No. 607 (County of Durham) Squadron
Formed at Usworth on 17 March 1930 as a light bomber squadron in the Auxiliary Air Force, although it's initial equipment of Wapiti's did not arrive until December 1932. It continued in this role until 23 September 1937 when it was re-designated a fighter squadron, having previously re-equipped with Demons in September 1936.
Gladiators arrived in December 1938 and it took these to France as part of the Air Component in November 1939. It stared to receive Hurricanes in March 1940 prior to the German attack but was not fully equipped until after it. It spent most of the Battle of Britain at its home base at Usworth re-equipping but in September 1940 it returned south to take part in the Battle. Returning north in October it settled mainly in Scotland returning south in August 1941 to Martlesham Heath. It moved to Manston in October remaining there until going to India in 1942. Whilst based at Manston it pioneered the use of Hurricanes in the fighter-bomber role, paving the way for the type of operation that would become commonplace and today is the norm.
It joined No 166 Wing on 25 May 1942, still equipped with Hurricanes, reverting to the fighter role. These were replaced with Spitfires in September 1943, thereby becoming the first unit in SEAC to operate the type. It continued to operate along the Burma front, receiving Spitfire VIIIs in March 1944, until disbanding on 31 July 1945.
With the reactivation of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 607 was reformed on 10 May 1946 at Ouston as a day fighter squadron. It was initially equipped with Spitfire F 14s and F 22, until June 1951 when Vampire FB 5s were received. These were supplemented by FB 9s from April 1956 until February 1957 but along with all the other flying units of the RAuxAF, it was disbanded on 10 March 1957.
The NEAM are the official holders of the 607Sqn archive.
A 'diary' of squadron history follows :-
| 17/03/1930 | Formed at Usworth | 16/12/1942 | Moved to Feni, India |
| ??/12/1932 | Converted to Wapiti (until Jan 1937) | 24/01/1943 | Moved to Chittagong, India |
| ??/09/1936 | Converted to Demon (until Aug 1939) | ??/02/1943 | Converted to Hurricane IIB (until Sep 1943) |
| ??/12/1938 | Converted to Gladiator (until May 1940) | 02/04/1943 | Moved to Alipore, India |
| 10/10/1939 | Moved to Acklington (det @ Drem) | ??/09/1943 | Converted to Spitfire Vc (until Mar 1944) |
| 14/11/1939 | Moved to Croydon | 01/10/1943 | Moved to Amarda Road, India |
| 15/11/1939 | Moved to Merville, France | 16/10/1943 | Moved to Alipore, India |
| 13/12/1939 | Moved to Vitry-en-Artois, France (det @ Abbeville, St-Inglevert) | 30/11/1943 | Moved to Ramu, India |
| ??/03/1940 | Converted to Hurricane I (until May 1940) | 25/02/1944 | Moved to Nidania, India |
| 12/04/1940 | Moved to Abbeville, France | 21/03/1944 | Moved to Rumkha, India |
| 26/04/1940 | Moved to Vitry-en-Artois, France | ??/03/1944 | Converted to Spitfire VIII (until Aug 1944) |
| 18/04/1940 | Moved to Labuissière | 17/04/1944 | Moved to Wangjing, India |
| 22/05/1940 | Moved to Croydon | 27/04/1944 | Moved to Imphal, India |
| 04/06/1940 | Moved to Usworth | 06/07/1944 | Moved to Baigachi, India |
| 01/09/1940 | Moved to Tangmere | 24/11/1944 | Moved to Sapam, India |
| 10/10/1940 | Moved to Turnhouse | 11/12/1944 | Moved to Tulihal, India |
| 08/11/1940 | Moved to Drem | 16/01/1945 | Moved to Tabingaung, India |
| 12/12/1940 | Moved to Usworth | 05/04/1945 | Moved to Dwelha, India |
| 16/01/1941 | Moved to Macmerry | 19/04/1945 | Moved to Kwetnge, India |
| 02/03/1941 | Moved to Drem | 28/04/1945 | Moved to Kalaywa, India |
| 16/04/1941 | Moved to Skitten | 08/05/1945 | Moved to Thedaw, India (det @ 'Tennant' |
| ??/06/1941 | Converted to Hurricane IIA (until Nov 1941) | 14/05/1945 | Moved to Mingaladon, India |
| ??/06/1941 | Converted to Hurricane IIB (until Mar 1942) | 31/07/1945 | Disbanded |
| 27/07/1941 | Moved to Castletown | ||
| 20/08/1941 | Moved to Martlesham Heath | 10/05/1946 | Reformed at Ouston |
| 10/10/1941 | Moved to Manston | 11/06/1946 | Embodied |
| 20/03/1942 | En-route to India | ??/11/1946 | Converted to Spitfire FR.14 (until Mar 1949) |
| 25/05/1942 | Moved to Alipore, India | ??/01/1949 | Converted to Spitfire F.22 (until Jun 1951) |
| ??/06/1942 | Converted to Hurricane IIC (until Feb 1943) | ??/03/1951 | Converted to Vampire FB.5 (until Mar 1957) |
| 23/08/1942 | Moved to Jessore, India | 10/03/1957 | Disbanded |
Aircraft Histories
The following aircraft are known to
have flown with 607Sqn (additional information welcome)
| Spitfire Vc | JG865 | JL331 | LZ971 | LZ975 | MA347 | MA367 |
| MA391 | MA672 | MA674 | MA676 | MA677 | MA686 | |
| MA688 | MA696 | MA857 | MH641 | |||
| Spitfire VIII | JF755 | JF788 | JF809 | JG117 | JG183 | JG201 |
| JG260 | JG313 | JG315 | JG327 | JG334 | JG349 | |
| JG379 | JG380 | JG410 | JG477 | JG488 | JG489 | |
| JG500 | JG534 | JG535 | JG555 | JG559 | JG564 | |
| JG567 | JG618 | JG646 | JG647 | JG648 | JG669 | |
| JG683 | LV654 | LV660 | LV662 | LV667 | LV669 | |
| LV671 | LV732 | LV734 | LV744 | LV755 | MB975 | |
| MD215 | MD227 | MD236 | MD245 | MD247 | MD255 | |
| MD272 | MD274 | MD277 | MD284 | MD288 | MD302 | |
| MD303 | MD324 | MD327 | MD342 | MD370 | MD392 | |
| MD394 | MD401 | MT557 | MT571 | MT578 | MT619 | |
| MT737 | MT739 | MT741 | MT744 | MT747 | MT763 | |
| MT791 | MT874 | MT888 | MT904 | MT941 | MT943 | |
| MT945 | MT948 | MT953 | MT954 | MT988 | MT991 | |
| MT999 | MV208 | MV327 | MV328 | MV398 | MV431 | |
| Spitfire XIV / FR.14 | NH639 | NH658 | NH707 | NH792 | NH794 | RM740 |
| RM745 | RM790 | RM792 | RM810 | RM817 | RM919 | |
| SM929 | TP236 | TX985 | TZ116 | TZ178 | ||
| Spitfire FR.22 | PK315 | PK334 | PK335 | PK384 | PK393 | PK394 |
| PK491 | PK498 | PK501 | PK553 | PK556 | PK557 | |
| PK582 | PK595 | PK602 | PK603 | PK613 | PK657 | |
| PK667 | ||||||
| Vampire FB.5 | VV617 | VV637 | VZ303 | VZ305 | VZ861 | WA224 |
| WA226 | WA421 | WA422 | WA429 | WA448 | WF578 | |
| Vampire FB.9 | WR266 |