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No. 194 Squadron Royal Air Force
No.194 Squadron was formed as a training squadron at RAF El Amiriya in Egypt on 9th August 1917. It was redesignated on 21st July 1918 as No. 16 Training Depot Station.
The Squadron was reformed at RAF Lahore, Punjab on 13th October 1942 as a transport unit. Its role was to provide regular mail and passenger flights in India and as required between India and Egypt. From November a number of aircrew were attached to 31 Squadron at Tezpur, from where they dropped supplies in Burma to support the first Chindit operation.
In June 1943 No.194 converted to the Dakota DC3 and in September it became an airborne forces squadron and relinquished its scheduled transport services. The Squadron delivered supplies to the army in 'Battle of The Admin Box'. The Squadron was then engaged in dropping supplies to the Chindits and simultaneously played a major role in dropping both supplies and troops to the beseiged forces at Imphal, and also taking casualties out. In January 1945 a casualty evacuation flight equipped with teh L-% Sentinel was attached to the squadron flying casualties back from the front line in Burma.
The squadron supported the British breakthrough at Meiktela, and the attack on Rangoon. After the end of the war, the squadron was engaged in general transport duties around Bangkok, as well as flying liberated POWs on the first stage of their journey home.
Locations of bases:
- 13th October 1942 – 18th February 1943: RAF Lahore
- 24th November 1942 - 1st January 1943 Detachment to RAF Dum Dum, West Bengal
- 24th November 1942 aircrew attached to 31 Squadron at RAF Tezpur, Assam
- Detachment from 1st January - 5th March 1943 to RAF Tezpur, Assam
- Detachment from 5th March 1943 mid-June 1943 to RAF Argatala
- 18th February 1943 – 18th September 1943: RAF Palam, Delhi
- 18th September 1943 – 8th February 1944: RAF Basal
- 9th February 1944 – 1st September 1944: RAF Argatala, Tripura
- Detachment from 2nd - 23rd March 1944 at RAF Tullihal (Imphal)
- Detachment from 22nd June - 20th July 1944 at RAF Dergaon
- Detachment from 20th July - 1st September 1944 at RAF Imphal
- 1st September 1944 – 2nd November 1944: RAF Imphal
- 2nd November 1944 – 10th December 1944: RAF Basal
- 12th December 1944 – 19th March 1945: RAF Imphal
- Detachment from January to 19th March 1945 at RAF Kangla
- 19th March 1945 – 21st August 1945: Akyab, Burma
- 21st August 1945 – 15th February 1946: RAF Mingaladon, Burma.
14th October 1942 New transport squadron formed in India
31st October 1942 Report for October
13th November 1942 Test flight for new service schedule
21st November 1942 Scheduled operational flying commenced
23rd November 1942 Transport to Acra
24th November 1942 Detachment to Dum Dum
30th November 1942 Report for November
6th December 1942 New Transport flights planned
7th December 1942 Hudson crashed to avoid collision
12th December 1942 Airmen arrive from UK
15th December 1942 Supply aircraft lost over Burma
16th December 1942 Transport aircraft makes crash landing
25th December 1942 Poor Christmas
28th December 1942 Missing aircraft found by troops
31st December 1942 Report for December
1st January 1943 Support for Chindits
17th January 1943 New transport service
6th February 1943 Service undertaken for Indian National Airways
February 1943 Operation Longcloth
11th February 1943 Supply drops behind Japanese lines
13th February 1943 Move planned
18th February 1943 Transport Squadron move to new base
21st February 1943 Collision at Bangalore
28th February 1943 Report for February
5th March 1943 Detachment relocated
10th March 1943 Film assignment
13th March 1943 Sightseeing flight
16th March 1943 Army cooperation exercises
31st March 1943 Report for March
31st March 1943 Chindit withdrawal ordered
5th Apr 1943 Supplies
15th April 1943 Two airment killed on take-off
1st May 1943 Dakotas delivered
12th May 1943 Crash caused by bird strike
1st June 1943 Report for May
3rd June 1943 Flight to Cairo
