No. 600 Squadron RAF
| No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 14 October 1925 – 21 August 1945 10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957 1 October 1999 – present |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Part of | Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Northolt, London |
| Nickname(s) | City of London |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Praeter sescentos (Translation: "More than six hundred") |
| Post 1950 Squadron markings |  |
| Battle honours |
France and Low Countries, 1940* Battle of Britain, 1940* Home defence, 1940–42* North Africa, 1942–43* Sicily, 1943* Italy, 1943–45* Salerno* Anzio & Nettuno* Gustav Line Gothic Line The honours marked with an asterix* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Commanders | |
| Officer Commanding | Wing Commander Crossman |
| Honorary Air Commodore | Lord Trenchard |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | No 600 is the only squadron in the RAF to have two official badges In front of an increscent, a sword on bend The crescent moon represents the squadron's night-fighter activities whilst the sword commemorates the connection with the city of London The City of London arms, overflown by an eagle Also known as 'the dust-cart crest' |
| Squadron Codes |
MV (Jan 1939 – Sep 1939) BQ (Sep 1939 – Aug 1943) 6 (Aug 1943 – Jul 1944) RAG (May 1946 – 1949) LJ (1949 – Apr 1951) |
No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF is a squadron of the RAF Reserves. It was formed in 1925 and operated as a night fighter squadron during the Second World War with great distinction. After the war, 600 Squadron went on to operate jet fighters until 1957. Reactivated in 1999, 600 Squadron is the only RAF Reserve unit within the M25. It is a Headquarters Support Squadron and provides trained part-time reservists to support RAF operations around the world.
No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF was formed at RAF Northolt on 14 October 1925 as a unit of the Auxiliary Air Force, equipped with Avro 504 trainers and Airco DH.9A day bombers. It moved to RAF Hendon at the end of 1926, replacing its DH.9As, veterans of the First World War, with more modern Westland Wapitis in 1929. It was designated a fighter squadron in July 1934. On the outbreak of war day and night patrols were flown, experiments with airborne radar beginning in December 1939. When the Germans invaded Holland, the squadron flew patrols over the Low Countries but in view of the inadequacy of Blenheims for daylight operations, 600 Sqn was allocated to night defence only a few days later.
In September 1940, the first Bristol Beaufighter was received, conversion being completed early in 1941. In October 1940 the squadron moved to Yorkshire and in March 1941 to south-west England, where it remained until September 1942. In November 1942, 600 Sqn moved to North Africa to provide night cover for Allied bases and shipping. It was transferred to Malta in June 1943, and in September, to Italy where it spent the rest of the war on night defence and intruder missions. Re-equipment with Mosquitoes began in January 1945 and on 21 August 1945 the squadron disbanded, having become the highest scoring night fighter squadron in the RAF.
On 10 May 1946, 600 Sqn reformed at RAF Biggin Hill, as a day fighter squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force with Spitfires. It began to recruit during June and received its first operational aircraft in October. After receiving a De Havilland Vampire in October 1949 for jet conversion, it was allotted Meteors in March 1950 and flew these until the Royal Auxiliary Air Force disbanded on 10 March 1957.
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