657 Sqn

No. 657 Squadron was formed at RAF Ouston on 31 January 1943. It went into action in August of that year, in North Africa. It later served in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. In November 1945, the squadron returned to the UK and continued to support army units in the South of England until disbanded by being renumbered No. 651 Squadron RAF on 1 November 1955.

657 Squadron is currently part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing: a joint-service organisation which provides aviation support to United Kingdom Special Forces, using both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The wing is based at RAF Odiham.

The Wing was formed on 2 April 2001, bringing together 657 Squadron AAC and 7 Squadron RAF into a single unit in support of United Kingdom Special Forces with 8 Flight AAC (now No. 658 Squadron AAC) joining in 2008.

The aircraft all based at different MoD establishments including:

• No. 7 Squadron RAF with the Boeing Chinook HC4 at RAF Odiham.
• No. 658 Squadron AAC with Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II'sand Westland Gazelle AH1's at Credenhill Barracks.
• No. 47 Squadron RAF with Lockheed C-130 Hercules's at RAF Brize Norton.
• No. 657 Squadron AAC with Westland Lynx at RAF Odiham.

The Wing is under peacetime command of the Station Commander of RAF Odiham, but the single services retain full command of their respective personnel. It enjoys a charitable affiliation with the Worshipful Company of Curriers in the City of London. Afghanistan crash

On 26 April 2014, a Lynx of 657 Squadron crashed in Takhta Pul district of Kandahar province, killing all five British personnel on board. They were Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer 2 Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters of the Army Air Corps, Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan of the Royal Air Force and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas of the Intelligence Corps. As at 28 April 2014, the cause was described as an "accident", despite Taliban claims that they had caused the crash. The purpose of the mission has speculated upon, but has been described as a "routine training mission". The site, variously described as "close to Kandahar base" and "30 miles from the Pakistani border", had been "secured" for recovery of the bodies and aircraft.

Sources

• "RAF Odiham: about us" by UK MoD/RAF, (accessed: 22 Dec 2014)
• "No. 657 Squadron RAF" by Wikipedia {Start*} (26 Dec 2011 ; accessed: 22 Dec 2014)
• "Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing" by Wikipedia {Start*} (21 Sep 2014 ; accessed: 22 Dec 2014)

*Wikipedia article ratings, in order of quality: Stub, Start, C, B, GA