# No. 623 Squadron RAF

No. 623 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force for several months in 1943 during the Second World War.

## History

The squadron was formed on 10 August 1943 at RAF Downham Market in Norfolk from 'C' Flight of 218 Squadron, as well as receiving crews from No.3 L.F.S. and No.1653 Conversion Unit. It was equipped with Stirling Mk.III bombers, as part of No. 3 Group RAF in Bomber Command. The squadron carried out night raids against Germany, but was short-lived and was disbanded on 6 December 1943 at Downham Market. The aircraft went mostly to conversion units of No. 5 Group RAF.

## Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 623 Squadron RAF, data from :
| Date | Name | Comments |
| 18 August 1943 | W/Cdr. E.J. Little, DFC | Killed in action, 31-08-1943 |
| 6 September 1943 | W/Cdr. G.T. Wynne-Powell | Moved to 90 Sqn, 29-11-1943 |
| 29 November 1943 | W/Cdr. F.M. Milligan, AFC | |

## Notable personnel

Flt Lt John Henry Smythe, a black navigator from Sierra Leone, who was shot down and captured, and later became a Queen's Counsel barrister and the attorney general of Sierra Leone.

## Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 623 Squadron RAF, data from :
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
| August 1943 | December 1943 | Short Stirling | Mk.III |
Some examples:
* BF568: IC-B ex No. 218 Squadron RAF, later to No. 214 Squadron RAF and 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU). Struck off charge 24.4.45
* BK727: IC-A ex No. 218 Squadron, later to No. 214 Squadron and 1651 HCU. Struck off charge 24.4.45
* BK803: IC-S and IC-D ex No. 218 Squadron, later to 1654 HCU. Crashed 30.6.44
* EE876: IC-T ex No. 218 Squadron, later to 1654 HCU. Struck off charge 25.4.46
* EE966: IC-E ex No. 218 Squadron, later transferred to No. 299 Squadron RAF. Crashed 11.5.45 at Gardermoen, Norway
* EF199: IC-I to No. 214 Squadron RAF and later to 1651 HCU. Struck off charge 24.4.45
* EF204: IC-E to 1654 Conversion Unit after its service life with No. 623 Squadron, crashed 14.1.45
* EH878: IC-I Failed to return from a bombing mission to Mannheim, 6.9.43
* EH925: IC-C Failed to return from bombing mission to Berlin, 23/24.08.43. Aircraft crashed 10 km south of Zossen, crew killed. Crash site has now been discovered in local area.
* EJ121: IC-Q to 1654 Conversion Unit after its service life with No. 623 Squadron. Struck off charge 28.2.45
* LJ454: IC-E Failed to return from a bombing mission to Mannheim, 19.11.43
* LK387: IC-P Failed to return on 5.12.43 on a mine laying operation at the Friesian Islands

## Operations

* Despatched – number of aircraft taking off
* DCO – Duty Carried Out
* Alt – Alternative target attacked
* DNCO – Duty Not Carried Out (sortie aborted)
* Gardening – laying anti-shipping mines in coastal waters
* Comments – code names for area where mines dropped and identity of losses.
| Date | Type | Target | Despatched | DCO | Alt | DNCO | Recalled | Lost | Comments |
| 10/11-Aug-43 | Stirling | Nürnberg | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12/13-Aug-43 | Stirling | Turin | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16/17-Aug-43 | Stirling | Turin | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23/24-Aug-43 | Stirling | Berlin | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | EH925 |
| 24/25-Aug-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 25/26-Aug-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Deodars |
| 26/27-Aug-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Deodars |
| 27/28-Aug-43 | Stirling | Nürnberg | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | EE909 |
| 30/31-Aug-43 | Stirling | Mönchengladbach | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 31/01-Aug-43 | Stirling | Berlin | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | EE949 |
| 02/03-Sep-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 05/06-Sep-43 | Stirling | Mannheim | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | EH878 |
| 08/09-Sep-43 | Stirling | Boulogne | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15/16-Sep-43 | Stirling | Montluçon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16/17-Sep-43 | Stirling | Modane | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22/23-Sep-43 | Stirling | Hannover | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23/24-Sep-43 | Stirling | Mannheim | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24/25-Sep-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 25/26-Sep-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Nectarines EF499 |
| 27/28-Sep-43 | Stirling | Hannover | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 27/28-Sep-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 02/03-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Silverthorne |
| 03/04-Oct-43 | Stirling | Kassel | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | EF158 and EH994 |
| 04/05-Oct-43 | Stirling | Frankfurt am Main | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 04/05-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Deodars |
| 07/08-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines 1, Silverthorne 2 |
| 08/09-Oct-43 | Stirling | Bremen | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 08/09-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Deodars |
| 17/18-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 20/21-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 22/23-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 24/25-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines |
| 25/26-Oct-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 03/04-Nov-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 04/05-Nov-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 07/08-Nov-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Deodars, Furze EF156 |
| 10/11-Nov-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | La Rochelle |
| 18/19-Nov-43 | Stirling | Mannheim | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | EF155 and LJ454 |
| 19/20-Nov-43 | Stirling | Leverkusen | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19/20-Nov-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nectarines/Cinnamon |
| 22/23-Nov-43 | Stirling | Berlin | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25/26-Nov-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 04/05-Dec-43 | Stirling | Gardening | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Nectarines LK387 |
| Totals | | | 138 | 115 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | |