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No. 673 Squadron AAC

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No. 673 Squadron AAC
No. 673 Squadron RAF
Active1 January 1945 – 25 October 1945 (RAF)
April 1996 - December 2020
June 2022 - present
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Size35 permanent staff, 12 Students
Part of7 (Training) Regiment Army Air Corps
Garrison/HQMiddle Wallop Flying Station
Commanders
Colonel of
the Regiment
The Prince of Wales
Insignia
Identification
symbol
673 (AH TRG) Crest
Aircraft flown
Attack helicopterBoeing AH64E Apache

No. 673 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 674 Squadron RAF, a glider squadron of the Royal Air Force, active during the Second World War within British India.

History

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A de Havilland Tiger Moth restored in wartime colours.

No. 673 Squadron was formed at Bikram, Patna in (then) British India on 1 January 1945[1] as a glider squadron, with the intention of being used for airborne operations by South East Asia Command. It continued to train, as part of No. 344 Wing RAF, until the surrender of Japan, when it became surplus to requirements; the squadron was disbanded on 25 October 1945 at Kargi Road.[1]

Army Air Corps

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No. 673 Squadron AAC was formed at Middle Wallop, on 1 April 2009 the squadron joined 7 Regiment AAC (Flying).[2] It was disbanded on 11 December 2020, and was reformed on 8 June 2022 with the arrival of 2 new AH-64E Apache Guardians arrived.[3]

Aircraft operated

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A Waco CG-4 (Hadrian) in British service.
Aircraft operated by No. 673 Squadron RAF[1] and 673 Squadron Army Air Corps
From To Aircraft Variant
January 1945 September 1945 Waco Hadrian
January 1945 September 1945 de Havilland Tiger Moth Mk.II
April 1996 2024 AgustaWestland Apache AH1
2024 present Boeing AH-64 Apache AH64E

Squadron bases

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Apache helicopter
AgustaWestland Apache in British service.
Bases and airfields used by No. 673 Squadron RAF[1][4]
From To Base
27 January 1945 19 February 1945 Bikram, Bihar, British India
19 February 1945 10 April 1945 Belgaum, Karnataka, British India
10 April 1945 26 August 1945 Bikram, Bihar, British India
26 August 1945 16 September 1945 Tilda, Chhattisgarh, British India
16 September 1945 25 October 1945 Kargi Road, Chhattisgarh, British India

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d Halley 1988, p. 452.
  2. ^ "673 (AH Training) Squadron AAC". British Army units from 1945 on. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  3. ^ "673sq is back!". Scramble.nl. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  4. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 266–271.

Bibliography

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  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
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