No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force

No 169 Squadron was formed on 15th June 1942 at Twinwood Farm as an Army Co-operation squadron equipped with the Mustang I. Intended for the fighter reconnaissance role working with the 42nd Armoured Division, equipment problems meant it was six months before the Squadron was ready for operations. It was then deployed on coastal shipping reconnaissance instead of army cooperation.
The Squadron was disbanded, but instantly reformed on the 1st October 1943 at Ayr, equipped with Mosquitos and a Beaufighter with GEE equipment to undertake bomber escort duties. It joined No 100 Group, flying bomber escort and intruder operations against enemy airfields and fighters until the end of the war.
Airfields where No. 169 Squadron was based:

15-27 June 1942: Twinwood Farm (Mustangs)
27 June-13 October 1942: Doncaster
13-18 October 1942: Weston Zoyland
18 October-15 November 1942: Doncaster
15 November-20 December 1942: Clifton
20 December 1942-1 March 1943: Duxford
1-5 March 1943: Barford St. John
5-10 March 1943: Gransden Lodge
10-12 March 1943: Bottisham
12-25 March 1943: Duxford
25 March-21 June 1943: Andover
21 June-30 September 1943: Middle Wallop (disbanded)

1 October-8 December 1943: Ayr (reformed with Mosquitos)
8 December 1943-4 June 1944: Little Snoring
4 June 1944-10 August 1945: Great Massingham.

15th June 1942 New Reconnaissance Squadron formed

27th June 1942 Move to Doncaster

15th August 1942 Pilot killed in training

21st October 1942 Pilot killed

15th November 1942 Relocated

20th December 1942 Pilot killed on the day of relocation for ops

31st December 1942 Reconnaissance Squadron disbanded

22nd January 1943 Oil installations

1st March 1943 Exercise Spartan

2nd March 1943 Exercise Spartan

3rd March 1943 Exercise Spartan

3rd March 1943 Exercise Spartan

4th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

5th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

7th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

8th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

9th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

10th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

11th March 1943 Exercise Spartan

12th March 1943 Exercise Spartan ends

25th March 1943 Offensive role over France

30th April 1943 Reported Missing

21st June 1943 Bomber interception line

8th August 1943 Shot down in France

30th September 1943 Squadron disbanded

1st October 1943 Bomber protection

3rd December 1943 New radar equipped fighter force approved

4th December 1943 Transfer to Bomber Command

8th December 1943 Reassigned to Bomber Command and re-located

20th January 1944 Operations

11th February 1944 Crashed into a duck pond

13th February 1944 Crashed during practice flight

16th February 1944 Battle of Britain Ace shot down over Hannover

26th February 1944 Damaged by debris

16th March 1944 Shot down over Aachen

11th April 1944 Killed on test flight

21st April 1944 Mosquito brought down over Belgium

4th May 1944 Mosquito lost over France

June 1944 Luftwaffe responds to AI Radar development

4th June 1944 Mosquito Squadron relocated

10th June 1944 Training flight

13th July 1944 Ju88 captured

13th August 1944 Hit by debris

20th August 1944 Training Flight

27th August 1944 Ju88 shot down

7th September 1944 Aircraft Lost

7th December 1944 Mosquito Lost

6th January 1945 Operations

8th January 1945 Mosquito failed to return

22nd January 1945 Ground staff

8th Feb 1945 Two Mosquitos lost

4th March 1945 Intruders

16th April 1945 Aircraft Missing

3rd May 1945 Mosquito Lost

6th May 1945 Exercise

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Those known to have served with
No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Beeching John Benjamin. W/O
Thorn DFM & Bar, DFC & Bar. Edward Roland. Sqd.Ldr.
Todd W. Wylton. Flt. Offr
Todd Wemyss Wylton. F/Lt.
Wigley Harold. Sgt.

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

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Want to know more about No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:2055 items tagged No. 169 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.

Sgt. Harold Wigley 405 Squadron

My father Harold Wigley was posted to 405 Squadron at RAF Pocklington around May 1941 and I think the squadron was formed to operate from there with Wellingtons and later Halifax Bombers. His logged raids start with a raid on Shwartz on May 12th, Cologne on June 2nd, Brest docks on June 4th, and the Big City on December 15th plus many others that year. He told me a story about a Wellington he was flying that overshot the runway on landing and closed the Hull York Road for a couple of days. After that he went to Abingdon as an instructor and was then posted to 100 Group Special Duties.
We are only just finding out about that because he told me on a number of occasions that this was still on the secrets restrictions of 75 years, we know he was flying Mosquitos possibly with 169 Squadron at RAF Massingham in Norfolk. He met my mother there and it seems I was conceived somewhere there and later born in Kings Lynn

John Wigley

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Sqd.Ldr. Edward Roland Thorn DFM & Bar, DFC & Bar. 264 Squadron

Squadron Leader Edward Thorn flew with 169 & 264 Sqaudrons

Robin Janes

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W/O John Benjamin "Curly" Beeching 169 Squadron

