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No. 226 Squadron Royal Air Force
No 226 Squadron started as No 6 Wing, RNAS, in Otranto, Italy to combat submarine activity in the Adriatic and Mediterranean. With the formation of the RAF in April 1918, units were reorganised into squadrons and No 226 was based in Taranto, doing anti-submarine patrols, reconnaissance of the coasts and bombing Austrian submarine bases. In December 1918, it was disbanded in Taranto.
No 223 was re-formed in March 1937 at Upper Heyford under the RAF Expansion Scheme. In September 1939 it landed at Rheims as part of No 72 Wing of the Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) attempting to delay the German advance through Belgium and France. It withdrew to England in June 1940, and from July was based in Northern Ireland, sharing with No 88 Squadron dawn and dusk patrols along the coast of Northern Ireland.
In May 1941 No 226 moved to Wattisham, converting to Blenheims and engaged in anti-shipping operations against fringe targets in north-west Europe. In the summer of 1942 No 226 was joined at Swanton Morley by the 15th Bombardment Squadron of the USA Eighth Air Force. In the summer of 1943 the squadron converted to Mitchells and took part in pre-invasion attacks on northern France and Noball sites in the Pas de Calais. After D-Day it closely supported the advancing Allied armies, and from October 1944 was based on the continent.
Airfields
No. 226 Squadron
flew from:
- AASF Reims-Champagne, France from the 3rd of September 1939 (72 Wing. Battle I)
- AASF Faux-Villecerf from 16th May 1940 (76 Wing)
- AASF Artins from 1st June 1940
- to Coastal Command from the 16th June 1940
- RAF Thirsk from 18th June 1940
- RAF Sydenham from 27th June 1941
- RAF Wattisham, Norfolk from the 26th May 1941(ex-Coastal Command. Blenheim IV, Boston III, Boston IIIa)
- RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk from the 9th December 1941 (Mitchell II)
- RAF Hartfordbridge from 13th February 1944
- B.50 Vitry-en-Artois from 17th October 1945
- B.77 Gilze-Rijen from 22nd April 1945
10th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
10th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
11th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
13th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
14th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
14th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
14th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
14th May 1940 Overwhelming losses
14th May 1940 Aircraft Lost
16th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
16th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
16th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
16th May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
21st May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
9th June 1940 Attack on German encampment
13th Jun 1940 Aircraft Lost
14th Jun 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost
15th June 1940 Souge airfield abandoned
3rd Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost
19th Jun 1941 Aircraft Lost
2nd Jul 1941 226 Squadron Blenheim lost
2nd Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
4th Jul 1941 226 Squadron Blenheim lost
4th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
6th Jul 1941 Aircraft Lost
10th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
12th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
26th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
27th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
28th Aug 1941 226 Squadron Blenheim lost
28th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
7th September 1941 Aircraft Lost
20th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
3rd Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
15th Oct 1941 Aircraft Lost
7th November 1941 Aircraft Lost
27th Apr 1942 226 Squadron Battle lost
5th May 1942 Belgian pilot buried
5th May 1942 Squadron Leader shot down
19th Aug 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
19th Aug 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
19th Aug 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
19th Aug 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
19th Aug 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
22nd Sep 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
22nd Sep 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost
6th March 1943 Exercise Spartan
10th June 1944 Attack on the HQ of Panzergruppe West
22nd April 1945 Passenger flights
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Want to know more about No. 226 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2048 items tagged No. 226 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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P/O. Harry Lockley Knowles 226 Squadron (d.25th November 1944)   My Uncle Harry Knowles died in action in 1944. It was a mystery for years and my grandparents received a telegram saying "Missing believed dead". That's all the family ever knew until now. It was only recently with the help of some researchers on a Bomber Command page on Facebook I was advised to look at the National Archives at Kew. From doing this I found out the tragic story of Harry L Knowle's death. Taken from 226 Squadron Operational log book 25th November 1944
"11 Mitchell's led by F/L Edmond were despatched to attack the Railway Marshalling Yard at Rheydt. 9 aircraft attacked from 12,500/13,000 feet at 11.03 hours with 72x500lb M.C. T.D. Bombs.
