664 Sqn

No. 664 Squadron was first formed on 9 December 1944 at RAF Andover as an air observation post (AOP) squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army. The pilots were officers recruited from the Royal Canadian Artillery and trained to fly at 22 E.F.T.S. Cambridge, further developing advanced flying skills at 43 Operational Training Unit RAF (43 OTU), RAF Andover. The first Commanding Officer was Major Dave Ely, RCA; the operational Commanding Officer was Major D.W. Blyth, RCA. In England the squadron operated under the overall control of No. 70 Group, RAF Fighter Command. Prior to deployment to the European continent, the squadron was transferred to No. 84 Group, Second Tactical Air Force (2 TAF). In January 1945, the squadron was deployed to RAF Penshurst, deploying to the Netherlands in March 1945. The squadron flew its first operational sortie over the enemy front in the Netherlands on 22 March 1945. The principal aircraft flown in action was the Taylorcraft Auster Mk. IV and V. After V-E Day on 8 May 1945, the squadron was tasked with flying mail and passengers for 1st Canadian Army. The squadron continued flying like duties for the Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF) until the spring of 1946. 664 (AOP) Squadron, RCAF, was disbanded on 31 May 1946 at Rostrup, Denmark. Although the squadron's trained aircrew observers performed yeoman service in aerial action against the enemy, aircrew associations across Canada did not grant membership to AOP observers, as those aircrew were not officially issued with cloth wings during the war.

As the squadron number was not transferred to the Canadian authorities, it was revived post-war when the squadron was reformed as part of the RAuxAF on 1 September 1949 at RAF Hucknall. Equipped with Auster aircraft, the squadron was based at

RAF Hucknall (1970 (Reserve) AOP Flight), with other detached flights at

RAF Ouston (later at RAF Usworth 1965 (Reserve) AOP Flight),

RAF Desford (later at RAF Wymeswold 1969 (Reserve) AOP Flight) and

Yeadon Aerodrome (also at Rufforth 1964 (Reserve) AOP Flight).

It was disbanded, like all other units of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, on 10 March 1957.

The squadron was reformed as 664 Aviation Squadron, Army Air Corps, in 1969 at Farnborough: part of 3 Division Aviation Regiment. In 1971, the squadron was retitled 664 Parachute Squadron AAC, and directly supported 16 Parachute Brigade. 3 Division Aviation Regiment was renamed as 3 Regiment AAC in January 1973. The authority to disband 16 Parachute Brigade was issued in July 1976 and the 1st Parachute Logistics Regiment disbanded on 31 Mar 1977.

Twelve months later, 664 Squadron reappeared in Minden, as part of 4 Reg, from the retitling of 658 Sqn. It was given an independent role from 1983, supporting HQ 1 (BR) Corps from St George's Barracks, in Minden. In March 1992, the squadron moved to Dishforth and became part of 9 Reg, providing anti-tank capabilities for 16 Air Assault Brigade, with Lynx and Gazelle.

Following the AAC restructuring into single-type regiments in 2007, 664 Sqn became part of 4 Reg as an Attack Helicopter Squadron, operating the Apache at Wattisham.

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