Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

No. 625 Squadron RAF WW2

No. 625 Squadron RAF is included on this site because it was one of the many RAF units to which a majority of RAAF aircrew were assigned in the NW Europe theatre during WW2, and in which they served fought and in a great many cases, died.  RAAF Aircrew in NW Europe suffered the highest per capita losses of any cohort of Australian service personnel in WW2 reflecting the intensity of the conflict in the air at that time, most in Bomber Command.

The squadron was formed on 1 October 1943 at RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire from 'C' flight of 100 Squadron. It was equipped with Avro Lancasters, as part of No. 1 Group RAF in Bomber Command, of which it formed part between 18 October 1944 and 25 April 1945.

The squadron mainly carried out night raids against Germany. On 5 April 1945, it moved to RAF Scampton. 

625 Squadron RAF Bomber Command was operational from 18th October 1943 to May 26th May 1945, during which time it carried out 209 operations made up of about 3,500 individual sorties. 74 aircraft were lost. 389 members of the aircrew lost their lives. 

The Squadron operated Avro Lancaster heavy bombers — Marks I and III.

The Squadron coat of arms incorporated a Lancaster rose encircled by a seven link gold chain — symbolic of the majestic aircraft that carried them into battle and the critical teamwork and camaraderie that was essential for the seven crew member's survival during a tour of operations.

The Squadron's motto was: We Avenge.

At the end of the war, the squadron dropped food to the starving Dutch people (Operation Manna), and flew Prisoner of War repatriation flights from Belgium (Operation Exodus) and repatriated British troops from Italy, before it was disbanded on 7 October 1945.

In December 2010 the entire 625 Squadron Operational Records (ORB) and an Air Crew Roll Of Honour was compiled into a searchable database - contact www.lancaster-archive.com for more information.

A Memorial was erected on the boundary of the former base at RAF Kelstern in 1964.

625 Squadron's record:

LOSS# SERIAL# DATE TARGET PILOT
1943
1. JA714 20/10/43 Leipzig P/O Cameron
2. ED321 3/11/43 Düsseldorf F/S Blackwood
3. ED809 26/11/43 Berlin F/O McSorley
4. W4999 2/12/43 Berlin W/O Aslett
5. DV392 3/12/43 Leipzig S/L Moody
6. LM424 16/12/43 Berlin W/O Baker
7. ED951 16/12/43 Berlin 2nd Lt Wooley
8. LM421 23/12/43 Berlin Sgt Clark
1944
9. ND461 27/1/44 Berlin P/O Cook DFM
10. DV364 28/1/44 Berlin F/L Spark DFC
11. JB122 30/1/44 Berlin F/S Gallop
12. R5702 15/2/44 Berlin Sgt Ashurst
13. JA862 19/2/44 Leipzig S/L Douetil
14. ME588 19/2/44 Leipzig P/O Aspin DFM
15. LM384 19/2/44 Leipzig F/S Pearson
16. DV194 15/3/44 Stuttgart F/S Hodgkins
17. W4833 15/3/44 Stuttgart F/S Gigger
18. ND637 15/3/44 Stuttgart F/S Bulger
19. ND596 18/3/44 Frankfurt F/O MacMaster
20. ME684 24/3/44 Berlin F/L Clark
21. ND641 24/3/44 Berlin W/O Owen
22. ED317 24/3/44 Berlin F/S Jamieson
23. W5009 30/3/44 Nuremberg S/L Nicholls
24. ND407 9/4/44 Training P/O Winder
25. ND636 10/4/44 Aulnoye F/S Green
26. ME734 18/4/44 Rouen P/O Cosgrove
27. ME731 20/4/44 Cologne F/S Bishop
28. ME697 3/5/44 Mailly-le-Camp S/L Gray
29. LM515 3/5/44 Mailly-le-Camp P/O McGaw
30. LM317 3/5/44 Mailly-le-Camp WO Short
31. LL894 15/5/44 Kiel P/O Beadle
32. LM513 21/5/44 Duisburg 1st Lt Dowden
33. LM427 31/5/44 Tergnier P/O Tanner
34. ND742 10/6/44 Achères P/O Dudman
35. LM139 10/6/44 Achères F/O Geeson
*** 11/6/44 A434217 F/S F.P. Adams (AUS- R.A.A.F.)
36. LL897 10/6/44 Achères F/O Malin
37. ED938 12/6/44 Gelsenkirchen P/O Scott
38. PB126 30/6/44 Vierzon F/L Elmhurst-Baxter
39. JB743 30/6/44 Vierzon P/O Hale
40. ND459 30/6/44 Vierzon F/O Wright DFC
41. ND975 30/6/44 Vierzon P/O Knowles
42. LM174 23/7/44 Kiel F/L Harrison DFC
43. LL962 28/7/44 Stuttgart P/O Tuck DFC
44. LM546 28/7/44 Stuttgart F/O Collet
45. LM163 3/8/44 Trossy-St-Maximim F/O Jobson
46. ME733 12/8/44 Brunswick W/O Percy
47. LM674 16/8/44 Stettin P/O Charlick
48. LM168 26/8/44 Kiel P/O Curless
49. ME676 31/8/44 Raimbert F/O Reynolds
50. LM103 12/9/44 Frankfurt F/L Banks
51. LM512 12/9/44 Frankfurt F/O Cornish
52. LL956 14/10/44 Duisburg F/O Hannah
53. PB531 23/10/44 Essen F/O Morshead
54. PA174 23/10/44 Essen P/O Tweter
55. LM691 23/10/44 Essen S/L Hamilton
56. PB154 4/11/44 Bochum F/O Twynam
57. PB556 8/11/44 Training P/O Harris
58. LM731 9/11/44 Wanne-Eickel F/L Wilson
59. NG239 9/11/44 Wanne-Eickel F/O Bruce
60. NG238 16/11/44 Düren F/O Copland
61. NN699 3/12/44 Urft Dam F/O Naylor
62. NG294 15/12/44 Ludwigshafen P/O Fletcher
1945
63. PD388 14/1/45 Merseburg Leuna F/O Hazell DFC
64. NF996 14/2/45 Chemnitz F/L Cunliffe
65. NG267 20/2/45 Dortmund F/L Maloney DFC
*** 21/2/45 154093 F/O D.N.A. Cooper
66. PB815 23/2/45 Pforzheim F/O Paige
67. PB158 2/3/45 Cologne F/O Downes
68. NG240 5/3/45 Chemnitz F/O Alexander
69. PD375 5/3/45 Chemnitz F/L Cook
70. NG324 7/3/45 Dessau F/L Chapman
71. NG169 16/3/45 Nuremberg P/O Seear
72. RF145 16/3/45 Nuremberg P/O Rolls
73. NG237 3/4/45 Nordhausen F/S Collier
74. PD204 10/4/45 Plauen F/O Mooney 

Compiled from Wikepedia and http://www.jalbrecht.ca/625_squadron/index.php