June 1943 Transport Operations
4th August 1943 Crash in stormy weather
27th August 1943 Air crash in India kills ten
16th September 1943 Handover of transport duties
18th September 1943 On the move
19th September 1943 194 renamed Airborne Forces Squadron
13th October 1943 Anniversary
20th October 1943 Paratroop dropping training
27th October 1943 Wireless operators make parachute jump
3rd November 1943 Change-over of Squadrons
8th November 1943 Night flying exercises
17th November 1943 Training
23rd December 1943 Navigator dies suddenly
13th January 1944 Supplies flown in
5th February 1944 Pack up to move
9th February 1944 Heel Trap deployed successfully
9th February 1944 Operation over Burma
10th February 1944 Battle of the Admin Box
10th February 1944 Supply drop in the Arakan
11th February 1944 Supply drops
12th February 1944 No enemy aircraft to be seen
13th February 1944 Supply drops
14th February 1944 Maximum effort
16th February 1944 Day and night supply drops
17th February 1944 Damaged by ground fire
19th February 1944 Supply drops
16-20th February 1944 Japanese airforce kept at bay
21st February 1944 Two sorties
22nd February 1944 24 sorties
23rd February 1944 24 sorties again
25th February 1944 30 supply drops
27th February 1944 Glider towing practice
28th February 1944 Supplies to Arakan
2nd March 1944 Transport Aircraft moved for Chindit Operations
3rd March 1944 Congratulations from Mountbatten
5th March 1944 Landing
5th to 11th March 1944 Supplies to Arakan
6th March 1944 Operation Thursday
6th to 8th March 1944 Paratroop dropping exercises
6th March 1944 Emergency repairs in the jungle
7th March 1944 Supplies to Broadway
8th March 1944 Chindit support operations
9th March 1944 Mules
10th March 1944 Wounded evacuated
11th March 1944 Detachment returns
12th March 1944 On the Move
12th March 1944 Supplies to Chindits
13th March 1944 Supply drops
15th March 1944 Chindit supplies
18th March 1944 Operation Thursday
18th March 1944 Reinforcements moved to Imphal
19th March 1944 Reinforcements delivered
20th March 1944 Detachment sent to Imphal again
21st March 1944 Troops moved to 'Aberdeen'
22nd March 1944 Chindit reinforcements
23rd March 1944 Movement of RAF forces
24th March 1944 Quiet day for recovery
25th March 1944 Seige of Imphal
26th March 1944 Supplies
27th March 1944 Relief of seige
28th March 1944 Transport
29th March 1944 Siege of Imphal
29th March 1944 Supplies to beseiged garrison town
29th March 1944 Supplies to Aberdeen
30th March 1944 Supplies to Aberdeen
31st March 1944 Supplies to Aberdeen
1st ? 4th April 1944 Supplies to Aberdeen
5th & 6th April 1944 Supplies dropped to White City
7th April 1944 Shot down on jungle airstrip
8th April 1944 Night flights deliver troops
9th April 1944 Dakota written off
10th April 1944 15 unsuccessful supply drops
11th April 1944 Sustained attack
11th April 1944 Dakota crashed in the jungle
13th April 1944 Missing in Action
14th April 1944 Transport
16-24th April 1944 Supplies delivered
25th April 1944 Two Daks missing
26-27th April 1944 Chindit supplies
28-29th April 1944 Supplies delivered
2nd May 1944 Chindit Operations
3rd May 1944 Supplies and men transported
6th May 1944 Dakota crahsed in jungle
8th May 1944 Intensive shuttle service
10th May 1944 Evacuation
10th May 1944 Guns uplifted from White City
12th May 1944 Mail rescued
16th May 1944 Supplies drops to Kohima aborted
21st May 1944 Relief crews
25th May 1944 Japanese occupy Blackpool
26th May 1944 Terrifying plunge over mountains
May 1944 Transport flights day and night
4th June 1944 Shuttle service
6th June 1944 New C.O. appointed
8th June 1944 Chindit and Kohima ops
19th June 1944 Dakota lost at Kohima
22nd June 1944 Detachment
23rd June 1944 2 supply aircraft crash at Imphal
28th June 1944 Detachment reinforced
1st July 1944 Routine transport
3rd July 1944 Seige lifted
10th July 1944 New aircrew
12th July 1944 Detachment relocated
20th July 1944 Detachment moves to Imphal
1-31st July 1944 Appalling weather
12th August 1944 Congratulations
