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No. 138 Squadron Royal Air Force
No.138 Squadron was formed on the 30th September 1918 as a fighter-reconnaissance squadron, but saw no action in WW1 and was disbanded on the 1st February 1919.
No.419 (Special Duties) Flight was formed at RAF North Weald on 21st August 1940 and was first RAF unit formed for clandestine air operations on behalf of the Special Operation Executive (SOE). It was initially equipped with Lysanders. The flight was renumbered 1419 Flight in March 1941, and then upgraded and renumbered as no.138 Squadron on the 25th August 1941 at RAF Newmarket.
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was formed to promote sabotage by stimulating subversive activities, spreading political discontent, disorganising and dislocating communications. The agents, ammunition and equipment to achieve this were dropped inside enemy territory. Many of the early agents were supplied from the Free French Intelligence service (BCRA) or the intelligence services of the European governments-in-exile based in London: Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Luxembourg, Norway and Poland. Their training and insertion was facilitated by the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), which also sent in its own agents.
For the rest of the war the squadron ranged from Norway to Yugoslavia and into Poland. Flying Whitleys and Lysanders, then Halifaxes and Stirlings it flew from Newmarket, Stradishall and Tempsford with agents, arms, explosives, radio sets and other sabotage equipment, dropping them at rendezvous points for local underground members. Less frequen was the pick-up in which the aircraft (always a Lysander) landed to collect some prominent public person, or an agent, or special plans and articles. During 1942 the squadron operated with the bomber force when not required for special duties.
In March 1945 No. 138 Squadron was switched from special duties to the main bomber force of No. 3 Group. It re-equipped with Lancasters and flew 105 sorties on 9 bombing missions, dropping approximately 440 tons of bombs on the enemy. No. 138 also carried out food-dropping operations over Holland and POW repatriation flights during which it brought home nearly 2,500 men before VE Day.
Airfields No.138 Squadron flew from:
- RAF North Weald from 21st August 1940 (No.419 (Special Duties) Flight; Lysander, Whitley)
- RAF Stradishall from September 1940 (419 Flight, renumbered 1419 Flight in March 1941)
- RAF Newmarket, Cambridgeshire from 25th August 1941 (redesgnated as 138 (Special Duties) Squadron; Lysander III, Whitley V, Halifax II)
- RAF Stradishall, Suffolk from 1st January 1942
- RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire from 11th March 1942 (Halifax V, Liberator III, Stirling IV)
- detachment to Russia, March 1943.
- detachment to Protville II in Tunisia, September - October 1943.
- RAF Tuddenham Suffolk from 9th March 1945 (Bomber force; Lancaster I)
21st August 1940 Special Duties Flight formed
23rd August 1940 Agent dropped into Holland
3rd September 1940 Operations
10th September 1940 Special Duties flight relocated
11th October 1940 Crash on training
21st October 1940 Lysander lost in Scotland
18th February 1941 Special Op crashed in Belgium
16th March 1941 Special Duties Flight renumbered
11th April 1941 Crash landing at Tangmere
8th July 1941 Agents dropped in Normandy
25th July 1941 Crash landing near Newmarket
25th August 1941 Special Duties Squadron designated
30th Oct 1941 138 Squadron Whitley lost
8th November 1941 Polish crew make forced landing in Sweden
28th November 1941 French pilot killed in training
16th December 1941 Back to RAF Stradishall
28th December 1941 Shot down back at base
28th Jan 1942 Poor Conditions
29th January 1942 SOE mission failed to return
14th February 1942 Squadron Formed
1st March 1942 Operations
4th March 1942 Communist Agents dropped into France
8th March 1942 Lost off Dutch Coast
10th March 1942 Czech aircrew killed
11th March 1942 SOE move to new airbase
28th March 1942 German trap catches Dutch Agent
31st Mar 1942 Postings to 161 Squadron
21st April 1942 Crashed in fog
21st April 1942 Austrian Agents killed in crash
30th Apr 1942 Postings to 161 Squadron
3rd July 1942 Borrowed Wellington shot down
26th July 1942 138 Squadron Whitley lost
30th July 1942 SOE mission lured into a trap
25th August 1942 Aircrew evaded capture
27th September 1942 Secret mission crashed in France
October 1942 Role assignment
2nd October 1942 Four Agents dropped in poland
23rd October 1942 Ditched off Eastbourne
30th October 1942 Two Halifaxes lost on SOE mission
1st November 1942 Crashed in severe weather
10th December 1942 Ferry Flight Missing
10th December 1942 Crash Landing
17th December 1942 Crashed on Malta
23rd December 1942 Shot down over Holland
19th Jan 1943 Aircraft Lost
20th February 1943 Crash Landing in France
5th March 1943 Detachment to Russia
14th March 1943 Two aircraft shot down
25th March 1943 Successfully ditched
1st April 1943 New Special Duties Flight
13th April 1943 Crash Landing
14th April 1943 Crashed into the Channel
18th April 1943 Crashed near Caen
12th May 1943 Crashed at sea
12/13th May 1943 138 Squadron crash landed at Troyes
14th May 1943 SOE Operation crashed
18th May 1943 Crashed in Algeria
22nd May 1943 Crashed in Noord Holland
24th June 1943 Polish crew shot down in Holland
13th July 1943 Polish crew lost in France
13th August 1943 138 Squadron Halifax lost
17th August 1943 Supply drop airmen evade capture
17th August 1943 Halifax Shot down
September 1943 Long-range SOE duties
14th September 1943 Two SOE Halifaxes lost
15th September 1943 Shot down into the Baltic
15th September 1943 Detachment to North Africa
17th September 1943 Two SOE Halifaxes lost
20th September 1943 Aircraft Ditched
4th October 1943 Special Duties
9th October 1943 Interned in Sweden
19th October 1943 Aircrew and agents evaded capture
19th October 1943 Big push to support the Maquis in SE France
25th October 1943 Training for Special Duties.