I was stationed at Spitalgate being transferred from Cranwell in the early part of 1944. Both of these places were equipped with Blenheim Mark 1 and Mark IV twin enginged aircraft. I was a pilot being trained for night-fighters and these aircraft were considered to be a suitable transition, which, although fairly obsolescent, they were. Pilots stationed there were given a pretty thorough training, including Standard Beam Approach and 'Day-Night', a system using dark goggles simulating night flying. We were subsequently posted to a night-fighter Operational Training Unit, (OTU), either to Cranfield in Bedfordshire or Charter Hall in Scotland, where we did a further transition via Bristol Beauforts, Beaufighters and subsequently on to De Havilland Mosquitoes, before finishing up, generally, on a 100 Group, Bomber Command station somewhere in Norfolk. I was on 169 Squadron at Great Massingham, from where I flew my operations over Germany, but was transferred to Pathfinder Mosquitoes on 627 Squadron at war's end to engage in operations from Okinawa against the Japanese, but the atomic bombs knocked that on the head.
Spitalgate was a pretty good station, being built in peacetime with comfortable accommodation and messes; a far cry from most Bomber Command places rapidly established for war-time. About the only dramatic incident at Spitalgate which I can recall was having to land a Blenheim with one wheel fully retracted, due to a hydraulic failure, but apart from a bent propeller the aircraft wasn't very damaged at all. I was twenty years old when that happened and things like that during the war never even made the local paper ! Sic transit and all that. I regret I have no photos.

John Beeching

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F/Lt. Wemyss Wylton Todd 169th Squadron

On February 15, 1944, W. Wylton Todd and Cmdr Eugene "Jumbo" Gracie, from 169th squadron out of Little Snoring, were flying a solo Mosquito night raid to Berlin. They were hit by flak over Hannover, Ger. Cmdr Gracie ordered Navigator Todd to bale out, but sadly Gracie perished when he went down with the plane. Todd was delivered to Dulag Luft, interrogated, then brought to Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan, just before the Great Escape.
In order to join the war efforts, Flt Lt Todd had to lie about his age to enter the RAF. When shot down, he was already 38, an established London architect and a terrific musician. As an architect, he volunteered his services for any structural suggestions to the tunnelling efforts for the upcoming Great Escape. He also was involved in the later tunnel efforts underneath the theatre. After the Great Escapers were discovered and illegally murdered by the Gestapo, Wylton was asked to design a memorial for the 50 fallen officers. That memorial still stands in Sagan. There is also a growing museum which is accepting donations for further growth to honour all of the men imprisoned at SL3.
Wylton was also a talented composer. He quickly joined up with the Theatre Group where he proceeded to write two hilariously bawdy, original musicals with David Porter, Tally Rothwell, Peter Butterworth, Bobby Laumanns and Rupert Davies, all talented professional writer/actors in their post-war lives. The two musicals were named "Paulina Panic" and "Messalina." They were big hits in the camp.
The Red cross was a tremendous help in supplying food and materials to build the theater. This attention to the POWs strengthened the men's morale throughout their long captivity and instilled hope. They knew entertainment and an imaginary "escape" through the theater could help sustain the men. In return, after the war, Talbot, Wylton, Peter, Rupert, Bobby and many others, produced a musical in London's Stoll Theatre conglomerating all of best parts of their past performances into a 20-act musical called, "Back Home" The proceeds of which went entirely to the Red Cross. A wonderful payback for the hope that the Red Cross instilled in these magnanimous survivors.
Wylton went on to Design memorial for the Battle of Britain at Biggin Hill and commercial projects for Arthur Vining Davis, Sir Roland Robinson and a 98-room palace for a Maharaja in India. W. Wylton Todd died in 1961 and is buried near Wimbledon. He is survived by his daughter Virginia T. Eades and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Peter Hynes

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Flt. Offr W. Wylton Todd Biggin Hill & Little Snoring 29th and 169th Sq

My mother is the daughter of W. Wylton Todd. Wylton was an RAF navigator who designed the memorial for the fallen 50 officers who were shot after the Great Escape. It still stands in Zagan, Poland. He was assigned to the North camp after being shot down in a Mosquito on Feb 15, 1944. The pilot was the famous Commander "Jumbo" Gracie, who unfortunately went down with the plane in Hannover. Cmdr. Gracie was an older, decorated pilot who was instrumental in organizing flight standards for pilots in Malta and North Africa. Wylton was older too, but lied about his age so that he could join the war effort. He was 38 by the time he was shot down. Wylton was a piano virtuoso. He designed, wrote and produced several of the musicals during his capture (i.e., Messalina, Paulina Panic). He worked with Rupert Davies, Peter Butterworth, Talbot Rothwell and a few others. They signed his war log. I'm certain that theater kept him and many others sane. He was not only a great musician, he was already a successful architect in London before the war. King Edward honored him with recognition at the last Levee in 1936. A remarkable distinction for the young professional. Since he was first held in Dulag Luft, then brought to SL3, he would have arrived just before the great escape on March 25. My mother maintains that he told her that he worked on the tunnels and escape efforts. His drafting abilities and keen eye probably made him a good forger or mapmaker. After the war, Wylton was commissioned to design a memorial at Biggin Hill, from which most of the Battle of Britain pilots tenaciously defended their country. He stayed in the UK to rebuild London. He also designed a palace for a Maharaja in India, Redesigned The Elms in London, a mansion in Mexico and designed plans for a massive luxury complex for Arthur Vining Davis in Eleuthera, Bahamas. Unfortunately it never came to fruition because of political complications. He died shortly afterwards from a freak accident in 1961. I never met him, but have learned quite a bit about this amazing man. I'm currently working on research about his activities in the North camp theater. If anyone knows more about him or particular info about the North camp theater I would appreciate it.

Peter Hynes

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Those known to have served with
No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

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

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The Wartime Memories Project - No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Forceduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

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

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 169 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.