt Lt	G L A Dudeney	2 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from RAF Middle Wallop for duty as Adjutant
Plt Off	L G Rowden	2 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from RAF Bottisham for duty as Equipment Officer
Capt	D L Courtney	3 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 660 Sqn and assumed temporary command of No 661 Sqn
Capt	A H Newton	5 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Maj	P H Dowse	6 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU and assumed command of No 661 Sqn
Maj	P H Dowse	7 Sep 1943	Proceeded on sick leave
Capt	A H Newton	7 Sep 1943	Assumed temporary command of No 661 Sqn
Capt	A Garrard	7 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 660 Sqn
Capt	D L Rowlands	7 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 660 Sqn
Capt	J S Long	8 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Capt	J S Wylie	8 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Capt	G V D Russell	8 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 658 Sqn
Lt	G D G Hawkins	8 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 653 Sqn
Capt	W H Foulkes	11 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 653 Sqn
Capt	D H Whitcombe	11 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 653 Sqn
Capt	A S Rigby	15 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 660 Sqn
Capt	D V J Murray	15 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 658 Sqn
Capt	H A Pridmore	15 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 659 Sqn
Capt	P C A Hawkins	15 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 658 Sqn
Capt	A C Macintosh	16 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 653 Sqn
Lt	N E Martin	16 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Lt	T J Melly	16 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Lt	W S Molison	16 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Lt	T W Glenny	16 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 652 Sqn
Maj	P H Dowse	20 Sep 1943	Returned from sick leave and resumed command of the unit
Lt	A J Sole	22 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Lt	A D Burness	22 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU
Capt	J H Humphreys	29 Sep 1943	Arrived on posting from No 653 Sqn
October
Lt	R S Lowe	11 Oct 1943	Arrived on posting as supernumerary
Lt	T J Melly	14 Oct 1943	Attached to 6 RIRF for infantry experience
Lt	W S Molison	14 Oct 1943	Attached to 2/4 Essex Regiment for infantry experience
Capt	A H Newton	16 Oct 1943	Attached to RAF Woodley for Flying Instructors' Course
Capt	G Housden	16 Oct 1943	Attached from No 43 OTU for duty as a Flight Commander
Maj	P H Dowse	17 Oct 1943	Attached to Southern Command Vehicle Maintenance School on a course
Capt	D L Rowlands	17 Oct 1943	Proceeded on an Motorcycle Maintenance course at Southern Command
L/Bdr	Small	18 Oct 1943	Attached to Southern Command Vehicle Maintenance School on a course
Capt	D L Courtney	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'A' Flight and assumed command
Capt	G D G Hawkins	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'A' Flight
Capt	D H Whitcombe	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'A' Flight
Capt	J S Long	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'A' Flight
Capt	G V D Russell	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'A' Flight
Lt	R S Lowe	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'A' Flight
Capt	A S Rigby	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'B' Flight and assumed command
Capt	H A Pridmore	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'B' Flight
Capt	A C Macintosh	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'B' Flight
Capt	J H Humphreys	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'B' Flight
Lt	T W Glenny	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'B' Flight
Capt	G Housden	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'C' Flight and assumed command
Capt	D V J Murray	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'C' Flight
Capt	A Garrard	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'C' Flight
Capt	D L Rowlands	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'C' Flight
Capt	P C A Hawkins	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'C' Flight
Lt	A J Sole	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to 'C' Flight
Capt	W H Foulkes	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to Sqn HQ
Lt	A D Burness	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to Sqn HQ
Capt	J S Wylie	19 Oct 1943	Allocated to Sqn HQ
Gnr	Gibbs	19 Oct 1943	Proceeded on a Water Duties Course at Army School of Hygiene
Gnr	Henning	19 Oct 1943	Proceeded on a Water Duties Course at Army School of Hygiene
Gnr	Wiltshire	19 Oct 1943	Proceeded on a Water Duties Course at Army School of Hygiene
Gnr	Dawes	19 Oct 1943	Proceeded on a Sanitary Course at Army School of Hygiene
Gnr	Barlow	19 Oct 1943	Proceeded on a Sanitary Course at Army School of Hygiene
Gnr	Jenner	19 Oct 1943	Proceeded on a Sanitary Course at Army School of Hygiene
Lt	T J Melly	20 Oct 1943	Posted to No 662 Sqn
Lt	N E Martin	20 Oct 1943	Posted to No 662 Sqn
Lt	W S Molison	20 Oct 1943	Posted to No 662 Sqn
Capt	P C A Hawkins	21 Oct 1943	Attached to AFV School for AFV Recognition Course
Lt	J F A Swan	21 Oct 1943	Arrived on posting from No 662 Sqn and allocated to 'A' Flight
Lt	S D V Williams	21 Oct 1943	Arrived on posting from No 662 Sqn and allocated to 'C' Flight
Lt	E M G Belfield	21 Oct 1943	Arrived on posting from No 662 Sqn and allocated to 'B' Flight
Lt	A J Sole	20 Oct 1943	Transferred from 'C' Flight to 'A' Flight as supernumerary
Capt	H A Pridmore	23 Oct 1943	Assumed temporary command of 'B' Flight
Maj	P H Dowse	25 Oct 1943	Ceased to be attached to Southern Command Vehicle Maintenance School on a course
Lt	T J Melly	28 Oct 1943	Ceased to be attached to 6 RIRF for infantry experience
Lt	W S Molison	28 Oct 1943	Ceased to be attached to 2/4 Essex Regiment for infantry experience
November
Lt	S D V Williams	1 Nov 1943	Transferred from 'C' Flight to 'A' Flight
Lt	J F A Swan	1 Nov 1943	Transferred from 'A' Flight to 'C' Flight
LAC	Bolton	2 Nov 1943	Attached to RAF Old Sarum for Chemical Weapons Course
LAC	Mayes	2 Nov 1943	Attached to RAF Old Sarum for Chemical Weapons Course
LAC	Atkin	2 Nov 1943	Admitted to 10th Canadian Hospital
Flt Sgt	Fletcher	3 Nov 1943	Admitted to 5th American Hospital with Appendicitis
Lt	A D Burness	4 Nov 1943	Attached to AFV School for AFV Recognition Course
Cpl	Seddon	4 Nov 1943	Attached to RAF Redcar for Clerk/GD and NCO Course
Capt	W H Foulkes	7 Nov 1943	Attached to Southern Command Vehicle Maintenance School for a Waterproofing course
Lt	L V Selva	7 Nov 1943	Arrived on posting from RA Depot
Bdr	Fletcher	7 Nov 1943	Attached to Southern Command Vehicle Maintenance School for a Waterproofing course
Gnr	Bennett	12 Nov 1943	Admitted to 5th American Hospital following a traffic accident
Gnr	F L Parr	12 Nov 1943	Sentenced to 42 days detention by DCM, proceeded to Colchester Detention Barracks
AC	Fisher	12 Nov 1943	Sentenced to 28 days detention by Stn Cdr, proceeded to Colchester Detention Barracks
Capt	Butterworth	17 Nov 1943	Arrived on posting and allocated to 'A' Flight
Lt	T W Glenny	17 Nov 1943	Posted to 59 Medium Regiment RA
L/Bdr	Clarkson	19 Nov 1943	Admitted to hospital with concussion sustained a football match
AC	Sissons	19 Nov 1943	Placed on Dangerously Ill list
Capt	J S Wylie	21 Nov 1943	Proceeded on embarkation leave, pending posting overseas
December
Lt	A D Burness	6 Dec 1943	Killed in a flying accident
Capt	C I Lewis	30 Dec 1943	Arrived on posting from No 43 OTU for duty as Sqn Capt and Operational Adjutant