Bombs from the first box fell in the town to the west of the target, the second box found the primary target covered by cloud and a attacked a railway North of Gladbach, before falling in the south side of the town.
Intense accurate heavy flak was encountered before reaching the target, and aircraft T received a direct hit in the port engine. The aircraft went down in flames and was seen to explode on hitting the ground; no parachutes were seen. Heavy flak was encountered over the target area and on the way to Heindberg seven aircraft received minor damage.
Aircraft L returned soon after taking off, owing to a propeller breaking.
Weather 6/10-7/10 cloud, to 6,000 feet. Visibility 10 miles.
Sadly the aircraft crew in aircraft T HD336 a Mitchell MkII, included my Uncle the second Pilot on this op with P/O S. Moore, P/O H.L.Knowles, F/0 Henshaw and F/O Hunfift, the last name is difficult to read as it has been over typed, shot down at 10.55 after take off 9.55
Harry was my mother's brother. He earned four service medals to include 39-45 star
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Flt.Lt. Brian Rutter Kerridge 226 Squadron (d.15th May 1940) Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Brian Kerridge was the son of Harry and Emily Kerridge, of Burgess Hill, Sussex.
He was 27 when he died and is buried in the Luxembourg (Hollerich) Communal Cemetery in Luxenbourg.
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F/O. Douglas Alexander Cameron 226 Squadron (d.10th May 1940) Flying Officer (Pilot) Douglas Cameron was the Son of Gordon Douglas Cameron and Amelia Emily Jessie Cameron, husband of Jessie Taylor Cameron of Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
He was 25 when he died and is buried in the Diekirch Communal Cemetery in Luxembourg.
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P/O. Harry Lockley Knowles 226 Squadron (d.25th Nov 1944) I always knew my Uncle Harry Knowles was missing believed dead during the war. I have now found out that he was in 226 Squadron and went missing on the 25th of Nov 1944. We have no further info apart from him being aged 21 years old and his mother, my grandmother never got over his death, always believing he would walk in the door one day. I would love to be able to find out how many sorties he was involved in. I do have some photos showing him training in Canada so my guess is he was flying Mitchell Bombers.
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S/Ldr John Marchbank "Jimmy" Betts DFC,AFC 226 squadron Jimmy Betts served with 226 & 88 Squadrons.
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Sgt. Stanley Burdon 226 Sqdn. (d.26th August 1941) British Bomb Aimer Stanley Burdon, Australian pilot V. Smith and Canadian C. Toppings (WO/AG) were shot down by navy flak on an anti-shipping strike on 26th August 1941 off the coast of Holland. Their plane was Blenheim No. 27305 was stationed at Wattisham.
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V. Smith 226 Sqdn. Australian pilot V. Smith, Canadian C. Toppings (WO/AG) along with British bomb aimer S. Burdon were shot down by navy flak on an anti-shipping strike on 26th August 1941 off the coast of Holland. Their plane was Blenheim No. 27305 was stationed at Wattisham.
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C. Toppings 226 Sqdn. My great uncle C. Toppings (WO/AG) who was Canadian, and Australian pilot V. Smith along with British bomb aimer S. Burdon were shot down by navy flak on an anti-shipping strike on 26th August 1941 off the coast of Holland. Their plane was Blenheim No. 27305 was stationed at Wattisham.
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Sgt. S. J. Roache 226 Squadron (d.3rd Feb 1943) Sgt Roache was killed in Boston mk 3, z2261 on the 3rd of February 1943 whilst serving with 226 Squadron. His grave Sidcup Cemetery Kent,is in very poor condition, I have tried to contact cwgc, but had no luck so far.
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