Squadron Mascots

SQUADRON MASCOTS

SARAH THE GOOSE

Over the three years of its operational World War 2 career 198 Squadron RAF had several official, and unofficial, animal mascots. The first of these was a large white goose by the name of Sarah who seems to have survived as the Squadron's mascot from mid 1943 until the Squadron was moved onto the European continent following the D Day Landings of June 1944. Her ultimate fate is unknown. Geese were popular as mascots during the war. Haslemere, Surrey, Fire Brigade had one at the time called "Hector" which despite its name was female and had the novel supplimentary diet of broken crockery to help keep the shells on its eggs hard.

THE WHITE RABBIT

Subsequently during July of 1944, while the Squadron was stationed at B.10 Plumetot a white rabbit was discovered in one of the slit trenches near the airfield being used by personnel for taking cover during artillery and mortar attacks. "Rescued" and unofficially adopted by the Squadron the rabbit achieved some fame when its photograph appeared in one of the UK's national newspapers of the time, The Star, along with some Squadron pilots on the 29th of that month. As it turned out this was to be one of only two known occasions in which a group of pilots from the Squadron were ever featured in the British press. What eventually happened to the rabbit, which as far as we know was never named, is not recorded.

TIFFY THE TERRIER

During the early months of 1945 as 198 moved into Holland and took over the captured airfields of B.77 Gilze -Rijen, and later B.91 Kluis, it was not in possession of a mascot but it was while at Kluis a small terrier type dog was discovered abandoned and running loose around the airfield's perimeter. Promptly adopted by 198's Bob Taylor as the Squadron's "new" mascot and named "Tiffy" it was found that the dog had a dislike of German Prisoners of War that were being held near the airfield for if they came too close he would bite them on the legs. 198's Arthur Bryant recalls he was not sure why the dog reacted this way but assumed it was either through being previousely badly treated or that German uniforms had a different smell about them.

"Tiffy" remained the Squadron's mascot as it moved from Kluis to B.103 Plantlunne and then later B.116 Wunstorf, which was to be 198's final overseas airfield before its disbandment. As to what eventually happened to "Tiffy" at this point is unclear. One veteran believes that as the Squadron's ground crews returned to the UK, following disbandment during mid September 1945, Bob Taylor brought the dog with him and gave him a home. However, another veteran says that Bob found a good home for "Tiffy" on the continent as he was not allowed to bring the dog back. Whatever the correct story about "Tiffy's" eventual home following September 1945 nothing more is known.