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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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No 296 Sqn Personnel, aircraft and locations
[1942 | ]
Personnel Movements: Jan - Dec 1942
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| January | |||
| Sqn Ldr | P B N Davis | 25 Jan 1942 | Transferred from the GEU and assumed command of No 296 Sqn |
| Flt Lt | A B Wilkinson | 25 Jan 1942 | Transferred from the GEU and assumed command of the detachment at RAF Kidlington |
| Flt Lt | J R Ashwell-Cooke | 25 Jan 1942 | Transferred from the GEU |
| Fg Off | B D F Austen | 25 Jan 1942 | Transferred from the GEU |
| Plt Off | G H Briggs | 25 Jan 1942 | Transferred from the GEU |
| February | |||
| Sqn Ldr | P B N Davis | 13 Feb 1942 | Attached to HQ London District as RAF Adviser on Exercise 'Victor Two' |
| Sqn Ldr | P B N Davis | 19 Feb 1942 | Ceased to be attached to HQ London District on completion of Exercise 'Victor Two' |
| March | |||
| Sgt Plt | Hall | 2 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Sgt Plt | Cowie | 2 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Sgt Plt | Goring | 2 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Sgt Plt | McAdams | 2 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Plt Off | Royle | 5 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Plt Off | Rogers | 5 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Plt Off | Neill | 5 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Plt Off | Hurst | 5 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Plt Off | Swanson | 5 Mar 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| April | |||
| Sgt Plt | E A Smith | 16 Apr 1942 | Injured in a flying accident whilst flying a Hotspur |
| Plt Off | Markham | 27 Apr 1942 | Arrived on posting from RAF Shrewton and joined the Hector Flight |
| May | |||
| Sgt Plt | Grant | 3 May 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Sgt Plt | Hewitt | 3 May 1943 | Arrived on posting for tug pilot duties |
| Wg Cdr | Winfield | 6 May 1942 | Attached as an observer for the air sickness trials |
| Plt Off | Royle | 13 May 1943 | Injured in a flying accident (Hector) |
| June | |||
| Sgt Plt | Hutchison | 5 Jun 1943 | Injured in a flying accident (Hotspur) |
| Flt Lt | G H Briggs | 29 Jun 1942 | Assumed command of 'E' Flight (Heavy Tugs) |
| Sqn Ldr | P B N Davis | 30 Jun 1942 | Relinquished command of No 296 Sqn on posting to the USA on special duty |
| Flt Lt | A B Wilkinson | 30 Jun 1942 | Assumed command of No 296 Sqn |
| July | |||
| Gp Capt | B A J Crummy | 25 Jul 1942? | Assumed command of No 296 Sqn (also OC RAF Hurn?) |
| August | |||
| Sgt | Smith | 7 Aug 1942 | Army Glider Pilots' Regiment, died for injuries sustained in a flying accident on 6 Aug 1942 |
| Sqn Ldr | Brian R Macnamara | 10 Aug 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 614 Sqn and assumed command of 'B' Flight |
| Plt Off | J Woods | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Flt Sgt | J H Kelly | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Flt Sgt | J J Major | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| AC2 | D F Armstrong | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| AC2 | R F Fisher | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| AC2 | R F G Padfield | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| AC2 | W Inglis | 20 Aug 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Plt Off | Gethin | 22 Aug 1942 | Adjutant, posted to No 239 Sqn |
| September | |||
| Fg Off | J Callahan RAAF | 4 Sep 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Plt Off | K G Lavery RCAF | 4 Sep 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Plt Off | W R Stephens | 4 Sep 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Flt Sgt | R J Mayes | 4 Sep 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Sgt | A Dougherty | 4 Sep 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Flt Lt | Young | 15 Sep 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 170 Sqn on cessation of attachment to No 42 OTU |
| Fg Off | C Merrick & crew | 15 Sep 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Plt Off | T C Graham & crew | 15 Sep 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Plt Off | R L Ewert & crew | 15 Sep 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Plt Off | Simpson | 15 Sep 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 41 OTU |
| Plt Off | A Cholmondeley | 20 Sep 1942 | Arrived on posting from RAF Hurn on ceasing to be N/E sick |
| October | |||
| Sqn Ldr | P M V Lysaght | 9 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting and assumed command of 'C' Flight |
| Plt Off | McCall & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Plt Off | Milne & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Plt Off | Scott & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Plt Off | Marriott & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Plt Off | Mollgaard & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Plt Off | Mace & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Plt Off | Green & crew | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 298 Sqn, wef 6 Oct 1942 |
