On 4 August 1936 the squadron was reformed at RAF North Weald from 'B' Flight of 56 Squadron, as a fighter squadron, flying Gloster Gauntlets. In December 1938 these were exchanged for Hawker Hurricanes, when the squadron came under Squadron Leader Edward Mortlock Donaldson. It operated throughout the Second World War, flying with Hawker Hurricanes, Boulton Paul Defiants and later de Havilland Mosquitoes, disbanding on 10 October 1946 at RAF Weston Zoyland.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 151 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Hurricane P3324-DZ-P fallen off the Belgian coast on 18/06/1941
The squadron reformed in February 1942 from the home echelon of 40 Squadron at RAF Alconbury, in the Huntingdonshire area of Cambridgeshire, as part of No. 3 Group RAF and was equipped with Wellingtons.[2] In August 1942 it joined No. 8 Group RAF it became one of the original pathfinder squadrons, converting to Lancasters in January 1943. It continued in the pathfinder role until the end of the war, being based at RAF Warboys, RAF Upwood and finally its original founding base, RAF Wyton, where it disbanded on 25 September 1945.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 156 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Lancaster ED840-GT fallen to Lier on 17/06/1943
* Crash of Wellington DV786-GT fallen to Brussegem on 2/06/1942
* Crash of Wellington X3728-GT fallen to Perk on 29/08/1942
* Crash of Wellington X3798-GT fallen to Tildonk on 12/08/1942
* Crash of Lancaster PB505-GT-F fallen to Hechtel on 3/02/1945
* Crash of Lancaster ED857-GT fallen in Germany on 13/05/1943
* Crash of Wellington Z1595-CT fallen to Coutisse on 11/08/1942
* Crash of Lancaster ND384-CT-D fallen to Grandrieu on 2/01/1944
* Crash of Wellington X3697-GT fallen to De Haan on 16/04/1942
No.157 was formed at Upper Heyford on 14 July 1918, to be a ground attack unit equipped with Salamanders but did not become operational before the end of the war and was disbanded on 1 Febuary 1919.
On 13 December 1941, No.157 reformed at Debden but moved four days later to Castle Camps where it received Mosquitoes in January 1942, becoming the first Mosquito night fighter squadron. Patrol's began on 27 April over East Anglia and in July 1943 some Mosquito VI fighter bombers were added to the squadron strength to take part in intruder missions over France and the Low Countries. In November 1943, the squadron moved to Cornwall in a similar role and in 1944 went North to Valley for defensive patrols over the Irish Sea. In May it returned to East Anglia to join No.100 Group and for the rest of the war provided support for the Heavy bombers over Germany by flying sweeps in search of enemy night fighters. On 16 August 1945, the squadron was disbanded.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 157 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Mosquito MM678-RS-A fallen to Drielinter on 6/10/1944
It next entered the lists in February 1942, when it re-formed at Driffield as a bomber squadron in No. 4 Group, and during the remainder of the Second World War took part in many major raids on naval and industrial targets (including the first 1,000-bomber raid) as well as playing an active part in the minelaying campaign.
Beginning operations with Vickers Wellington medium bombers - as they then were - in February 1942, No. 158 converted to Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers in the summer of 1942 and continued with Halifaxes for the rest of the war. Among its Halifaxes (and a great many passed through its hands) were two particularly distinguished specimens - Halifax IIIs LV907 "F-Freddy", or Friday the 13th, as it was named, and LV917 Clueless, which was successively designated "T-Tare", "H-Harry" and "C-Charlie".
