No. 191 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 191 Squadron was a Royal Air Force
squadron. During World War I
it was a non-operational night training unit, while during World War II
it was engaged in maritime reconnaissance.
on the 6 November 1917 as a night training squadron, operating amongst others the Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2bs and FE.2d
s. The squadron moved to RAF Upwood
in 1918 and was disbanded there in January 1919.
. The squadron operated the Consolidated Catalina
to patrol the Persian Gulf
and the western Indian Ocean
.
The squadron moved to Red Hills Lake
, India
in November 1944. The Catalina's continued to carry out anti-submarine patrols and meteorological flights. The squadron disbanded on the 15 June 1945 at RAF Koggala, Ceylon.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
squadron. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it was a non-operational night training unit, while during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was engaged in maritime reconnaissance.
Formation in World War I
No. 191 Squadron was formed at RAF MarhamRAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
on the 6 November 1917 as a night training squadron, operating amongst others the Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2bs and FE.2d
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2
The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 was a two-seat pusher biplane that was operated as a day and night bomber and as a fighter aircraft by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War...
s. The squadron moved to RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood was a United States Air Force installation adjacent to the village of Upwood, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom.It is a non-flying station which was under the control of the United States Air Force, and one of three RAF stations in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States...
in 1918 and was disbanded there in January 1919.
Reformation in World War II
The squadron was re-formed on 13 May 1943 at Korangi Creek, IndiaIndia
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...
. The squadron operated the Consolidated Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
to patrol the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and the western Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
The squadron moved to Red Hills Lake
Red Hills Lake
The Red Hills Lake,also called Puzhal Lake is located in Ponneri Taluk of Thiruvallur district, Tamilnadu, South India . It is one of the two rain-fed reservoirs from where water is drawn for supply to Chennai City, the other one being the Chembarambakkam Lake.*The full capacity of the lake is...
, 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...
in November 1944. The Catalina's continued to carry out anti-submarine patrols and meteorological flights. The squadron disbanded on the 15 June 1945 at RAF Koggala, Ceylon.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1917 | Jan 1919 | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 was a two-seat pusher biplane that was operated as a day and night bomber and as a fighter aircraft by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War... |
2b and 2d |
| May 1943 | Jun 1945 | Consolidated Catalina PBY Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other... |
Mk.Ib |
| May 1944 | Jun 1945 | Consolidated Catalina | Mk.IVb |