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No. 148 Squadron Royal Air Force
No. 148 Squadron was formed on 10th of February 1918 as a night bomber unit and saw action on the Western Front from April 1918. It was disbanded at Tangmere on 30th June 1919.
The squadron reformed on 7th June 1937 at Scampton flying Audax medium range bombers, which were soon replaced by Wellesleys and then Heyfords, with Wellingtons arriving in March 1939. In April 1939 148 became a Group Pool Squadron based at Stradishall, acting as an operational training unit for the other units in its group, flying Ansons and Wellingtons. On the outbreak of war it moved to RAF Harwell. On 4th April 1940 it was redesignated No 15 Operational Training Unit.
On 14th December 1940 detachments from Nos. 99 and 115 Squadrons at Luqa in Malta were amalgamated into a new No 148 Squadron. The Squadron moved to Kabrit in Egypt in March 1941 to support the 8th Army in the North African Desert. In December 1942, having returned to Malta, the squadron disbanded with the crews being absorbed by other units on the island.
On 14th March 1943, No 148 Squadron reformed at Gambut, Libya in the Special Duties role, equipped with Halifaxes and Liberators to supply Partisan groups throughout the Balkans and as far afield as Poland as well as undertaking bombing missions. In November 1943 1586 Special Duties Flight (also known as 301 'Polish Squadron') was attached, comprising Polish air crews and specialising in missions to Poland. The Squadron moved to Italy in January 1944. The 'Polish Squadron' was detached from 148 Squadron and redesignated as 301 Squadron on 7th November 1944.
Airfields at which No. 148 Squadron were based:
- Stradishall to September 1939
- Harwell September 1939 - 4th April 1940 (redesgnated as no.15 OTU)
- Luqa, Malta 14th December 1940 - 9th March 1941
- Kabrit, Egypt 9th March 1941 - 19th April 1942
- Detachment to El Aden, Libya 25th March - 1st April 1941
- Detachment to Luqa, Malta 5th April - 28th April 1941
- Detachment to Luqa, Malta 25th June - 22nd July 1941
- LG.106, Egypt 19th April - 26th June 1942
- Detachment to Luqa, Malta 19th April - 25th April 1942
- Kabrit 26th June - 9th August 1942
- LG.237 9th August - 14th November 1942
- LG.09 14th November - 1st December 1942
- LG.167 1st - 7th December 1942
- Luqa, Malta 7th - 14th December 1942 (disbanded)
- Gambut (Libya) from 14th March - 5th April 1943;
- Derna (5th April - 2nd September 1943
- Tocra 2nd September 1943 - 31st January 1944
- detachment at Maison Blanche, Algeria September 1943
- Brindisi, Italy, 31st January 1944 - 28th June 1945
4th September 1939 Relocated
25th September 1939 Training reorganised
28th November 1939 Crashed in training
18th January 1940 Killed in training
4th April 1940 New Squadron titles
30th Oct 1940 Detachment to Malta
31st October 1940 Wellington Squadron on Malta goes into action
1st November 1940 Attacks on Italy and Sicily
3rd November 1940 Two George Crosses awarded
8th Nov 1940 Operations from Malta
8th November 1940 Attack on Italy
13th November 1940 Reinforcements
14th November 1940 Move to Egypt
16th November 1940 Wellington Missing
24th November 1940 Three Wellingtons destroyed on transit flights
7th December 1940 Libyan Airfields attacked
14th December 1940 New Squadron formed on Malta
1st January 1941 Tripoli Harbour bombed
5th January 1941 Harbour bombed
6th January 1941 Raid
8th January 1941 Raid
12th January 1941 Catania airfield bombed
15th January 1941 Aerodrome bombed
18th January 1941 Malta's Airfields bombed
20th January 1941 Aerodrome bombed
22nd January 1941 Italian airfields attacked
27th January 1941 Italian targets bombed
2nd February 1941 Libyan airfield bombed
11th February 1941 Rotation of crews
15th February 1941 Shipping and airfields attacked
16th February 1941 Bombing raid from Malta
21st February 1941 Italian airfields bombed
24th February 1941 Tripoli bombed
26th February 1941 Attack on Luqa aerodrome
9th March 1941 Wellingtons rotated between Egypt and Malta
25th March 1941 Wellingtons moved to Libya
27th March 1941 Ground crew leave Malta
1st April 1941 Hasty withdrawal
9th April 1941 Airmen killed onMalta
13th April 1941 Tripoli bombed
28th April 1941 Reconnaissance over Tripoli
1st May 1941 Belly landing at desert airstrip
2nd May 1941 Benghazi Port bombed
21st May 1941 Night attacks on Germans in Crete
24th May 1941 Attack Made
25th May 1941 Airfield on Rhodes bombed
26th May 1941 Crete bombed
15th June 1941 Airstrip abandoned
24th June 1941 148 Squadron aircraft return to Malta
