No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force

During WW1, No 196 was a training squadron at Heliopolis, Egypt in 1917 before being redesignated the Aerial Flying School.
No 196 Squadron was re-formed at Driffield in November 1942 as a night-bomber squadron, raiding enemy ports and industrial centres in Europe and mine-laying throughout 1943. It transferred from Bomber Command to the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in December 1943, training in parachute dropping and glider towing. In February 1944 the squadron was involved in supply drops to resistance forces in France, and on D-Day carried troops to Normandy. In September 1944 it took part in the Arnhem landings and in February 1945 began tactical bombing raids in support of the army, including the Rhine crossing in March 1945. It transported fuel to the advancing army, and troops to Norway and Denmark to disarm the German forces. No 196 was disbanded in March 1946.

Airfields No. 196 Squadron flew from:

RAF Driffield, Yorkshire from 7th November 1942 (formed, Bomber Command. Wellington X)
RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire from 22nd December 1942 (to 3 Group)
RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire from 19th July 1943 (ex-4 Group. Stirling III)
RAF Leicester East, Leicestershire from 18th November 1943 (Fighter Command. Stirling III, Stirling IV)
RAF Tarrant Rushton, Dorset from 7th January 1944
RAF Keevil, Wiltshire from 14th March 1944
RAF Wethersfield, Essex from 9th October 1944
RAF Shepherds Grove, Suffolk from the 26th January 1945 (Stirling V)
196 Squadron was disbanded the 16th of March 1946

7th November 1942 New bomber squadron formed

14th November 1942 Aircrew arrived but no aircraft

29th November 1942 Farming duties

3rd December 1942 Aircraft arrive

4th December 1942 Airfield Congestion

9th December 1942 No valves

22nd December 1942 Wellington Squadron relocated

14th January 1943 Pilot missing

1st February 1943 Bomber Squadron operational

4th February 1943 First operation

14th February 1943 Wellington lost

26th February 1943 Crashed on test flight

23rd March 1943 Rear gunner sole survivor

29th March 1943 Two bombers lost

15th April 1943 Crashed at Tangmere

17th April 1943 Crashed in France

27th April 1943 Shot down over Holland

29th April 1943 Three Wellingtons lost on minelaying sortie

5th May 1943 Wellington lost over Germany

13th May 1943 Wellington failed to return

13th June 1943 Runway lights switched off

26th June 1943 Shot down over Holland

4th July 1943 New German night fighter tactic

14th July 1943 Aircrew sent for conversion training

19th July 1943 Squadron relocated

16th August 1943 First flights in Stirlings

24th August 1943 Stirling ditched off Denmark

27th August 1943 First mission aborted

5th September 1943 Bomber lost; fighter shot down

17th September 1943 Bomber lost over France

4th October 1943 Crew survived crash

8th October 1943 All safe when Stirling ditched

17th October 1943 Lost on test flight

New role for Squadron

18th December 1943 Back in the air

25th December 1943 Civilian hospitality

31st December 1943 Training

7th January 1944 Squadron Relocated

January 1944 Increase in Special Duties squadrons

3rd February 1944 First SOE Op for 196 Squadron

4th February 1944 Lost on SOE Op in France

5th February 1944 Crashed in the Vosges

20th February 1944 Crashed on training flight

28th February 1944 Training Report

2nd March 1944 Ground crew reinforcements

3rd March 1944 Exercise, ops and move

14th March 1944 Stirling Squadron relocated

14th March 1944 Mass exercise

4th April 1944 Crashed on exercise

11th April 1944 Para dropiing training

30th April 1944 Night exercise

1st May 1944 Planning

3rd May 1944 Supplies to the Resistance

10th May 1944 Gunner baled out

6th June 1944 Pathfinders

6th June 1944 Landings

6th June 1944 Stirling lost over Normandy

6th June 1944 Gliders towed to Normandy

8th June 1944 Resuppling troops

23rd Jun 1944 Airdrop

30th June 1944 Airbomber killed by doodlebug

3rd July 1944 SOE Ops resumed

31st July 1944 Special Duties

3rd August 1944 SOE operation

28th August 1944 Stirling ditched in the Channel

31st August 1944 Leave cancelled

15th Sep 1944 Orders

15th Sep 1944 Report

16th Sep 1944 Ready

17th Sep 1944 Gliders

18th Sep 1944 Gliders

19th September 1944 Shot down over Arnhem

20th September 1944 Six Stirlings lost over Arnhem

21st September 1944 Three Stirlings lost

23rd September 1944 Crash landing

24th September 1944 Flying accident in France

28th September 1944 Back on SOE Missions

9th October 1944 Relocation

8th November 1944 Stirling lost in the North Sea

30th November 1944 Monthly report

25th December 1944 Troop flights cancelled

5th January 1945 Northolt attacked: bomber destroyed

31st January 1945 Monthly report

1st February 1945 Back to bombing

14th February 1945 Bombing op

20th February 1945 Strong winds

21st February 1945 C.O. killed

25th February 1945 Shot down over Norway

1st March 1945 Glider training

24th March 1945 Gliders to the Rhine

24th March 1945 Operation ‘VARSITY’

