106 Squadron
106 Sqn pilots whilst at RAF Syerston with Wg Cdr Gibson front and centre. Lancaster ED593 - "Admiral Prune"
Formed as No. 106 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, on 30 September 1917, the Squadron served in Ireland and was disbanded on 8 October 1919.
Reformed on 1st June 1938 the Squadron was equipped at various times with Hawker Hind, Fairy Battle and Avro Anson aircraft. At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the squadron was flying Hampdens with No 5 Group in a training role which continued up until 1 March 1941 when it reverted to front-line status and began regular night bombing operations. Initially flying a mixture of Manchester and Lancaster aircraft the Squadron was based at RAF Finningley and then RAF Coningsby. With the Squadron fully converted to the Lancaster, it moved in October 1942 to RAF Syerston. Between March 1942 and March 1943 the Squadron was Commanded by Wg Cdr Guy Penrose Gibson DSO DFC. (see separate link).
The Squadron saw what turned out to be its last move on the 11th November 1943, when it arrived at the newly built Station of RAF Metheringham, and found a Station that was not yet finished. There was no time to settle in however, as the Squadron was operational again on the 18th November with 13 aircraft heading for Berlin.
One member of the Squadron was awarded the Victoria Cross. Read about the heroic story of Sgt Norman Jackson below.
During the course of the war many notable aircrew came to light, but, every single person that went on a Bombing sortie can be considered a brave hero in anyone's book. On the whole they were all young men whose prospect of completing a "Tour" of 30 Missions was slim. The same could be said for the aircraft they flew in and very few Lancaster's completed 100 Bombing Sorties. One notable aircraft from 106 Sqn being amongst them. Serial no. JB663 Code ZN-A and nicknamed "King of the Air" completed a total of 111 Bombing missions before being scrapped in October 1946.
In the seventeen months they were based at RAF Metheringham on operations, 106 Squadron lost 59 Lancasters with 288 air crew killed and 50 posted missing.
During World War II, No. 106 Squadron operated on 496 nights and 46 days, flying 5,834 operational sorties. In so doing it lost 187 aircraft – a percentage loss on sorties flown of 3.21 – but on the credit side its gunners claimed 20 enemy aircraft destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and 29 damaged. A total of 267 decorations were won by the squadron, including a Victoria Cross awarded to Sgt Norman Cyril Jackson for conspicuous bravery during an attack on Schweinfurt on the night 26/27 April 1944. You can read about his story along with other stories relating to the crews and aircraft of 106 Squadron in our "War Stories" section HERE and in our "Photo Gallery" section HERE or by clicking directly on the buttons below for more information.
Reformed on 1st June 1938 the Squadron was equipped at various times with Hawker Hind, Fairy Battle and Avro Anson aircraft. At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the squadron was flying Hampdens with No 5 Group in a training role which continued up until 1 March 1941 when it reverted to front-line status and began regular night bombing operations. Initially flying a mixture of Manchester and Lancaster aircraft the Squadron was based at RAF Finningley and then RAF Coningsby. With the Squadron fully converted to the Lancaster, it moved in October 1942 to RAF Syerston. Between March 1942 and March 1943 the Squadron was Commanded by Wg Cdr Guy Penrose Gibson DSO DFC. (see separate link).
The Squadron saw what turned out to be its last move on the 11th November 1943, when it arrived at the newly built Station of RAF Metheringham, and found a Station that was not yet finished. There was no time to settle in however, as the Squadron was operational again on the 18th November with 13 aircraft heading for Berlin.
One member of the Squadron was awarded the Victoria Cross. Read about the heroic story of Sgt Norman Jackson below.
During the course of the war many notable aircrew came to light, but, every single person that went on a Bombing sortie can be considered a brave hero in anyone's book. On the whole they were all young men whose prospect of completing a "Tour" of 30 Missions was slim. The same could be said for the aircraft they flew in and very few Lancaster's completed 100 Bombing Sorties. One notable aircraft from 106 Sqn being amongst them. Serial no. JB663 Code ZN-A and nicknamed "King of the Air" completed a total of 111 Bombing missions before being scrapped in October 1946.
In the seventeen months they were based at RAF Metheringham on operations, 106 Squadron lost 59 Lancasters with 288 air crew killed and 50 posted missing.
During World War II, No. 106 Squadron operated on 496 nights and 46 days, flying 5,834 operational sorties. In so doing it lost 187 aircraft – a percentage loss on sorties flown of 3.21 – but on the credit side its gunners claimed 20 enemy aircraft destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and 29 damaged. A total of 267 decorations were won by the squadron, including a Victoria Cross awarded to Sgt Norman Cyril Jackson for conspicuous bravery during an attack on Schweinfurt on the night 26/27 April 1944. You can read about his story along with other stories relating to the crews and aircraft of 106 Squadron in our "War Stories" section HERE and in our "Photo Gallery" section HERE or by clicking directly on the buttons below for more information.
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Photo of the 1941 approval of the 106 Sqn badge, signed by HRH King George VI. Other signatures (at a later date) are those of: W/Cdr Guy Gibson, S/Ldr P Ward-Hunt, W/Cdr J H Searby, W/Cdr R E Baxter, S/Ldr B D Oliver, H Crower and two others that cannot be positively identified. The significance of Gibson, Searby and Baxter is that they all served as 106 Sqn Commanding Officers. Oliver was a member of Gibson's crew at 106 Sqn although he did not follow Gibson to 617 Sqn, eventually becoming 106 Sqn's Gunnery Leader. S/Ldr Ward-Hunt served with 106 Sqn from February 1943, being posted away to HQ 1 Group in June 1943.
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RAF Metheringham, 106 Squadron and “Tiger Force”
As the war in Europe ended in May 1945, allied military commanders turned their attention to looking at how resources no longer required to fight in Europe might be deployed in the battle against Japan in the Far East, the aim being to bring the war to a close as soon as possible. One initiative was the proposed use of RAF Bomber Command Squadrons to be deployed to the Far East by the creation of a “Tiger Force”. The RAF would support the US Air Force and bring specialised skills such as the use of Tallboy deep penetration bombs to accelerate the defeat or surrender of Japan.
In June 1945, 467 Squadron from RAF Waddington joined 106 Squadron at RAF Metheringham to form 552 Wing, Tiger Force. Throughout June and July, aircraft were refreshed and crews trained on their new equipment such as the latest radar systems. By late July, plans were being made for 552 Wing to deploy to the Far East but on the 6th and 9th of August 1945 USAAF B29 bombers dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and a few days later the Japanese surrendered. On the evening of 14th August news reached the base that the war had finally ended; Tiger Force was no longer required. After some boisterous celebrations by the Metheringham crews, operational flying was slowly wound down and six months later 106 Squadron was disbanded. The rest, as they say, is history.
In June 1945, 467 Squadron from RAF Waddington joined 106 Squadron at RAF Metheringham to form 552 Wing, Tiger Force. Throughout June and July, aircraft were refreshed and crews trained on their new equipment such as the latest radar systems. By late July, plans were being made for 552 Wing to deploy to the Far East but on the 6th and 9th of August 1945 USAAF B29 bombers dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and a few days later the Japanese surrendered. On the evening of 14th August news reached the base that the war had finally ended; Tiger Force was no longer required. After some boisterous celebrations by the Metheringham crews, operational flying was slowly wound down and six months later 106 Squadron was disbanded. The rest, as they say, is history.
