AIM:
To perpetuate the comradeship and fellowship between
all ranks of the Army, Navy and Airforce
who served with
656 Air O.P. Squadron R.A.F.
656 Squadron A.A.C.
and its associated Flights and Workshops,
and to revere the memory of those who died in the call of duty.
___________________________________________________________
Were YOU, or are you a direct relative of a person who served with 656 Squadron at anytime? If so would you please complete the application form
History of the 656 Squadron Army Air Corps
656 Air Observation Post Squadron, Royal Air Force, was formed at the R.A.F. Station, Westley, on 31 December. 1942, the aircraft arrived in February, 1943, and the Squadron moved to R.A.F. Station, Stapleford Tawney, for training with Army units.
The formation of 656 Air O.P. Squadron R.A.F. in January 1943 went very much the same way as the formation of all the other squadrons in this era. It was a matter of collecting together pilots, aircraft, soldiers, airmen and vehicles and turning them into a flying and fighting unit. One had the impression that the soldiers and airmen were a trifle suspicious of each other until they found that they were both exactly the same without their uniform on and although the airmen were essentially the technicians looking after the aircraft and the soldiers, the drivers and signalers many firm friendships quickly developed. By mid-summer, after some fairly intensive training, we were warned for an unknown tropical destination.
After about a week of rather unpleasant Atlantic travel we found we were in the Mediterranean and shortly afterwards entered the Suez Canal to be the first convoy through for some time. At Port Tewfiq we trans-shipped with all our baggage to our new ship. There followed an incredibly unpleasant voyage down the Red Sea and there was great relief when we found ourselves arriving at last at Bombay where the movement stuff were very surprised to see us because we had beaten the previous convoy which had gone around the Cape. Needless to say they did not know what to make of this peculiar R.A.F. unit with mixed personnel and we were asked whether we would like to lodge in the Army or R.A.F. transit camps. Enquiries elicited that the R.A.F. camp was more comfortable and so this was the one that we chose and it was certainly more suitable because it had a very nice little airfield at Juhu which is a smart suburb to the north of the city.
One of the first things we discovered on arrival was that the War Office and Air Ministry between them had failed to send us any aircraft and we were also told that we were on our own from the point of view of replacement pilots and everything else in fact we were on the “ Indian economy.” A period of intense activity followed in which we scrounged vehicles, equipment of all sorts and, most important, some Tiger Moths borrowed from the Indian Air Force so that we could get back into the air as quickly as possible.
By the end of the year we had completed our “theatre conversion” including some very useful practice in observation of fire at the School of Artillery at Deolali where we had moved in October. Our oldest pilot, “Daddy” Cross, who had flown with R.N.A.S. in the First World War, ran a first class jungle camp which accustomed everyone to the problems of living rough in their new environment. Meanwhile there were signs that our Austers were about to arrive and we arranged for one flights-worth to be landed at Bombay while the others were taken to Calcutta in order to save us having to fly them all right across the continent. Our work-up period had undoubtedly been a great success.
On 12 January, 1944, the Squadron, less B Flight, who were left behind at Juhu to take part in a sea-borne operation which was later cancelled, left Deolali to join 14 Army on the Arakan front south of Chittagong, at a place called Chota Maungna
The Auster 3s were being uncrated and erected on the Calcutta race course which proved a very suitable location because the rest of that month was a race for the vehicles across India to catch the boat out of Calcutta and a race to get the aircraft into action as quickly as possible. The road party per. formed wonders in arriving on time to catch the next convoy, some of the vehicles covering 660 miles in 33 hours over the most appalling roads. The Squadron was placed under control of 15 Corps, with A Flight supporting 5 Indian Division and C Flight supporting 7 India Division (the first operational task was an information sortie for 7 Division on 25 January 1944).
C Flight took part in the famous battle of the “Admin Box.” On 18 February the CO. led eight light ambulance aircraft into the 114 Brigade box and the casualties were evacuated. During this period we had our first and only casualty when Captain Boys was shot down and badly wounded whilst on a reconnaissance flight, his life being saved by the local Burmese who carried him through the Japanese lines to safety.
