No. 63 Squadron RAF

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No. 63 Squadron

Active	31 August 1916 - 1920 February 1937 - April 1940 15 June 1942 - 30 January 1945 1 September 1946 - 31 October 1958
Role	Day-bomber Bomber/aircrew training Fighter Fighter
Motto	'"Pone nos ad hostem" (Follow us to find the enemy)'
Equipment	de Havilland DH4, R.A.F. R.E.8 Fairey Battle, Avro Anson Mustang, Hurricane, Spitfire Spitfire, Gloster Meteor, Hawker Hunter

No. 63 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling, Scotland. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last minute the squadron was re-tasked to operate against the Turkish army in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and was re-equipped with R.E.8's for its new mission, when the squadron arrived in the Middle East in August 1917. No. 63 Squadron remained in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war, and it was disbanded in 1920.

In February 1937, now as a Royal Air Force unit, the squadron was refounded at Andover, Hampshire as a bomber unit, and three months later became the first unit to receive the Fairey Battle aircraft. Early in 1939 the unit was assigned an aircrew training role, and received a number of Avro Ansons, but the unit lost its separate identity in April 1940 when it became a part of No. 12 OTU.

On 15 June 1942 No. 63 Squadron was reformed from part of No. 239 Squadron at Gatwick, Sussex, and commenced flying from Odiham with Alison engined Mustang 1s|Mustang]]s in January 1943. In January 1944 the squadron moved to Turnhouse in Scotland and was re-equipped with Hawker Hurricanes in April 1944, converting to [[Supermarine Spitfire Vs|Spitfire Vs] in early May '44. By the end of September the squadron was based at Lee on Solent, preparing for D-Day. during the allied landings 63 Squadron flew spotter flights above the Royal Navy, providing a form of Foward Air Control (FAC) for the naval gunners supporting the troops on land. The pilots of the squadron at this stage were drawn from former Army co-operation units, the Royal Marines and the Fleet Air Arm as well as the RAF. In September 1944 the squadron re located to North Weald. The squadron was disbanded on 30 January 1945.

No. 164 Squadron was renumbered as No. 63 Squadron on 1 September 1946, using Spitfires. In April 1948 the squadron was re-equipped with Gloster Meteor jet fighters. The squadron moved to Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, in May 1950, where it remained until it was disbanded on 31 October 1958, having operated Hawker Hunter fighters for the last two years.^[1]