No. 156 Squadron RAF

No. 156 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was active as a bomber unit in World War II.

No. 156 Squadron RAF
Active12 October 1918 – 9 December 1918
14 February 1942 – 25 September 1945
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part ofNo. 3 Group RAF, Bomber Command (Feb 42-Aug 42)
No. 8 Group RAF, Bomber Command (Aug 42-Sep 45)
Motto(s)We light the way[1][2]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryA figure of Mercury holding a torch[1][2]
Squadron CodesGT (Feb 1942 - Sep 1945)[3][4]

History

Formation and World War I

No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force was first formed on 12 October 1918 at RAF Wyton[2][5] and equipped with DH 9 aircraft, but was disbanded on 9 December 1918 without becoming operational.[6]

Reformation in World War II
Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) inspects flight and ground crews at RAF Warboys, February 1944, in front of an Avro Lancaster of No. 156 Squadron

The squadron reformed in February 1942 from the home echelon of 40 Squadron[1] at RAF Alconbury, in the Huntingdonshire area of Cambridgeshire, as part of No. 3 Group RAF and was equipped with Wellingtons.[2] In August 1942 it joined No. 8 Group RAF it became one of the original pathfinder squadrons, converting to Lancasters in January 1943. It continued in the pathfinder role until the end of the war, being based at RAF Warboys, RAF Upwood and finally its original founding base, RAF Wyton, where it disbanded on 25 September 1945.[2][5] The Jamaican airman Billy Strachan, who would go onto become a pioneer of Black civil rights in Britain, once served as air gunner with the squadron.[7][8]

Notable pilots

Memorials
Memorial to ED840, Lier, Belgium

There is a memorial to the crash of Avro Lancaster ED840, 156 Squadron, which crashed in the town in Lier, Belgium on 17 June 1943. It was on a mission to Cologne when it was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. In the Netherlands is a memorial for the Avro Lancaster ND559 crew. The crew was on 22 May 1944, on a mission to Duisburg. On the way back the plane was shot down above Molenaarsgraaf and Brandwijk.

Lancaster ND-559 Monument Brandwijk, the Netherlands

Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated by No. 156 Squadron RAF[1][2][5]
FromToAircraftVariant
November 1918November 1918Airco DH.9A
February 1942January 1943Vickers WellingtonMk.Ic
March 1942January 1943Vickers WellingtonMk.III
January 1943September 1945Avro LancasterMks.B.I & B.III

Squadron bases
Bases and airfields used by No. 156 Squadron RAF[1][2][5]
FromToBaseRemarks
12 October 19189 December 1918RAF Wyton, CambridgeshireFormed here
14 February 194215 August 1942RAF Alconbury, CambridgeshireNo. 3 Group RAF
15 August 19425 March 1944RAF Warboys, CambridgeshireNo. 8 Group RAF
5 March 194427 June 1945RAF Upwood, Cambridgeshire
27 June 194525 September 1945RAF Wyton, CambridgeshireDisbanded here

Commanding officers
Officers commanding No. 156 squadron RAF[11]
FromToNameRemark
14 February 194230 May 1942W/Cdr. P.G.R. HeathKIA
30 May 194229 July 1942W/Cdr. H.L. PriceKIA
30 July 194228 October 1942W/Cdr. R.N. Cook
28 October 19428 June 1943W/Cdr. T.S. Rivett-Carnac, DFC
17 January 194313 February 1943S/Ldr. S.G. Hookway, DFC (acting)KIA
8 June 194322 January 1944G/Cpt. R.W.P. Collings, AFC
22 January 194427 April 1944W/Cdr. E.C. Eaton, DFCKIA
28 April 19447 May 1944S/Ldr. T.W.G. Godfrey (acting)
7 May 194421 November 1944W/Cdr. T.L. Bingham-Hall, DFC
21 November 194430 December 1944W/Cdr. D.B. Falconer, DFC, AFCKIA
30 December 194410 April 1945W/Cdr. T.E. Ison DSO, DFC
10 April 194525 September 1945W/Cdr. A.J.L. Craig

References

Notes
  1. Moyes 1976, p. 179.
  2. Halley 1988, p. 229.
  3. Bowyer and Rawlings 1979, p. 46.
  4. Flintham and Thomas 2003, p. 77.
  5. Jefford 2001, p. 66.
  6. Jefford 2001, pp. 112-113.
  7. Meddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020). Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism. Croydon: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
  8. Dewjee, Audrey. "West Indian RAF Aircrew: In East Yorkshire During WWII". African Stories in Hull and East Yorkshire. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  9. Meddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020). Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-907464-45-4.
  10. Dewjee, Audrey. "West Indian RAF Aircrew: In East Yorkshire During WWII". African Stories in Hull and East Yorkshire. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  11. Riley, Robin (2007). "Commanding Officers of 156 Squadron". www.156squadron.com. Retrieved 15 August 2011.

Bibliography
  • Bowyer, Michael J.F. and John D.R. Rawlings. Squadron Codes, 1937-56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-85059-364-6.
  • Flintham, Vic and Andrew Thomas. Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-88. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
  • Wadsworth, Michael P. They Led the Way: the Story of Pathfinder Squadron 156. Beverley: Highgate Publications Ltd., 1992. ISBN 0-948929-58-8.
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