No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force

No. 114 Squadron was first formed at Lahore, India, in September 1917. It saw service on the North West Frontier and in Aden. The squadron was redesignated No. 28 Squadron in April 1920.
On 1 December 1936 No. 114 re-formed at Wyton as a bomber squadron flying Hinds, but in 1937 it became the first squadron to be equipped with Blenheims.
In September 1939 a detachment was sent to France and in December 1939 the whole squadron was posted to Conde-Vraux, in France for reconnaissance. However the squadron Blenheim aircraft were destroyed on the ground and aevacuated from France in May 1940. Early in March 1941 the squadron was loaned to No. 18 Group, Coastal Command, to provide convoy escorts and anti-shipping and anti-submarine patrols. They returned to Bomber Command in July. In November 1942, No. 114, moved to North Africa to support the First Army in "Operation Torch". In April 1943 the Squadron converted to Bostons. It was posted to Sicily shortly after the invasion of the island in August, moving on to Italy in October where it remained until the end of the war in Europe.

Airfields 114 Squadron flew from diring WW2:

Wyton to 9th December 1939

Detachment Conde-Vraux, France from 12th September 1939

Conde-Vraux, France 9th December 1939 to 21st May 1940
Nantes-Chateau Bougon, France 21st to 31st May 1940
Wattisham 31st May to 10th June 1940
Horsham St. Faith 10th June to 10th August 1940
Oulton 10th August 1940 to 2nd March 1941
Thornaby 2nd March to 13th May 1941
Leuchars 13th May to 19th July 1941
West Raynham 19th July 1941 to 15th November 1942.

North Africa

Blida (Algeria) 15th November to 5th December 1942
Setif 5th December 1942 to 12th February 1943
Canrobert 12th February to 13th April 1943
Kings Cross (Souk-el-Khemis, Tunisia) 13th April to 31st May 1943
Grombalia 31st May to 3rd August 1943
Gela (Sicily) 3rd to 8th August 1943
Comiso 8th August to 7th October 1943
Brindisi (Italy) 7th to 30th October 1943
Celone 30th October 1943 to 1st May 1944
Marcianise 1st May to 21st June 1944
Nettuno III 12th to 25th June 1944
Tarquinia 25th June to 18th July 1944
Cecina 18th July to 13th October 1944
Perugia 13th OIctober to 21st October 1944
Falconara 21st October 1944 to 7th March 1945
Forli from 7th March 1944
More info.

12th September 1939 Detachment to France

1st October 1939 Postings

13th October 1939 Aircraft lost

18th Oct 1939 Training

11th November 1939 Two 114 Squadron Blenheims lost

10th December 1939 Squadron moved to France

27th February 1940 Two airmen killed

3rd March 1940 Two airmen killed

11th May 1940 114 Squadron put out of action

12th May 1940 Breaking Through

14th May 1940 114 Squadron Benheim lost

14th May 1940 Overwhelming losses

16th May 1940 Last action by 139 Squadron in France

18th May 1940 Order to evacuate

29th May 1940 Return to Britain

10th June 1940 Replacement aircraft

31st Jul 1940 114 Squadron Blenheim lost

10th August 1940 Squadron relocated

19th Aug 1940 114 Squadron Blenheim lost

22nd August 1940 Blenheim shot down over the Channel Islands

27th Sep 1940 114 Squadron Blenheim lost

15th February 1941 Failed to return

2nd March 1941 Coastal Command

13th May 1941 Move to Scotland

15th May 1941 Posting

19th July 1941 Return to bomber command

8th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

10th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

12th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

19th Aug 1941 114 Squadron Blenheim lost

19th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

23rd Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost

7th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost

22nd Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost

14th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

15th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

27th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost

27th Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost

14th Jan 1942 Aircraft Lost

28th January 1942 Blenheim shot down

12th Feb 1942 Attack on the Scharnhorst

17th Apr 1942 114 Squadron Lancaster lost

27th Apr 1942 114 Squadron Blenheim lost

30th May 1942 1000 Bomber Raid

31st May 1942 114 Squadron Blenheim lost

12th June 1942 Airmen killed by a bomb

15th August 1942 Withdrawn for new aircraft

15th November 1942 Operation Torch

2nd December 1942 Relocated

10th January 1943 Stood down to await new aircraft

12th February 1943 New aircraft deliveries delayed:

