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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII
No. 139 Squadron
138 Squadron was formed in Italy in 1918 as a fighter-reconnaissance squadron and disbanded in 1919.
It was re-formed as a bomber squadron with Blenheims, in 1936, although it had a general reconnaissance role between December 1941 and April 1942, flying Hudsons. After bomber duties in France with heavy casualties, No 139 re-formed and attached fringe targets in northwest Europe: invasion ports and anti-shipping sweeps. No 139 was known as the Jamaica Squadron because of Jamaica's Bombers for Britain fund which contributed 12 Blenheims to the RAF by 1941.
In late 1942 No. 139 was re-equipped with Mosquitos, and in conjunction with No. 105 squadron, made low-level daylight and dusk precision attacks on enemy-occupied Europe. In the summer of 1943, No 139 changed to night raiding in the Pathfinder Force, dropping Window (foil strips) in advance of heavy bombers, confusing early warning radar. It diverted enemy night fighters from planned bomber raids and in 1944 became a Mosquito marker squadron, marking Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Mannheim, Hanover, Duisburg and Lübeck to guide the main bomber force to its targets.
In early 1945 No. 139 made 36 consecutive night attacks on Berlin, and ended its war with a fourteen-Mosquito attack on Kiel. Airfields No. 139 Squadron flew from:
- RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire from 3rd September 1939 (82 Wing. Blenheim IV)
- RAF Alconbury, Huntingdonshire, from 8th November 1939
- RAF Wyton, from 17th November 1939 (to AASF 2nd December 1939)
- AASF Betheniville, France from 2nd December 1939 (ex-2 Group, 71 Wing)
- AASF Plivot, France, from 18th February 1940 (to 2 Group, 30th May 1940)
- RAF West Raynham, Norfolk, from 30th May 1940 (ex-AASF)
- RAF Horsham St. Faith, Norfolk, from 10th June 1940
- Luqa, Malta from May 1941 (detached to Mediterranean)
- RAF Horsham St. Faith, from 10th June 1940
- RAF Oulton, Norfolk from 13th July 1941
- RAF Manston, Kent, from 27th August 1941
- RAF Oulton, from7th September 1941
- RAF Horsham St. Faith, from 23rd October 1941
- RAF Oulton, from 5th December 1941 (embarked for Far East, December 1941)
- RAF Horsham St. Faith, from 8th June 1942 (re-formed. Mosquito IV, Blenheim V)
- RAF Marham, Norfolk, from 29th September 1942 (Mosquito IX)
- RAF Marham, from 1st June 1943 (ex-2 Group, to 8 Group)
- RAF Wyton, from 4th July 1943 (Mosquito IX, XX)
- RAF Upwood, Huntingdonshire, fdrom 1st February 1944 (Mosquito XVI, XXV)
List of those who served with No. 139 Squadron during The Second World War
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