No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force. Comprising very high quality pilots, often ex-RAF officers and occasionally locally based company Test pilots from companies such as de Havilland and Airwork, its pilots were initially part timers who would spend their weekends and spare time flying and practising combat manoeuvres. The squadron was named the "County of Chester" and adopted the motto "Alifero tollitur axe ceres"; which translates as "Ceres rising in a winged chariot", Ceres being the Roman Goddess of Wheat, a reference to Chester's Agricultural sector. Its badge contained the image of a garb (sheaf of wheat).

610 Squadron Association, with headquarters at Hooton Park, has a substantial number of ex-members of the Squadron on its list of members.

History

Formation and early years The squadron was formed on 10 February 1936 at Hooton Park, Wirral, Cheshire as one of the Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. It was equipped with Hawker Hart light bombers. As war approached, these were replaced by Hawker Hinds in May 1938. On 1 January 1939 the squadron role was changed to that of a fighter squadron, and on the outbreak of war in September 1939 it received its first Hawker Hurricane fighters. By the end of that same month it was flying the more advanced Supermarine Spitfire fighter.

Second World War

610 Squadron gained its first experience of aerial combat against the Luftwaffe whilst desperately attempting to protect the Army and Navy during the Dunkirk evacuation.

It was a very tough few days for 'The Chesters', operating in difficult conditions from RAF Gravesend, against an enemy air force which was a battle-hardened foe. In just four engagements with the enemy, 610 Squadron lost seven pilots Missing or Killed In Action,  and one wounded; 610 made claims of ten enemy aircraft destroyed, three unconfirmed destroyed and one damaged, which shows the lethal nature of the dogfights. All of 610's casualties were experienced pilots, but they inevitably lacked any combat experience, which could only be gained during the life or death struggles in the skies over Dunkirk.

During the first two months of the Battle of Britain, 610 Squadron operated out of RAF Biggin Hill as part of 11 Group, where it was one of the units bearing the brunt of German attacks. It moved to RAF Acklington for rest and recuperation at the end of August 1940, having fought heroically but sustained heavy casualties in the process. During the Battle of Britain, 610 Squadron's pilots included Squadron Leader Andrew Thomas Smith AFC, Squadron Leader John Ellis DFC, Flight Lieutenant Edward Brian Bretherton Smith DFC, Flight Lieutenant William Warner, Flying Officer Stanley Norris DFC, Flying Officer Constantine Oliver Joseph Pegge DRC, Sergeant Ronald Hamlyn DFM and Sergeant Horatio Herbert Chandler DFM.

In 1941, 610 Squadron moved south to RAF Westhampnett where it was one of Douglas Bader's three Spitfire squadrons of the Tangmere wing. It remained based in the UK until late 1944 when it moved to the Continent to provide fighter cover as the allies entered Germany. 610 Squadron was disbanded before the end of the war at RAF Warmwell on 3 March 1945.

Post-war

The squadron was re-formed on 10 May 1946 at RAF Hooton Park as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force fighter squadron, embodied in June of that year and receiving its first Spitfire F.14s in November 1946, switching to more powerful Spitfire F.22s in March 1949. Gloster Meteor F.4 jet fighters were received in July 1951, being replaced by the later F.8 version in March 1952. Meteor T.7 twin-seat training aircraft were also used as advanced conversion trainers. The Meteors were flown until shortly before the squadron disbanded on 10 March 1957, together with all other RAuxAF flying units.

See also List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

Aircraft operated +Aircraft operated by No. 610 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToAircraftVersion March 1936 May 1938 Hawker Hart May 1938 September 1939 Hawker Hind September 1939 September 1939 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I September 1939 February 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I February 1941 July 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa July 1941 August 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb August 1941 November 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mks.IIa, IIb November 1941 March 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mks.Vb, Vc December 1943 March 1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV November 1946 April 1949 Supermarine Spitfire F.14 March 1949 August 1951 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 July 1951 May 1952 Gloster Meteor F.4 March 1952 February 1957 Gloster Meteor F.8

