| No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron RAuxAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 10 February 1936 – 3 March 1945 10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Part of | Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
| Nickname(s) | County of Chester |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Alifero tollitur axe ceres (Translation: "Ceres rising in a winged chariot")[1] |
| Engagements | Dunkirk evacuation; Battle of Britain |
| Commanders | |
| Honorary Air Commodore | Sir William Bromley-Davenport(1937–49) I.R. Parker (1953–57) |
| Notable commanders | Cyril Stanley Bamberger John Ellis J.E. "Johnnie" Johnson Ian Robertson Parker Andrew Thomas Smith |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A garb, divided into two parts and coloured red and blue A wheatsheaf was chosen as such charges appear in the armorial bearings of the city of Chester; No. 610 Squadron was the County of Chester Squadron[2] |
| Squadron Codes | JE (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)[3] DW (Sep 1939 – Mar 1945, 1949 – Apr 1951)[4] RAQ (May 1946 – 1949)[5] |
| Post-1950 squadron roundel |  |
No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force. Comprising very high quality pilots, often ex-RAF officers and occasionally locally based company Test pilots from companies such as de Havilland and Airwork, its pilots were initially part timers who would spend their weekends and spare time flying and practising combat manoeuvres. The squadron was named the "County of Chester" and adopted the motto "Alifero tollitur axe ceres"; which translates as "Ceres rising in a winged chariot", Ceres being the Roman Goddess of Wheat, a reference to Chester's Agricultural sector. Its badge contained the image of a garb (sheaf of wheat).
610 Squadron Association, with headquarters at Hooton Park, has a substantial number of ex-members of the Squadron on its list of members.
- ^ Halley 1988, p. 427.
- ^ Rawlings 1978, p. 495.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 14.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 31.
- ^ Bowyer & Rawlings 1979, p. 138.