First in the Field

Aviation historian Guy Warner’s First in the Field is an essential history of the Royal Air Force’s Air Observation Post Squadron formed in World War II.

The premier Army Air Corps unit created on the airfield of England’s Old Sarum on August 1, 1941, 651 Squadron was comprised of both Royal Air Force and Royal Artillery personnel whose mission was to work closely with army units in artillery spotting and liaison. Deployed on active service in November 1942, 651 performed reconnaissance assignments across North Africa and Europe throughout the war. Equipped with a variety of aircraft, including Taylorcrafts, Austers, Piper Cubs, and a Stinson Voyager, they flew night and day, registering targets and directing counter-battery fire to support army and naval units.

Over the years that followed, 651 Squadron served in Austria, Palestine on internal security duties, Eritrea protecting Italian civilians from Shifta bandits, Libya and Iraq during the Persian Oil Dispute, and in Egypt patrolling the Canal Zone and Cyprus. In 2000, it was selected as the Attack Helicopter Fielding Squadron to bring the Westland Apache AH.1 into service, in which role it served very successfully for the next three years at Middle Wallop.

Then in 2004, 651 moved to RAF Odiham to operate the Defender AL.1 in the ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) support role as part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing. Since that time, the squadron has been continuously engaged in operations.