Squadron bases +Bases and airfields used by No. 610 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToBase 10 February 1936 10 October 1939 RAF Hooton Park, 10 October 1939 4 April 1940 RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire 4 April 1940 10 May 1940 RAF Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland 10 May 1940 26 May 1940 RAF Biggin Hill, Kent 26 May 1940 1 June 1940 RAF Gravesend, Kent1 June 19406 June 1940RAF Acklington, Northumberland6 June 19402 July 1940RAF Gravesend, Kent 2 July 1940 31 August 1940 RAF Biggin Hill, Kent 31 August 1940 15 December 1940 RAF Acklington, Northumberland 15 December 1940 29 August 1941 RAF Westhampnett, West Sussex 29 August 1941 14 January 1942 RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire 14 January 1942 4 April 1942 RAF Hutton Cranswick, Yorkshire 4 April 1942 16 August 1942 RAF Ludham, Norfolk 16 August 1942 21 August 1942 RAF West Malling, Kent 21 August 1942 15 October 1942 RAF Ludham, Norfolk 15 October 1942 20 January 1943 RAF Castletown, Caithness, Scotland 20 January 1943 30 April 1943 RAF Westhampnett, West Sussex 30 April 1943 26 June 1943 RAF Perranporth, Cornwall 26 June 1943 19 December 1943 RAF Bolt Head, Devon 19 December 1943 4 January 1944 RAF Fairwood Common, Glamorgan, Wales 4 January 1944 7 April 1944 RAF Exeter, Devon 7 April 1944 23 April 1944 RAF Culmhead, Somerset 23 April 1944 30 April 1944 RAF Fairwood Common, Glamorgan, Wales 30 April 1944 16 May 1944 RAF Culmhead, Somerset 16 May 1944 29 May 1944 RAF Bolt Head, Devon 29 May 1944 19 June 1944 RAF Harrowbeer, Devon 19 June 1944 27 June 1944 RAF West Malling, Kent 27 June 1944 2 July 1944 RAF Westhampnett, West Sussex 2 July 1944 12 September 1944 RAF Friston, East Sussex 12 September 1944 4 December 1944 RAF Lympne, Kent 4 December 1944 31 December 1944 B.56/Evere, Belgium 31 December 1944 27 January 1945 Y.32/Ophoven, Belgium 27 January 1945 21 February 1945 B.78/Eindhoven, Netherlands 21 February 1945 3 March 1945 RAF Warmwell, Dorset 10 May 1946 10 March 1957 RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire

Commanding officers +Officers commanding No. 610 Squadron RAF, data fromFromToName 10 February 1936 December 1939 S/Ldr. I.R. Parker January 1940 29 May 1940 S/Ldr. A.L. Franks, AFC 29 May 1940 July 1940 S/Ldr. A.T. Smith July 1940 April 1941 S/Ldr. J. Ellis, DFC & Bar April 1941 June 1941 S/Ldr. H. de C.A. Woodhouse, AFC June 1941 4 November 1941 S/Ldr. K. Holden, DFC 4 November 1941 December 1941 S/Ldr. B.J. Wicks, DFC December 1941 February 1942 S/Ldr. C.O.J. Pegge, DFC February 1942 July 1942 S/Ldr. G.S.K. Haywood July 1942 March 1943 S/Ldr. J.E. Johnson, DFC & Bar March 1943 January 1944 S/Ldr. W.A Laurie, DFC January 1944 February 1945 S/Ldr. R.A. 'Dickie' Newbery, DFC & Bar February 1945 March 1945 F/Lt. J.B. Shepherd June 1946 March 1948 S/Ldr. P.G. Lamb, AFC March 1948 1950 S/Ldr. R.D. Graesser 1950 1952 S/Ldr. C.S. Bamberger, DFC & Bar 1952 1954 S/Ldr. H.C. Rigby 1954 10 March 1957 S/Ldr. J.E. Storrar, DFC & Bar, AFC

References

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading Bailey, David. J., 610 (County of Chester) Auxiliary Air Force Squadron, 1936-1940, Fonthill Media, 2019.

External links

squadron memories Official squadron history