3rd November 1943 Crash in fog
4th November 1943 Polish Special Duties Flight
7th November 1943 Aircraft Shot down
25th November 1943 SOE Operation
11th Dec 1943 138 Squadron Halifax lost
17th December 1943 8 Special Duty aircraft lost in fog
19th December 1943 Crashed on low level training flight
8th January 1944 SOE Mission aborted
January 1944 Increase in Special Duties squadrons
8th February 1944 Halifax lost over France
8th February 1944 Lost in a storm over France
4th March 1944 Shot down by a train
30th Mar 1944 Aircraft Lost
30th March 1944 Crashed in River Westerscheldt
1st Apr 1944 138 Squadron Halifax lost
11th April 1944 Operations
27th April 1944 Lost in the North Sea
8th May 1944 Two Special Duties flights lost
10th May 1944 Aircrew join the Maquis!
17th May 1944 Crash landing on training flight
1st June 1944 Two Halifaxes lost over Holland
2nd June 1944 Shot down over France
2nd June 1944 Crash due to engine failure
3rd June 1944 Drowned in Zeeland
6th June 1944 Diversionary Tactics
6th June 1944 Dummy paratroops dropped
8th June 1944 Special Duties
9th June 1944 Hidden by the resistance
11th July 1944 Aircrew picked up by hospital ship.
19th July 1944 Special Duties aircraft lost
9th August 1944 Funeral in France
14th August 1944 New aircraft allocated
August 1944 SOE squadrons re-equipped
1st September 1944 Two Stirlings lost
9th September 1944 Aircraft hit balloon cable
24th September 1944 Special Duties Squadron disbanded
25th September 1944 Crash Landing
9th November 1944 Three Stirlings, 23 airmen and 2 agents lost
3rd December 1944 Stirling reported lost at sea
31st December 1944 Shot down on flight to Norway
10th February 1945 Stirling lost in a storm
23rd February 1945 Stirling lost at sea
27th February 1945 Shot down off Norway
5th March 1945 Mid-air explosion
9th March 1945 End of Special Duties role
29th March 1945 First 138 Squadron Lancaster bombing operation
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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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.
View Logbook entries
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Those known to have served with No. 138 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Allison John. Sgt. (d.19th July 1944)
- Anderle DFC. Leo Michael. P/O. (d.10th December 1942)
- Armour DFC DFM James Alexander. F/O (d.8th May 1944)
- Binns Herbert Dennis. F/Lt. (d.19th July 1944)
- Bladon Geoffrey Philip Ramsey. Sgt.
- Bloomer J. H.. Sgt.
- Bradley James Reid. F/O. (d.16th Sep 1943)
- Breeze J. T.. Sgt.
- Brown DFC Donald. F/O (d.8th May 1944)
- Brown DFC. Donald. F/O. (d.8th May 1944)
- Bryce Alexander Frederick. F/O (d.8th May 1944)
- Burke DFM. Hugh. Sgt. (d.20th Sep 1943)
- Cable George. F/Sgt. (d.8th May 1944)
- Callan James Richard. Sgt (d.14th April 1943)
- Carnegie Thomas Edward. F/O. (d.1st June 1944)
- Carthew William John. Flt.Sgt. (d.10th Oct 1945)
- Chambers Colin Frederick. Sgt. (d.15th March 1943)
- Clark Laurie. Sgt
- Cloutier Joseph Darie Louis. F/O (d.15th September 1943)
- Cook William Arthur. Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- Dalglish William Logan. Sgt. (d.8th August 1944)
- Davidson DFM. Henry Eugene. F/Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- Davies DFC. William Twiston. Sqd.Ldr. (d.30th July 1942)
- Dove A. S.. Sgt.
