!"2.2&"/&2)&/"$+"$2)8)*.%"<N9.-2$*"#2&/(/".552$7&-"L4"O)*8">&$28&"E1
385
THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF THE SQUADRON BADGE FOR ‘NO. 144 BOMBER SQUADRON’,
hand-illuminated badge and motto, as painted by an artist of the College
of Arms, dated March 1938, and signed by the Chester Herald and
Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J. Heaton-Armstrong, and H.M.
King George VI, mounted on card, in excellent condition £100-150
No. 144 Squadron was formed at Port Said, Egypt in March 1918 and went into
action with D.H. 9s in support of the Palestine operations that August, carrying
out several important missions in support of T. E. Lawrence’s Arab Northern
Army - the Squadron’s badge depicting a Boar’s head in front of a waning moon
was chosen to commemorate its part in this theatre of war and the final defeat of
the Turkish Armies. It was disbanded in February 1919.
Reformed at Bicester in January 1937, No. 144 was equipped with Hampdens at
the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, carrying out its first operational
patrols in the same month - on the 29th, a section of five aircraft under Wing
Commander J. C. Cunningham failed to return from a mission to the Heligoland
Bight. By early 1940 the Squadron was engaged on regular Bomber Command
sorties, sharing in the first large scale attack against the German mainland with a
strike against the exits of Munchen-Gladbach, and continued to be employed in
a similar capacity until transferring to Coastal Command in April 1942.
Later that year, No. 144 moved to North Russia in support of Arctic convoys,
leaving behind its aircraft for the Russians in October. Re-mustered in Scotland,
the Squadron next operated out of Leuchars on anti-submarine and shipping
missions, prior to being re-equipped with Beaufighters for service in North Africa.
Back in the U.K. a few months later, No. 144 went on to cover the west flank of
the Normandy landings in June 1944, and thence moved to Lincolnshire to carry
out attacks on enemy convoys off the Dutch coast, followed by similar duties
against targets off the Norwegian coast on returning to Scotland. Finally, in early
1945, the Squadron became an anti-flak unit, being disbanded that May. Briefly
reformed in the 1950s, No. 144 was again disbanded in 1963.
386
THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF THE SQUADRON BADGE FOR ‘NO. 190 SQUADRON’, hand-
illuminated badge and motto, as painted by an artist of the College of
Arms, dated February 1945, and signed by the Chester Herald and
Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J. Heaton-Armstrong, and H.M.
King George VI, in excellent condition £100-150
No. 190 Squadron was formed at Rochford in October 1917 and remained in the
U.K. as a night training unit until the War’s end, being disbanded in April 1919.
Reformed at Sullum Voe with Catalinas in March 1943, the Squadron flew anti-
submarine patrols over the North Atlantic until again disbanded that December.
In early 1944, however, No. 190 was reformed at Leicester East with Stirlings, to
serve in support of the Airborne on glider-towing duties, in which role it went
into action on D-Day. At Arnhem in September, the Squadron flew 46 glider-
towing missions, prior to reverting to supply drops - 53 such missions being
flown in the face of heavy flak over the coming days, for a loss of 11 aircraft. And
No. 190’s good work continued during the Rhine crossing in March 1945, 30
Stirlings towing gliders to their designated D.Zs. Having then assisted in assorted
troop movement sorties, No. 190 was disbanded in 1946.
www.dnw.co.uk
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