30th March 1945 Stirlings lost over Norway

2nd April 1945 Crashed off the coast

7th April 1945 Paratroops dropped

10th April 1945 Stirling lost in Friesland

17th April 1945 PoW's repatriated

19th April 1945 Transport duties

24th April 1945 Over 2000 PoW's repatriated

25th April 1945 SOE operations

7th May 1945 Troops taken to Denmark

10th May 1945 Troop flight crashed at Oslo

11th May 1945 Troops delivered to Norway

15th May 1945 Troops taken to Stavanger

19th May 1945 Paratroops return to Britain

23rd May 1945 Oslo

27th May 1945 PoW transport

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Those known to have served with
No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Annable Henry Hall.
Ayling Kenneth Arthur. F/O (d.6th Sept 1943)
Brett P. W,.
Canning D. H..
Chalkley Frank Douglas. F/O. (d.19th Sep 1944)
Cooper William Norman Bartlett. Flt.Sgt.
Fisher William Robert. Sgt. (d.24th January 1943)
Gordon Thomas Donald McKinlay. F/O. (d.26th Feb 1943)
Huggins L. H..
Kerr E. W.J..
Lawton Edward. Sgt.
Lunt John Frederick. F/Sgt.
Makens Louis. W/O
Moore D. F..
Pearson Charles Weldon. F/O.
Schaverien Louis Charles. F/Lt.
Teadwell R. A..
Town . F/Sgt
Wakely Noel Nathaniel. Flt.Sgt. (d.17th Sep 1943)
Westbrook Mervin Charles. W/O.

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Want to know more about No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:2106 items tagged No. 196 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.

F/O. Thomas Donald McKinlay Gordon 196 Squadron (d.26th Feb 1943)

Tom Gordon was my only uncle but sadly he was killed 5 years before I was born. He was a navigator in 196 Squadron and was in a Wellington X bomber serial BE161 code ZO when it crashed near Middleton on the Wold, Yorkshire on 26 February 1943. There were no survivors. The only other name from the flight that I have found is a Sergeant G.A.A. Ranken.
I have found it extremely difficult to ascertain whether Tom and his fellow crew members were embarking or returning from an operation or whether it was a training flight but there is a suggestion that an unsecured piece of canvas blew out of the bomb bay and lodged in the tail ailerons.
I have plenty of photographs of Tom including some taken during his training in South Africa on Avro Ansons that I would be pleased to post if anyone was interested.
Editors Note: Flying Officer Thomas Donald McKinlay Gordon served with 196 Squadron Royal Air Force during WW2 and was killed on the 26th February 1943.
The squadron was operating from RAF Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire from December 1942 to July 1943.
Crew List:

Ranken, George Alexander Aitken (1052516) RAFVR; age: 21 Sgt
Robinson, Walter (1073018) RAFVR; age: 32 LAC
Gordon, Thomas Donald (120884) RAFVR; age: 22 Fg Off
Herbert, Dennis (1425487) RAFVR; age: 19 Sgt
Smart, Nevill (124547) RAFVR; age: n/k Fg Off
Bernick, Lloyd Adolf (R/62500) RCAF; age: 21 WO II

Middleton on the Wolds is in East Yorkshire near Driffield. The aircraft crashed at 1210 hrs some 2 miles E of Middleton-on-the-Wolds, 7 miles SW of Great Driffield, Yorkshire, exploding on impact. The accident was attributable to the canvas bomb screen detaching and fouling the elevator control surfaces. This was apparently during an aircraft test flight.

Jim Gordon

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Flt.Sgt. William Norman Bartlett Cooper No. 196 Squadron

