657 Squadron RAF, a unit of the Royal Air Force in North Africa, Italy and the Netherlands during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany.

In November 1945, the squadron returned to the UK and continued to support army units in the South of England until disbanded by being renumbered No.

[6] The squadron's motto was: Latin: Per terras perque caelum(Translation: "By land and sky")[7] and their identification symbol was A hand couped at the wrist, holding a gun barrel.

[1] In July 1990, the squadron relinquished its independent status by becoming part of 9 Regiment AAC and moved to Oakington in Cambridgeshire and then in February 1991 to Dishforth Airfield in North Yorkshire.

[2] On 26 April 2014, a Lynx crashed in Takhta Pul district of Kandahar Province, killing all five British personnel on board.

They were Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer 2 Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters of the Army Air Corps, Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan of the Royal Air Force and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas of the Intelligence Corps.

[18] The site, variously described as "close to Kandahar base" and "30 miles from the Pakistani border", had been "secured" for recovery of the bodies and aircraft.

[21] Plans to purchase modified AgustaWestland Wildcat helicopters to replace the Lynx in the special forces role were dropped due to budget constraints.