No._136_Squadron_RAF
No. 136 Squadron RAF
Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force
No. 136 Squadron RAF was a short-lived RAF unit that saw no action in World War I, but upon reformation became the highest scoring unit in South East Asia Command during World War II.[6] Shortly after the war the squadron was disbanded.
| No. 136 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 Apr 1918 - 4 Jul 1918 20 Aug 1941 – 8 May 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Part of | RAF Third Tactical Air Force, South East Asia Command |
| Nickname(s) | The Woodpeckers |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Nihil Fortius ("Nothing is stronger")[1] "Nothing too tough" (squadron use)[2] |
| Engagements | Arakan Campaign 1942–1943, Burma Campaign, Battle of Imphal |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | Upon the side of a stem of tree erect, a green woodpecker.[3] The woodpecker was chosen as the squadrons original call-sign was "Woodpecker"[1] |
| Squadron Codes | HM (Dec 1943 - May 1946)[4][5] |
Formation in World War I
No. 136 squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 at Lake Down, Wiltshire,[7] as a service unit (not a training unit),[8] working up for the Airco DH.9, using a variety of aircraft.[9] Following Air Ministry letter C4519 of 4 July of that year, however, it was disbanded, together with 12 other such units. Plans to reinstate the squadron in September as laid out in Air Organisation Memorandum 939 of 13 July 1918 came to nought as Air Organisation Memorandum 999 of 17 August 1918 cancelled these.[9]
World War II
Reformation
The squadron was reformed at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire on 20 August 1941 as a fighter squadron, flying Hawker Hurricanes and became operational on 28 September, doing shipping patrols and scrambles. This lasted only one month as the squadron was scheduled to move to the Middle East on 9 November to support Russian forces in the Caucasus and so protecting the vital Middle East oil fields.[10]
On the road to...
En route however the destination was changed to the Far East, following the news of Pearl Harbor and the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.[11] On arrival in India the squadron was redirected to Burma, arriving there at Rangoon in early February 1942. However, because of the fast advance of the Japanese forces it was necessary to withdraw the squadron back to India again, 26 February to Dum Dum and a day later Asansol, and before the squadron had chances to become really operational. Attacks by the Japanese forces and accidents had the squadron with only six flyable Hurricanes left by this time.[12]
India and Burma
Regrouped as an operational squadron on 31 March 1942 around Alipore, still on Hurricanes, the squadron provided convoy patrols and air defence of the Calcutta area, but in December it began operating detachments over the Burmese front and by the end of the month it moved to Chittagong to continue these operations from there. Returning to India at RAF Amarda Road in November 1943 for a training course,[13] the squadron meanwhile had converted to Spitfire Mk.Vs in October and returned to the Burmese front with them in December 1943.
Ceylon and the Cocos Islands
In January 1944 the Spitfire Mk.Vs went to another unit[nb 1] and were replaced with Spitfire Mk.VIIIs. In July the squadron moved to Ceylon, flying from Ratmalana and later from Minneriya. At the end of March 1945, the Squadron ground echelon had left for the Cocos Islands and the squadron's aircraft began flying upon completion of the airstrip there a month later.[14]
Malaya
After the Japanese surrender the squadron re-located to RAF Tengah, Singapore in October and from there went on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in November 1945, where they received Spitfire Mk.XIVs and where it remained until 8 May 1946, when the squadron embarked for India. Arriving in Bombay, the squadron was disbanded on 8 May 1946 by being renumbered to No. 152 Squadron RAF.[15]
