|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No 243 Sqn Personnel, aircraft and locations
Personnel Movements: Mar - Dec 1941
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| March | |||
| Sqn Ldr | G B M Bell | 12 Mar 1941 | Assumed command of No 243 Sqn |
| Fg Off | T A Vigors | 12 Mar 1941 | Assumed command of 'A' Flight |
| Fg Off | J Mansel-Lewis | 12 Mar 1941 | Assumed command of 'B' Flight |
| Plt Off | J I David | 12 Mar 1941 | Assumed command of Servicing Flight |
| Plt Off | J C Nixon | 12 Mar 1941 | Assumed duties of Intelligence Officer |
| Plt Off | R C Chalk | 12 Mar 1941 | Assumed duties of Adjutant |
| Plt Off | M H Holden | 26 Mar 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| Plt Off | Pevreal | 28 Mar 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| Plt Off | F W Oakden | 28 Mar 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| April | |||
| Fg Off | J Mansel-Lewis | 4 Apr 1941 | Killed in a flying accident |
| Fg Off | R Bows | 18 Apr 1941 | Arrived on posting and assumed command of 'B' Flight |
| May | |||
| Fg Off | M Garden | 16 May 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Plt Off | E M Cox | 16 May 1941 | Arrived on posting from UK for duty as Intelligence Officer |
| Plt Off | J C Nixon | 16 May 1941 | Relinquished duties of Intelligence Officer |
| Plt Off | G L Hesketh | 21 May 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Fg Off | R Bows | 27 May 1941 | Promoted to Flt Lt, wef 25 Apr 1941 |
| June | |||
| Sgt Plt | Beable RNZAF | 13 Jun 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| Sgt Plt | J B Oliver RNZAF | 13 Jun 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| Sgt Plt | Pederson RNZAF | 13 Jun 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| Sgt Plt | C Wareham RNZAF | 13 Jun 1941 | Arrived on posting |
| Plt Off | T B Marra RNZAF | 14 Jun 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 67 Sqn, wef 12 Jun 1941 |
| Plt Off | L S Johns RNZAF | 14 Jun 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 67 Sqn, wef 12 Jun 1941 |
| Sgt Plt | Beable RNZAF | 14 Jun 1941 | Posted to No 67 Sqn, wef 12 Jun 1941 |
| Sgt Plt | Pederson RNZAF | 14 Jun 1941 | Posted to No 67 Sqn, wef 12 Jun 1941 |
| July | |||
| Flt Lt | L Jackson | 12 Jul 1941 | Attached for training |
| Fg Off | B Anderson | 12 Jul 1941 | Attached for training |
| Fg Off | T A Vigors | 26 Jul 1941 | Assumed command of detachment at Kota Bahru |
| Fg Off | M Garden | 29 Jul 1941 | Assumed command of 'A' Flight |
| August | |||
| Plt Off | G L Bonham RNZAF | 12 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Sgt Plt | N B Rankin RNZAF | 12 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Sgt Plt | C J Powell RNZAF | 12 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Plt Off | R S Shield RNZAF | 15 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Fg Off | T A Vigors | 16 Aug 1941 | Promoted to Act (unpaid) Flt Lt |
| Plt Off | J I David | 16 Aug 1941 | Promoted to Fg Off |
| Plt Off | M H Holden | 16 Aug 1941 | Promoted to Fg Off |
| Fg Off | M Garden | 22 Aug 1941 | Admitted to hospital |
| Sgt Plt | R L Elliott RNZAF | 27 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Sgt Plt | V Arthur RNZAF | 27 Aug 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| September | |||
| Flt Lt | T A Vigors | 4 Sep 1941 | Returned from Kota Bahru |