These aircraft both joined the squadron in March 1944, and between then and VE Day flew 128 and 99 (at least) operational sorties, respectively. Both of them participated in No. 158 Squadron's final wartime operation - an attack on Wangerooge on 25th April 1945.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 158 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Halifax HR739-NP-U fallen to Hechtel on 31/08/1943
* Crash of Halifax HR717-NP-E fallen to Leopoldsburg on 29/05/1943
* Crash of Halifax W7750-NP-M fallen to Opglabbeek on 7/08/1942
* Crash of Halifax LW298-NP-L fallen to Vlijtingen on 3/11/1943
* Crash of Halifax HR734-NP-P fallen to Loncin on 4/07/1943
* Crash of Halifax NR233-NP-J fallen to Loupoigne on 18/12/1944
* Crash of Halifax HR938-NP-L fallen to Wancennes on 11/08/1943
* Crash of Wellington W5482-NP-X fallen off coast on 11/04/1942
* Crash of Halifax W7745-NP-K fallen off coast on 10/09/1942
* Crash of Halifax DT668-NP-K fallen to Bouillon on 26/02/1943
* Crash of Halifax HX542-NP-F fallen to Marbais on 22/03/1944
* Crash of Halifax JD259-NP-R fallen to Lees-Mechelen on 23/06/1943
No.159 Squadron was formed on 1 June 1918 as a nucleus but was disbanded again on 4 July 1918after formation had been suspended to provide reinforcements for France.
On 2 January 1942, No.159 reformed at Molesworth and its groung echelon left for the Middle East in Febuary. After being employed on servicing duties, it was posted to India in May. The first group of No.159's Liberators were flown out to Palestine in July 1942 and carried out bombing raids on enemy bases in North Africa, Italy and Greece before flying on to India, the first arriving at Salbani on 30 September. Operations against the Japenese began on 17 November and the long range bombing and reconnaissance missions were undertaken for the rest of the war over targets in Burma, Siam, Malaya, Indo-China and the Dutch East Indies. After Japan surrendered, No.159 was engaged in transport and survey duties before disbanding on 1 June 1946.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 159 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Wellington Z8795-OJ-C fallen to Lillo on 20/01/1941
No 161 Squadron was formed as a nucleus of a day bomber unit on 1 June 1918, but was disbanded on 4 July 1918 to provide personnel for other units.
On 15 February 1942, No.161 reformed at Newmarket from a nucleus supplied by No 138 Squadron and the King's Flight. It joined with No 138 in dropping supplies and agents over occupied Europe and took over the landing and pick-up operations for which it used Lysanders, Havocs and Hudsons. Only a few sorties were flown with the Havoc, and many of these were as convoy escorts under the control of Fighter or Coastal Command. Halifaxes were received in November 1942 and in September 1944, it began using Stirlings with which it continued it's covert tasks until the end of the war.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 161 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Lockheed Hudson T9463-MA-L fallen to Houffalize on 27/11/1944
* Crash of Hudson T9445-MA-O fallen to La Roche-en-Ardenne on 6/03/1945
164 Squadron RAF was originally founded on 1 June 1918, but never received aircraft and was disbanded on 4 July 1918. The squadron was reformed at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on 6 April 1942, as a fighter squadron initially equipped with Spitfire Mk VAs, becoming operational in early May.
Around 600 Argentine volunteers, mostly of Anglo-Argentine descent, joined the British and Canadian Air Forces,a few of them in the 164 Argentine-British RAF squadron, which motto was Firmes volamos (Determined We Fly) and its insignia was a British lion in front of a rising sun representing Argentina. Some pilots adorned the side of their aircraft with a picture of a popular Argentine cartoon character called Patoruzú, an indigenous man with incredible strength.[4][5]
In January 1943 the squadron moved to South Wales to train as a ground-attack unit, where it was equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. Operations against enemy shipping and coastal targets began in June 1943. Squadron Leader Percy Beake was put in charge of the Squadron in May 1944.[6]
After providing support for the landing forces from southern England, using Hawker Typhoons, the squadron moved to France in July 1944. During the Battle of Normandy, No.164 used its rockets against enemy armour in the battle area and after the breakout moved forward through northern France and Belgium in support of the 21st Army Group.
