ROYAL AUXILIARY AIR FORCE I 100 th ANNIVERSARY
612 ( County of Aberdeen ) Squadron RAuxAF
612 ( County of Aberdeen ) Sqn was formed at Dyce ( near Aberdeen ) on 1 June 1937 as an army cooperation unit of the Auxiliary Air Force and quickly established a reconnaissance role flying Anson aircraft . In August 1939 the Sqn was mobilised in an operational role as part of Coastal Command beginning patrol duties at the outbreak of World War II . Three days into the war , a 612 Sqn Anson attacked a German U-Boat off Muchalls . Thereafter the Sqn operated with growing success on antisubmarine patrols and convoy duties in the
Whitley
North Sea and off the
Norwegian coast . In November 1941 the Sqn began to convert to Whitley aircraft , and shortly after deployed to Reykjavik , Iceland to conduct operations in the Arctic Circle . Conversion to Wellingtons followed and the Squadron moved to Cornwall to provide cover over the Channel and the Bay of Biscay , and then to Ireland to patrol the Western Approaches .
A final move to Norfolk took place in December 1944 with the Sqn flying missions against the
Wellington
German E-Boat threat off the Dutch coast prior to disbanding on 9 July 1945 . With the reforming of the Auxiliary Air Force in 1946 , 612 Sqn was re-established at Dyce and equipped with Spitfire F14 aircraft as part of Fighter Command . In 1951 the Sqn was mobilised for three months to convert to Vampire jet fighters , and in 1954 Gordon tartan markings were applied to all Sqn aircraft marking its link with the local community . In common with all the other flying units of the RAuxAF , 612 Sqn was disbanded on 10 March 1957 .
On 1 April 1999 the Sqn was reformed again , this time as a Medical Reserve squadron in the Air Transportable Surgical Support role . Located at RAF Leuchars it has provided specialist clinical personnel in support of military operations for over 15 years .
Notably , 612 Sqn deployed as a formed unit to set up Dressing Station Alpha at Al-Amarah south of Bagdad during Operation TELIC in 2003 where the clinical rigours of working in an austere environment were bought into sharp focus during the nearby battle of Majar al-Kabir .
Six Royal Military Police soldiers were killed when trapped by insurgents in the local police station , many others were injured and the Medical Emergency Response Team ( MERT ) were dispatched to recover the wounded , a 612 Sqn Anaesthetist and Nurse were part of the team . Upon landing to receive casualties the Chinook helicopter came under ground fire . Several on board were wounded including the Sqn ’ s Anaesthetist . Despite the on-going contact , all the wounded were treated and successfully evacuated .
612 Sqn were again in Iraq in support of Operation TELIC in 2006 as part of the British Military Hospital at Shaiba . Throughout this deployment the Sqn personnel were praised for their professionalism and hard work in arduous and demanding conditions . Between 2010 and 2014 personnel from 612 Squadron were continuously RAF MERT Op HERRICK deployed on operations in Afghanistan , undertaking essential roles in the MERT , the deployed hospital facility at Bastion , and all elements of the Aeromedical Evacuation chain .
612 Sqn exercising Aeromedical Evacuation
Today 612 Sqn trains medical healthcare professionals , primarily from the NHS , to deliver the full range of medical care from point of injury to aeromedical evacuation .
The Sqn has developed a very productive relationship with the USAFR and regularly exercise with the 911 th AES USAFR in the aeromedical evacuation role . 612 Sqn ’ s ability and readiness to deploy is a vital contribution to the moral component of fighting power .
612 Sqn exercising with their USAFR partners 911 AES USAFR
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