| Plt Off | J M Cranstone RNZAF | 17 Sep 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Sgt Plt | C T Cronk RNZAF | 17 Sep 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Sgt Plt | B S Wipiti RNZAF | 17 Sep 1941 | Arrived on posting from attachment with No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| Plt Off | E M Cox | 18 Sep 1941 | Intelligence Officer, posted to RAF Kallang |
| October | |||
| Plt Off | R C Chalk | 7 Oct 1941 | Adjutant, promoted to Act Fg Off, wef 1 Sep 1941 |
| Plt Off | D R L Brown RNZAF | 11 Oct 1941 | Arrived on posting from New Zealand |
| Sgt Plt | A R Reynolds RNZAF | 11 Oct 1941 | Arrived on posting from New Zealand |
| Sgt Plt | B K Baber RNZAF | 11 Oct 1941 | Arrived on posting from New Zealand |
| Sgt Plt | R J Newman RNZAF | 11 Oct 1941 | Arrived on posting from New Zealand |
| Sgt Plt | A J Lawrence RNZAF | 17 Oct 1941 | Arrived on posting from No 21 Sqn RAAF |
| November | |||
| Plt Off | D R L Brown RNZAF | 3 Nov 1941 | Ceased to attached to Kluang aerodrome |
| Sgt Plt | R J Newman RNZAF | 3 Nov 1941 | Ceased to attached to Kluang aerodrome |
| Sgt Plt | A R Reynolds RNZAF | 6 Nov 1941 | Ceased to attached to Kluang aerodrome |
| Sgt Plt | B K Baber RNZAF | 6 Nov 1941 | Ceased to attached to Kluang aerodrome |
| Sgt Plt | E B Smith RNZAF | 8 Nov 1941 | Attached from No 67 Sqn |
| Sgt Plt | E B Smith RNZAF | 12 Nov 1941 | Ceased to be attached from No 67 Sqn and proceeded to Singapore on posting to Rangoon |
| Fg Off | M H Holden | 21 Nov 1941 | Proceeded on detachment to RAF Alor Star |
| Plt Off | R S Shield RNZAF | 21 Nov 1941 | Proceeded on detachment to RAF Alor Star |
| Sgt Plt | J B Oliver RNZAF | 21 Nov 1941 | Proceeded on detachment to RAF Alor Star |
| Sgt | W Snell | 21 Nov 1941 | Proceeded on detachment to RAF Alor Star |
| December | |||
| Flt Lt | T A Vigors | 1 Dec 1941 | Attached to No 453 Sqn and assumed temporary command |
| Plt Off | G L Hesketh | 1 Dec 1941 | Attached to No 488 Sqn as assistant flight commander |
| Plt Off | F W Oakden | 1 Dec 1941 | Attached to No 488 Sqn as assistant flight commander |
| Fg Off | J I David | 5 Dec 1941 | Returned from detachment at RAF Alor Star |
| Sqn Ldr | F J Howell | 6 Dec 1941 | Arrived on posting and assumed command of No 243 Sqn |
| Sqn Ldr | G B M Bell | 6 Dec 1941 | Relinquished command of No 243 Sqn on posting to RAF Kallang to command |
| Sgt Plt | J B Oliver RNZAF | 6 Dec 1941 | Returned from detachment at RAF Alor Star |
| Plt Off | D R L Brown RNZAF | 7 Dec 1941 | Posted to No 453 Sqn |
| Plt Off | R S Shield RNZAF | 9 Dec 1941 | Returned from Kota Bahru |
| Flt Lt | T A Vigors | 10 Dec 1941 | Promoted to Act (paid) Flt Lt |
| Sgt | W Snell | 13 Dec 1941 | Returned from RAF Alor Star |
| Fg Off | M Garden | 14 Dec 1941 | Promoted to Act (unpaid) Flt Lt |
| Sgt Plt | C Wareham RNZAF | 15 Dec 1941 | Attached to RAF Seletar for photographic duties |
Source - No 243 ORB (AIR 27/1474)
Organisational Movements: Mar - Dec 1941
| Date | Notes |
| March | |
| 11 Mar 1941 | Personel for No 243 Squadron disembarked from HMT 'Aquitania' and proceeded to RAF Kallang |
| 12 Mar 1941 | No 243 (Fighter) Squadron was formed at RAF Kallang, Singapore |
| 13 Mar 1941 | 4 x Buffalos, W8139, W8134, W8142 and W8137, collected from RAF Seletar |
 |
|
| 19 Mar 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8145, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 24 Mar 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8140, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 26 Mar 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8149, collected from RAF Seletar |