The squadron was renumbered No. 63 Squadron RAF on 31 August 1946.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 164 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Typhoon MN862 fallen to Damme on 7/10/1944
No.162 Squadron was formed as a nucleus on 1 June 1918, but was disbanded on 4 July 1918 before becoming effective. It reformed on 4 January 1942 at Kabrit from a detachment of Wellingtons of No.109 Squadron and for the first few weeks was referred to as the Signals Squadron until its number was advised. Its tasks included radar stations and jamming enemy tank radios. To carry these out, small detachments of aircraft operated from many airfields in the Middle East, the bulk of the calibration work being carried out by Blenheims. On 24 May 1942, the squadron began bombing raids in support of the hard-pressed Eighth Army and during the attack on El Alamein its Wellingtons were engaged in jamming the radios of the enemy Panzer forces. After the rout of the Afrika Korps, bombing raids continued at intervals but its main task was calibration. In September 1943, Balitmores began replacing the Blenheims and in March 1944 the squadron took over the Wellington D.W.I minesweepers of No.1 GRU and operated them in July. On 25 September 1944, the squadron was disbanded and its calibration duties taken over by No.26 AACU.
On 18 December 1944, No.162 reformed at Bourn with Mosquitoes as part of the light Night Striking Force and carried out many night raids on Germany until the end of the war. In July 1945, it was transferred to Transport Command at Blackbushe to operate a mail service to bases on the Continent, disbanding on 14 July 1946.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 165 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Spitfire MH437 fallen to Brugge on 5/01/1945
* Crash of Spitfire MK425 fallen to Brugge on 5/01/1945
No. 166 Squadron was formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk, on 13th June 1918, for heavy bombing, and in the following September became the first mobilising unit of No. 27 Group which then began to prepare for long-distance raids into Germany. The squadron personnel were carefully selected, and the pilots and observers, many of them from night-bombing FE2b squadrons in France, underwent a special course at the School of Navigation at Andover. The squadron was to be equipped with the Handley Page V/1500 four-engined bomber - unofficially known as the Super Handley - with which it was hoped, Berlin would be reached from the base in Britain. The first V/1500 flew in May 1918, but was wrecked on test soon afterwards. The Armistice intervened before the squadron could be completely mobilised. Only three V/1500s were ready for use.
The squadron was re-formed in November 1936, as a heavy-bomber squadron equipped with Handley Page Heyford aircraft. It became part of an air observers' school in June 1938, than a Group pool squadron about May 1939 and by the outbreak of the Second World War was flying Whitleys. Soon after the outbreak of war it became a No. 6 Group training squadron. It remained as such until April 1940, and then merged with No. 97 Squadron and SHQ Abingdon to form No. 10 OTU.
No. 166 was re-formed in January 1943, at Kirmington, Lincolnshire - again as a bomber squadron. It remained based at Kirmington throughout the remainder of the war and, flying Wellingtons and Lancasters, participated in many major raids, and also played an active part in Gardening (minelaying). The squadron won at least two DSOs, two CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the Second World War.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 166 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Wellington HF569-HD fallen to Neerhespen on 4/07/1943
* Crash of Wellington HE988-AS-U fallen to Lozen on 31/08/1943
* Crash of Lancaster PD365-AS-X fallen in Germany, on 22/03/1945
* Crash of Lancaster PB648-AS-B fallen in Germany on 16/11/1944
* Crash of Lancaster ND705-AS-F fallen off coast on 19/03/1944
* Crash of Wellington HF594-AS-Q fallen to Dessel on 25/06/1943
No. 169 Squadron RAF was a tactical reconnaissance and later a night intruder squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 169 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Mosquito HJ711-VI-P fallen off the La Calamine on 15/03/1944
The 171st Aviation Squadron traces its lineage back to the 161st Reconnaissance Flight which was formed in June 1965 based at RAAF Base Amberley.[3][4] The Flight was part of the 16th Army Light Aircraft Squadron which in 1967 became the 1st Aviation Regiment.[5][4] The Flight served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1971 and during this period was renamed the 161st (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight.[3] On return from Vietnam, the Flight was based at Oakley.[3] On 31 January 1974, the Flight was re-designated as the "171st Operational Support Squadron" following a restructure of the 1st Aviation Regiment using the number from the disbanded 171st Air Cavalry Flight
