Country United Kingdom Role Transport | Branch Royal Air Force Nickname(s) "The Friendly Firm" | |
Active 9 Aug 1917 – 21 Jul 1918
14 Oct 1942 – 15 Feb 1946
1 Feb 1953 – 3 Jun 1959 Part of No. 20th (Training) Wing, RAF Middle East Area
(1917–1918);
No. 221 Group RAF, India Command
(1942–1943);
No. 229 Group RAF, Eastern Air Command, South East Asia Command
(1943–1946);
RAF AHQ Malaya, Far East Air Force
(1953–1957) | ||
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.
Contents
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.