After this rather spectacular beginning the Arakan Battle settled down to a slogging match while the enemy were winkled out of their well-prepared and heavily defended positions and this period gave pilots a chance to settle down and learn the real art of observation. We were also able to night fly because although there were no navigational aids, one flank was on the sea which provided an excellent navigational aid, while the beach provided extensive A.L.G.s. (Aircraft Landing Grounds)
It was during this period that we first realised that we were having an effect on Japanese artillery activity, the infantry were convinced that our presence in the air gave them peace to move around above the surface but Capt. Maslen-Jones also noticed that the Japanese guns did not fire when our aircraft were facing towards them and that the best way of spotting their position was to turn away and look in the rear view mirror which was provided to help spot any hostile aircraft sneaking up on one.
In March, B Flight moved to the Imphal front and was attached to 4 Corps, working as an independent flight, mostly on ferry and recce operations.
Having failed to break through to India on the coast the next Japanese assault came in from central Burma and in mid April Squadron Headquarters and C Flight left the Arakan and moved 300 miles up the Brahmaputru Valley to Dimapur to join in the Kohima Battle with 33 Corps. There were a number of narrow escapes during this period, one of which occurred when Captain Southern set off one morning to land on an outlying strip which had been surrounded by the Japanese who had infiltrated dressed as civilian refugees during the night. Southern landed as was his normal practice and taxied with no undue hurry into the temporary shelter of the splinter pen. He was rather surprised that his ground-crew were not there to welcome him but he wandered over to the telephone which should have connected to H.Q.R.A. and gradually became aware that all was not in order. Tanks of the 3rd Carabiniers started firing into the wood alongside the strip, while grenade discharge and mortar bombs started falling on the strip itself and small arms fire started coming from the wood. Southern dived for the plane, swung its tail around and pushed it onto the strip. Poking his head into the cockpit he flicked the petrol and switches on and in his haste put the throttle ‘setting at about half open. Luck was still with him for the engine fired at once, but being at half throttle the Auster moved off on its own in a hurry. He ducked under the wing and dived in and if the spectators watching from the safety of their slit trenches are to be believed, the aircraft took off with his feet still hanging out of the door He made his get-away untouched with a take-off run parallel to Japanese positions 100 yards away mainly because the strip was just in dead ground to anyone in a prone position on the front edge of the wood.
By the end of April the monsoon had burst and there was very little we could do so the Squadron withdrew to Ranchi in India for a refit and a change from the Auster Mark 3 to the Auster Mark 5. The return flight to India was not a success for all pilots, and three of them after one and a half hours broke cloud over the flood waters of the Brahmaputra River. When on the point of despair, they saw a little village at the edge of the water with a dry football pitch. The first pilot undershot, hit a bank and finished in the villagers’ lotus pool, the second overshot and went straight into the floods which gave us confidence because we discovered that you could get out of an Auster under water. The third pilot came in down wind and landed with great success. All three were entertained royally for the next few days by the hospitable villagers and then rescued by motorboat patrol.
It was during our time of re-equipment in Ranchi and our shaking down period with the Auster 5 that the two interesting points about the engine came to light. The engine overheated badly and we had the cases of pistons disintegrating before we discovered that the engine cowling had been wrongly designed and required a simple modification entailing the use of a pair of tin-snips to increase the airflow available for cooling.
The first Auster V was collected personally by the C.O. from 134 R and S Unit. The flight from Calcutta was made via Akyab and with a long-range tank the distance from Comilla to Akyab was covered in one hop of 3 hours 15 minutes. By now the Squadron was operating simultaneously three different Marks of Auster.
It must be remembered that throughout this campaign 656 Squadron was carrying out the work of at least three Air OP. Squadrons elsewhere because whereas the normal allocation was one squadron per corps we had one serving three corps. This gave the Flight pilots a very full day’s work on observation and reconnaissance and we formed a headquarters flight to take on the essential passenger carrying and communication trips which merited an aircraft.