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1918 | Jul 1918 | Various | |
| Aug 1941 | Nov 1941 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.IIb |
| Oct 1941 | Nov 1941 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.IIa |
| Apr 1942 | Mar 1943 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.IIb |
| Mar 1943 | Oct 1943 | Hawker Hurricane | Mk.IIc |
| Oct 1943 | Feb 1944 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.Vc |
| Jan 1944 | May 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.VIII |
| Feb 1946 | May 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.XIV |
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 1918 | Jul 1918 | Lake Down |
| Aug 1941 | Nov 1941 | RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey |
| Nov 1941 | Feb 1942 | en route |
| Feb 1942 | Feb 1942 | Rangoon |
| Feb 1942 | Feb 1942 | Dum Dum (Dets. at Mingaladon, Akyab and Ratmalana, Ceylon |
| Feb 1942 | Mar 1942 | Asansol (Dets. at Mingaladon, Akyab and Ratmalana |
| Mar 1942 | Jun 1942 | Alipore, India (Det. at Maidan) |
| Jun 1942 | Aug 1942 | Red Road Maidan / 'Angel' (Det. at Vizagapatam) |
| Aug 1942 | Sep 1942 | Alipore (Det. at Vizagapatam) |
| Sep 1942 | Dec 1942 | Dum Dum |
| Dec 1942 | Jun 1943 | Chittagong |
| Jun 1943 | Nov 1943 | Baigachi |
| Nov 1943 | Nov 1943 | Amarda Road |
| Nov 1943 | Dec 1943 | Baigachi |
| Dec 1943 | Dec 1943 | Ramu 2 /'Lyons' |
| Dec 1943 | Dec 1943 | Alipore |
| Dec 1943 | Dec 1943 | Ramu 2 /'Lyons' |
| Dec 1943 | Jan 1944 | Ramu 3 / 'Hay' |
| Jan 1944 | Mar 1944 | Rumkhapalong / 'Rumkha' |
| Mar 1944 | Mar 1944 | Sapam |
| Mar 1944 | Apr 1944 | Wangjing |
| Apr 1944 | Jul 1944 | Chittagong |
| Jul 1944 | Dec 1944 | Ratmalana, Ceylon |
| Dec 1944 | Mar 1945 | Minneriya, Ceylon |
| Mar 1945 | Apr 1945 | en route to Cocos Islands |
| Apr 1945 | Oct 1945 | Cocos Islands |
| Oct 1945 | Oct 1945 | HMS Smiter |
| Oct 1945 | Nov 1945 | Tengah |
| Nov 1945 | May 1946 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| May 1946 | May 1946 | Bombay, India |
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 1941 | Jul 1942 | S/Ldr. T.A.F. Elsdon, DFC |
| Jul 1942 | Dec 1942 | S/Ldr. A.W. Ridler |
| Feb 1943 | May 1943 | S/Ldr. A.W.A. Bayne, DFC |
| Jun 1943 | Mar 1944 | S/Ldr. A.N. Constantine |
| Mar 1944 | Oct 1944 | S/Ldr. E.O. Watson |
| Oct 1944 | Jun 1945 | S/Ldr. D.G. Soga |
| Jun 1945 | Oct 1945 | S/Ldr. A.J.H. Kitley |
| Oct 1945 | Dec 1945 | F/Lt. J.D.R. Cameron |
| Dec 1945 | Dec 1945 | S/Ldr. M. Paddle |
| Dec 1945 | Jan 1946 | S/Ldr. D.M. Finn, DFC |
| Jan 1946 | May 1946 | S/Ldr. G.B. Smither, DFC |
Notes
- Rawlings claims the Spitfire Mk.Vs went to No. 132 Squadron RAF, but given the fact that it was stationed in the UK at that time this seems unlikely.
Citations
- Rawlings 1978, p. 275.
- Jacobs 1994, pp. vii, 2, 216, 219.
- Halley 1988, pp. 209-210.
- Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 50.
- Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 78.
- Jacobs 1994, p. 214 and inner front flap text.
- Historic England. "Lake Down Airfield (19191)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, p.7.
- Jefford 2001, pp. 107-108.
- Jacobs 1994, p. 12.
- Jacobs 1994, p. 14.
- Jacobs 1994, p. 50.
- Jacobs 1994, p. 156.
- Rawlings 1978, pp. 275-276.
- Jefford 2001, p. 63.
- Jefford 2001, pp. 63 and 270-271.
Bibliography
- Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
- Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
- Franks, Norman L.R. Hurricanes Over the Arakan. Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1989. ISBN 1-85260-262-7.
- Franks, Norman L.R. Spitfires Over the Arakan. William Kimber & Co Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-7183-0682-1.
- Franks, Norman L.R. The Air Battle of Imphal. William Kimber & Co Ltd., 1985. ISBN 0-7183-0552-3.
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jacobs, Vivian K. The Woodpecker Story. Durham, UK: The Pentland Press Ltd., 1994. ISBN 1-85821-235-9.
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
