Any help members can provide for my research into the history of No. 206 Squadron would be appreciated. I'm researching on behalf of a family friend who knows virtually nothing about her brother's war record, so I'm looking to provide a brief history of what the squadron did during the Second World War, where it was based, etc. Also, I know he went to Canada for his training ... how long would his training programme have lasted, and any ideas on likely whereabouts in Canada training would have been conducted? Her brother, Flight Officer Joseph Henry Duncan (Service No. 126994) died on 6 January 1944. Any ideas on what the squadron might have been doing that day would help. I've obtained whatever information is available on the CWGC site. Are there any other suitable sites to aid my quest? David T.
206 History History Number 6 Squadron, RNAS, formed on 1 November 1916 as a fighter unit but disbanded less than a year later. Number 6 (Naval) Squadron was formed on 1 November 1917 at Dover and crossed the Channel with its DH4s on 14 January 1918, receiving DH9s for bomber and reconnaissance duties the following month. With the formation of the RAF, the unit was renumbered No 206 Squadron, RAF, and almost immediately re-assigned to Army co-operation tasks with the 2nd Army. Following the Armistice, the unit remained on the continent as part of the air mail service until June 1919 when the Squadron was despatched to Helwan in Egypt. Its stay in sunnier climes was short-lived, as the unit was renumbered No 47 Squadron on 1 February 1920. Previous Aircraft In June 1936, No 206 reformed, this time at Manston and, equipped with Ansons, provided advanced flying training for newly fledged pilots. A change to maritime patrols over the North Sea during the early days of the Second World War saw the unit in the thick of what action was available, and No 206 managed to shoot down an attacking He115 seaplane and hit a U-boat, although the latter probably survived due to the ineffectiveness of 100lb anti-submarine bombs. In early 1940, the unit converted to Hudsons and moved to St Eval to patrol the south-west approaches. Two years later, Fortress IIs arrived and No 206 moved to the Azores to provide convoy protection over a much greater area than had previously been available. The Squadron returned to the UK in April 1944 and converted to Liberators before taking up patrol duties over the Norwegian coastal areas, a task that the unit continued for the remainder of the War. With the end of the War in Europe, No 206 was tasked with the transport of freight to India and then returning home ex-POWs from the Far East until disbanded in April 1946 see also 206 sqn history if you have his trade then I could give you more info on his training which was part of the Empire Traing Scheme.
David T, RAF No 206 Squadron was deployed throughout the Second World War in Coastal Command and flew a variety of aircraft.Its role was one of U Boat hunting, covering a section of the Atlantic against U Boat attacks on Allied shipping.It served solely guarding the Atlantic approaches. In January 1944,206 Squadron were based at Lagens in the Azores with Portuguese agreement and were operating B17 Fortress 11s. The squadron had been operating Hudsons from the start of the war, but converted to Fortress Mark 11s in July 1942 and in March 1944 it returned to home waters at Davidstow Moor, Cornwall to convert to the Liberator Mark V1. F/O Duncan is remembered on the RAF Memorial to those without known graves at Runneymede which suggests that he may have been lost during a anti U Boat sweep on 6 January 1944 when operating out of Lagens crewing a Fortress Mark 11. The fact that F/O Duncan did training in Canada suggests that he attended a RCAF Elementary Flying Training School as a Pilot U/T under the Empire Training Scheme whereby elements of the old Empire such as Canada,Rhodesia and South Africa participated in fast track training to maintain aircrew pilot manning. The training for a pilot would be in the order of 9- 12 months and failures were usually remustered to another aircrew rank,usually that of Navigator.These RCAF training establishments can be found by researching RAF and RCAF sites No 206 Squadron is still in existence,based at Kinloss,Scotland operating the Nimrod in a submarine hunting/maritime reconnaissance role. There is a Squadron Association which might be able to give more information on F/O Duncan and the the events of January 1944. Look at the Web Site for RAF Kinloss via the RAF/MOD site and there should be a link to the Asssociation Web Site.
http://www.rafcommands.currantbun.com/ward.../CoastalWD.html may give info for PRO, Kew. Aye MalcolmII
Guys, Many thanks for such prompt and comprehensive replies ... our friend will be absolutely selighted. David T.
Just come across this post and thought I'd do a bit of digging, came up with the following info. 6 January 1944 206 Squadron. Fortress II. FA705 U/206 Squadron - airborne 1447 hrs Lagens, Azores Crew. S/L. A J. Pinhorn DFC Pilot F/O. J H. Duncan 2nd Pilot F/S. T. Eckersley Navigator. F/O. F D. Roberts W/O. D L. Heard RCAF W/O. O A. Keddy RCAF Sgt. R. Fabian Wop/Ag F/L. R. Brown Passenger -Squadron Nav Officer. A sighting report was received from this aircraft at 1812 hrs and six minutes later the position 4353/2332 was received. After that - silence; the aircraft failed to return. U 270 on her fourth war patrol had encountered the Fortress which her gunners had shot down. However, the boat was damaged in the encounter and was forced to return to St.Nazaire from where she had sailed on 8 December.
Is Dave T still around? If so, I can try to find out some stuff. 206 Sqn still has an active association and, prior to its disbandment, a history of the squadron was published 'Naught Escapes Us'. Roxy Nihil Nos Effugit!
