| No. 190 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 24 Oct 1917 – Apr 1919 1 Mar 1943 – 31 Dec 1943 5 Jan 1944 – 21 Jan 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Role | Convoy escort Airborne forces Transport |
| Part of | No. 38 Group RAF |
| Mottos | Latin:Ex Tenebris (Translation: "Through darkness")[1][2] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Geoffrey Harry "Buster" Briggs |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | A cloak charged with a double-headed eagle displayed[1][2] |
| Squadron Codes | G5 (Jan 1944 – Dec 1945)[3][4] L9 (Jan 1944 – Dec 1945)[5][6] |
No. 190 Squadron was aRoyal Air Force squadron with a relatively short existence, but a very broad career. It served as a trainer squadron during the first World War and as convoy escort, airborne support and transport squadron during World War II.
No 190 Squadron was formed atRochford, England on 24 October 1917 as a night training squadron[7] operating amongst others theRoyal Aircraft Factory BE.2e and theAirco DH.6. The squadron moved toRAF Newmarket,Suffolk on 14 March 1918 and was disbanded a year later atRAF Upwood in April 1919.[1][2]
The squadron was re-formed on 1 March 1943 atSullom Voe,Scotland. The squadron operated theConsolidated Catalina to patrol theNorth Atlantic. The firstU-boat was sunk in the first month of operations. The main role of the squadron was protecting the convoys to and from Russia ("Operation Locomotive"). The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1943, when it was re-numbered to210 Squadron.[1][2][8]
The squadron was re-formed again five days later, on 5 January 1944 atRAF Leicester East as an airborne support unit flying theShort Stirling. It became part of38 Group on 6 November 1943. On 6 June 1944 the squadron first carried 426 paratroopers toCaen, France.[1] The squadron then returned and the next night towed 18Airspeed Horsa gliders into France.[1] It moved toRAF Fairford and carried out supply-dropping missions to the advancing troops andSOE operatives. The squadron involvement in supply drops atBattle of Arnhem caused 11 aircraft losses in 3 days.[2]The next move was toRAF Great Dunmow where it towed gliders for theRhine crossing and paratroopers into the Netherlands to disrupt the German retreat.
As the war ended the squadron re-equipped with theHandley Page Halifax which it used as a freighter forTransport Command until the end of 1945. It was disbanded at Great Dunmow on 21 January 1946 by being renumbered to295 Squadron.[2][8][9][10]
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 1917 | January 1919 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 | c |
| October 1917 | January 1919 | Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 | e |
| October 1917 | January 1919 | Airco DH.6 | |
| October 1917 | January 1919 | AVRO 504 | K |
| February 1943 | December 1943 | Consolidated Catalina | Mk.Ib |
| October 1943 | December 1943 | Consolidated Catalina | Mk.IV |
| January 1944 | June 1945 | Short Stirling | Mk.IV |
| May 1945 | January 1946 | Handley Page Halifax | Mks.III and VII |
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 2 October 1917 | 14 March 1918 | RFC Rochford,Essex |
| 14 March 1918 | 5 October 1918 | RAF Newmarket,Suffolk |
| 5 October 1918 | April 1919 | RAF Upwood,Cambridgeshire |
| 1 March 1943 | 31 December 1943 | RAF Sullom Voe,Shetland Islands,Scotland |
| 5 January 1944 | 25 March 1944 | RAF Leicester East,Leicestershire |
| 25 March 1944 | 14 October 1944 | RAF Fairford,Gloucestershire |
| 14 October 1944 | 21 January 1946 | RAF Great Dunmow, Essex |
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 March 1943 | 31 December 1943 | W/Cdr. P.H. Alington,DFC |
| 5 January 1944 | 21 September 1944 | W/Cdr. G.E. Harrison, DFC,SS(US) |
| 2 October 1944 | 20 April 1945 | W/Cdr. R.H. Bunker,DSO, DFC &Bar |
| 24 April 1945 | 1 July 1945 | W/Cdr. G.H. Briggs, DFC |
| 1 July 1945 | 21 January 1946 | W/Cdr. L.C. Bartram |
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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