26th June 1941 Wellingtons on Malta
27th June 1941 Tripoli harbour bombed
29th June 1941 Wellingtons attack Tripoli
1st July 1941 Tripoli bombed
2nd July 1941 Tripoli bombed
3rd July 1941 Tripoli bombed
4th July 1941 Tobruk and Beirut both bombed
7th July 1941 Railway yards bombed
9th July 1941 Raid on Naples
10th July 1941 Railway yards in Italy bombed
14th July 1941 Messina bombed
16th July 1941 Tripoli harbour and ship bombed
17th July 1941 Italian naval vessels bombed
18th July 1941 Palermo harbour bombed
20th July 1941 Naples attacked
21st July 1941 Wellingtons leave Malta
29th October 1941 Two Wellingtons lost on sortie to Crete
1st December 1941 Collision on airstrip
19th January 1942 Wellington lost off Greek coast
9th February 1942 Engine failure over Greece
1st March 1942 Crash landing in the desert
3rd March 1942 Ground crew injured by enemy action
12th March 1942 Postings
19th April 1942 Squadron on the move
21st April 1942 Italian targets bombed
23rd April 1942 Comiso aerodrome attacked
24th April 1942 Wellington lost over Comiso
25th April 1942 Wellington lost
27th April 1942 Departure from Malta
29th May 1942 Gun battle in the desert
6th June 1942 Pilot survived crash and desert walk
26th June 1942 Back to Kabrit
9th August 1942 Relocated
19th September 1942 Desert crash
5th October 1942 Crashed near Tobruk
14th November 1942 Relocated
1st December 1942 Move into Libya
7th December 1942 Move back to Malta
10th December 1942 Ferry Flight Missing
14th December 1942 Squadron disbanded on Malta
14th March 1943 Special Duties Flight redesignated as 148 Squadron
5th April 1943 Relocated
2nd September 1943 Relocated
8th September 1943 Failed to return from supply drop over Greece
15th September 1943 Detachment to North Africa
25th September 1943 Landing on fire
15th October 1943 Pick up from occupied Greece
20th October 1943 SOE Missions to Albania and Greece
1st November 1943 SOE missions to Yugoslavia
3rd November 1943 Liberator lost over Yugoslavia
5th November 1944 Ditched off Yugoslavia
10th December 1943 Turbulent flight
6th January 1944 Two Special Operations aircraft lost
January 1944 Increase in Special Duties squadrons
12th January 1944 Failed to return from Albania
31st January 1944 Relocated and re-equipped
11th February 1944 SoE mission crashed over Yugoslavia
3rd March 1944 Shot down over Italy
20th March 1944 Lysanders allocated
24th April 1944 Crashed in Poland
4th May 1944 Crashed on take off
5th May 1944 Crashed into farmhouse
29th May 1944 The first mine of the Danube in Slovakia
30th May 1944 Shot down
24th June 1944 Crash
28th June 1944 Aircraft Lost
3rd July 1944 Four aircraft lost on Special Duties
11th July 1944 SoE mission
30th July 1944 Halifax lost
2nd August 1944 SoE Mission shot down over Hungary
3rd August 1944 Crashed near Venice
4th August 1944 Warsaw Uprising
5th August 1944 Five SoE flights lost on mission to Warsaw
15th August 1944 Supplies dropped to Warsaw
16th August 1944 Seven aircraft lost on Warsaw supply drops
16th August 1944 Thirteen killed over Italy
18th August 1944 Lost on supply mission to Warsaw
28th August 1944 Four aircraft lost supplying the Warsaw Uprising
2nd September 1944 Four aircraft lost on supply drop to Warsaw
11th September 1944 Polish Flight loses 4 aircraft on mission to Warsaw
12th September 1944 Hit a mountain in Italy
14th September 1944 Liberator shot down over Hungary
23rd September 1944 Halifax crew drowned
24th September 1944 Special Duties Squadron disbanded
8th October 1944 Crash landing
17th October 1944 Crashed in Slovenia
29th October 1944 Lost without trace
6th November 1944 Engine failure
7th November 1944 Flight redesignated as a Squadron
21st November 1944 Shot down by USAAF
4th January 1945 Shot down
26th January 1945 Crashed in fog
1st February 1945 Crash landing in Yugoslavia
14th February 1945 Crash-landing in Yugoslavia
1st March 1945 New aircraft arrive
21st April 1945 Evaded capture
May 1945 Transport role
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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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.
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Those known to have served with No. 148 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Abbott DFC Maurice Eldon. S/Ldr. (d.19th January 1942)
- Atkins Donald Charles Seymour. P/O.
- Carroll Wilfred John. F/O (d.19th January 1942)
- Clifford Peter William. FO (d.30th July 1944)
- Cowan DFC, MID. Neville Lawrence Roy. F/O.
- Cox John.
