Air Force Index

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No. 170 Squadron Royal Air Force    No 170 Squadron was formed at Weston Zoyland in June 1942 as a tactical reconnaissance unit. For six months it took part in joint exercises with the army, but began armed reconnaissance missions over France in January 1943. From May 1943 it was tasked with intercepting German bomber raids over South Coast towns. No 170 joined Second Tactical Air Force in July 1943, and resumed raids on communications targets in northern France. Howver was disbanded in January 1944. 170 squadron was reformed at RAF Kelstern on 15th October 1944 as a Lancaster-heavy bomber squadron. The squadron remained part of Bomber Command's main force until the end of the war. Airfields No. 170 Squadron flew from: 15th June 1942: Weston Zoyland (Mustangs) June-October 1942: Hurn October 1942: Thruxton October 1942-February 1943: Andover February-March 1943: Ford March 1943: Andover March-June 1943: Snailwell June-September 1943: Odiham September-October 1943: Hutton Cranswick October 1943: Huggate October 1943: Leconfield October-November 1943: Thruxton November 1943-January 1944: Sawbridgworth (disbanded 15th January 1944) 15th October 1944: reformed RAF Kelstern, (Lancaster I, Lancaster III) 22nd October 1944: RAF Dunholme Lodge 29th November 1944: RAF Hemswell   15th June 1942 New Reconnaissance Squadron 16th August 1942 Accident 30th August 1942 Flying accident October 1942 Army Cooperation Squadron relocated January 1943 Operations 13th January 1943 Reconnaissance Pilot killed 9th February 1943 Pilot missing on first operation 24th February 1943 Move to Exercise area 26th February 1943 Move for Exercise 27th February 1943 Move completed 1st March 1943 Preparation for 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 13th March 1943 Return to base April 1943 Defensive Operations 27th May 1943 Mustang missing 30th May 1943 Crash landing July 1943 Offensive role resumed 26th July 1943 Mustang missing 6th August 1943 Aircraft shot down 7th September 1943 Recce September 1943 On the move October 1943 On the move 24th November 1943 Pilot killed 30th November 1943 Relocated 15th January 1944 Mustang Squadron disbanded 15th October 1944 New Lancaster Squadron 19th October 1944 New Bomber Squadron On Operations 29th November 1944 Bomber Squadron relocated 29th December 1944 Lancaster lost over Germany 8th January 1945 Mission to Munich 21st February 1945 Two Lancasters shot down but 11 airmen survive. 24th February 1945 Lancaster failed to return 5th March 1945 Lancaster lost over Berlin 17th Mar 1945 170 Squadron Lancasters lost 17th March 1945 Lancaster lost on raid to Keil 26th April 1945 Final Ops 1st May 1945 Relief missions June 1945 Operation Dodge If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Logbooks Do you have a WW2 Flying Log Book in your possession? If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you. View Logbook entries Those known to have served with No. 170 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. Alexandra George Peter. Fl/Lt. (d.3rd February 1945) Hepworth Walter Charles. Johnson A. B.C.. McMillan James Malcolm. 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 Records of No. 170 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. Announcements The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web. 22nd April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263973 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQ's The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. Want to know more about No. 170 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2048 items tagged No. 170 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. James Malcolm McMillan No. 170 Squadron James McMillan served as an RCAF tail gunner on Lancaster bombers. He was assigned to No. 12 Squadron on 1st of July 1944 and then to No. 170 Squadron at RAF Hemswell on 8th of January 1945. Barbara McMillan Add to this record. Walter Charles Hepworth 170 Squadron My father, Walter Hepworth, was a rear gunner. He never spoke about his war experience. Barbara Add to this record. A. B.C. Johnson 170 Sqdn. I flew Mustangs at Sawbridgeworth with 170 Squadron from 13th November 1943 to 26th December 1943. ABC Johnson Add to this record. Fl/Lt. George Peter Alexandra 170 Sqdn. (d.3rd February 1945) George Alexandra was a pilot of a Lancaster bomber that was shot down over the Gelsenkirchen Railway Station. He is buried with his crew at Reichwald Forest Cemetery. Mike Alexandra Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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