- Doy Jack. Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- Farley DFC Walter Ronald. Wing.Co. (d.21st April 1942)
- Fergus Thomas. Sgt. (d.19th July 1944)
- Gay Leonard Charles. Sgt. (d.15th September 1943)
- Green Frederick George. Flt.Sgt. (d.27th Sep 1942)
- Hammett Edward George. Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- Harper William Charles. WO.
- Hart Edward Chichester. F/O. (d.15th Sep 1943)
- Hearn Eric Richard. Sgt. (d.19th July 1944)
- Hunt Bernard Alan Cavendish. Sgt. (d.14th Sep 1943)
- James William Henry. PO (d.14th September 1943)
- Karbowski Bronislaw. F/Sgt. (d.21st April 1942)
- Kasprzak Eugeniusz Pawee. Sgt. (d.17th Sep 1943)
- Kimberley Edward Joseph. Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- King Archie Ernest. Ft/Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- Kyle J. F.. F/O
- Lee Raymond Leslie. Sgt. (d.19th July 1944)
- Lynch John. Nav. (d.December 1943)
- Madracki Czeslaw. Sgt.
- Maude G. M.. F/S
- McGonagle DFC Bernard Pierce. F/O (d.8th May 1944)
- Mott MBE. Arnold John. Sqd.Ldr.
- Mudge William Henry. Sgt. (d.15th September 1943)
- Norie Kenneth Ross. Sgt. (d.15th September 1943)
- Peterson DFC, CdG. Malcolm Albert.
- Pleasance Nigel Leslie St George. F/O (d.19th July 1944)
- Pulton James Ansford. F/O (d.21st April 1942)
- Russell DFC&Bar William Macfarlane. WingCdr. (d.8th May 1944)
- Simister DFM Norman. F/O (d.8th May 1944)
- Skelton William. Sgt. (d.14th April 1943)
- Smith Sidney John. Sgt. (d.15th September 1943)
- Stroud Bernard. Flt.Sgt. (d.19th July 1944)
- Thompson DFC Edward. F/Lt.
- Tilly N. E.. F/O
- Toma Thomas Fareg. Sgt.
- Voellnagel Antoni Henryk. Capt. (d.21st April 1942)
- Walker DSO, DFC, NFC. Harold Allen. P/O
- Walker DSO, DFC, NFC. Harold Allen. F/Lt.
- Ward DFC Robert Weaver. P/O (d.14th April 1943)
- Webster Francis William. Sgt. (d.23rd February 1945)
- Webster Francis William. Sgt. (d.23rd Feb 1945)
- Wilmanski Leon. Sgt. (d.21st April 1942)
- Windsor Kenneth Charles. Sgt. (d.15th September 1943)
- Wojciechowski Mieczylav. Sgt. (d.21st April 1942)
- Zygmuntowicz Ryszard. F/O (d.21st April 1942)
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. 138 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 138 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2120 items tagged No. 138 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. |
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Sgt. J. H. Bloomer 138 Sqd.
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Sgt. J. T. Breeze 138 Sqd. Stirling LJ999 NF-Q crashed on Operation Tablejam on the 5th of March 1945.
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Sgt Laurie Clark 138 Sqd. My father died in 1960, 3 weeks after my birth and would never talk about his wartime experiences to my mother. However, this is what I have gleaned over the years: Towards the end of the war his Stirling was shot down over the Danish coast. There was an emergency landing and repairs were made but while they were taking off, and 50ft in the air, a bomb on the aircraft went off. A saboteur has planted it while the repairs were being done. My father was hurled through the perspex nose but landed in a mixture of sea and marsh, went through minefields, but survived. (At this time he may have been helping an injured American airforce person, perhaps of African descent. He may have killed an enemy soldier at this time, too, as my Mum said he had nightmares about this) Through friendly contacts he made it to Copenhagen and was in sight of Sweden when he fell into the hands of the Gestapo. He received the "full treatment" and was sent to Stalag 7a at Moonsburg. My mum would say that towards the end of the war he was part of a crew whose mission was to drop spies behind enemy lines and he talked about the Caterpillar Club. My mother died 12 years ago and I now have children of my own and I am aware that there is so much about my father that I do not know.
