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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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No 169 Wing Personnel, units and locations
This was formed at Agartala on 3 October 1942 as No 169 (Tactical) Wing on a mobile basis in No 224 Group (later No 221 Group) initially comprising Nos 5 and 155 Squadrons as well as No 92 ASP and No 130 RSU, returning to No 224 Group on 27 January 1944 and was redesignated RAF Wing HQ Chiringa on 1 October 1944.
Personnel Movements 1942
| Rank | Name |
Date |
Notes |
| Sqn Ldr | W Pitt-Brown | 14 Oct 1942 | Posted in for duty as Sqn Ldr - Flying (No 5 Sqn ORB) |
| Sqn Ldr | E Renwick | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from Dinjan |
| Air Party (Key Admin and Ops Staff) | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from Dinjan | |
| Advance Party (5 Officers and 44 ORs) | 16 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from Dinjan | |
| Wg Cdr | P E Meagher | 18 Oct 1942 | Posted in from HQ No 224 Group for duty as Officer Commanding |
| 2nd Party (1 Officer and 143 ORs) | 21 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from Dinjan | |
| Main Party (2 Officers and 118 ORs) | 23 Oct 1942 | Arrived on posting from Dinjan | |
| Fg Off | Smail | 24 Oct 1942 | Commenced duties as Wing Intelligence Officer |
| Flt Lt | M W Edwards | 12 Nov 1942 | Posted in for Intelligence duties |
| Wg Cdr | P E Meagher | 19 Dec 1942 | Proceeded to HQ No 224 Group for temporary duty as SASO |
| Sqn Ldr | W Pitt-Brown | 19 Dec 1942 | Assumed temporary command of No 169 Wing |
| Wg Cdr | P E Meagher | 29 Dec 1942 | Returned from HQ No 224 Group on completion of temporary duty as SASO |
| Sqn Ldr | W Pitt-Brown | 29 Dec 1942 | Relinguished temporary command of No 169 Wing |
Source - No 169 Wing ORB
Unit Composition and Movements 1942
| Unit | Date | Notes |
| Ground element, No 5 Sqn | 2 Oct 1942 | Arrived at Agartala pending formation of No 169 Wing |
| Ground element, No 5 Sqn | 3 Oct 1942 | Taken over on formation |
| Air element, No 5 Sqn | 3 Oct 1942 | Taken over on formation but located at Jessore |
| No 7 Air Liaison Section | 7 Oct 1942 | Arrived on attachment to the Wing |
| No 268 LAA Battery RA | 19 Oct 1942 | Arrived on attachment to the Wing |
| No 23 HAA Battery RA | 21 Oct 1942 | Arrived on attachment to the Wing |
| 2 Sections, No 607 Sqn | 27 Oct 1942 | Arrived from No 166 Wing to provide defensive cover at Agatala |
| 1 Section, No 607 Sqn | 28 Oct 1942 | Arrived from No 166 Wing to provide defensive cover at Agatala |
| No 155 Sqn | 24 Oct 1942 | Allocated to the Wing but still located at Alipore |
| No 615 Sqn det | 30 Oct 1942 | Arrived from No 166 Wing to provide defensive cover at Agatala |
| Air element, No 5 Sqn | 4 Nov 1942 | Gradually began operating from Agartala |
| Air element, No 5 Sqn | 9 Nov 1942 | Now operating from Agartala |
| No 155 Sqn | 24 Nov 1942 | Moved to Agartala |
| No 60 RSU | 13 Dec 1942 | Arrived on attachment from Kanchrapara |
| 2 Coys, 25th Sikh Regiment | 31 Dec 1942 | Attached for ground defence duties |
Source - No 169 Wing ORB
Personnel Movements 1943
| Rank | Name |
Date |
Notes |
| Sqn Ldr | Durham | 11 Jan 1943 | Assumed duties of Senior Administrative Officer |
| Sqn Ldr | E Renwick | 11 Jan 1943 | Senior Administrative Officer, posted to RAF Ambala |
| Wg Cdr | P E Meagher | 18 Oct 1942 | Posted in from HQ No 224 Group for duty as Officer Commanding |
| Wg Cdr | T A F Elsdon | 10 Feb 1943 | Posted in for duty as Officer Commanding |
