144 Squadron RAF
WW1
No 144 Squadron was formed at Port Said Egypt on 20 March 1918 in the Corps Reconnaissance role in support of the Army in both Egypt and Palestine. At first it operated a variety of aircraft, including BE2es and BE12s.
BE2 in desert
The squadron re-equipped with Airco DH9 light bombers in August that year, reinforcing 40th (Army) Wing as it prepared for a major offensive against Ottoman forces. On 19 September the opening actions of the Battle of Megiddo began with 144 Squadron attacking Turkish communication and command centres including the headquarters of the Ottoman Seventh Army at Nablus. The Ottoman forces were soon in full retreat and all available air power, including 144 Squadron, was sent to repeatedly attack the force of the Ottoman Seventh Army as it retreated through the Wadi al-Far'a with the Ottaman Seventh Army effectively destroyed by these sustained aerial attacks. This was the first time this had been done solely by air power
DH9
On 17 October 1918, the squadron moved to Mudros on the island of Lemnos near the Dardanelles, but the Armistice of Mudros ended the war against the Ottoman Empire on 30 October. The squadron returned to the United Kingdom in December, disbanding at RAF Ford on 4 February 1919.
Interwar
144 Squadron was the second of only two units to operate the Boulton Paul Overstrand, when it formed on 11 January 1937 at Bicester, having taken over four of these aircraft from 101 Squadron. Later that month it received Avro Ansons and the Overstrands left in February and in March. Hawker Audaxes were also received and it now began to work-up for its operational equipment.
Boulton Paul Overstrand
Hawker Audax
This was received in August in the form of Bristol Blenheims and by December it was fully equipped with this type being based at RAF Hemswell and later RAF North Luffenham as part of No 5 Group. However the Blenheims were replaced in turn by the Handley Page Hampdens in March 1939. 144 operated as part of 5 Group, initially carrying out leaflet raids and minelaying before beginning bombing raids until April 1942.
Bristol Blenheim I
Handley Page Hampden 144 Squadron
The Squadron then transferred to Coastal Command and began torpedo dropping training. In September 1942 it was then sent to North Russia to protect the Russian convoys but lack of targets led to it handing its aircraft to the Russians and returning to the UK in October. It then operated from RAF Leuchars, where it converted to Bristol Beaufighters in January 1943 and moved to RAF Tain in Scotland in April.
Bristol Beaufighter 144 Squadron
The following month the ground personnel embarked for the Middle East and the aircraft were flown out in June. Here they were based in Algeria and carried out attacks against Axis shipping in the Mediterranean but in August they where sent back to Britain, recommencing operations from RAF Wick in October.
In May 1944 the squadron moved south to cover the Normandy landing and at the end of June it joined the RAF Stubby Strike Wing. Another move followed in September when it joined the RAF Banff Strike Wing, initially in the torpedo role but in January 1945 it adopted the anti flak role which it maintained until the end of the war, disbanding on 25 May 1945.
Post War
Linked to 61 Squadron from 1 February 1949 until 31 March 1958 the Squadron’s final incarnation as an independent unit lasted from 1 December 1959 until 23August 1963 as a Thor equipped Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile unit at RAF North Luffenham
Thor Missile Preparing to Launch
Compiled by David Fell. Photos from my archive and WWP
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