While the rest of the Squadron were fighting the final major battle around Mandalay, C Flight in the Arakan were starting their island hopping down the coast. Their most noteworthy exploit was the capture of Akyab Island which had been heavily defended by the Japanese and which itwas planned to recapture by a major combined operation including bombardment by a considerable force of land based artillery, one 15 inch gun battleship, three 6 inch gun cruisers, six destroyers, 48 Mitchell bombers, 72 Thunderbolts, 36 Hurribombers, 48 Beaufighters, 12 Lightnings, 12 Liberators, and two dozen Spitfires. Forty-eight hours before the assault was due it was discovered from observation by Air O.P. pilots that the enemy had left and the local inhabitants were waving white flags and had cleared an area to land on the main airstrip. Captain Jarrett was asked to go and see if any of the local inhabitants, who were known to be pro-British, were in the target area and on landing he found them busy making haystacks and in a very cheerful state of mind because they said the Japanese had finally gone. Having reported to Corps Headquarters he was somewhat bewildered by the statement that the assault must take place as planned and because he had some suspicion that his evidence was doubted he returned to Akyab to collect the Headman and took his batman, Gunner Carter, with him to help control the crowd. On landing and being wished a happy New Year, for it was the 1st January, 1945, he called for the Headman and about ten rushed forward and tried to get into the Auster at once. The result was quite considerable damage to the fabric and at least one foot through the tail-plane of the machine. Finally he selected the largest, toughest and noisiest headman, who also sported a smart blue blazer with a magnificent gold crest and Gunner Carter was left as Military Governor of the Island. The Headman, late of Rangoon University, was interrogated at Corps Headquarters and as a result it was agreed that the landing should go on as an exercise with fire “at call” only, but it was not until H minus1 when Captain Boyd made contact over the R/T with the bombarding fleet twenty miles out at sea that the naval bombardment was withheld and even then he had the greatest of difficulty in persuading them not to fire. The landing went smoothly and the movie cameraman had a field day taking impressive shots of commandos storming up the beach and when everyone was firmly established General Christison Commanding 15 Corps, landed in an L.5 and took over the Military Governorship from Gunner Carter.
“C Flight’s last act in the Burma campaign was to take part in the sea-borne assault on Rangoon. Within a few days the rest of the Squadron arrived in Rangoon and within three weeks the Squadron was once more on the sea on its way back to Madras to get ready for the invasion of Malaya
For a personal account of the Burma campaign read ‘Fire by Order’ by Ted Maslen-Jones (Signed Copies available from the Association.)
On arriving back in India the Squadron found that the camp no longer existed although there were signs that some years before the Army had been in the area. A rapid change of plan was made and they were rerouted to Coimbatore where a few hectic weeks were spent preparing for Operation Zipper which was to be a full-scale seaborne invasion of Malaya. We set out with the aircraft being loaded onto carriers in Ceylon and the ground party sailing in L.S.T.s with fully waterproofed vehicles from Madras. On the day that we sailed the Japanese surrendered Operation Zipper continued in a modified form and the landings between Port Dickson and Port Swettenham took place without our being sure that we were not going to receive a hostile reception. The landings were an embarrassment as no note had been taken of the time difference from India to Malaya during the planning. Consequently the tide was higher than predicted so a large number of vehicles were submerged.
Soon as it became apparent that Kuala Lumpur was to become the main headquarters, the Squadron was on the spot in order to obtain a good landing ground and good billets which led to a rather embarrassing situation because the Squadron commander arrived there a day before the rest of the Army, and the Japanese tried to surrender to him.
656 Squadron started life with a very successful war record thanks to the efforts of everyone in the Squadron, in two years of operations it collected two M.B.E.s, two M.C.s and nine D.F.C.s, plus numerous Mentions in Despatches. At that time one could not know that the same record was to be continued for at least the next 20 years with operations occurring at varying degrees of intensity.
On 14 September, 1945, the Squadron flew in the victory parade at Kuala Lumpur. Squadron Headquarters were then located at Kuala Lumpur with flights at Kuala Trengganu, Ipoh, and at Sourabaya in Java. B and C Flights worked in Malaya for the rest of the year opening up the country whilst A Flight continued to operate against the Indonesians. In January, 1946, the rest of the Squadron moved to Java, Squadron Headquarters being located at Batavia, with A Flight at Sourabaya, B at Semerang, and C at Bandoeng. As there was no H.Q.R.A. the Flights worked directly with the Brigades. Squadron Headquarters themselves gave air support in April, 1946, to 37 Brigade operations in the neighborhood of Buitenzorg. The scale of operations in the Netherlands East Indies after the cease-fire in the Far East was deliberately played down for political reasons.
