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DATE |
EVENT |
COMMANDING OFFICER |
Thu 30 August 1917 |
Squadron formed at Harlaxton, Lincolnshire on DH4 from a nucleus of
No. 44 Training Squadron. Supporting types were Armstrong Whitworth FK8, BE2c, BE2e, Sopwith Scout and Avro 504. |
Lieutenant D.V.D. Marshall |
Fri 31 August 1917 |
Moved to Old Sarum. Destined to be a day bombing unit. Worked up on DH.4s, BE.2s and FK.8s. |
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Fri 21 September 1917 |
Change of Command |
Major E.L.M. Gower |
Fri 14 December 1917 |
Change of Command |
Captain E.A.B. Rice |
Wed 19 December 1917 |
Change of Command |
Captain R.G. Gould |
Fri 18 January 1918 |
Change of Command |
Captain E.A.B. Rice |
February 1918 |
Operational type DH.9 began arriving. Supporting type Sopwith Camel. |
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Tue 19 February 1918 |
Change of Command |
Major H. MacD. O'Malley |
Friday 1 March 1918 |
Moved to Lympne, Kent. DH4s being phased out. |
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March 1918 |
Squadron mobilised. |
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Monday 1 April 1918 |
Moved to St. Omer, France |
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Wednesday 3 April 1918 |
Moved to Clairmarais, as part of 9th Brigade |
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Tuesday 9 April 1918 |
Start of Battle of Lys |
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Thursday 11 April 1918 |
15 Aircraft bombed Wervicq |
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Saturday 13 April 1918 |
Withdrew to Alquines |
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Thursday 25 April 1918 |
Lost 1st aircraft to Pfalz scouts |
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Wednesday 15 May 1918 |
Lost 2nd aircraft |
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Saturday 25 May 1918 |
Moved to Coudekerke, near Dunkirk for attacks on docks and U-boat bases at Bruges and Ostend. |
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Wednesday 5 June 1918 |
Change of Command. |
Major E.T. Newton-Clare |
Thursday 6 June 1918 |
Moved to Ruisseauville and new CO led attacks on railways. |
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Friday 21 June 1918 |
Moved to Drionville. |
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Thursday 11 July 1918 |
While attacking the railway junction at Don the squadron was attacked by 14 enemy scouts. 2nd Lieutenant Witton and his observer, Lieutenant Austin destroyed 2, though the latter was killed in action. |
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Sunday 14 July 1918 |
Sent to Chailly-en Brie, 30 miles east of Paris to re-enforce the French along the Marne. |
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Sunday 28 July 1918 |
Mainly low level attacks against Marne bridges. An attack by 15 enemy aircraft forced one of the squadron aircraft down. |
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Saturday 3 August 1918 |
Moved to Blangermont in British sector |
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Thursday 8 August 1918 |
Battle of Amiens began, targets were around Arras, Cambrai and St Quentin. |
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Monday 26 August 1918 |
Change of Command. |
Major P.C. Sherren |
Sunday 27 October 1918 |
Moved to Abscon, near Douai to reduce range to retreating enemy. |
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Friday 1 November 1918 |
Last bombing raid of war against a rail junction at Mons. |
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Monday 11 November 1918 |
Armistice - reconnaissance missions until now |
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Friday 27 December 1918 |
Moved to Marquain. |
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Sunday 19 January 1919 |
Moved to Alquines. Acted as a holding unit for disbanding DH.9 squadrons. DH4 used for ferrying. |
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Thursday 20 March 1919 |
Moved to Shotwick in UK |
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Tuesday 24 June 1919 |
Disbanded |
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Monday 17 February 1936 |
Re-formed at Abingdon from a nucleus provided by No. 15 Squadron. Part of No 1 Group Bomber Command in day bombing role. Equipped with Hawker Hind. |
Only 2 officers and 6 Hinds |
May 1936 |
Armament Practice Camp at North Coates. First accident when one aircraft crashed offshore. |
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Friday 21 August 1936 |
Moved to Hucknall, Nottinghamshire in No 2 Group |
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Monday 21 September 1936 |
CO arrived and squadron continued work up. |
Sqn Ldr P.J.A. Hume-Wright |
Late Spring 1937 |
Lost 4 aircraft in accidents. |
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Tuesday 3 August 1937 |
Change of Command |
Sqn Ldr R.H. Donkin |
Thursday 15 September 1938 |
Moved back to Hucknall, Nottinghamshire |
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June 1938 |
Re-equipped with Fairey Battle Mk I with support type Avro Anson Mk 1. |
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September 1938 |
Hawker Hind phased out. |
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April 1939 |
Affiliated with City of Derby. |
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September 1939 |
War declared. No 98 Sqn redesignated as a reserve squadron to provide operational training for pilots destined for front line in France. |
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Wednesday 6 September 1939 |
Change of Command. |
Wg Cdr F.W. Dixon-Wright |
Wednesday 11 October 1939 |
Change of Command |
Wg Cdr D.F. Anderson DFC AFC |
Tuesday 7 November 1939 |
Battle K9238 crashed near Stow on the Wold |
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November 1939 |
Equipped with 10 dual control Battles |
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December 1939 |
2nd Battle crashed |
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Thursday 7 March 1940 |
