No. 194 Squadron RAF
# No. 194 Squadron RAF

194 Squadron RAF, though formed as a training unit in Egypt and ended as a casualty evacuation unit in Malaya, was for most of its active service life a RAF transport squadron that flew in South East Asia.

## History

### Formation and World War I

Formed as a training squadron in No. 20 Group (or No. 32 Group) at RAF El Amiriya in Egypt on 9 August 1917, it disbanded on 21 July 1918 into No. 16 Training Depot Station.

### World War II

No. 194 Squadron was reformed at RAF Lahore, Punjab on 13 October 1942 as a transport unit equipped with Hudsons. It maintained mail and passenger routes in India until it became an airborne forces squadron in September 1943. Douglas Dakotas had started to arrive in May and, with the departure of the last Hudsons in September, No. 194 began paratroop training. In February 1944, supply-dropping flights to Chindit army units in Burma began and continued for the rest of the war. In January 1945 a casualty evacuation flight was attached to the squadron and Stinson Sentinels were used to pick up casualties form small jungle strips. After the end of the war, the squadron was engaged in general transport duties until disbanding at Mingladon on 15 February 1946. The squadron badge commonly used by the squadron depicted a flying elephant and the Squadron had adopted the motto ‘The Friendly Firm’ and although their entire fleet of aircraft carried this crest throughout the Burma campaign, Royal Charter never officially recognized it (That same crest can be seen on all three books about the squadron).

### Post-war

On 1 February 1953, No. 194 reformed for a second time at Sembawang in Malaya from the Casualty Evacuation Flight with Westland Dragonfly HC.2 helicopters for co-operation with security forces in Malaya. Bristol Sycamore HC.14s were received in October 1954, but it was June 1956 before the last Dragonfly left. On 3 June 1959, the squadron merged with No. 155 Squadron RAF to become No. 110 Squadron RAF.

## Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 194 Squadron RAF from :

| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
| - | - | - | - |
| August 1917 | July 1918 | Airco DH.6, Avro 504 and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 | |
| October 1942 | September 1943 | Lockheed Hudson | Mk.VI |
| May 1943 | February 1946 | Douglas Dakota | Mks.I, III |
| Dec 1944 | February 1946 | Douglas Dakota | Mk.IV |
| January 1945 | September 1945 | Stinson Sentinel | Mk.I |
| February 1953 | June 1956 | Westland Dragonfly | HC.2 |
| October 1954 | June 1959 | Bristol Sycamore | HC.14 |

## Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 194 Squadron RAF, data from :

| From | To | Base | Remark |
| - | - | - | - |
| 9 August 1917 | 21 July 1918 | RAF El Amiriya, Egypt | |
| 13 October 1942 | 18 February 1943 | RAF Lahore, Punjab | Dets. at RAF Tezpur, Assam and RAF Dum Dum, West Bengal |
| 18 February 1943 | 18 September 1943 | RAF Palam, Delhi | |
| 18 September 1943 | 8 February 1944 | RAF Basal, Punjab | Det. at RAF Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Punjab |
| 8 February 1944 | 9 February 1944 | RAF Comilla, Bengal | |
| 9 February 1944 | 1 September 1944 | RAF Agartala, Tripura | Det. at RAF Imphal, Manipur |
| 1 September 1944 | 2 November 1944 | RAF Imphal, Manipur | |
| 2 November 1944 | 10 December 1944 | RAF Basal, Punjab | |
| 10 December 1944 | 19 March 1945 | RAF Agartala, Tripura | Det. at RAF Imphal, Manipur and from January 1945 to September 1945 at RAF Kangla, Manipur and Monywa, Sagaing Division, Burma |
| 19 March 1945 | 21 August 1945 | Akyab, Arakan, Burma | Dets. at Monywa, Sagaing Division, Burma; Wangjing, Manipur and Meiktila, Mandalay, Burma |
| 21 August 1945 | 15 February 1946 | RAF Mingaladon, Burma | |
| 2 February 1953 | 1 May 1953 | RAF Sembawang, Singapore | Det. at RAF Kuala Lumpur, Malaya |
| 1 May 1953 | 3 June 1959 | RAF Kuala Lumpur, Malaya | Merged here with 155 Sqn to form 110 Sqn |

## Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 194 Squadron RAF, data from :

| From | To | Name |
| - | - | - |
| October 1942 | June 1944 | W/Cdr. A.C. Pearson |
| June 1944 | December 1944 | W/Cdr. R.T. Chisholm |
| December 1944 | June 1945 | W/Cdr. R.C. Crawford |
| June 1945 | August 1945 | S/Ldr. P.M. Bristow |
| August 1945 | February 1946 | W/Cdr. D. Penman, DSO, DFC |
| February 1953 | 1955 | S/Ldr. G.R.G. Henderson, AFC |
| 1955 | 1957 | S/Ldr. C.R. Turner, AFC |
| 1957 | June 1959 | S/Ldr. F. Barnes |
