149 Squadron History

By Nick Carter

149 (NB) Squadron RFC /149 (NB) Squadron RAF

then No. 149 (East India) Squadron
No.3 Group
Bomber Command
Royal Air Force

Squadron Motto: 'Fortis Nocte' (Strong by Night)

Stations & Movements

1st March 1918

1st April 1918

2nd June 1918

4th June 1918

16th June 1918

16th September 1918

25th October 1918

26th November 1918

24th December 1918

26th March 1919

1st August 1919

12th April 1937

6th Sep - 5th October 1939

March 1940

November 1941

21st January 1942

6th April 1942

7th October 1942

February 1943

15th May 1944

December 1944

29th April 1946

4th November 1946

1st March 1950

9th August 1950

31st August 1956

Formed as 149 (NB) Squadron RFC at Ford Junction, Sussex
(FE 2b/d) from 148 Squadron RFC.

Became 149 (NB) Squadron RAF at Ford Junction, Sussex

To Marquise, France from Ford Junction

Moved to Quilen

Alquines

Clairmaris

Quesnoy

Port de Cognelee (Namur)

Bichenbach, Germany as part of the Army of Occupation

Tallaght, Ireland

Disbanded at Tallaght, Ireland. (FE2b/d)

Reformed from 'B' Flt No.99 Squadron at Mildenhall, Suffolk (Heyfords)

Temporarily dispersed to Netheravon, Wiltshire.(Wellington)

Detachment to Salon, France (Wellington)

Detachments at Lakenheath, Suffolk (Stirling)

Formed 149 Squadron Conversion Flight Mildenhall (Stirling)

To Lakenheath (Stirling)

Disbanded 149 Conversion Flight at Lakenheath, merged with 7, 101 and 218
Squadron Conversion Flights to become 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit (Stirling)

Detachments to Tempsford (SOE Ops/Stirling)

To Methwold, Norfolk (Stirling/ re-equipped Lancaster's August/Sep 44)

Detachment to Woodbridge (Adverse weather/Lancaster)

To Tuddenham - Detachments to Pomigliano Italy

To Stradishall - Detachments to Shallufa, Egypt

Disbanded at Mildenhall (Lincolns)

Reformed Marham (Washington/B29)

Disbanded Gutersloh, Germany (Canberra)

Squadron Codes

1938 'LY'

1939 'OJ'

1944 'TK' for 'C' Flight.

Films in which the Squadron featured:

'The Lion has Wings'

'Target for Tonight'

'Journey Together'

The Roll of Honour

The Roll of Honour is at St Georges Church, Methwold, and a page is turned each day. It was written by Leslie Belton, an ex-pilot 149 Squadron, who flew 'OJ-E' Elephant, and had a mascot of one in the cockpit. A visitors book is also there. There is also a scale map of Methwold on display, and many parts of the airfield are still visible. The George pub, which was a watering hole for the crews, has nothing of interest in it.

Photos (provided by Nick Carter)

Photo taken three days after the 1000 bomber raid on Cologne on the 30/31 May 1942

Stirlings OJ-N and OJ-T

Photo of a Lakenheath 149 Squadron Stirling, BF325:A, crashed in Rumfields Road, Broadstairs, Kent, on 13th August 1942. It had been sent to bomb Mainz, in Germany, on the night of 12-13/08/42, but was unable to spot the target and jettisoned its load of incendiaries over the Eifel mountains. It was attacked by a Bf110 nightfighter over the Ardennes in Belgium and struggled back to the UK. The engines cut out because of low fuel, leading to this fored landing. The crew's captain was Squadron Leader G.A. Watt. (info from 'Stirling Wings' by Jonathan Falconer, page 91, accredited as - 'via D.Collyer')

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