History of 603 Squadron

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603 Squadron Royal Air Force. Super Marine Spitfire of 603 Squadron shown in aviation art prints by Robert Taylor available from aviationprints.co.uk, part of the Royal Air Force squadron's history in aviation art.

603 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force was formed at Turnhouse 14th October 1925, and was among the first Auxiliary Air Force squadrons to be formed. Initially a light bomber squadron, 603 was equipped with DH 9s, Westland Wapatis, Hawker Harts and Hinds. On 27th October 1938, the squadron was redesignated as a fighter squadron, and was re-equipped with the Gloster Gladiator Mk II, which in September 1939 were replaced by the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk I.. Following the declaration of war against Nazi Germany, the squadron was soon in action when it was scrambled on 16th October 1939 to intercept a force of Ju88 bombers of I/KG 30 attacking naval vessels in the Firth of Forth - 603 shooting down one of the enemy aircraft which crashed off Port Seton. On 28th October, 603 and 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadrons shared in the destruction of an He111 - which was the first enemy aircraft to fall on British soil. Between January and August 1940, 603 claimed a further 13 enemy aircraft. At the end of August, the squadron was sent south for what was to become known as the Battle of Britain, during which 603 was involved in many fierce air battles. The squadron returned to Scotland in December, completing many coastal and convoy patrols before returning to Hornchurch in May 1941, as part of the Hornchurch Wing, carrying out offensive fighter sweeps and bomber escorts over France. Now flying the Spitfire MkVa and b, 603 continued in this role until it was posted back to Scotland in December 1941. Little happened until April 1942, when the squadron was sent to Malta on defensive duties and re-equipped with Spitfire Mk Vc. In August, 603 was renumbered becoming the nucleus of of 229 Squadron. By February 1943, the unit was a coastal strike squadron equipped with the Bristol Beaufighter, attacking enemy shipping in the Aegean. It returned to the UK at the end of 1944. On 26th December 1944, the squadron was disbanded. It was reformed on 10th January 1945, renumbered 603 and re-equipped with the Spitfire LF 16e aircraft. Its task was now to escort Beaufighters on anti-shipping strikes, and to attack V2 sites on the continent. The squadron was disbanded on 15th August 1945 and reformed on 10th May 1946. On the 16th December 1947, King George VI gave permission for the use of the Royal prefix for all Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. No.603 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, chosen as the Queen's squadron, was disbanded on 10th March 1957, whilst equipped with D.H. Vampires FB.5 at RAF Turnhouse.

603 City of Edinburgh Royal Auxiliary Air Force Motto: Gin ye daur (If you dare).


Spitfire Country by Nicolas Trudgian.


Spitfire Country by Nicolas Trudgian.

A typical scene from a bright August morning in that momentous summer of 1940. Having climbed into the dawn sky at daybreak, the Spitfires of No 603 Squadron have already been in action, and with more heavy raids on the plotters table, they scurry back to Biggin Hill to re-arm and refuel. A Messerschmitt Me109, shot down during the previous days fighting, lies discarded in a hay field, its lucky pilot having escaped with his life. Meanwhile, the beautiful Kent countryside comes awake as it prepares for the toils of another glorious summers day.
Item Code : NT0325Spitfire Country by Nicolas Trudgian. - Editions Available
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PRINT Signed limited edition of 500 prints.
Full Item Details		 Paper size 39 inches x 24 inches (99cm x 61cm) Winskill, Archie
Martel, Ludvik
Olver, Peter
Stapleton, Basil
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian		SOLD
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PROOF		 Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.
Full Item Details		 Paper size 39 inches x 24 inches (99cm x 61cm) Winskill, Archie
Martel, Ludvik
Olver, Peter
Stapleton, Basil
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Head on Attack by Robert Taylor


Head on Attack by Robert Taylor

On October 12, 1940, No. 603 Squadron, reduced to only eight aircraft, took on a large formation of Me109s attacking head on. Robert Taylors vivid portrayal shows Scott-Maldens Spitfire moments after knocking down an Me109 in the encounter, both he and his wingman coming through unscathed.
Item Code : DHM2080Head on Attack by Robert Taylor - Editions Available
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PRINT Signed limited edition of 1250 prints.
Full Item Details		Paper size 24 inches x 20 inches (61cm x 51cm) Scott-Malden, David
+ Artist : Robert Taylor		£135.00

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Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia X4277 XT-M. by M A Kinnear.


Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia X4277 XT-M. by M A Kinnear.

Aircraft History: First flight 27th August 1940. X4277 was delivered to No.6 Maintenance Unit 28th August, and then delivered to 603 Squadron, 30th August. The aircraft was shot down in flames off the North Foreland (between Margate and Broadstairs) and crashed in to the sea 3rd September, 1940.

Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary: Born on the 20th April, 1919 in Australia. Richard Hillary came to England aged three, when his father took up a post as a government official at Australia House in London. He later attended Oxford, was a member of the University Air Squadron and was called up in October 1939. He completed his training and was initially posted to No.1 School Army Co-operation, followed by a posting to No.5 OTU - to convert to Spitfires- and then on to 603 Squadron at Montrose. He shot down his first enemy aircraft on 29th August 1940, but his aircraft was badly damaged forcing him to crash land, Hillary surviving unhurt. He obtained his fifth victory on 3rd Se.........

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Item Code : AP0015Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia X4277 XT-M. by M A Kinnear. - Editions Available
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PRINT Open edition print.
Full Item Details		 Image size 16.5 inches x 11.5 inches (42cm x 30cm)noneAdd any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£14.00

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Wounded Eagle by Ivan Berryman.


Wounded Eagle by Ivan Berryman.

Gerald Stapme  Stapleton in his 603 Sqn Spitfire despatching the Bf109 of Franz von Werra of III/JG 3.
Item Code : B0368Wounded Eagle by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
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PRINTLimited edition of 30 giclee art prints.
Full Item Details		 Image size 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 21cm) Duckenfield, Byron
Rudorffer, Erich
+ Artist : Ivan Berryman		£15 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £70.00

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PROOF		Limited edition of 20 artist proofs.
Full Item Details		 Image size 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 21cm) Duckenfield, Byron
Rudorffer, Erich
Daines, Roy
+ Artist : Ivan Berryman		Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£110.00

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PRINTSignature edition of 2 prints.
Full Item Details		 Image size 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 20cm) Duckenfield, Byron
Rudorffer, Erich
Schuck, Walter (matted)
David, Dennis (matted)
Daines, Roy
+ Artist : Ivan Berryman		£450.00

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DRAWING		 Original pencil drawing by Ivan Berryman.
Full Item Details		 Paper size 17 inches x 12 inches (43cm x 31cm) Duckenfield, Byron
Thom, Alex
Brown, Maurice P
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Head on Attack by Robert Taylor  No. 603 Squadron Spitfire attacks a large group of ME109s in a head-on attack during the battle of Britain, 1940.  Signatories: David Scott-Maiden.

  Aircraft side view by M A Kinnear  Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia X4277 XT-M.  

Aircraft History:  First flight 27th August 1940. X4277 was delivered to No.6 Maintenance Unit 28th August, and then delivered to 603 Squadron, 30th August. The aircraft was shot down in flames off the North Foreland (between Margate and Broadstairs), and crashed in to the sea 3rd September, 1940.

Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary:  Born on the 20th April, 1919 in Australia. Richard Hillary came to England aged three, when his father took up a post as a government official at Australia House in London. He later attended Oxford, was a member of the University Air Squadron and was called up in October 1939. He completed his training and was initially posted to No.1 School Army Co-operation, followed by a posting to No.5 OTU - to convert to Spitfires- and then on to 603 Squadron at Montrose. He shot down his first enemy aircraft on 29th August 1940, but his aircraft was badly damaged forcing him to crash land, Hillary surviving unhurt. He obtained his fifth victory on 3rd September 1940, but was then shot down by Hptmn. Bode of II/JG26. He had to abandon his blazing Spitfire (X4277) by parachute, landing in the sea with severe burns to his face and hands. After some time in the water he was rescued by the Margate lifeboat. He spent the next three months in the Royal Masonic Hospital, and was then transferred to the Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital at East Grinstead, where he began a long period in hospital as one of the first 'guinea pig' patients under the care of plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe (later Sir Archibald McIndoe). It was during his recovery that he wrote his famous book "The Last Enemy" which has since become a wartime classic. Following great personal effort, he was posted on a nightfighter training course to No.54 OTU, flying the Bristol Blenheim. During the early hours of 8th January 1943 whilst on a night flying exercise, his Blenheim crashed in poor weather, both he and his navigator were killed.

Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV.  Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to  1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MK's V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs.

Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI.  The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service.  To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine.  The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires.

By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires.  The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced.  The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. 
 

 


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