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Motto:
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Primi Hastati ('The First of the Legion') |
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Squadron Code(s):
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HS |
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Dates Mosquitos on Squadron Strength:
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21st July 1942 to July 1952 |
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Mosquito Variant(s) Flown:
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B.IV (August
1942 to June 1944)
B.IX (June 1943 to September
1945)
B.XVI (March 1944 to September
1945)
B.25 (October 1945 to December
1945)
B.35 (1948 to July 1952) |
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Main Base(s):
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Wyton (6th August 1942)
Marham (4th July 1943)
Little Staughton (2nd April 1944)
Woodall Spa (30th September 1945)
Wickenby (October 1945)
Hemswell (November 1945)
Coningsby (November 1946)
Hemswell (March 1950) |
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Commanding Officer(s):
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W/C H.E.Bufton DFC, AFC (10th July 1942 to 6th March 1944)
W/C R.M.Cox AFC (27th March 1944)
W/C T.F.Grant DAO, DFC (28th May 1944)
W/C R.C.E.Law DFC (6th December 1944)
W/C C.W.Scott DFC (28th September 1945)
(After 1945, 109 Sdq's. history seems to be quite convoluted.(see
notes), I've not been able to find names of commanding officers
after this period. If anyone can help fill the gap, from 1945-52,
I would be most grateful. NH.)
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Aircraft Examples:
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B.IV Series II: DK300, DK331 to DK333, DZ317
to DZ319,DZ429 to DZ441.
B.IX: LR496 to LR513, ML896 to ML900.
B.XVI: ML927 to ML933, ML960 to ML963, MM153 to MM156, PF379,
PF412.
B.XXV: ?
B.35: TA617, TA648, VP199, VR798.
(Over 200 different Mosquitos were flown by 109 Sqd. the above are
just a few examples). |
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Notes:
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109 Sqd. was the first squadron to experiment, and
later equip with, OBOE.
21/07/42; 109 Sqd gets its first Mosquito (DK300) from 105
Sqd. This was the first Mosquito to be equiped with OBOE.
20/12/42; First bombs dropped using OBOE as drop indicator. Target,
the Cocking Plant at Lutterade, Holland. A/c taking part DK331,
DK332, DZ317, DZ319 and DK321
31/12/42; First OBOE sky-marking, for the main bomber force, by
Sqd/Lr. Bufton (DK331). Dusseldorf was the target.
01/06/43; 109 & 105 Sqds. join No.8
Path Finder Group, under Don Bennett.
109 Sqd. completed 149 sorties in No.2 Group, before joining No.8
Group. In the PFF. 109 Sqd. completed 5,411 sorties for the lost
of 18 A/c.
April & May 1945; 109 Sqd. completed 90 sorties during 'Operation
Manna'. (see 105 Sqd. for details)
30/09/45; 109 Sqd. officially disbanded at Little Staughton.
31/09/45; 627 Sqd. moves to Woodall Spa and is renumbered as 109
Sqd. and continues in Bomber Command. |
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Examples of Types of Operations:
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28/02/43; 109 Sqd. ground-marked for the main bomber force for
the first time. The target was the dockyard area of St. Nazaire.
05/03/43; The first major bombing attack using OBOE Mosquitoes
as bombing leaders. 442 heavy bombers, lead by 8 PFF Mosquitoes
attacked the Krupps Works at Essen.DZ436,DK425,DK433,DK435 & DK430
were all successful in marking the target.
21/06/43; Mosquito BIX's used for the first time, because of their
increased performance i.e. greater height & speed, OBOE could
be used over a greater distance (OBOE worked by sending a signal
by 'line of sight', so was restricted to the distance that it
could be used).Krefeld was the city attacked. LR496, LR499, LR500
& LR503 (This was LR503 first sortie, another 212 would follow,
which would make this a record number of sorties, for an allied
aeroplane).
01/03/44; 109 Sqd. start daylight marking, again. Typical targets
were V1 sites, airfields & communications, in readiness for D-Day.
06/06/44; 109 Sqd. mark targets in Pas-de-Calais. (see 105
Sqd.)
02/05/45; 109 Sqd. completes last war time operation, marking
Kiel or attacking airfields at Husum & Eggebeck.
Analysis of Sorties Flown by 109 Sqd. in 8 Group PFF:
| 1943 |
| May |
88 |
| Jun |
89 |
| Jul |
65 |
| Aug |
43 |
| Sep |
43 |
| Oct |
69 |
|
| Nov |
96 |
| Dec |
106 |
| 1944 |
| Jan |
135 |
| Feb |
114 |
| Mar |
225 |
| Apr |
188 |
|
| May |
305 |
| Jun |
367 |
| Jul |
366 |
| Aug |
509 |
| Sep |
426 |
| Oct |
455 |
| Nov |
306 |
|
| Dec |
270 |
| 1945 |
| Jan |
129 |
| Feb |
269 |
| Mar |
343 |
| Apr |
303 |
| May |
12 |
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(All the above figures taken from Mosquito
by Martin Sharpe & Michael Bowyer.) |
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Further Reading:
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Mosquito
by Martin Sharp & Michael Bowyer
Beam Bombers
by Michael Cumming
Mosquito Squadrons
of the RAF by Chaz Bowyer
Squadron Profiles
No.130: Mosquito Squadrons of the Pathfinder Force by Chris
Ward |
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