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 171 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Hallifax NA687-6Y-A fallen to Ambly on 6/01/1945
The squadron formed on 2 March 1942 at RAF Manston and equipped with Hurricanes and then rocket armed Typhoons in April 1943. They participated in the Dieppe Raid[1], and were involved in attacks on shipping and V-1 flying bomb launch sites from several bases in the UK. The squadron moved to Camilly, France after D-Day and then withdrew back to the UK, before joining the allied advance across Europe. The squadron disbanded in Germany on 8 April 1945 upon renumbering as No. 137 Squadron RAF, then reformed for two further brief periods and was equipped with Tempests in September 1945 before final disbandment at on 31 March 1946 at Faßberg, Germany.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 174 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Typhoon EK143-XP-C fallen to Veurne on 30/07/1943
The squadron formed on 25 August 1942 at RAF Martlesham Heath and was supplied with Hurricanes and Typhoons. It then operated the Typhoons from several locations in the United Kingdom including RAF Snailwell, RAF Lasham, RAF Odiham and RAF Hurn. It attacked V-1 flying bomb launch sites and supported the Normandy landings in June 1944. It then relocated to France where it followed the allied advance across Europe seeking targets of opportunity. It disbanded in Lübeck, Germany on 30 September 1945
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 182 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Typhoon EK289 fallen to Waarschoot on 8/09/1944
* Crash of Typhoon MN262 fallen to Saint-Vith on 31/12/1944
No. 186 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 at East Retford, providing night pilot training for home defence and on the Western front. On 31 December 1918 it was reformed as an operational shipboard unit aboard HMS Argus. In 1919, the squadron became a torpedo development unit, renumbering to become 210 Squadron on 1 February 1920.
The Squadron reformed again, on 27 April 1943, at RAF Drem as a fighter-bomber squadron, eventually receiving its first Hurricanes in August, after transferring to RAF Ayr, converting to Typhoons and later, Spitfire VBs. The squadron was renumbered as 130 squadron on 5 April 1944.
Six months later, on 5 October 1944, The squadron was reformed as a Bomber Command Lancaster unit, based at Tuddenham, and flew its first bombing raid 13 days later. The squadron was disbanded on 17 July 1945
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 186 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Lancaster HK680-AP-H fallen on 6/12/1944
No. 189 Squadron was formed at RFC Ripon on 20 December 1917 as a night-flying training unit, moving shortly afterwards to Sutton's Farm to continue their work until the end of World War I. On 1 March 1919, the squadron was disbanded.
After the war the unit was involved in dropping food to the Dutch and repatriating POWs until it was disbanded on 20 November 1945.
The squadron was re-formed as part of No. 5 Group RAF on 15 October 1944 at RAF Bardney near the village of Bardney in Lincolnshire. They flew Lancaster bombers in raids over occupied Europe towards the end of World War II in 1944 and 1945.
After RAF Bardney, the squadron was based at RAF Fulbeck near the village of Fulbeck, returning to Bardney in April 1945 and then on to RAF Metheringham near Metheringham.
The unit was mixed, with many personnel from other parts of the Commonwealth including Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians.
No. 189 Squadron was among the 107 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of No 5 Group which attacked the oil refinery in Tonsberg in Southern Norway on 25 April 1945 in the last raid of the war flown by heavy bombers of RAF Bomber Command.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 189 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Lancaster NG307-CA-F fallen in France on 2/02/1945
No.192 squadron was formed with a nucleus of personnel from Gainsborough on 5 September 1917 as an advanced night flying training unit to operate from Newmarket with F.E.2bs. It was engaged in training pilots for night bomber and home defence squadrons until the end of the war and disbanded in December 1918.
On 4 January 1943, No.192 reformed at Gransden Lodge from No.1474 flight. The unit's role was radar patterns and wavelengths. Initially Wellingtons, Mosquitoes and Halifaxes were used, although the last two types did not begin operations until June. Missions were flown mainly over Germany, France and the Low Countries but some were over the Bay of Biscay to check radar used against Coastal command anti-submarine patrols. Between September 1944 and February 1945, USAAF two seat lightnings were attached to the squadron and in November 1944 much time was spent in searching for radio signals from V-2s, though these were later found to be uncontrolled. In January 1945, the Wellingtons flew their last operation and on 22 August 1945, the squadron disbanded to form the basis of the Central Signals Establishment.
