Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
No 186 - 190 Squadron Histories
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Formed at East Retford as a training unit for night fighter pilots for both home defence and overseas units on 1 April 1918, it moved to Gosport in July 1919, where it became a development squadron. It was disbanded by being renumbered No 210 Squadron on 1 February 1920. The squadron reformed as a fighter unit at Drem on 27 April 1943, however, its initial equipment in the form of Hurricanes did not arrive until August. Having moved to Ayr at the same time the squadron began to re-equip with Typhoons in November, but three months later it received Spitfire VBs. On 1 March 1944, it moved to Lympne, where it began operations on the 15th of the month but on5 April the squadron was disbanded by being renumbered No 130 Squadron. A new No 186 Squadron formed on 5 October 1944 when 'C' Flight of No 90 Squadron was raised to squadron status. It was now a Lancaster unit in Bomber Command, based at Tuddenham until December 1944, when it moved to Stradishall. The squadron spent the remainder of the war as part of Bomber Command's Main Force, after which it was involved in repatriating POWs until it disbanded on 15 July 1945. |
Squadron Codes used: -
MR | Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 |
AP | Apr 1943 - Apr 1944 |
XY | Jan 1944 - Jul 1945 |
AP | ?- Jul 1945 ('C' Flt only) |
[Aircraft & Markings | Commanding Officers]
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Squadron Codes used: -
GP | Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 |
PU | Feb 1945 - Dec 1946 |
[Aircraft & Markings | Commanding Officers]
No Badge Authorised |
Formed at Throwley on 20 December 1917 as a training squadron for night fighter pilots, for which it was equipped with Avro 504Ks. In June 1918, Camels began to be issued to night fighter units, so 188 was given the task of training pilots for these aircraft, receiving both Camels and Pups for this purpose, as well as keeping its Avros. The squadron disbanded on 1 March 1919 and was never revived during the Second World War. |
Squadron Codes used: -
XD | Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 |
No Badge Authorised |
Formed at Ripon as a training unit for night fighter pilots for both home defence and overseas units on 20 December 1917, it moved to Sutton's Farm in January 1918, where it disbanded on 1 March 1919. It was reformed on 15 October 1944 as a bomber unit at Bardney. It was part of No 5 Group and equipped with Lancasters, which it operated as part of Bomber Command's Main Force until the end of the war. It was then involved in the repatriation of POWs before disbanding at Metheringham on 20 November 1945. |
Squadron Codes used: -
LM | Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 |
CA | Oct 1944 - Nov 1945 |
[Aircraft & Markings | Commanding Officers]
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Squadron Codes used: -
JB | Allocated Apr 1939 - Sep 1939 |
GS | Jan 1944 - Dec 1945 |
L9 | Jan 1944 - Dec 1945 |
[Aircraft & Markings | Commanding Officers]
Squadron badge image on this page is courtesy of Steve Clements
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