| Gp Capt | P E Meagher | 10 Feb 1943 | Returned from sick leave pending posting to No 151 OTU |
| Fg Off | Smail | 19 Feb 1943 | Intelligence Officer, attached to No 165 Wing |
| Fg Off | Simpson | 19 Feb 1943 | Intelligence Officer, taken ill with Malaria |
| Sqn Ldr | W Pitt-Brown | 11 Mar 1943 | Posted out for repatriation to the UK |
| Fg Off | Smail | 16 Mar 1943 | Intelligence Officer, ceased to be attached to No 165 Wing |
| Flt Lt | M W Edwards | 21 Apr 1943 | Wing Intelligence Officer, proceeded to Delhi for Medical board |
| Plt Off | Kerswell | 23 May 1943 | Detached to RAF Regiment Training School, Secunderabad |
| Flt Lt | Corfe | 3 Oct 1943 | Arrived on posting for duty as Wing Intelligence Officer |
| Flt Lt | Smail | 3 Oct 1943 | Wing Intelligence Officer, posted out |
| Gp Capt | C M Champion de Crispigny | 8 Oct 1943 | Posted in for duty as Officer Commanding |
| Wg Cdr | T A F Elsdon | 8 Oct 1943 | Posted to No 185 Wing for duty as Officer Commanding |
Source - No 169 Wing ORB
Unit Composition and Movements 1943
| Unit | Date | Notes |
| No 155 Sqn | 1 Feb 1943 | Detached to Rajyespur and Imphal - under operational control of No 170 Wing, admin control of No 169 Wing |
| No 27 Sqn | 8 Feb 1943 | Joined the Wing |
| No 5 Sqn | 28 Mar 1943 | Detached to Ramu to operate under No 165 Wing |
| No 113 Sqn det | 20 Apr 1943 | Joined the Wing |
| No 23 HAA Battery RA | 23 Apr 1943 | Departed on ceasing to be attached to the Wing |
| No 5 Sqn | 21 Apr 1943 | Returned from Ramu but continued to use it as a forward base on a daily basis |
| No 5 Sqn | 29 May 1943 | Left the Wing |
| No 17 Sqn | 29 May 1943 | Arrived from Alipore and joined the Wing |
| No 113 Sqn det | 3 Jun 1943 | Left the Wing |
| No 268 LAA Battery RA | 13 Jun 1943 | Departed on ceasing to be attached to the Wing |
| 10th (Indian) LAA Battery IA | 13 Jun 1943 | Arrived on attachment to the Wing |
| No 155 Sqn | 6 Jul 1943 | Administrative control assumed by No 169 Wing but operational control remained with No 170 Wing |
| No 28 Sqn det | 7 Jul 1943 | Administrative control assumed by No 169 Wing but operational control remained with No 170 Wing |
| No 17 Sqn | 26 Aug 1943 | Left the Wing on moving to Ceylon |
| No 28 Sqn det | 1 Sep 1943 | Left the Wing |
| No 155 Sqn | 5 Sep 1943 | Left the Wing |
| No 177 Sqn | 25 Oct 1943 | Joined the Wing |
| No 60 Sqn | 11 Nov 1943 | Joined the Wing |
| No 60 Sqn | 18 Dec 1943 | Left the Wing |
Source - No 169 Wing ORB
Personnel Movements 1944
| Rank | Name |
Date |
Notes |
| Flt Lt | Scilley | 2 Feb 1944 | Posted from No 177 Sqn for duty as Wing Engineer Officer |
| Fg Off | Kay | 18 Mar 1944 | Arrived on posting from Delhi for Catering duties |
| Sqn Ldr | G S Woodwark | 24 Mar 1944 | Ceased to be attached from Feni Fighter Operations on posting to No 231 Group |
| Plt Off | Fielding | 27 Mar 1944 | Intelligence Officer, posted to No 177 Wing |
| Flt Lt | L Rattenbury | 28 Mar 1944 | Attached from HQ 3rd TAF for Accountant duties |
| Fg Off | Cumming | 4 Apr 1944 | Proceeded to No 221 Group on posting |
| Plt Off | E H Gaskell | 17 Apr 1944 | Posted to No 62 Sqn |
| Flt Lt | G G Maxwell | 10 May 1944 | Adjutant, posted to No 308 MU |
| Gp Capt | C M Champion de Crispigny | xx xxx 1944 | Relinquished command of No 169 Wing |
| Gp Capt | J B Lynch | xx xxx 1944 | Posted in for duty as Officer Commanding |
| Flt Lt | F C Turham | 14 May 1944 | Posted in for duty as Adjutant |
| Sqn Ldr | Jenkins | xx xxx 1944 | Wing Medical Officer, posted out for repatriation to UK |
