Army Air Corps AAC Sqn Patch 651 Squadron Crest Late 1980s

Army Air Corps Patch 651 Squadron Army Air Corps Crest Late 1980s Hildesheim Germany Lynx AH1 Cold War Embroidered on twill cut edge 108mm by 90mm four and one quarter inches by three and one half inches.

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Squadron history 1957-2013

In 1957 with the formation of the Army Air Corps the RAFs 651 AOP Squadron was re-designated 651 Aviation Squadron Army Air Corps based at RAF Debden in Essex with Austers. In 1958 the Squadron moved to Middle Wallop to take up the role of the Overseas/Middle East Squadron. Between 1960 and 1962 the Squadron with its Skeeter and Auster Mk IX aircraft deployed to Northern Ireland as the first Army Air Corps unit to do so. The IRAs border campaign was beginning and the primary role of 651 Squadrons 13 Reconnaissance Flight was finding potential helicopter
landing sites. 13 Flight was based at RAF Aldergrove and also operated from RAF St Angelo and RAF Ballykelly.

651 Aviation Squadron moved from Middle Wallop to Verden West Germany with Scouts as part of 1 Regiment Army Air Corps. The Squadron continued to provide Scout Helicopter Detachments to Northern Ireland. This continued following its re-designation as 651 Squadron Army Air Corps on 1 January 1973.

651 Squadron Army Air Corps relocated to Hildesheim in 1983 equipped with the Scout and Lynx Mk 1 as part of 1 Regiment Army Air Corps, aircraft. In 1993, following the end of the Cold War the Squadron relocated again to Gutersloh and in 1996 saw active service in Bosnia Herzegivina as part of IFOR Implementation Force with Lynx Mk 7 on Operation Joint Endeavour.

In March 2000 the Squadron returned to Middle Wallop becoming the Apache Fielding Squadron spearheading the first stages of Apache training in anticipation of the introduction of the aircraft to Army Air Corps in 2001. In 2003 the Squadron was disbanded.

651 Squadron reformed again in 2006 at RAF Odiham as the primary operator of the Defender AL1 to provide fixed-wing manned airborne surveillance in support of counter terrorist operations. In July 2008 651 Squadron Army Air Corps moved back to RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland. The Station became Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove on 20 September 2009 when after 91 years the RAF ensign was lowered for the last time.

651 Squadron with 654 Squadron have continued the honor of wearing the Sirena Syrenka Maid of Warsaw badge awarded to the 651 and 654 AOP Squadrons by the Polish Corps following their support of 2nd Polish Corps during their capture of Monte Cassino and the rest of the Italian campaign in 1944 45.  

This patch dates from the late 1980s