| Wg Cdr | P R May | 22 Oct 1942 | Arrived on attachment |
| Fg Off | N Dumont | 24 Oct 1942 | Posted to No 614 Sqn |
| Plt Off | A P Whicher | 24 Oct 1942 | Posted to No 13 Sqn |
| Flt Sgt | J P Studer | 24 Oct 1942 | Posted to No 13 Sqn |
| Sgt | J L Underwood | 24 Oct 1942 | Posted to No 13 Sqn |
| Sgt | H H Smith | 24 Oct 1942 | Posted to No 614 Sqn |
| Sgt | T B Cooper | 24 Oct 1942 | Posted to No 614 Sqn |
| Plt Off | R L Ewert | 25 Oct 1942 | Attached to RAF Hurn |
| Gp Capt | B A J Crummy | 26 Oct 1942 | Relinquished command of No 296 Sqn on posting to No 10 SoTT |
| Wg Cdr | P R May | 26 Oct 1942 | Assumed command of No 296 Sqn |
| Plt Off | Boyer & crew | 26 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Plt Off | Wilson & crew | 26 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Sgt Plt | Webley & crew | 26 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Sgt Plt | Morris & crew | 26 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Sgt Plt | Andrewartha & crew | 26 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 42 OTU |
| Plt Off | R L Ewert | 27 Oct 1942 | Ceased to be attached to RAF Hurn |
| November | |||
| Flt Lt | G H M Standring | 5 Nov 1942 | Arrived on posting from ACRC for duty as Adjutant |
| Plt Off | H C Wheal | 8 Nov 1942 | Posted to No 429 Sqn |
| Plt Off | O N W Baker | 10 Nov 1942 | Posted to No 196 Sqn |
| APO | F Robson | 21 Nov 1942 | Arrived on posting from No 2 SoTT |
| Plt Off | T C Graham | 28 Nov 1942 | Posted to No 42 OTU |
| December | |||
| Fg Off | G O'Connell | 8 Dec 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Plt Off | R L Ewert RNZAF | 8 Dec 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Flt Sgt | J E Westfield | 8 Dec 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Sgt | E L Waterman | 8 Dec 1942 | Killed in a flying accident |
Source - No 296 ORB (AIR 27/1645)
Organisational Movements: Jan - Dec 1942
| Date | Notes |
| January | |
| 24 Jan 1942 | No 296 Squadron was formed at RAF Ringway from the Glider Exercise Unit, equipped with: - |
 Hector I
Hart |
|
| February | |
| 1-12 Feb 1942 | The squadron was transferred from RAF Ringway to RAF Netheravon, continuing to operate a detachment at RAF Kidlington |
| 14-23 Feb 1942 | 10 x Hotspur II gliders were received and assembled |
 |
|
| March |
|
| 12 Mar 1942 | 2 x officers and 14 x Sergeant pilots arrived on posting from No 101 GOTU for glider pilot duties |
| April | |
| 3 Apr 1942 | Trials began to investigate air sickness in gliders |
| 5 Apr 1942 | First dual tow (1 x Hector and 2 x Hotspurs) was completed |
| 30 Apr 1942 | The squadron completed its first Whitley Flight |
 |
|
| May | |
| 25 May 1942 | The squadron commenced running a refresher course for ex-OTU pilots |
| June | |
| 19 Jun 1942 | 19 x Blenheim crews arrived on attachment from No 42 OTU to await the formation of the HGCU |
| 16 Jun 1942 | First tow using a Whitley carried out |
| 18 Jun 1942 | First double tow using a Whitley successively carried out |
| 24 Jun 1942 | The training of glider pilots on heavy tugs was suspended by order of higher authority |
| 29 Jun 1942 | 'E' Flight (Heavy Tugs) was formed with six crews |
| July | |
| 25 Jul 1942 | 'A' Flight moved from RAF Netheravon to RAF Hurn |
| 27 Jul 1942 | First batch of Army Glider Pilots arrived at 'B' Flight |
| August | |
| 12 Aug 1942 | 'B' Flight at RAF Netheravon was renamed Glider
Pilot Exercise Unit A new 'B' Flight was formed at RAF Hurn |
| 17 Aug 1942 | Road party departed RAF Hurn for Leuchars, reaching Lutterworth Staging Camp |
| 20 Aug 1942 | 13 x aircraft departed RAF Hurn for RAF
Leuchars on detachment 1 x Tiger Moth was delivered by the ATA |
| 28 Aug 1942 | 14 [sic] x aircraft returned from RAF Leuchars to RAF Hurn |
| 29 Aug 1942 | Road party arrived at RAF Hurn from Leuchars |
| September | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
| October | |
| 9 Oct 1942 | 'C' Flight was formed |
| 10 Oct 1942 | Squadron carried out its first 'operational' sortie, a 'Nickel' raid on Lille |
| 22 Oct 1942 | Advance party departed RAF Hurn for RAF Andover |
| 24 Oct 1942 | 'A' Flight aircraft flown from RAF Hurn to RAF Andover |
| 25 Oct 1942 | 'B' and 'C' Flight aircraft flown from RAF Hurn
to RAF Andover Main party departed RAF Hurn for RAF Andover |
| 27 Oct 1942 | Rear party departed RAF Hurn for RAF Andover First practice tow with a Horsa made from RAF Hurn |
| November | |
| 18 Nov 1942 | Squadron assisted in the move of No 168 Sqn from RAF Bottisham to RAF Odiham |
| December | |
| 16 Dec 1942 | Advance party departed RAF Andover for RAF Hurn by road |
| 18 Dec 1942 | Road party departed RAF Andover for RAF Hurn |
| 19 Dec 1942 | Main party departed RAF Andover for RAF Hurn by air |
| 22 Dec 1942 | Rear party departed RAF Andover for RAF Hurn by road |
Source - No 296 ORB (AIR 27/1645)
This entry was last updated on 25/07/25
