The 27 "Founder Member" crews comprised of 49 officers and 140 senior non-commissioned officers.  They hailed from different forces including RCAF, RAAF and RNZAF.


COMMAND  STRUCTURE
The following were selected to organise the new Squadron:

                                                   Officer Commanding:    Wing Commander F.S.Powley, DFC, AFC
                                                   'A' Flight Commander:   Sqdn Ldr T W Rippingale, DSO
                                                   'B' Flight Commander:   Sqdn Ldr J W Gee, DFC
                                                    Engineer Leader:            Fl Lt  P D Baxter
                                                    Bombing Leader:            Fl Lt  F Thompson
                                                    Navigation Leader:         Fl Lt  E O Wheelwright DFC
                                                    Signals Leader:                Fl Lt  R W Stewart, DFC(RNZAF)
                                                    Gunnery Leader:             Fl Lt  J T G Weaver, DFC
                                                    Adjutant:                          F Off  R P Hargrave

This was a very experienced and multi-national team. Francis Powley was a Canadian who had enlisted in the RAF. Peter Baxter and Tommy Thompson were old buddies. In conversations, it emerged that Ron Stewart came from Wanganui on New Zealand's North Island - an odd coincidence, given that this was one of the codewords used by the Pathfinders for their flare-marking techniques.

On 12 October 1944, Squadron Leader Gee joined the Squadron. At the time it was being planned, he had accepted an offer to become 'B' flight Commander, but first he needed a crew. On reporting to a Heavy Conversion Unit at Blyton, he found a 'headless' crew (ie, one that had lost its pilot through sickness) who had already completed 8 operations. By a happy coincidence, he had flown with them in 166 Squadron, so they became the 28th crew to be supplied by that Squadron.