| Flt Lt | Latcham | 17 Jul 1944 | Arrived on posting for duty as Wing Medical Officer |
| Flt Lt | Crocker | 5 Aug 1944 | Wing Signals Officer, posted to No 5 Base Signals Depot |
| Gp Capt | J B Lynch | xx xxx 1944 | Relinquished command of No 169 Wing |
| Wg Cdr | P E Meagher | xx xxx 1944 | Posted in for duty as Officer Commanding |
| Flt Lt | Jones | 19 Aug 1944 | Wing Armament Officer, indisposed through illness? |
| Flt Lt | Patteson | 19 Aug 1944 | Posted in from No 224 Group for duty as Wing Armament Officer |
| Flt Lt | Wrentmore | 10 Sep 1944 | Posted in for duty as Wing Signals Officer |
| Sqn Ldr | C Buckley | 11 Sep 1944 | Arrived on posting for duty as Senior Intelligence Officer |
| Sqn Ldr | Harper | xx Sep 1944 | Padre, posted out for repatriation to UK |
| Sqn Ldr | McCulloch | 13 Sep 1944 | Arrived on posting for duty as Padre |
Source - No 169 Wing ORB
Unit Composition and Movements 1944
| Unit | Date | Notes |
| No 60 Sqn | 20 Jan 1944 | Joined the Wing |
| No 30 Sqn | 21 Jan 1944 | Joined the Wing |
| No 211 Sqn | 4 Feb 1944 | Joined the Wing |
| Advance Party, No 169 Wing | 9 Feb 1944 | Departed Agartala for Feni |
| Main Party, No 169 Wing | 10 Feb 1944 | Departed Agartala for Feni |
| HQ, No 169 Wing | 17 Feb 1944 | Move from Agartala for Feni completed |
| No 27 Sqn | 15 Mar 1944 | Left the Wing |
| No 30 Sqn | 9 Apr 1944 | Moved to Comilla |
| No 4 Sqn IAF | xx xxx 1944 | Joined the Wing |
| Fighter Ops | 17 May 1944 | Left No 169 Wing and transferred to No 9 Operations Room |
| No 30 Sqn | 27 May 1944 | Left the Wing |
| No 177 Sqn | 28 May 1944 | Left the Wing |
| 16th Combat Cargo Sqn USAAF | 6 Jun 1944 | Joined the Wing |
| 12th Combat Cargo Sqn USAAF | 9 Jun 1944 | Joined the Wing |
| 12th Combat Cargo Sqn USAAF | 28 Jun 1944 | Left the Wing |
| Advance Party, No 4 Sqn IAF | 19 Jun 1944 | Proceeded to Dohazari |
| No 4 Sqn IAF | 4 Jul 1944 | Proceeded to Cox's Bazaar |
| Advance Party, No 211 Sqn | 6 Jul 1944 | Departed Feni for Chiringa |
| Advance Party, No 169 Wing | 7 Jul 1944 | Departed Feni for Chiringa |
| Main Party, No 169 Wing | 9 Jul 1944 | Departed Feni for Chiringa |
| Main Party, No 211 Sqn | 10 Jul 1944 | Departed Feni for Chiringa |
| Air Party, No 211 Sqn | 10 Jul 1944 | Departed Feni for Chiringa |
| Main Party, No 169 Wing | 12 Jul 1944 | Entered transit at Chittagong owning to bridges being down en-route to Chiringa |
| Advance Party, No 169 Wing | 12 Jul 1944 | Arrived at Chiringa |
| Small Party, No 169 Wing | 16 Jul 1944 | 1 Officer and 40 men, Arrived at Dohazari |
| Small Party, No 169 Wing | 18 Jul 1944 | 1 Officer plus few men and equipment, sailed from Bengal for Cox's Bazaar |
| Small Party, No 169 Wing | 21 Jul 1944 | 24 men and equipment, sailed from Bengal for Cox's Bazaar |
| Small Party, No 169 Wing | 25 Jul 1944 | 10 men and equipment, sailed from Bengal for Cox's Bazaar |
| Main Party, No 169 Wing | 28 Jul 1944 | Moved from Chittagong to Chiringa by air |
| Rear Party, No 169 Wing | 30 Jul 1944 | Moved from Chittagong to Chiringa by air |
| Advance Party, No 177 Sqn | 1 Aug 1944 | Arrived at Chiringa and joined the Wing |
| Main Party, No 177 Sqn | 10 Aug 1944 | Moved from Chittagong to Chiringa and joined the Wing |
| No 177 Sqn | 30 Sep 1944 | Left the Wing |
| No 211 Sqn | 30 Sep 1944 | Left the Wing |
| No 60 Sqn | 30 Sep 1944 | Left the Wing |
The ORB records the 4th and 35th Squadrons USAAF being assigned but so far no such units have been identified, so have been omitted from the above list
Source - No 169 Wing ORB
This page was last updated on 10/06/20©