13th April 1943 Re-equipped

21st Apr 1943 Shelling

21st April 1943 Back onto ops

31st May 1943 Relocated

3rd August 1943 Relocation to Sicily

7th October 1943 Move to Italy

30th October 1943 Move

16th December 1943 Killed in air combat

23rd January 1944 Crash on take-off

31st March 1944 Bomber lost at sea

15th April 1944 Bomber Missing at Sea

16th April 1944 114 Squadron Airman killed

1st May 1944 Move North

22nd May 1944 Thunderstorm

4th June 1944 Shot down over Anzio

25th June 1944 Italian airfield occupied

18th July 1944 Move to Tuscany

21st October 1944 Moving on

7th March 1945 Move to the north

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.

Logbooks

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If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you.

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Those known to have served with
No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Barrie David. Flt.Sgt.
Bates Derek Jones. Flt.Sgt. (d.21st Feb 1945)
Bowman Alan Peter. (d.15th Apr 1944)
Broom DSO, DFC. Ivor Gordon. Wing Co.
Brown Henry.
Campbell John Bertram. Sgt. (d.12th Jun 1942)
Cole Grahame. Sgt.
Cook Norman Wallace. Flt.Sgt. (d.5th July 1941)
Cook Norman Wallace. Flt.Sgt. (d.5th Jul 1941)
Coote Laurence George.
Cox Charles Dudley Gough.
Davidson William Howard. P/O. (d.15th Oct 1941)
Dawson. Norman Frederick . P/O.
Day Norman Buckenham. Flt. Sgt. (d.12th Jun 1942)
Finney DSO. Francis. A/Sqn.Ldr.
Fuller Arthur George. Sgt.
Godsmark Bernard Albert. PO (d.24th May 1941)
Hamilton Matthew Miller . F/Sgt
Hamilton Matthew Miller. Flt.Sgt. (d.22nd April 1944)
Hossack Ian Milne. P/O. (d.12th July 1940)
Howden Stanley Beatty. Sgt.
Kennedy Melville. Sq.Ldr.
Laing David. Sgt. (d.10th Mar 1941)
Long John George Keith. F/O. (d.28th Apr 1941)
Mann R.. Flt.Sgt. (d.14th Jul 1941)
Potter John Leonard. F/Sgt. (d.25th Aug 1944)
Taylor. Norman Frank . Sergeant
Tofts Robert Arthur. Flt.Lt.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.

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Want to know more about No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:2069 items tagged No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.

Flt. Sgt. Norman Buckenham Day pilot 114 sqd. (d.12th Jun 1942)

Norman is buried in Barkingside Cemetery, Iford. His brother Raymond also lost his life whilst serving with 106 squadron.

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Henry Brown 114 Squadron

Harry Brown served with 114 Squadron, Royal Air Force.

Alan Brown

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P/O. Ian Milne Hossack 144 Squadron (d.12th July 1940)

On the 11th/12th of July 1940 the first big bombing raid on a German mainland town took place. British Aircraft comprising of 19 Hampdens from the 49, 61 and 144 Squadrons together with 18 Whitleys from the 51, 58, 77 and 102 Squadrons. Their mission to bomb road and rail targets in Munchengladbach. 2 Hampdens and 1 Whitley were lost, 4 crewmen killed.
On 11th July 1940, the 144 Squadron was ordered to bomb targets in Munchengladbach. The squadron was equipped with the twin-engine Handley Page Hampden bombers. Their aircraft departed from Helmswell in Lincolnshire. One of the aircraft was the Hampden P4366 with Pilot Officer Ian M. Hossack as the pilot. After a safe crossing over the North Sea and the Netherlands, they flew on their way to their target. Over Venlo, unaware of the German night fighter who was on their heels, suddenly shots rattled through the night. Light trails flashed in the dark and bullets ripped up the narrow hull of the Hampden. A fire could not be extinguished and Hossack was no longer able to steer the aircraft properly due to the fire. After a steep dive, the lives of all 4 crewmen ended on the Steegbergheide in the neighborhood of Evertsoord Sevenumat at about 1.50 am on 12th July.
Because the aircraft ended up in a large heather field, the damage to the environment was small. A day later, German soldiers, by order of the burial officer of the Luftwaffe from Eindhoven, gathered the dead bodies and brought them to Ehrenfriedhof Venlo, where they were buried the same day. In April 1947 the bodies were transferred to Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen. Staff of the Lufwaffebase Eindhoven, which in the meantime was also used by the Germans, took over the surveillance. The team did find unexploded bombs between the wreckage. These were made harmless a day later.
The Crew of Hampden P4366 were:

