No. 613 Squadron RAF

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No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron RAF
Active	March 1, 1939 - August 7, 1945 May 10, 1946 - March 10, 1957
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Motto	Semper parati Latin: "Always ready"

No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force later Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron formed on 1 March 1939 at the new municipal airport at Ringway 10 miles south of Manchester. Its allocated operational role was Army Co-operation. It was initially intended that the title 'East Lancashire' Squadron would be used, but this could have been confused with No. 611 Squadron RAF, named 'West Lancashire', based at Liverpool's airport at Speke. The link with the City of Manchester was therefore created.

[edit] History and Operations

The squadron was initially equipped with Hawker Hinds. On 2 October 1939 the squadron moved south to RAF Odiham near Basingstoke and Hectors were delivered to the unit during November. From 2 April 1940, Westland Lysanders served alongside the Hectors. The Hectors and Lysanders were used to dive-bomb German positions and drop supplies to friendly troops near Calais during the late May 1940 Dunkirk evacuation.

In August 1941 the squadron became a tactical reconnaissance unit and began re-equipping with the Curtiss Tomahawk. It re-equipped with the early Allison V-1710 powered Mark I version of the P-51 Mustang in April 1942, continuing to operate within Army Co-Operation Command.

In October 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Lasham, Hants and began to equip with the De Havilland Mosquito when it joined No. 2 Group as a day and night tactical strike unit. The squadron disbanded at Cambrai-Epinoy, France, on 7 August 1945 by being renumbered No. 69 Squadron.

The squadron reformed on 10 May 1946 at RAF Ringway, as a fighter squadron within Reserve Command. The unit was equipped with Supermarine Spitfire F.14's, replacing these in November 1948 by the higher performance Mark F.22's. In February 1951, now a unit within Fighter Command, 613 re-equipped with De Havilland Vampires, and then later disbanded for the final time on 10 March 1957, together with all other R.Aux.A.F. flying units.