The Squadron had moved into Java and Sumatra and at the end of May, 1946, hostilities were in full swing. The Squadron task set a pattern that continued for over 20 years in the Far East, only the priorities changing. Our main tasks were Air O.P.—in support of campong clearing operations with the guns of the Devon and Dorset Yeomanry and of the Dutch ‘U’ Brigade. Visual recce—in support of clearing operations, general information of terrorist movement or training. Cover for the main road convoys to prevent ambush, etc. Photo recce—this assumed great importance, as the R.A.F. were not able to complete their P.R. cover of strategic targets, owing to lack of spares for their P.R. Spitfires. The Squadron took over the completion of 4,500 pinpoint obliques within a target time of three months and before the monsoon broke.
Some of these pinpoints involved a round flight of 450 miles and this was accomplished by the Squadron Engineer Officer fitting a second tank behind the pilot with a manual rotary pump in between the seats to effect the fuel transfer ; this arrangement gave the aircraft a safe five hours endurance with a bit to spare. Captain Tommy Tommis and Mike Cubbage were the two officers who took on this task and completed it before the monsoon broke, much to the amazement of our Air Force Headquarters, as the task was given us rather tongue in cheek. One Auster we fitted with a light-series bomb rack, and only lack of 20-lb. G.P. fragmentation bombs prevented the “Auster Cloth Bomber Mk IV” from going into action before we left Java.
In November, 1946, we reluctantly handed over our commitment to the Dutch and by mid-December the Squadron was again concentrated at Kuala Lumpur, shortly to hear of the disbandment of 656 and the formation of 1914 Independent Air O.P. Flight.
1948 the Squadron reformed in Malaya . The outbreak of the Malayan Emergency caused the Squadron to be hastily re-formed at Sembawang with a Squadron Headquarters and four Air Observation Post Flights—l902 – 1907 - 1911 and 1914. New pilots were now beginning to appear wearing all manner of hat badges and ranks. In the 50's the servicing of the aircraft was being moved from RAF responsibility to REME, and during this interim period there was a large secondment of Royal Naval personnel from CPO's to LAMs. (Some transfering to REME to get a better promotion opportunity)
Senior Ranks of the newly formed Sergeants Mess at Noble Field, 1960.
Note the selection of hats and badges !
The Flights were sent out to small airstrips on their own near (and sometimes not so near) towns. It would be impossible to name them all, but Seremban, Taiping, Ipoh, Johore Bahru, Kota Bahru, Kuala Trengganu, Benta, Temerloh and Gemas will be familiar to all who have at one time or another been there. In April 1950 Squadron Headquarters moved up to Noble Field, Kuala Lumpur.
Auster WJ356 at Noble Field
The Squadron was to play a significant roll in Malaya against the Chinese terrorists, supporting not only the guns, but also foot patrols, and making leaflet drops. To see though the jungle canopy was a difficult technique to learn, but needed to look for terrorist camps. Aircraft of all services that crashed into the jungle were often never seen again or at best found many years later. (see Roll of Honour). Navigation was difficult, with endless miles of jungle canopy stretching to every horizon, showing no useful features, and using only a map and dead reckoning. In 1960 the Squadron celebrated flying 150,000 hours in Theatre, an achievement yet to be equalled in the Air Corps anywhere. 1953 - 1903 Flight was detached to Korea, and became an independent flight, whilst its members still consider themselves as a part of 656 Squadron
Unlike the previous operations of the Squadron, the Malayan Emergency was not a plain advance or retreat which could be followed in detail but a guerilla jungle war fought largely out of sight of the outside world, where there were very few safe areas and no front line. The pattern of operations remained virtually unchanged during the entire campaign. The Squadron assisted in nearly every job that could be thought of—target marking, supply dropping, all types of reconnaissance, and even defoliation (until it was ceased due to the hazard to the aircraft by the weight of the equipment). The major task was the observation by the pilots of fixed areas for signs of cultivation or of unnatural movement. Despite the unit title of the Squadron, Malaya is not ideal country for gunnery, and very little artillery air Observation Post work was done.
