No. 622 Squadron

Group
No. 3 Group
Command
Bomber Command
Home station
RAF Mildenhall

In the database: 2 aircraft · 14 service members · 2 sorties.

History

No. 622 Squadron was formed at RAF Mildenhall in August 1943 from a flight of No. 15 Squadron, and flew the Short Stirling in No. 3 Group before re-equipping with the Avro Lancaster at the end of the year. Mildenhall in Suffolk was its home throughout.

After the Stirling — on which its losses were relatively high — the Lancaster carried it through the main offensive with markedly fewer casualties. In the last weeks of the war it turned to humanitarian work, dropping food to the Dutch under Operation Manna and flying home released prisoners of war, before disbanding in August 1945.

Photographs

The crew of a [Short Stirling](/aircraft/3/) bomber of [No. 622 Squadron](/squadrons/21/) RAF being debriefed by the intelligence officer at [Mildenhall](/airfields/22/), Suffolk, after returning from the major raid on Berlin of 22/23 November 1943. The crew of a Short Stirling B Mark III of No. 622 Squadron RAF report their experiences to an intelligence officer at Mildenhall, Suffolk, after returning from the major raid on Berlin of 22/23 November 1943. 764 aircraft took part in the attack, of which 50 were Stirlings, it being the last time they were sent to Germany. Those shown are (left to right): Flight Lieutenant R D Mackay (navigator), Flying Officer G Dunbar (interrogating officer), Sergeant J Towns (rear gunner, partly hidden by Dunbar), Pilot Officer K Pollard (wireless operator), Flight Sergeant C Stevenson (second pilot, standing), Squadron Leader J Martin (captain and flight commander), Sergeant W Rigby (mid-upper gunner), Flying Officer Grainger (bomb aimer) and Sergeant H Fletching (flight engineer).
ⓘ licence & creditGoodchild A (Fg Off), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_crew_of_a_Short_Stirling_bomber_of_No._622_Squadron_RAF_being_debriefed_by_the_intelligence_officer_at_Mildenhall,_Suffolk,_after_returning_from_the_major_View source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1941-1945. Crew members of a [Short Stirling](/aircraft/3/) B Mark III of [No. 622 Squadron](/squadrons/21/) RAF face their intelligence debrief at [Mildenhall](/airfields/22/), Suffolk, after returning from the major raid on Berlin of 22/23 November 1943. 764 aircraft took part in the attack, of which 50 were Stirlings, it being the last time they were sent to Germany. Seated left to right are: Pilot Office R J Brown (captain), Sergeant W Brodie (flight engineer), Sergeant F Forde (wireless operator/air gunner), Flight Sergeant P Harwood (bomb aimer) and Sergeant F E Tidmas (navigator). With the exception of Harwood, all were to perish over Berlin on the night of 30/31 January 1944 in an [Avro Lancaster](/aircraft/1/) of the Squadron.
ⓘ licence & creditGoodchild (Fg Off), Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1941-1945._CH11640.jpgView source & full licence →

Operations flown