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Motto:
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Si Placet Necamus (We Destroy at Will) |
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Squadron Code(s):
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XD |
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Dates Mosquitos on Squadron Strength:
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September 1942 to November 1953
(NB. 139 Sqd. flew Mosquitoes from June 1942. However these aircraft
were borrowed from 105 Sqd.)
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Mosquito Variant(s) Flown:
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B.IV (September
1942 to July 1944)
B.IX (September 1943 to September
1944)
B.XVI (November 1944 to
October 1948)
B.XX (November 1944 to September
1945)
B.25 (September 1944 to September
1945)
B.35 (July 1948 to November
1952) |
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Main Base(s):
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Horsham St.Faith (June 1942)
Marham (29th September 1942)
Wyton (4th July 1943)
Upwood (1st February 1944)
Hemswell (4th February 1946)
Coningsby (4th November 1946)
Hemswell (1st April 1950 to November 1953) |
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Commanding Officer(s):
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W/C.W.P.Shand DFC (3rd July 1942)
Sqd.Ld. V.R.G.Harcourt (4th April 1943)
W/C. R.W.Reynolds DSO.DFC. (4th May 1943)
G/C. L.C.Slee DSO.DFC. (August 1943)
W/C. G.H.Womersley DSO.DFC. (February 1944)
W/C. J.B.Voyce (7th October 1944)
W/C. J.R.G. Ralston DFC.AFC.DFM. (1st March 1945 to March 1946)
S/L.D.G.Stokes (April 1946)
S/L.J.H.Frampton (May 1947)
S/L.D.A.Green DSO.DFC. (November 1947)
S/L.J.W.Appleton (December 1947)
S/L.G.W.Curry DSO.DFC. (August 1948)
S/L.R.G.W.Oakley DSO.DFC.DFM. (September 1948)
S/L T.R.Pierce (January 1951)
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Aircraft Examples:
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B.IV Series II: DK285, DK302, DK313, DK336
B.IX: LR476, LR505, ML908-10
B.XVI: ML925, ML934, MM115, MM126, MM200, PF465, PF463-7
B.XX: KB130-2, KB198-205
B.35: RV297, RV342, RV345, TA645
(214 different Mosquitoes were flown by 139 Sqd. from September
1942 to November 1953. The above are just a few examples) |
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Notes:
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8/06/42: 139 Sqd., which had been overseas, was reformed
at Horsham St Faith. The Sqd. was originally to re-equip with Blenheim
V's, but fortunately, these aircraft were never used operationally
& 139 Sqd. became only the second Mosquito Squadron in 2 Group,
RAF.
Sept.42: 139 Sqd. starts to get it's own Mosquitoes. (139 Sqd. had
been borrowing aircraft from 105 Sqd.up to this point in time).
By November 1942, 139 Sqd. was fully equipped with all it's own
Mosquitoes.
31/05/43: 139 Sqd.leaves 2 Group, to become part of the 8 Path Finder
Force (8PFF). 139 Sqd. would become the nucleus for the Light Night
Striking Force (LNSF), which would eventually be made up of Mosquito
Bombers ( other Mosquito Squadrons in the LNSF would include 627,
692, 571, 608, 142, 128, 162 & 163 Sdrs.). 139 Sqd. would now carry
out high level nuisance bombing raids, but would eventually act
as a marking squadron for the LNSF.
03/10/43: G-H used for the first time by a 139 Sqd. Mosquito B IX
ML 908 (XD-Y). The G-H failed on this occasion but was used successfully
to bomb Dortmund. 10/10/43.
01/02/44: H2S used by 139 Sqd. for the 1st time on The Big City
(Berlin).
139 Sqd. became the first squadron to operate Mosquito B XVI's and
on 02/03/44 2 Mosquito B XVI's,ML 941 (XD-N) & ML 942 (XD-F),became
the first B XVI's to drop a 4,000lb cookie. The target was Munchen
Gladbach.
June 43 to May 45: 139 Sqd. completed 4187 operational sorties during
this period with the LNSF. (225 operational sorties were carried
out, when the Squadron was in 2 Group).
The last Mosquito was struck of squadron charge at end of 1952,
having been finally replaced by Canberra bombers. |
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Examples of Types of Operations:
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25/06/42: 1st operational sortie, carried out by S/L Houlston,
a nuisance raid on Stade Airfield, after a 1000 bomber raid on
Bremen.
06/12/42: 139 Sqd. takes part in Operation Oyster (see 105 Sqd.
for details).
27/01/43: W/C H Edwards VC. leads 6 Mosquitoes, from both 105
&139 Sqds.on a daring low level raid on the Burmeister & Wain
Diesel Engine Works, Copenhagen. (This sort of joint operation
would be typical of the way these two squadrons would operate
until the end of May 1943, when both squadrons left 2 Group (see
above for 139 Sqd. see 105 Sqd for details).
03/03/43: 10 Mosquitoes from 139 Sqd., led by W/C Shand DFC, fly
low level to attack the molybdenum mines at Knaben in Norway.
This precision raid was highly successful.
During this period (up to 31/05/43), 139 Sqd. completed many low
level attacks all over occupied Europe. Enemy communications,
came in for a lot of attention. Many marshalling yards like those
at Nantes, Tours,Trier & others got the 105/139 Sqd. calling card-
4x 500lb bombs, with devastating effect!
12/06/43: 139 Sqd. (now part of the LNSF) made it's first diversionary
raid on Berlin. This was to draw off enemy night fighters, while
the main bomber force attacked Milan & Turin. This was to set
the scene for things to come, and would be a common tactic over
the next two years. The Mosquito squadrons, like 139 Sqd., would
operate regularly, even on nights when the main bomber force remained
grounded.
01/02/43: 1st raid using H2S as a blind bombing aid, the target,
The Big City- Berlin.139 Sqd. marked the target for the LNSF of
Mosquitoes. The number of attacking Mosquitoes was only small,
but the LNSF was expanding rapidly as more Mosquito squadrons
became operational. The LNSF would become a major bombing force
in it's own right, especially when the Mosquito bombers were able
to carry 4000lb cookies!
Analysis of Sorties Flown by Sqd.
| 1943 |
| May |
12 |
| Jun |
84 |
| Jul |
111 |
| Aug |
145 |
| Sep |
127 |
| Oct |
109 |
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| Nov |
149 |
| Dec |
105 |
| 1944 |
| Jan |
130 |
| Feb |
114 |
| Mar |
242 |
| Apr |
227 |
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| May |
256 |
| Jun |
212 |
| Jul |
204 |
| Aug |
198 |
| Sep |
227 |
| Oct |
227 |
| Nov |
210 |
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| Dec |
196 |
| 1945 |
| Jan |
182 |
| Feb |
332 |
| Mar |
301 |
| Apr |
232 |
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(All the above figures, taken from Mosquito
by Martin Sharp & Michael Bowyer) |
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Further Reading:
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Mosquito
by Martin Sharp & Michael Bowyer
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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