On 15 July 1951, No.192 reformed at Watton in a similar role, using Lincolns, Washingtons and Canberras for countermeasures training until renumbered 51 squadron on 21 August 1958.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 192 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Halifax MZ501-DT-P fallen to Beverlo on 25/05/1944
* Crash of Halifax LW622-DT-R fallen to Haasdonk on 25/04/1944
No. 195 Squadron was formed at RAF Duxford on 16 November 1942 with the Hawker Typhoon. After a long training phase the squadron became operational at RAF Ludham with the Typhoon operating offensive Rhubarb sorties and from the end of the year was involved with Roadstead operations using the Typhoons as bombers. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Fairlop on 15 February 1944.
On 1 October 1944 the squadron was reformed at RAF Witchford mainly from the former C Flight of 115 Squadron. Part of No. 3 Group it operated the Avro Lancaster in the heavy bomber role and operated from RAF Wratting Common until the end of the war in Europe. At the end of the European war the squadron was involved in supply drops over the Netherlands and transporting Prisoners of War to the UK from Germany and Italy. The squadron was disbanded for the final time on 14 August 1945.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 195 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Lancaster HK683-A4-M fallen off coast on 23/11/1944
No. 196 Squadron was formed at Driffield, Yorkshire, on 7th November 1942, as a night-bomber squadron and during the period February - October 1943, made many raids on enemy ports and industrial centres in Europe and also played an active part in Gardening (minelaying).
It flew Wellingtons with No. 4 Group at first and then, after having left Yorkshire and moved south to an airfield in Cambridgeshire, flew Stirlings with No. 3 Group. On 1st December, by which time it was based in Leicestershire, No. 196 was transferred from Bomber Command to the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF).
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 196 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Wellington HE980-ZO fallen to Averbode on 4/07/1943
* Crash of Halifax HZ478-AO fallen to Solre-sur-Sambre on 4/07/1943
No. 197 Squadron was formed on 21 November at Turnhouse and received Typhoons during December, becoming operational on 27th January 1943. In March 1943 it moved to southern England for fighter patrol and bomber escort missions before becoming a fighter-bomber unit of the 2nd TAF in No 146 Wing. In preperation for the Allied landings in France, the Squadron attacked enemy transport and troop concentrations with 500 lb bombs and moved to Normandy in mid-July. With the break-out, No 197 moved forward to provide support for the 21st Army Group and by early October arrived in Belgium where it spent the winter. In February 1945, it moved to the Netherlands and flew armed reconnaissance missions over Germany until the end of the war. On 31st August 1945, the Squadron disbanded.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
* Crash in which the 197 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Typhoon MN881-R fallen in Holland on 21/11/1944 witch crew is buried in Belgium
* Crash of Typhoon MN752-D fallen to Amersfoort (NL) on 21/11/1944
* Crash of Typhoon JP533 fallen to Aarsele on 11/08/1943
No. 198 Squadron was formed on 1 June 1918 at Rochford from No.98 Depot Squadron as a night training squadron and was engaged, from June until September 1918, in elementary training duties followed by all-through training until the Armistice. In September 1919 it handed over its training responsibilities to Scampton and was disbanded.
On 8 December 1942, No.198 reformed at Digby with Typhoons as a night fighter squadron and flew defensive patrols over north-east England until March 1943, when it moved to Manston to help counter enemy fighter-bomber raids on coastal towns. In June, the squadron began ground attack missions over France and at the beginning of 1944, adopted Rockets as its main offensive weapon. Attacks on communications, radar stations and coast defence works were a prelude to the invasion of France and on 1 July 1944 the squadron moved to Normandy. Ground attck support for the Army followed throughout the battle of Normandy and the breakout from the beachhead as No.198 moved its bases forward to Belgium. In April 1945 it moved into Germany and remained there until disbanded on 15 September 1945.
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Sources: Royal Air Force
Crash in which the 198 squadron was involved:
* Crash of Typhoon MN702-TP-F to Beveland on 5/11/1944
* Crash of Typhoon JP723 fallen to Vadslo on 20/09/1943
* Crash of Typhoon JP486 fallen to Ieper-Ypres on 20/07/1943