| April | |
| 4 Apr 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8156, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 16 Apr 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8155, collected from RAF Seletar Buffalo, W8149 transferred to Aircraft Depot, Far East (damaged in accident on 8 Apr 1941) |
| 21 Apr 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8154, collected from RAF Seletar |
| May | |
| 5 May 1941 | 2 x Buffalos, W8192 and W8194, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 12 May 1941 | Buffalo W8194 damaged in ground accident |
| 14 May 1941 | Buffalo W8192 returned to RAF Seletar with engine problems |
| 16 May 1941 | Buffalo W8194 returned from RAF Seletar
following repair 4 x Airman arrived on posting from the UK |
| 19 May 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8187, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 20 May 1941 | 2 x Buffalos, W8189 and W8182, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 23 May 1941 | 3 x Buffalos, W8188, W8199 and W8164, collected from RAF Seletar |
| 24 May 1941 | 3 x Buffalos, W8162, W8179 and W8184, collected from RAF Seletar (first two as reserve) |
| June | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
| July | |
| 29 Jul 1941 | Detachment of 3 x Buffalos proceeded to Kota Bahru, ground party departed by rail |
| August | |
| 6 Aug 1941 | 28 x airman arrived on posting from the UK 5 x airmen posted to Southern Rhodesian for Air Gunners' Course |
| 14 Aug 1941 | 4 x Buffalos, AN196, AN197, W8221 and W8242, collected from RAF Seletar as Initial Reserve |
| 20 Aug 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8238, arrived from RAF Seletar |
| 22 Aug 1941 | 1 x Buffalo, W8187, returned from RAF Seletar following engine modifications |
| 26 Aug 1941 | 18 x airman arrived on posting from the UK |
| September | |
| 4 Sep 1941 | Detachment returns from Kota Bahru |
| October | |
| 25 Oct 1941 | 6 x Buffalos detached to Kluang for Army Co-operation exercise |
| November | |
| 15 Nov 1941 | 3 x airman arrived on posting from the UK |
| 19 Nov 1941 | 7 x airmen departed on posting to Southern Rhodesian for Air Gunners' Course |
| 21 Nov 1941 | 3 x aircraft and ground party (1 x Sgt and 9 x airmen) proceeded on detachment to RAF Alor Star |
| December | |
| 7 Dec 1941 | Kota Bahru aerodrome attacked by Japanese forces |
| 9 Dec 1941 | 7 x airmen returned from Kota Bahru by rail |
| 13 Dec 1941 | 1 x NCO and 2 x airmen returned from RAF Alor Star |
Source - No 243 ORB (AIR 27/1474)
Personnel Movements: Jan - Dec 1942
| Rank | Name | Date | Notes |
| January | |||
| The squadron records for this month were lost/destroyed during the evacuation from Singapore | |||
| June | |||
| July | |||
| August | |||
| September | |||
| October | |||
| November | |||
| December | |||
Source - No 243 ORB (AIR 27/1474)
Organisational Movements: Jan - Dec 1942
| Date | Notes |
| January | |
| 30 Juan 1942 | The squadron was formally disbanded on this date following the evacuation from Singapore |
| June | |
| July | |
| August | |
| September | |
| October | |
| November | |
| December | |
| No relevant entries recorded in this month's ORB | |
Source - No 243 ORB (AIR 27/1474)
This entry was last updated on 13/07/25