Moved to Scampton, Lincolnshire |
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Monday 25 March 1940 |
Moved to Finningley, Yorkshire |
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Monday 25 March 1940 |
Change of Command |
Wg Cdr G.R. Ashton AFC |
Friday 19 April 1940 |
Moved to Chateau Bougon, near Nantes in France. Continued to train new crews from England to complete their training in theatre. |
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Monday 10 June 1940 |
Withdrawn to Gatwick to rebuild. Unfortunately the groundcrew were evacuated on SS Lancastria from St Nazaire. She was bombed just outside the harbour with the loss of 90 of 98 Sqn personnel. |
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Wednesday 31 July 1940 |
Moved to Kaldadarnes in Iceland as part of a garrison force to stop the Germans occupying. |
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Early September 1940 |
Mainly flying coastal patrol and anti-submarine duties |
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Friday 13 September 1940 |
Battle L5343 went missing. Many years later it was found, restored and placed in the RAF Museum. |
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Saturday 22 March 1941 |
First contact with the enemy when Flt Lt Wilcox spotted a U-boat but was unable to attack. |
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Monday 31 March 1941 |
Change of Command as Acting CO |
Flt Lt C.G. Wilcox |
Monday 26 May 1941 |
Another Battle lost |
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Sunday 8 June 1941 |
First Hurricane I arrived to provide defence against marauding enemy aircraft. |
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Thursday 26 June 1941 |
Fg Off Dyer attacked a U-boat without result. This was the last operational flight. |
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Tuesday 15 July 1941 |
Squadron disbanded. Battles were sent to Canada and the Hurricanes became No.1423 Flight. |
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Saturday 12 September 1942 |
Reformed at West Raynham with B-25 Mitchell Mk II medium bombers for daylight bombing and army support under No 2 Group. |
Wg Cdr L.A. Lewer |
Sunday 13 September 1942 |
First 3 North American Mitchell Mk 2 B-25s delivered. |
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Thursday 15 October 1942 |
Moved to Foulsham, Norfolk |
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December 1942 |
Declared operational for ASR searches. |
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Wednesday 22 January 1943 |
First bombing raid with 6 B-25s against oil refinery at Terneuzen near Ghent. |
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Wednesday 3 February 1943 |
Reverted to ASR role. |
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Thursday 13 May 1943 |
Resumed medium level bombing when 6 aircraft hit the marshalling yards at Boulogne. |
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Wednesday 18 August 1943 |
Moved to Dunsfold and Change of Command |
Wg Cdr A.M. Phillips |
Tuesday 21 September 1943 |
Plt Off Cooke-Smith led in raid on Hesdin. Unfortunately FW190s broke through fighter escort and shot down 2 B-25s. |
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November 1943 |
No 2 Group became part of 2nd Tactical Air Force in preparation for the invasion of Europe. Formed part of No 139 Airfield (later Wing). |
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Friday 5 November 1943 |
Sqn Ldr Bell-Irving led attack against V-1 sites at Mimoyecques near Calais. |
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Thursday 11 November 1943 |
CO led a raid on Todt labour organisation HQ |
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Tuesday 1 January 1944 |
First "NoBall" attacks against V-1 sites in new year at Yvrench. |
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February 1944 |
Used GeeH blind bombing system in raid on Livossart. |
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Sunday 26 March 1944 |
Moved to Swanton Morley, Norfolk. |
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Late March 1944 |
Began night training on flare dropping for Mosquito road attacks. |
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Sunday 9 April 1944 |
Change of Command. |
Wg Cdr R.K.F. Bell-Irving |
Monday 10 April 1944 |
Moved to Dunsfold, Surrey. |
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Mid-April 1944 |
Flew first night sortie against "Noball" targets. |
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Monday 15 May 1944 |
Change of Command. |
Wg Cdr G.J.C. Paul DFC |
Monday 5 June 1944 |
Eleven aircraft hit Caen the night before the D Day landings |
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Monday 17 July 1944 |
Sqn Ldr Eager flew his 100th mission. |
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September 1944 |
Arrival of North American Mitchell Mk 3. |
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Saturday 16 September 1944 |
Change of Command. |
Wg. Cdr. L.G. Hamer |
Sunday 17 September 1944 |
In support of allied airborne thrust into Holland - Operation 'Market Garden', attacked barracks at Ede, Nijmegan and Arnhem. |
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Tuesday 26 September 1944 |
First attacks on German soil against bridges at Kleve. |
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Monday 16 October 1944 |
Moved to B.58 Brussels-Melsbroek to keep up with German retreat. |
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Thursday 19 November 1944 |
First Mitchell IIIs arrived. |
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Wednesday 29 November 1944 |
CO's aircraft hit after successfully bombing the bridge at Zwolle. |
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Sunday 24 December 1944 |
Weather lifted and allowed heavy attacks against German armour in their Ardennes offensive. Sqn hit Kali and Gemunde. |
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Monday 1 January 1945 |
12 Mitchells sent on a Wing attack on the Ardennes Communications Centre at Domburg. |
