No. 136 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
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. Shortly after the war the squadron was disbanded.
, using a variety of aircraft. 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.
on 20 August 1941 as a fighter squadron, flying Hawker Hurricane
s 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.
and the sinking of and . 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.
, 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 Amarda Road in November 1943 for a training course, the squadron meanwhile had converted to Spitfire Mk.V
s in October and returned to the Burmese front with them in December 1943.
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.
in October and from there went on to Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia in November 1945, where they received Spitfire Mk.XIV
s 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
.
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
during World War II. Shortly after the war the squadron was disbanded.
Formation in World War I
No. 136 squadron was officially formed on 1 April 1918 at Lake Down, as a service unit -not a training unit-, working up for the Airco DH.9Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
, using a variety of aircraft. 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.
Reformation
The squadron was reformed at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey, LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
on 20 August 1941 as a fighter squadron, flying Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s 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
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and so protecting the vital Middle East oil fields.
On the road to...
En route however the destination was changed to the Far East, following the news of Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and the sinking of and . 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
Dum Dum
Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...
and a day later Asansol
Asansol
Asansol is a coal mining and industrial metropolis and one of the busiest commercial centres in India. It is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan...
, 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.
India and Burma
Regrouped as an operational squadron on 31 March 1942 around AliporeAlipore
Alipore is headquarters of South 24 Parganas district and a neighbourhood in South Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.Alipore, Kolkata, not to be confused with Alipore, Gujarat, is one of the poshest and costliest localities in Kolkata, along with the area Ballygunge...
, 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
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
to continue these operations from there. Returning to India at Amarda Road in November 1943 for a training course, the squadron meanwhile had converted to Spitfire Mk.V
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s 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 and were replaced with Spitfire Mk.VIIIs. In July the squadron moved to Ceylon, flying from RatmalanaRatmalana Airport
Ratmalana Airport , formally known as Colombo Airport, is a major domestic airport and military base in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was once Colombo's international airport, until the current Bandaranaike International Airport opened in the 1960s...
and later from Minneriya
Minneriya
Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka, and is famous for two things , for the great Minneriya lake build by King Mahasen and for the Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of the abandons of Elephants...
. 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.
Malaya
After the Japanese surrender the squadron re-located to RAF Tengah, SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in October and from there went on to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia in November 1945, where they received Spitfire Mk.XIV
Supermarine Spitfire (Griffon powered variants)
The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine was designed in answer to Royal Naval specifications which required an engine capable of generating good power at low altitudes...
s 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
No. 152 Squadron RAF
No. 152 Squadron of the Royal Air Force .-History:No 152 Squadron was formed on 1 October 1918 at Rochford as a Camel night fighter unit. 30 June 1919, the squadron disbanded....
.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1918 | Jul 1918 | Various | |
| Aug 1941 | Nov 1941 | Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
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 Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
Mk.Vc |
| Jan 1944 | May 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.VIII |
| Feb 1946 | May 1946 | Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.XIV |
Squadron bases
| 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 Dum Dum Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata... (Dets. at Mingaladon Mingaladon Township Mingaladon Township is located in the northernmost part of Yangon, Myanmar. The township comprises 31 wards, and shares borders with Hmawbi township in the north, North Okkalapa township in the east, Insein township and Shwepyitha township in the west, and Mayangon township in the south... , Akyab and Ratmalana Ratmalana Airport Ratmalana Airport , formally known as Colombo Airport, is a major domestic airport and military base in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was once Colombo's international airport, until the current Bandaranaike International Airport opened in the 1960s... , Ceylon Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the... |
| Feb 1942 | Mar 1942 | Asansol Asansol Asansol is a coal mining and industrial metropolis and one of the busiest commercial centres in India. It is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan... (Dets. at Mingaladon, Akyab and Ratmalana |
| Mar 1942 | Jun 1942 | Alipore Alipore Alipore is headquarters of South 24 Parganas district and a neighbourhood in South Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.Alipore, Kolkata, not to be confused with Alipore, Gujarat, is one of the poshest and costliest localities in Kolkata, along with the area Ballygunge... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... (Det. at Maidan Maidan (Kolkata) The Maidan is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a vast stretch of field and home to numerous play grounds, including the famous cricketing venue Eden Gardens, several football stadia, and Kolkata Race Course. Maidan is dotted with several statues and... ) |
| 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 Chittagong Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading... |
| 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 Wangjing, Manipur Wangjing is a town and a nagar panchayat in Thoubal district in the Indian state of Manipur.-Geography:Wangjing is located at . It has an average elevation of 766 metres .-Demographics:... |
| Apr 1944 | Jul 1944 | Chittagong |
| Jul 1944 | Dec 1944 | Ratmalana, Ceylon |
| Dec 1944 | Mar 1945 | Minneriya Minneriya Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka, and is famous for two things , for the great Minneriya lake build by King Mahasen and for the Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of the abandons of Elephants... , Ceylon |
| Mar 1945 | Apr 1945 | en route to Cocos Islands |
| Apr 1945 | Oct 1945 | Cocos Islands |
| Oct 1945 | Oct 1945 | HMS Smiter HMS Smiter (D55) The USS Vermillion was laid down on 10 May 1943 by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation as a Bogue-class auxiliary aircraft carrier; redesignated an escort aircraft carrier, CVE-52, on 10 June 1943; assigned to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 23 June 1943; launched on 27 September... |
| Oct 1945 | Nov 1945 | Tengah |
| Nov 1945 | May 1946 | Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... , Malaysia |
| May 1946 | May 1946 | Bombay Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... , India |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 1941 | Jul 1942 | S/Ldr. Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... T.A.F. Elsdon, DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| 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. Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"... 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. C.B. Smither, DFC |