24th August 1944 Dakota missing
1-31st August 1944 Daily operations
September 1944 Move to Imphal
10th October 1944 Aircraft Lost
2nd November 1944 Transport Squadron stood down
1st December 1944 Paratroop exercise
2nd December 1944 Training
7th December 1944 Increased establishment
9th December 1944 Orders to move
10th December 1944 Transport Squadron relocated
11th December 1944 Back on operations
17th December 1944 Transport services into Burma
12th December 1944 Operations from Imphal
13th December 1944 Squadron reunited
19th December 1944 Routine ops
24th December 1944 Record supply deliveries
25th December 1944 Christmas Ops
31st December 1944 Medical Report
3rd January 1945 Sorties completed despite weather
6th January 1945 Bad weather
7th January 1945 Ops stopped
8th January 1945 Ops aborted
27th January 1945 Casualty Evacuation Flight Attached
31st January 1945 Monthly report
7th February 1945 Aircraft overloaded
8th February 1945 Bodies recovered
12th February 1945 Crash on take-off
14th February 1945 Explosion in ammo store
17th February 1945 Frustration of unmarked DZs
25th February 1945 Supplies dropped to front line troops
28th February 1945 Japanese airbase taken
28th February 1945 Monthly report
1st March 1945 Relocation
19th March 1945 Move into Burma
25th March 1945 Collision on the runway
31st March 1945 Monthly report
8th April 1945 Fire at airbase
30th April 1945 Monthly report
3rd May 1945 Dakota lost
31st May 1945 Monthly Report
31st May 1945 Monthly Report
14th June 1945 George Medal
20th June 1945 C/O killed in thunderstorm
30th June 1945 Monthly Report
25th July 1945 Crash
31st July 1945 Monthly report
21st August 1945 Move to Rangoon
31st August 1945 Monthly report
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Want to know more about No. 194 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2189 items tagged No. 194 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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George Ollerhead 102 Squardron George Ollerhead served with 102 Sqdn and 194 Sqdn from 1941 to 1945, if anyone remembers him I would be very glad to hear from you.
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Robert Wells pilot 194 Sqd. My father Robert Wells RAF was pilot on c47 Dakotas in India 1944/45 on 194 sqd.
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ACI. Charles Christopher Murphy 194 Squadron Charles Murphy served with 194 Squadron, Royal Air Force.
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P/O. Colin Alan "Happy" Walton 194 Squadron (d.3rd May 1945) My father, Colin Walton, joined the RAAF in Australia on 2nd of July 1940 and was sent to Canada and England to train. He was then stationed in India and flew Dakotas from Imphal, India delivering supplies. His last flight was his third mission for the day in very bad weather. He and his crew were declared missing on 3rd of May 1945.
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Sgt. Gho Friel 194 Sqdn. My dad volunteered for 194 Squadron which started in August 1942 in Burma. He was a non-commissioned sgt pilot from 1939 to 1945. His crew was from Australia and New Zealand.
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Robert Court 1651 HCU I served with 1651 HCU from 1942 to 1944 as a Fitter 11A servicing Stirlings, before being posted overseas with 194 Squadron.
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F/Sgt. George Ollerhead W/op 102 Sqd. My grandad, Georhe Ollerhead trained at Blackpool from 17th January 1941 when he joined the RAF and later went on to Driffield and was assigned to 102 Sqdn. He trained through Wymeswold and Litchfield from 1943 onwards to the early part of 1945 from were he was posted to Karachi with 194 SQdn. He was a Wireless opp air gunner and made it to Flight Sargent. I am very very proud of this fine man and only have one photo of him the day he joined up, aged 21. I would love to know if anyone out there remembers him.
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