KOREAN WAR
1951 brought the Korean War, and a Flight from U.K. and one from Hong Kong (1903 and 1913) went there to support 1 Commonwealth Division. All reinforcements were provided from the Squadron, and many pilots went to Korea for a change of air before returning to complete their tour.
Gerry Joyce & Ken Murray – Pacific Stars & Stripes report 1953.
With RAAF 77 SQDN, Mar. 18 - Two Young men met for the first time a few days ago on a muddy airstrip a few thousand yards from the Korean front and discussed flying against the enemy. They knew their subject well - between them they have flown more than 600 missions in Korea .
Pilot officer Ken (Black) Murray the man who has flown more jet combat missions than any other in the world - at least on this side of the iron curtain - was one of the talkers, and the other was Gerry Joyce, a light-plane spotter for the royal artillery.
Murray has 333 missions in 600 mile-an-hour Meteor jet fighters of this wing and Joyce has made 304 in light, unarmed Auster aircraft, capable of about 100 miles an hour.
Both men are 27 and both have voluntarily flown beyond the normal tours of duty. Murray has just completed his second tour in Korea, and Joyce is in his 17th consecutive month - five more than the normal 12 month tour for spotters. Joyce has flown 580 hours over the enemy battlelines, directing United Nations big guns onto Red targets, sometimes directing as many as six batteries against different targets at the same time.
1953 was the year in which on 30 October the 50,000th hour of operational flying was flown in Malaya. By this time 1911 Flight had become a Liaison Flight, staffed by officers of all arms seconded to the Glider Pilot Regiment, with Glider Pilot Regiment non-technical ground-crew but with Royal Air Force technicians like the remainder of the Flights. In 1956, one of the main events of the year was Sgt. K. G. McConnell’s return after crashing in the jungle after 21 days on his own. He had survived entirely on what he had with him and the jungle itself—even to this day he is still quoted as an example to the Jungle Warfare School.
1957 found the change-over from R.A.F. to Army Air Corps. The R.A.F. were all slowly withdrawn and replaced by the newly trained members of R.E.M.E., and a, few ordinary airmen were replaced by soldiers. The Squadron, by now called 656 Air Observation Post/Light Liaison Squadron, shook itself and emerged as 656 Light Aircraft Squadron Army Air Corps, with four Flights—2 Recce, 7 Recce, 11 Liaison and 14 Liaison— and for the first time a Light Aircraft Squadron Workshops R.E.M.E. Dispersal was still the order of the day and small formation parades were held in various locations.
1958 and 1959 were ordinary years, during which the Squadron carried out its duties in support of absolutely everybody. A large celebration was held, however, on 28 February 1959 , to mark the 150,000th hour of operational flying, believed to be a world record for any one unit. The Squadron was presented with a ceremonial kris by the Director of Operations, Lt. Gen. Dato F.H. Brooke, on behalf of the Federal Government, and a kukri by G.O.C. 17 Gurkha Division/O.C.L.F.
click here for more information
In August 1962, as the Emergency was fast coming to a close, the Squadron concentrated at Kluang, and for the first time Squadron Headquarters and the live Flights were all located at the same place. The peace of the Squadron, however, was rudely shattered by the uprising in December in Brunei and 14 Flight and a detachment of 7 Flight were sent in support of the hastily despatched force.
By now the advent of the helicopter and the principle of integration of aircraft into units began to have its effect and the fleet increased twofold with many teething troubles. A.A.C. flights were equipped with the Scout at great speed. By now it is well known what the effects of introducing this unreliable and untried aircraft into an operational theatre were - it says a lot for the pilots and ground crews that so much flying time was in fact achieved. The tragic loss of Capt. D. B, deV. Jacot de Boinod, of the Guards, and W.O. II W. J. Hutchings. A.A.C., in 1964, due to a technical failure did much to spur efforts to improve the Scout.
The title of 656 Squadron A.A.C., and virtually nothing else moved up to 17 Division at Seremban, and continues to keep the name of the 656 Squadron alive until the title shall be called for again.
This section will be enlarged as research continues:
Since the 1970’s the Squadron reformed in UK and saw service in Rhodesia, the Falklands war and in 2006 Afghanistan.