Pilot Officer Ian Milne Hossack from Otford, Kent. 33568. Age 19. Son of James Davidson Hossack and Eileen Inze Hossack, buried Jonkerbos Nijmegen.
Sergeant Air Observer Eric Basil Hartley France from Isle of Sheppey, Kent. 580739. Age 24. buried Jonkerbos Nijmegen
Sergeant Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Edward Dennis Leamy, from Canterbury, Kent.569067. Age 20. Son of Michael Edward Leamy of Bradford Yorkshire and Annie Louise Croucher of Frittenden Kent, buried Jonkerbos Nijmegen.
Sergeant Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Clarence Rose Swallownest, from South Yorkshire. 631369. Age 20, buried Jonkerbos Nijmegen.
Source: Book Mayday Mayday Hub Groeneveld.

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Sgt. Arthur George Fuller 114 Squadron

Having gone though my father, Arthur Fuller's papers after his death in 2017, I found his old Flying Log Book which shows he served in 114 Squadron.

Martin Fuller

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Flt.Sgt. Matthew Miller Hamilton 484 Sqdn. 114 Squadron (d.22nd April 1944)

An Air Gunner in the Royal Air Force, Flight Sergeant Matthew Hamilton of Royal New Zealand Air Force was killed when his Douglas Boston bomber was shot down on a hill near Vallecorsa, a small village in Italy. Two others of his crew were killed but one survived and crawled from the wreckage with a broken leg.
Luigi Ceci was in hiding with his family and watched as German soldiers raced to the crash scene and removed the bodies. Luigi later recovered the bodies and made coffins for them and buried the three airmen. Sergeant Hamilton was buried 4 times: once by the Germans, once by Luigi again in the village and finally in the War Cemetery at Cassino. The crew member who survived was Mick Bradley.
The Crew were:
P/O Jenkins, Allen Phill, NZ413078, RNZAF Pilot.
F/Sgt. Hamilton, Matthew Miller, 42325, RNZAF, A/G.
Sgt. Moxey, Percy J.D. 1318956, W.Op./Air Gnr., RAF Volunteer Reserve of Exeter, Devon. aged 22.
F/O Bradley A.E. "Mick" 27117, Navigator, RAF of Worthing, Sussex
My mother Claire Paterson visited his grave site in Italy and met Luigi Ceci, who had buried him after the plane was shot down. Claire never met her father, as she was only a baby when he was killed. Read more

Mark Paterson

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Laurence George Coote 114 Squadron

Laurence Coote was my Dad. He served in 114 Squadron as gunner/wireless operator and I think his pilot may have been called Tucker. He was based at West Raynham. He later flew to Africa via Malta then onto Burma. He collected Air Crew Europe star, Burma star, India star and Africa star I believe.

Nick Coote

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PO Bernard Albert Godsmark 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron (d.24th May 1941)

Transcript from a letter in my father Bernard Godsmark's mementos, probably from the Squadron HQ staff: Blenheim No. 114 Squadron, Pilot Sgt McWilliams, Observer P/O Godsmark Wireless Operator & Air Gunner Sgt Maddison, took off from Leuchars, 11.00 hrs, 24th of May 1941 on a Recce of enemy shipping off Norwegian coast. Nothing more was heard of them.

Terry Godsmark

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Sq.Ldr. Melville "Bush" Kennedy 114 Sqdn.

My father flew Bristol Blenheims with 114 Squadron. He was shot down on 31st July 1944. After being in various camps, he fetched up at Sagan (twice). He was there during the Great Escape and the Wooden Horse Escapes. I understand he was a hut leader at Sagan. I have spoken to Red Eames who was there with him and who is contactable through the Blenheim Society. I would love to know if anyone else out there knew my father and has any stories to tell. Unfortunately, Bush died in 1978.

