No. 190 Squadron RAF

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No. 190 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron.

The squadron motto was Ex Tenebris

1 History
2 Aircraft Operated
3 See also
4 References

[edit] History

No. 190 Squadron was formed at Newmarket, England on the 24 October 1917 as a night training squadron operating the Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2e and the Airco DH.6. The squadron was disbanded at RAF Upwood in January 1919.

The squadron was re-formed on 1 March 1943 at Sullom Voe, Scotland. The squadron operated the Consolidated Catalina to patrol the North Atlantic. The first U-Boat was sunk in the first month of operations. The main role of the squadron was protecting the convoys to and from Russia. The squadron disbanded on 31 December 1943 (when it was re-numbered as 210 Squadron).

The squadron was re-formed again five days later at RAF Leicester East as an airborne support unit flying the Short Stirling. On the 6 June 1944 the squadron carried 400 paratroopers to Caen, France. The squadron returned and towed Airspeed Horsa gliders into France. It moved to RAF Fairford and carried out supply-droping missions to the advancing troops and SOE operatives. The squadron involvement in supply drops at Arnhem caused 10 aircraft losses in 4 days.

The next move was to RAF Great Dunmow where it towed gliders for the Rhine crossing and paratroopers into the Netherlands to disrupt the German retreat. As the war ended the squadron re-equipped with the Handley Page Halifax which it used as a freighter for Transport Command until the end of 1945 when it was disbanded on the 28 December (as it reformed as 295 Squadron).