{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use British English|date=August 2015}} {{for|the Army Air Corps squadron|No. 663 Squadron AAC}} {{Infobox military unit| |unit_name= No. 663 Squadron |image= PSP Dywizjon 663.jpg |image_size= 100px |caption= Badge of 663rd Polish Air Observation Post Squadron during [[World War II]] |dates= 14 August 1944 – 29 October 1946<br> 1 July 1949 – 10 March 1957 |country= {{flagicon|UK}} [[United Kingdom]] |allegiance= {{flagicon|POL}} [[Polish government in exile]] (1944–1946) |branch= [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|23px]] [[Royal Air Force]] |type= |role= Air observation post squadron |size= |command_structure= |garrison= |garrison_label= Base |ceremonial_chief= |colonel_of_the_regiment= |nickname= |patron= |motto= ''We fly for the guns''<ref name="Halley1988">{{Harvnb|Halley|1988|p=450.}}</ref> |colors= |colors_label= post 1950 aircraft insignia |march= |mascot= |equipment= |equipment_label= |battles= |anniversaries= |decorations= |battle_honours= |commander1= |commander1_label= |commander2= |commander2_label= |commander3= |commander3_label= |notable_commanders= <!-- Insignia --> |identification_symbol= An Eagle displayed holding a snaffle bit<br> (1949–1957)<ref name="Halley1988"/> |identification_symbol_label= Squadron Badge heraldry |identification_symbol_2= '''ROC''' (July 1949 – April 1951)<ref>{{Harvnb|Bowyer|Rawlings|1979|p=138.}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Flintham|Thomas|2003|p=187.}}</ref> |identification_symbol_2_label= Squadron Codes <!-- Aircraft --> |aircraft_attack= |aircraft_bomber= |aircraft_electronic= |aircraft_fighter= |aircraft_interceptor= |aircraft_patrol= |aircraft_recon= [[Taylorcraft Auster|Auster]] single-engined Army liaison monoplane |aircraft_trainer= |aircraft_transport= }} '''No. 663 Squadron''' (''{{langx|pl|663 Polski Szwadron Powietrznych Punktów Obserwacyjnych}}'') was an [[air observation post]] (AOP) unit, manned with [[Polish Land Forces|Polish Army]] personnel, which was officially formed in Italy on 14 August 1944. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons were air observation post units working closely with [[British Army]] units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the [[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|Army Air Corps]] on 1 September 1957.<ref>{{Harvnb|Halley|1988|pp=444–451.}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|pp=102–104.}}</ref>
==History==
===Formation and wartime history=== [[File:De Havilland 82A Tiger Moth II.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[De Havilland Tiger Moth|De Havilland 82A Tiger Moth II]] in Polish Aviation Museum]] Volunteer [[Polish Land Forces|Polish Army]] officers had been sent by ship to South Africa in June 1944 for initial training as pilots and then for operational training in the very low-level AOP role. The squadron was officially formed at [[San Basilio (Rome)|San Basilio]] in Italy on 14 August 1944<ref name="Halley1988"/> as '''663 Polski Szwadron Powietrznych Punktów Obserwacyjnych'''. The fifteen successful officers reached Italy on 28 October. All squadron personnel were drawn from Polish artillery units. The squadron's primary role was to observe enemy ground targets and to help direct artillery fire on them. After further advanced training, the squadron was declared operational on 30 January 1945. The squadron's HQ was at [[Villa Carpena]], with three flights, two of which were detached elsewhere as needed to support [[2nd Polish Corps (Polish Armed Forces in the West)|No. 2 Polish Corps]] artillery units on the progressing "front line". [[Taylorcraft Auster|Auster AOP]] IV and V "spotter" aircraft were flown in the unit's close support operations. After meritorious service with some pilots being killed, the unit left for the UK on 10 October 1946 and was formally disbanded on 29 October 1946.
===Post-war service=== [[File:663 Squadron RAF Auster AOP.6.jpg|thumb|right|250px|663 (AOP) Squadron Auster AOP.6 VX121 'A' 'low flying for the guns' over Cheshire in 1954]] No. 663 Squadron was reformed on 1 July 1949 as an AOP unit of the [[Royal Auxiliary Air Force]] equipped with [[Taylorcraft Auster]] Vs and [[Auster AOP.6]] & T.7s. [[de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk]] T.10 aircraft were used for training and proficiency flights.<ref name="Scholefield1998p51">{{Harvnb|Scholefield|1998|p=51}}</ref> The squadron headquarters was at [[RAF Hooton Park]], Wirral, Cheshire with dispersed flights at [[RAF Ringway]], [[RAF Llandow]], South Wales, and [[Wolverhampton (Pendeford) Airport|Wolverhampton (Pendeford)]] – the latter flight moving on to [[Castle Bromwich Aerodrome]] near [[Birmingham]].<ref name="Halley1988"/> For the next eight years, No. 663 flew very low-level 'spotting' sorties in co-operation with [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] artillery units, often based for the weekend in a friendly farmers field – for example near [[Tarporley]], Cheshire.
