No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force

No.191 Squadron was formed on 6th November 1917 at Marham as a training unit for night fighter pilots. It disbanded on January 1919.
The squadron reformed at Korangi Creek, India, on 17th May 1943 as a Catalina equipped General Reconnaissance unit. Initially it provided anti-submarine coverage of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf, operating detachments from advanced bases in order to extend this coverage.
In November 1944 the squadron moved to Redhill's Lake, near Madras to increase coverage of the Sea of Bengal. In April 1945 it relocated to Koggala in Ceylon. However, lack of enemy maritime activity in the area led to it being disbanded on 15th June 1945.
Bases used by 191 Squadron:
Formed Korangi Creek on 17th May 1943

Detachment to Bahrein on 9th July 1943 – 23rd December 1943
Detachments as required to Bangalore, Cochin, Trombay, Koggala, Redhills Lake and Addu Atoll.
Relocated to Redhills Lake 18th November 1944

Detachment to Korangi Creek on 6th March 1945 – 1st June 1945.
Relocated to Koggala, Ceylon 27th April 1945.

Disbanded 15th June 1945.

Operational Summary

14th May 1943 Catalina delivered for new Squadron

17th May 1943 New flying boat squadron formed

21st May 1943 First operation for new squadron

29th May 1943 Aircraft rigger killed

6th June 1943 C.O. arrives to take up appointment

9th June 1943 Missing aircrew found

11th June 1943 Survivors rescued

15th June 1943 New seaplane base

9th July 1943 Detachment to Bahrein

6th September 1943 Detachment to Bangalore

3rd October 1943 Catalina crashed into the sea on take-off

30th November 1943 Missing USAAF bomber not found

4th December 1943 New base investigated

7th December 1943 New base investigated

15th December 1943 Return to Korangi Creek

16th December 1943 Detachment to Tronbay

23rd December 1943 Convoy escort

25th December 1943 Anti-submarine patrol

16th January 1944 Air sea search

23rd January 1944 Anti-submarine patrols

29th January 1944 75 survivors of a sinking located

26th March 1944 Prisoners abandoned and picked up

31st March 1944 Summary of operations

5th April 1944 Air sea search fails to find missing sailors

11th May 1944 New Catalinas on delivery

7th September 1944 Flying boat crews return to UK

18th September 1944 New base in Madras examined

26th September 1944 Seaplane base unsuitable

30th September 1944 Summary of Operations

15th October 1944 Conversion training

25th October 1944 Aircraft sunk at moorings

10th November 1944 Train across India

14th November 1944 Squadron relocation delayed

18th November 1944 Train journey across India

30th November 1944 Settled into new base

31st January 1945 Operational Summary

28th February 1945 Operational summary

6th March 1945 Unidentified submarine

31st March 1945 AVM Visits squadron

24th April 1945 Liberator crew picked up from the sea

27th April 1945 Air sea search

30th April 1945 Operations summary

31st May 1945 Observation flights over Japanese territory

15th June 1945 Seaplane squadron disbanded

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. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

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. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.

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

Announcements

1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 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.

16th Jan 2025 - 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 265273 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 FAQs
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.

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. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:2044 items tagged No. 191 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.

Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with
No. 191 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. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 191 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. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 191 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.