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Tuesday 16 January 1945 |
Change of Command. |
Wg. Cdr. K. Gray |
Thursday 8 February 1945 |
Hit Kranenburg just 100 yards ahead of the advancing Canadians. |
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Wednesday 28 February 1945 |
Change of Command. |
Wg Cdr V.E. Marshal |
Saturday 24 March 1945 |
Operation 'Varsity' crossing of the Rhine, support for 21st Army Group. |
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Monday 30 April 1945 |
Moved to B.110 Osnabruck/Achmer, Germany to keep up with the advance as they crossed the Elbe. |
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Wednesday 2 May 1945 |
Last operational mission of the war when 6 Mitchells bombed marshalling yards at Itzehoe. Next few months engaged in ferrying, mail duties and flying tours over bombed cities. |
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Monday 17 September 1945 |
Moved back to B.58 Melsbroek to exchange lend-lease Mitchells Mk 2 and 3, which had to be returned to the US, for Mosquito B.XVIs. |
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Monday 29 October 1945 |
Last Mitchell II returned to US. |
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November 1945 |
Re-equipped with de Havilland Mosquito Mk 16B with supporting types Airspeed Oxford and Mosquito T Mk 3. |
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Saturday 9 February 1946 |
Change of Command. |
Wg. Cdr. E.W. Thornewill |
Tuesday 12 February 1946 |
Change of Command. |
Wg. Cdr. D.B. Gericke |
Friday 15 March 1946 |
Now trained up on Mosquitos, moved to Wahn, Cologne in Germany. |
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Monday 23 September 1946 |
During peacetime training in light bombing role, first post-war fatalities when Mosquito MM185 crashed. |
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August 1947 |
Converted to Mosquito B.35. |
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Wednesday 5 November 1947 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn. Ldr. P.W. Cook |
August 1948 |
Re-equipped with Mosquito Mk 35 with Mosquito T Mk 3 in supporting role. |
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Monday 25 July 1949 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn. Ldr. D.R.M. Frostick. |
Saturday 17 September 1949 |
Moved to Celle, Germany. |
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Tuesday 29 August 1950 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn. Ldr. J.M. Rumsey. |
Wednesday 1 November 1950 |
Moved to Fassberg, Germany. |
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February 1951 |
Began re-equipping with de Havilland Vampire FB.5s for ground attack fighter duties. Supporting type Meteor T 7. |
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Thursday 15 March 1951 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn Ldr A.S.R. Strudwick DFC |
March 1951 |
de Havilland Mosquito Mk 35 and supporting Mosquito T Mk 3 phased out. |
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August 1952 |
Whilst on an Armament Practice Camp at Sylt, a Vampire shot away the flag, which wrapped itself round the air intakes and forced the aircraft to crash land. |
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Monday 31 August 1953 |
Re-equipped with Venom FB.1. Supporting type Vampire T 11 and Meteor T 7. Change of Command. |
Sqn Ldr J.H. Smith-Carrington, AFC. |
September 1954 |
As part of No 121 Wing, the squadron operated off the autobahn in Exercise 'Battle Royal'. |
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Tuesday 19 April 1955 |
Moved to Jever and became the first squadron in 2 TAF to be re-equipped with Hunter F.4s. Still part of No 122 Wing with Nos 4, 93 and 118 squadrons. Supporting type Vampire T 11. |
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Saturday 10 December 1955 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn Ldr D. Adamson |
Monday 15 July 1957 |
Disbanded. |
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Saturday 1 August 1959 |
Reformed at Driffield with Thor nuclear missiles. Part of No 1 Group, Bomber Command. |
Sqn Ldr P.G. Coulson MBE AFC |
Tuesday 7 June 1960 |
First missile operationally ready. |
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May 1961 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn Ldr S. Hudson |
Sunday 31 March 1963 |
Stood down its missiles from alert. |
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Thursday 18 April 1963 |
Disbanded. |
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Friday 19 April 1963 |
Reformed at Tangmere flying English Electric Canberra B.2s, when No 245 Squadron was re-numbered. Supporting type Canberras T 4. Flew as part of Signals Command for the calibration and flight checking of navigation aids and ground radars. |
Sqn Ldr A. Musker |
September 1963 |
Moved to Watton as Tangmere closed. |
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Tuesday 1 October 1963. |
Fully operational from Watton. Engaged in Exercise 'Energise' during which it provided services to several NATO countries. Took part in detachments to Cyprus, Turkey, and Larissa, Greece |
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November 1963 |
Detachment to Aviano, Italy. |
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February 1964 |
Squadron reduced in size slightly. |
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Monday 17 August 1964 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn Ldr P.W. Shaw |
Friday 30 September 1966 |
Squadron presented with its standard. |
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Monday 10 October 1966 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn. Ldr. L.J. Wright |
Monday 16 January 1967 |
Change of Command. |
Sqn Ldr A.E. Sadler |
April 1969 |
Moved to Cottesmore. |
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August 1970 |
Began re-equipping with long range Canberra E.15s. |
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Friday 27 February 1976 |
Disbanded. |
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