Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

This post still confuses me. During December 1942, No.196 Squadron was part of No.4 Group. 196 Squadron having formed at RAF Driffield, Yorkshire on 7 November 1942, it was initially equipped with Mk.III and Mk.X Vickers Wellingtons. The Squadron departed No.4 Group on 19 July 1943, and moved south to RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire, as part of No. 3 Group and was re-equipped with Mk. III Stirling bombers. On 18 November 1943 following its move to Leicester East, No.196 Squadron was transferred to No.38 Group, Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF). No. 196 Squadron had flown its last operational mission with Bomber Command in the night of 10/11 November 1943.

The copy of the Log Book kindly sent to me via our host Bruno, shows a mining operation on December 7th but gives no year, it clearly records Stirling EE410. Could the mining operation have been flown while the squadron was at Leicester East when part of No.38 Group in 1943. ???

I will check the ORB over the weekend to clarify.

EE410 was a Gloster Meteor F 3 according to Peter Devitt at RAF Hendon Museum.

AIR27/1166 ORB of 196 Squadron shows H.C. Phillips (A/B) 1516340 posted from 1657 CU to 196 on 21.9.43
part of crew of MOON
and promoted from P/O to F/O wef 19.3.32
196 shosw no activities on 6th & 7th December.

Mary wrote:EE410 was a Gloster Meteor F 3 according to Peter Devitt at RAF Hendon Museum.

AIR27/1166 ORB of 196 Squadron shows H.C. Phillips (A/B) 1516340 posted from 1657 CU to 196 on 21.9.43
part of crew of MOON
and promoted from P/O to F/O wef 19.3.32
196 shosw no activities on 6th & 7th December.

Mary,

Thanks for the post saves me a job of checking the ORB on Saturday. From the copies of the Log Book sent via Bruno I can confirm that Harold Charles Phillips was a pilot according to the copies I have, perhaps he retrained. If Phillips was posted to No.196 Squadron on this date the crew were posted to the squadron when part of No.38 Group and NOT No.3 Group. I have No.1657 CU ORB and I did check this out, glad I did not miss it !!! You will see there are a few anomalies in the entries which are confusing.


At work at present and not home until Saturday, interested in any further answers