No. 661 Squadron AAC

No. 661 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It was formerly No. 661 Squadron, a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.

Royal Air Force
No. 661 Squadron was formed at RAF Old Sarum on 31 August 1943 with the Taylorcraft Auster III and in March 1944 the Auster IV. The squadron role was to support the Canadian 1st Army and in July 1944 it moved to France. Fighting in the break-out from Normandy it followed the Canadians across the low countries and into Germany. The squadron disbanded at Ghent, Belgium on 31 October 1945.

Its motto was: Latin Designo oculis ad caedem ("With my eyes i designate for slaughter"), and its identification symbol was: A grenade enfiled by a compass ring. It used the following identification symbols: OE (Aug 1944 – Oct 1945) ROA (Feb 1949 – Apr 1951)

After the war the Air Observation Squadrons were reformed and No. 661 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was as such formed at RAF Kenley on 1 May 1949, consisting of five flights -nos. 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1961 (Reserve) AOP Flights-, to provide support to the Army in the south London and Surrey area until it was disbanded on 10 March 1957 at RAF Henlow.

No. 1957 Air Observation Post Flight was formed within 662 Squadron along with No. 1958 Air Observation Post Flight, No. 1959 Air Observation Post Flight, No. 1960 Air Observation Post Flight & No. 1961 Air Observation Post Flight.



Surviving aircraft
Three known 661 Squadron aircraft survive in airworthy condition.

Army Air Corps
The squadron was reformed from the original RAF squadron on 1 November 1978 while in Germany.