Angus Kennedy

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Flt.Sgt. Derek Jones Bates 114 Sdqn. (d.21st Feb 1945)

Derek Bates was a volunteer RAF navigator. He was in a Boston Mark IV taking part in an armed reconnaissance flight on 21st of February 1945. His plane was shot down in the sea off the coast of Falconara, Italy. Wreckage was found, but no trace of the crew. Crew names are on the Malta Memorial, Floriana, Valletta.

G Davies

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Wing Co. Ivor Gordon Broom DSO, DFC. 163 Squadron

Ivor Broom was born at Cardiff on June 2 1920 where his father was district manager for the Prudential Assurance Company and a Baptist preacher. Ivor was educated at the Boys' County School, Pontypridd. When he was 17, Broom passed the Civil Service exam and began work with the Inland Revenue.
He joined the RAF in 1940 and was posted to No 114 Squadron at the rank of Sergeant, where he flew Bristol Blenheim bombers against targets in the Channel along the French and Dutch coasts as well as in Germany. In September 1941 he was detailed to lead six Blenheims to Malta, en route to reinforce Singapore. At Malta Air Vice Marshal Hugh Lloyd commandeered Broom and his aircraft due to the heavy losses his squadron had suffered, leaving the other five planes to proceed to the Far East. Broom was then transferred to 107 Squadron, which was engaged in attacks upon Axis shipping, and land targets in North Africa and Italy.
During 1941 Broom was promoted to Pilot Officer. On November 17 1941 he bombed and set ablaze a 4,000-ton ship in the Gulf of Sirte, and helped attack a destroyer for which he was awarded the DFC. By January 1942 when he returned to England he had survived 43 operations with 107 Squadron.
After his return from Malta, Broom took an instructor's course at the Central Flying School at Upavon, and he then spent a year there teaching novice Blenheim pilots how to attack at low level. Later he became an instructor for pilots on the de Havilland Mosquito twin-engined fighter-bombers for No 8 Pathfinder Group.
In May 1944 Broom went back onto operational flying and joined No 571 squadron, flying the Mosquito XVI. There he teaming up with his navigator (and namesake), Flt Lt Tommy Broom, and they became known as the 'Flying Brooms' and had their plane emblazoned with crossed broomsticks. At this time 571 squadron was part of the Light Night Striking Force (LNSF) making targeted raids into Germany. In their Mosquito - modified to carry a 4,000lb bomb known as 'cookies' they made numerous raids over Germany undertaking precision bombing of selected targets. They also excelled at mine-laying, and Ivor Broom was awarded his second DFC followed a neat low-level operation in which he dropped mines in the path of shipping in the Dortmund-Ems canal. On another raid the Flying Brooms with two fighters on their tail dropped a cookie up the mouth of a railway tunnel in Germany, for which Ivor Broom received a second Bar to his DFC.
In autumn 1944 he was promoted acting squadron leader in command of a flight in No 128 (another LNSF Mosquito squadron). A few months later he was appointed acting wing commander to lead No 163 Squadron. Tommy Broom, now DFC and Bar, joined him as squadron navigation officer. The pair then led a series of brilliant offensive operations over Germany and Occupied Europe. When the war in Europe ended on May 8 1945, the Flying Brooms had undertaken 58 missions together (including 22 raids on Berlin). Ivor Broom was awarded a DSO, and Tommy a third DFC.
After VE Day, Broom was posted to Ceylon, but was spared further action by the Japanese surrender.
Ivor Broom remained in the RAF for the rest of his career, commanding No 28 Spitfire fighter squadron in Singapore and then 57 squadron flying English Electric Canberra jet bombers. In 1955 Broom piloted a specially-modified Canberra from Ottawa to London via the North Pole after which Broom was awarded the AFC. In 1956 he was made responsible for the Bomber Command Development Unit at Wittering, where he led intensive trials on Valiants and Canberras of the nascent nuclear deterrent, V-Force. In 1959 he moved into the Air Secretary's department until 1962, when he was appointed station commander at RAF Bruggen in Germany. Following a year at the Imperial Defence College, two years at the Ministry of Defence, and a spell as commandant of the Central Flying School (relocated by then to Rissington), Broom took command in 1970 of No 11 fighter Group. He was appointed CB in 1972, and KCB in 1975. He concluded his RAF career as controller of National Air Traffic Services and retired in 1980.
He died on the 24th January 2003.

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No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with
No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

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No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Forceduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

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Want to know more about No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.