Update:
The Stirling was LJ999, NF-Q they took of at 23:48 on the 4th of March 1945 from Tempsford on Operation TABLEJAM 241 and headed for Denmark. On the return journey at 150 feet, over Ringkobing Fjord an explosion sent the aircraft out of control to crash in shallow water.
The crew were:
- F/O L.G.Steven
- Sgt J.T.Breeze
- F/O N.E.Tilly
- F/S J.F.Kyle
- F/S G.M.Maude RAAF
- Sgt W.L.Clark
- Sgt J.H.Bloomer
The crew all survived and were taken POW, 5 of then were confined in Hospital due injuries until the Liberation.
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Malcolm Albert Peterson DFC, CdG. No. 138 Squadron I know so little about my father Malcolm Peterson's war record. I have his log books and I know he trained to be a pilot in Blenheim NZ before travelling via Canada to Britain where he first joined 51 Squadron in Sept 1941, during which time he flew on bombing ops over Europe. Following that he joined No. 138 Squadron in January 1942, and this is where the information becomes sketchy because his logbook states 'ops as ordered', rather than mentioning towns which were bombed as happened during the time with 51 Squadron. I think this is when he was with SOE flying out of RAF Stradishall.
From July 1942 there was a stint at No. 10 OTU Abingdon followed by one at No.24 OTU Honeybourne, and on 14th February 1943 a crash at RAF Greenham Common, where the aircraft was totally destroyed. There were no injuries sustained by the crew, but my father was very badly injured and out of the war for 10 months. He recuperated at Stretton Hall, Staffordshire where he met my mother who was a nurse there. There seems to have been a long period of training when my father returned to the war, and finally he joined No. 692 Squadron in Feb 1945.
He was awarded the DFC and also the Croix de Geurre avec palme for his war efforts.
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F/Lt. Harold Allen "Hy" Walker DSO, DFC, NFC. 138 Squadron Hy Walker crash landed on his 70th operational mission, in the Mediterranean after turning back with engine failure after leaving Belida Algeria on a return trip to Tempsford. Sadly one person was lost.
He did two tours, the bulk of it with 138 Squadron at RAF Tempsford.
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Flt.Sgt. Bernard Stroud 138 Squadron (d.19th July 1944)  Bernard Stroud was a Flight Sergeantin the RAF in 138 Squadron based at Tempsford. He was tragically killed aged just 20 on a World War 2 night SOE mission when his Halifax Mk.V plane LL364 NF-B was in collision with an American Liberator B24H aircraft of the 801st Bomber crew over a drop zone at Mazignien, Nievre, France at 01.00hrs on 19th July 1944.
A tragic twist of fate was that Bernard had in fact finished his tour of duty prior to this mission and was on leave at home when the MP`s turned up to call him back to RAF Tempsford to replace a crew member who had broken his leg in a motor cycle accident!!
All 15 persons on board both planes were killed. There were 8 American crew. The British crew of 7 are buried together at the Communal Cemetery Graveyard at Marigny L`Eglise, Nievre, France and are always remembered there by villagers each year and many official ceremonies have been held in remembrance of them.
There is a plaque with Bernard`s name on in the Lady Chapel of Hereford Cathedral where he had been a chorister.
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Sgt. Colin Frederick Chambers 138 Squadron (d.15th March 1943) Colin Chambers served with 138 Squadron.
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F/O. Thomas Edward Carnegie 138 Squadron (d.1st June 1944) My Uncle Tom Carnegie was a navigator on board Halifax LL419, one of two SOE Osric missions flying out of Tempsford to be lost in the night on 1st of June, 1944. It is assumed that they were shot down by a night-fighter somewhere over the North Sea west of Schouwen, The Netherlands. All eight crew are listed as Missing.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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Runways to FreedomRobert Body
The Nazi occupation of much of Western Europe in early 1940 posed many challenges for the British Secret Services. A high priority was to find an effective means of infiltrating and exfiltrating agents and, later, reliable methods for supplying the growing resistance movements with arms and ammunition. The work fell outside the normal duties of Raf squadrons so, in March 1940, RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire became the base for No.138 (Sd) Squadron and No. 161 (Sd) Squadrons. Flying mainly by the light of the full moon, these two squadrons operated throughout the length and breadth of Western Europe, delivering agents and supplies. Without the agents the secret services would have been hamstrung, and without the supplies the resistance movements would have been unable to participate in the armed struggle. By the end of the war, the Squadrons had, between them, lost in excess of 600 men. This Is Their Story.
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