Source - No 661 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2187)

Organisational Movements: Aug - Dec 1943

Date	Notes
August
31 Aug 1943	No 661 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum 90 x Other Ranks arrived on posting 15 x Auster IIIs were taken on strength

September
1 Sep 1943	8 x ORs arrived on posting
2 Sep 1943	10 x ORs arrived on posting
3 Sep 1943	13 x ORs arrived on posting
5 Sep 1943	5 x ORs arrived on posting
9 Sep 1943	19 x 3-ton (4x2) Bedford Lorries arrived
10 Sep 1943	The following MT vehicles were received: - 4 x Austin Utility Trucks 17 x Motorcycles
11 Sep 1943	The following MT vehicles were received: - 4 x 15-cwt W/T Trucks 1 x Staff Car 1 x 15-cwt GS Tender 1 x Office Truck
15 Sep 1944	4 x No 22 W/T Sets received
18 Sep 1944	Squadron personnel attended a camouflage course at School of Army Co-operation
19 Sep 1944	Remaining No 22 W/T Sets (21) were collected
21 Sep 1944	1 x Cpl Stores/Accounting arrived on posting
23 Sep 1943	1 x Tiger Moth was received

October
1 Oct 1943	The following personnel arrived on posting: - 4 x Cpl W/T Mechanics 3 x Nursing Orderlies
19 Oct 1943	Squadron re-organised into a Sqn HQ and 'A', 'B' and 'C' Flights
22 Oct 1943	3 x Auster IIIs, MZ528, MZ800 and MZ801, were collected from Rearsby
November
5 Nov 1943	Squadron was allotted to the Canadian Army wef 15 Nov 1943
17 Nov 1943	Squadron placed under the control of No 83 Group
19 Nov 1943	3 x FMEs and 2 FMAs posted to Fitter Conversion Courses
22 Nov 1943	'C' Flight road party departed RAF Old Sarum for Redesdale, overnighting at Lutterworth
23 Nov 1943	'C' Flight road party departed Lutterworth and arrived at Catterick 'C' Flight aircraft flew to RAF Hucknall
24 Nov 1943	'C' Flight road party departed Catterick and arrived at RAF Acklington and later moved to Otterburn
25 Nov 1943	'C' Flight road party departed Catterick and arrived at RAF Acklington and later moved to Otterburn 'C' Flight aircraft flew from RAF Hucknall to RAF Acklington
26 Nov 1943	'C' Flight aircraft flew from RAF Acklington to ALG
27 Nov 1943	Squadron moved from RAF Old Sarum to RAF Andover
29 Nov 1943	Rear party moved from RAF Old Sarum to RAF Andover 'C' Flight air party departed ALG for RAF Andover, landed at RAF Doncaster
December
1 Dec 1943	'C' Flight ground party arrived at RAF Andover
2 Dec 1943	'C' Flight air party arrived at RAF Andover from RAF Doncaster
31 Dec 1943	Squadron received mobilisation orders

Source - No 661 Sqn ORB (AIR 27/2187)