Billy Cooper's family found some written memories of his RAF wartime experiences. These included the following:
'D-Day was coming up...the invasion of Europe. Our Squadron had been briefed for three days in succession and we knew when and exactly what we had to do. Go over in Normandy, Caen area, at very low level in darkness, and put down the 6th Airborne Division Paratroopers. A big crowd of ground staff cheered us off, and we were a bit tense but busy enough with our duties. There was intense flak over the French coast and some of our Squadron were hit. One in particular on our port bow was on fire from stem to stern and sinking down slowly. I saw a couple of parachutes come out but they, too, were burning. It was hopeless for them. The Stirling flew on fully ablaze and losing height slowly, then it hit the ground with an enormous explosion which lit the low clouds for miles. I looked back over the Seine Bay and the sea was black with ships. Battleships were firing salvos inland and the sky - our sky - was filled with aircraft. There never was such a sight. We did our run-up with flak all around us and put the paratroops down in the right spot (no doubt about it!) and turned for base. Very, very nasty with Jerry flak combing the sky and all of us at low level. But we did it and got back safely, with the whole Squadron personnel waiting to greet us - a magic moment. We went back again the same evening this time in daylight and put down a Horsa glider and container with ammunition etc. On reflection I am lucky to be writing this - still sweat a bit when I think of it'.
'Arnhem: It was a brilliant Sunday morning on 17th September 1944, not a cloud to be seen. Our Squadron had been briefed to drop or put down the 1st Airborne Division on the other side of the Rhine to form a bridgehead for the advancing Corps of the British Army. We were the largest airborne force ever assembled and we flew in loose formation, thousands of planes and gliders in tow. We were fairly low - about 3,000 feet - and crowds could be seen when we passed over or close to towns such as Watford on the way to the coast. Massive! We got some flak at the Dutch coast, but the Armada flew on and into Holland. We were to release our glider, a giant Horsa, just beyond Arnhem Bridge, and it all went well except for some flak. We saw the whole Airborne division down with casualties, crashes, and little or no resistance from Jerry. We turned to base and all seemed well. We were de-briefed and reported to intelligence. We went back to Arnhem three more times in a week, making four in all. The scene had changed dramatically. Intense flak, and when that eased the German fighters got to work. We went in at low level in daylight and their fighters and flak took their toll. All this time the 1st Airborne was having a tough time too. We went in each time very, very low at about 500 feet and were caught by flak. Our Squadron suffered heavy losses. I saw three Stirlings in front of us go down in flames and Dakotas on our port bow on fire before crashing. We were carrying canisters of mortar bombs and petrol in our bomb bays to supply the guns and tanks below. We did it and were hit in the bomb bay immediately after we had dropped the stuff. We got back to base and were very, very lucky to survive that battle'. (Billy did write some more about this)
The names of his other crew members were:
1350196 Flt. Sgt. J.W. Hill (Pilot)
1507788 Flt. Sgt. C.G. Valentine (Navigator)
986150 Flt. Sgt. I.P. Jones (Air Bomber)
1603711 Flt. Sgt. H.C.F. Stransbridge (Flt. Engineer)
644459 Warrant Officer E. Hood (Air Gunner)

Vivian Cooper

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F/O. Charles Weldon "Weldy" Pearson 150 Squadron

Charles Pearson served with 150 Squadron and 196 Squadron.

Allister Pearson

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F/Sgt. John Frederick Lunt 196 Squadron

Jack Lunt was a wireless operator with 196 Squadron.

Gregory Lunt

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Sgt. William Robert Fisher 196 Squadron (d.24th January 1943)

Sergeant (Pilot) William Fisher was the son of William James Fisher and Esther Fisher of Enfield, Middlesex. He was 26 when he died and is buried in the Leeuwarden (Wirdum) Protestant Churchyard, Friesland, Netherlands.

S Flynn

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Flt.Sgt. Noel Nathaniel Wakely 196 Squadron (d.17th Sep 1943)

I recently visited my great uncle Noel Wakely's grave in Lisieux in France. I understand the plane he was piloting was shot down or crashed near there and he survived and was looked after by locals in a barn until he passed away. I don't know much more than that, but I do know that he is in a beautiful spot in France, even though he isn't at home in New Zealand.

Kate

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F/Lt. Louis Charles Schaverien 196 Squadron

My father Louis Schaverien was with 196 Squadron. I don't know much about his war as he spoke little of it. I do know he had shrapnel in his knees, and crashed at least once.

Malcolm Schaverien

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D. F. Moore 196 Sqdn.

Stirling (EH 952) of 196 Squadron which got into difficulties on 24th August 1943 over the North Sea. The full crew were:
E. Lawton (sent to Stalag Luft 3)
P.W. Brett
R.A. Teadwell
E.W.J.Kerr
D.H. Canning
L.H. Huggins
D.F. Moore

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L. H. Huggins 196 Sqdn.

Stirling (EH 952) of 196 Squadron which got into difficulties on 24th August 1943 over the North Sea. The full crew were:
E. Lawton (sent to Stalag Luft 3)
P.W. Brett
R.A. Teadwell
E.W.J.Kerr
D.H. Canning
L.H. Huggins
D.F. Moore

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D. H. Canning 196 Sqdn.

Stirling (EH 952) of 196 Squadron which got into difficulties on 24th August 1943 over the North Sea. The full crew were:
E. Lawton (sent to Stalag Luft 3)
P.W. Brett
R.A. Teadwell
E.W.J.Kerr
D.H. Canning
L.H. Huggins
D.F. Moore

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- No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with
No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force
during 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. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 196 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. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 196 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.