- Hunter Angus Gillispie Conan. F/Sgt. (d.16th Nov 1941)
- James Ieuan Tom. Sgt. (d.19th January 1942)
- McGrath Harold Thomas. Sgt. (d.19th January 1942)
- Merry Herbert Revill. P/O (d.19th January 1942)
- Miller David Douglas. Flt.Sgt. (d.28th September 1942)
- Miller David Douglas. WOII. (d.28th Sep 1942)
- Sandilands Alexander. Sgt. (d.5th Aug 1944)
- Sellars John Albert. Sgt. (d.19th January 1942)
- Steed William Hugh. L.A.C
- Williams Harold. Flt/Sgt. (d.20th October 1943)
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. 148 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 148 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2146 items tagged No. 148 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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F/O. Neville Lawrence Roy Cowan DFC, MID. 148 Sqn Flying Officer Neville Cowan served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force flying with 148 Squadron RAF in WW2. He carried out 48 operational sorties against objectives in Germany and Libya and targets in the Mediterranean area. He made 13 attacks on Bengasi. He once brought his aeroplane safely to his base, although one engine had failed. At all times he has shown great keenness and efficiency and complete disregard of enemy opposition.
Neville went on to serve in the RAF in Malaya during the Malayan crisis where he was Mentioned in Dispatches. He retired from the RAF as a Squadron Leader in 1958/59.
Neville had 2 other brothers that served as well in 9 Squadron, both of whom were also awarded the DFC.
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WOII. David Douglas Miller 148 Squadron (d.28th Sep 1942) David Douglas Miller was the son of Douglas Martin Miller and Nellie Ellen Miller and husband of Jessie Marguerite Miller all of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
He is buried in El Alamein Commonwealth War Graves at Matruth, Egypt.
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Sgt. Alexander Sandilands 148 Squadron (d.5th Aug 1944) A photograph was found in my Father's old papers of Alexander Sandilands. I don't know where they met, but Dad served 1939 in Libya and Egypt and later in the war at Ashbourne near Darley in Derbyshire.
I know from the photograph and a little research that Sgt Sandilands was lost over Krakow and is buried in Krakow Rakowick Cemetery.
It seems fitting to me to pass this information on in his memory.
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Flt.Sgt. David Douglas Miller 148 Squadron (d.28th September 1942) Dave Miller was missed terribly by his family.
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John Cox 148 Squadron John Cox trained with with A Flight, 6 Mons Squad at No1. Depot Uxbridge, and also served in Naples with 148 Squadron. He was a flight rigger. I have a Squadron photograph taken when Jack first joined the Royal Air Force also a Christmas Menu from 1944 and many photographs of the various aeroplanes he worked on. Jack drove from Ostend to Paris with a fuel bowser truck at 12 to 15 miles an hour.
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F/Sgt. Angus Gillispie Conan Hunter 148 Squadron (d.16th Nov 1941) Angus Hunter was killed in action during the commencement of Operation Crusader whilst on a mission over either Gazala or Bengazi.
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Flt/Sgt. Harold Williams 148 Sqdn. (d.20th October 1943) Harold Williams was the son of Robert and Mary Williams, of Weston Lullingfield, Shropshire.
He was 18 when he died and was buried in the Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery, Albania. He is remembered on the Special Memorial "E" his grave having been lost.
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Sgt. John Albert Sellars 148 Sqdn. (d.19th January 1942) Wellington W5584 was shot down off Greece whilst on a bombing run to Salamis on 19th January 1942. The crew are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, they were:
Sgt H.T. McGrath, RCAF
P/O H.R. Merry, RAFVR (served as John Bertram Scard)
S/Ldr M.E. Abbott DFC, RAF
Sgt I.T. James, RAFVR
F/O W.J. Carroll, RAAF
Sgt. J.A. Sellars, RAFVR
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F/O Wilfred John Carroll 148 Sqdn. (d.19th January 1942) Wellington W5584 was shot down off Greece whilst on a bombing run to Salamis on 19th January 1942. The crew are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, they were:
Sgt H.T. McGrath, RCAF
P/O H.R. Merry, RAFVR (served as John Bertram Scard)
S/Ldr M.E. Abbott DFC, RAF
Sgt I.T. James, RAFVR
F/O W.J. Carroll, RAAF
Sgt. J.A. Sellars, RAFVR
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Sgt. Ieuan Tom James 148 Sqdn. (d.19th January 1942) Wellington W5584 was shot down off Greece whilst on a bombing run to Salamis on 19th January 1942. The crew are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, they were:
Sgt H.T. McGrath, RCAF
P/O H.R. Merry, RAFVR (served as John Bertram Scard)
S/Ldr M.E. Abbott DFC, RAF
Sgt I.T. James, RAFVR
F/O W.J. Carroll, RAAF
Sgt. J.A. Sellars, RAFVR
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