No. 605 Squadron — County of Warwick

No. 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron was raised on 5 October 1926 at RAF Castle Bromwich as a light bomber unit of the Auxiliary Air Force, recruiting from the Birmingham and Warwickshire area. Redesignated a fighter squadron in January 1939, it flew Hurricanes through the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, earning a strong combat record in that decisive campaign. In early 1942 the squadron was split between two theatres simultaneously, with elements deployed to Malta for the island’s defence while the remainder pressed on to Singapore and, after its fall, to Sumatra and Java before being overwhelmed by the Japanese advance. The original squadron was effectively disbanded, but a new formation reformed at RAF Ford in June 1942 in the night intruder role, initially flying Douglas Bostons over occupied France to disrupt Luftwaffe airfield operations. From February 1943 it re-equipped with the de Havilland Mosquito Mk.VI, ranging deep into north-west Europe by night; by 1945 the squadron had advanced through Belgium and the Netherlands before being renumbered as No. 4 Squadron on 31 August 1945. Its motto, Nunquam Dormio — “I Never Sleep” — reflected both the demands of round-the-clock fighter and intruder operations and the relentless pace of service that defined its war.