No. 615 Squadron RAF

No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron was a unit of the British Auxiliary Air Force and later the Royal Auxiliary Air Force between 1937 and 1957.

Formation and early years
No. 615 squadron was formed at RAF Kenley as part of the Auxiliary Air Force on 1 June 1937 and was initially equipped with the Hawker Audax in the army-cooperation role. By the end of the year it had received Hawker Hectors which it flew until November 1938, when it received Gloster Gauntlets and became a fighter squadron at the same time.

In World War II
The squadron went to France as part of the Air Component of the BEF in November 1939, having re-equipped with Gloster Gladiators in May. Conversion to Hawker Hurricanes took place just prior to the German invasion of France, but by 20 May 1940 the squadron was back at Kenley. "B" Flight were based at Saint Inglevert during the early part of 1940. 615 squadron took part in the early actions of the Battle of Britain, but then moved to Scotland to rest. It later took part in offensive sweeps over Europe and defence duties in Wales, before moving to India in April 1942. It moved to Burma in December 1942, but returned to India to re-equip in May 1943, receiving Supermarine Spitfires in October. It returned to operations on the Burma front in November but was recalled to India again, for defensive duties in August 1944, before returning to Burma in February 1945, disbanding there on 10 June at RAF Cuttack, Orissa. It was a very short interruption of existence as No. 135 Squadron RAF, equipped with Republic Thunderbolts was renumbered to no. 615 squadron on that same day and began training for the invasion of Malaya. The Japanese surrender ended these plans however and the squadron disbanded on 25 September 1945 at RAF Vizagapatam, Andhra Pradesh.

Post-war
With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, No. 615 Squadron was reformed on 10 May 1946 at RAF Biggin Hill as a day fighter squadron equipped with Spitfire F.14s. Spitfire F.21s were received in 1947 and these were replaced by F.22s in 1948, both marks being flown until 1950.

The squadron re-equipped with Gloster Meteor F.4 jet fighters starting in September 1950. Meteor F.8s were received in September 1951 and these were flown in the annual UK air defence exercises and at annual summer training camps. Along with all other flying units of the RAuxAF, No. 615 was disbanded on 10 March 1957.

Notable Squadron members

 * Neville Duke, famous test pilot.
 * Hedley Fowler, achieved the squadron's first kill; became a PoW and later escaped from Colditz.
 * Arthur Vere Harvey, squadron commander; a Conservative Member of Parliament post-war.
 * Joseph Kayll, commander during Battle of France, then Battle of Britain Ace.
 * Ronald Gustave Kellett, Second World War ace and post-war commander of the squadron
 * Henry Lafont, Famous Free French pilot of the Second World War, who died on 2 December 2011, the last surviving French vetaren of the Battle of Britain. With René Mouchotte (below), escaped from Algeria in 1940 and flew to Gibraltar to join the Free French forces.
 * René Mouchotte, Famous Free French pilot of the Second World War who died on 27 August 1943, first Free-French officer to hold the position of flight commander in the RAF. His memoirs were published in 1946 under the title Les carnets de René Mouchotte.
 * Petrus Hugo, South African ace and Commanding Officer