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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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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. |
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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.
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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)
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F/O. Charles Weldon "Weldy" Pearson 150 Squadron Charles Pearson served with 150 Squadron and 196 Squadron.
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F/Sgt. John Frederick Lunt 196 Squadron Jack Lunt was a wireless operator with 196 Squadron.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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