No. 1952 Reserve Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 663 Squadron along with No. 1953 Reserve Air Observation Post Flight, No. 1954 Reserve Air Observation Post Flight and No. 1955 Reserve Air Observation Post Flight.{{sfn|Lake|1999|p=100}}
The squadron disbanded on 10 March 1957, at the same time as all other Royal Auxiliary Air Force flying units.<ref name="Scholefield1998p51"/>
===Army Air Corps history and operations=== {{main|No. 663 Squadron AAC}} The unit was reformed as an army air unit called '''663 Aviation Squadron''' in October 1969 at [[Netheravon Airfield|Netheravon]], Wiltshire. Its allocated mission was to support army formations in the [[Salisbury Plain]] area. The unit's initial equipment was the [[Bell H-13 Sioux|Bell Sioux]] AH.1 helicopter, with these being later replaced by the [[Westland Scout]] AH.1 turbine helicopter. On 1 January 1973 the unit was renamed [[No. 663 Squadron AAC]]. The Squadron again disbanded in July 1977. [[File:663 AAC Squadron Scout AH.1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|663 Squadron AAC Westland Scout AH.1 in 1969]] Following a restructuring of Army Air Squadrons, 660 Squadron was redesignated as 663 Squadron, part of [[3 Regiment Army Air Corps]]. From 1993 it has been based at the [[Wattisham Flying Station|AAC Wattisham]] near Stowmarket, Suffolk. In recent years it has replaced its [[Aérospatiale Gazelle|Westland Gazelle]]s with Westland-assembled [[Boeing AH-64 Apache]] attack helicopters.
==Aircraft operated== {|class="wikitable" |+Aircraft operated by no. 663 Squadron RAF, data from<ref name="Halley1988"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|p=105.}}</ref> ! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Variant |- | October 1944 || February 1946 || [[Taylorcraft Auster|Auster]] || IV |- | November 1944 || February 1946 || Auster || V |- | July 1949 || October 1951 || Auster || V |- | July 1949 || February 1957 || [[Auster AOP.6|Auster]] || AOP.6 |- | 1955 ||| 1957 ||| [[de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk|Chipmunk]] || T.10 |}
==References==
===Notes=== {{Reflist|2}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last=Bowyer |first=Michael J.F. |first2=John D.R. |last2=Rawlings |year=1979 |title=Squadron Codes, 1937–56 |place=Cambridge, UK |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd. |isbn=0-85059-364-6}} *{{cite book |last1=Flintham |first1= Vic |first2= Andrew |last2=Thomas |year=2003 |title=Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938 |place=Shrewsbury |publisher=Airlife Publishing Ltd. |isbn=1-84037-281-8}} *{{cite book |last=Halley |first=James J |year=1988 |title=The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988 |place=Tonbridge |publisher=Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd |isbn=0-85130-164-9}} *{{cite book |last=Jefford |first=C.G. |year=2001 |title=RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 |place=Shrewsbury |publisher=Airlife Publishing Ltd |isbn=1-84037-141-2}} *{{cite book |last=Król |first= Wacław |year=1981 |title=Zarys działań polskiego lotnictwa w Wielkiej Brytanii 1940–1945 |language=Polish |place=Warsaw |publisher=Biblioteczka Skrzydlatej Polski |volume=11 |series=Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i łączności |isbn=83-206-0152-5}} *{{cite book |last1=Lake |first1=Alan |title= Flying units of the RAF |year=1999 |publisher= Airlife |place=Shrewsbury |isbn= 1-84037-086-6}} *{{cite book |last=Scholefield |first=R.A. |year=1998 |title=Manchester Airport |place=Stroud |publisher=Sutton Publishing |isbn=0-7509-1954-X}} *{{cite book |last=Szczurowski |first=Maciej |title=Artyleria Polskich Sił Zbrojnych na Zachodzie w II wojnie światowej |language=Polish |place=Toruń |publisher= Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek |year= 2001 |isbn=83-7174-918-X}} {{refend}}
==External links== * {{cite web |url= http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/663squadron.cfm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110829002643/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/663squadron.cfm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 29 August 2011 |title=663 Squadron |work=Historic Squadrons |publisher=Royal Air Force}} * {{cite web |url= https://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn651-670.htm |title=No 663 Squadron |work=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation}} * {{cite web |url= http://listakrzystka.pl/en/ |last=Hodyra |first=Piotr |title=Personnel of the Polish Air Force in Great Britain 1940-1947}}
{{WWII Polish Air Force in Britain}} {{RAF squadrons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 663 Squadron Raf}} [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1944]] [[Category:Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons|663 Squadron]] [[Category:Polish Air Force in exile squadrons|663]] [[Category:Aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1949]]