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No. 153 Squadron Royal Air Force
No 153 Squadron was formed as a night fighter squadron at Hainult Farm in November 1918, too late to see any action. It was disbanded the following June.
On 24th October of 1941 No 153 was formed at Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland from a flight from No 256 Squadron. It flew Defiants on night patrols until it received Beaufighters in May 1942. In December 1942 it flew to Algeria where it undertook night patrols and convoy protection over the western Mediterranean. In July 1944 a detachment was sent to Sardinia for intruder missions over southern France, and in August 1944 a flight of Spitfires and Hurricanes was added for dawn patrols in support of the American invasion of southern France. 153 Squadron was then disbanded in early September 1944.
The Squadron was swiftly reformed at Kirmington equipped with Lancasters, carrying out raids as part of the main force of Bomber Command. After its last offensive mission it dropped food to the Dutch in Rotterdam and after VE-Day No 153 took British ex-POWs home from Belgium and British Troops home from Italy.
Airfields
No. 153 Squadron flew from:
- RAF Ballybalbert, County Down from the 14th October 1941 (Defiant I, Beaufighter If, Beaufighter VIf)
- Maison Blanche from 20th December 1942 (Beaufighter VIf)
- Reghaia from July 1944;
- Detachment to Alghero, Sardinia July-September 1944
- disbanded at Reghaia, Algeria on the 5th September 1944)
- reformed at RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire on the 7th October 1944 (Lancaster I, Lancaster III)
- RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire from the 15th October 1944
24th October 1941 New Squadron formed
19th November 1941 Crashed on landing 
10th December 1941 Blenheims provided for training
10th January 1942 Lost control
25th January 1942 Crash on local flight
29th January 1942 Beaufighter arrives
18th February 1942 Crash on air test
26th May 1942 Unexplained crash
5th September 1942 Convoy escort
30th November 1942 Convoy escort duties
7th December 1942 Transfers for overseas service
8th December 1942 Postings
11th December 1942 Back on Ops
13th December 1942 Transit
18th December 1942 On the move
19th December 1942 Move to the Med
22nd December 1942 Arrival in Algeria
23rd December 1942 Passengers
24th December 1942 Plane destroyed in Tunis
25th December 1942 Night patrols
3rd January 1943 Mixed duties
4th January 1943 Missing seaman search
6th January 1943 Airfield bombed
7th January 1943 Detachment
10th January 1943 Patrols
13th January 1943 Attacked by friend and foe
14th January 1943 No action
15th January 1943 Bomb attacks on aerodromes
16th January 1943 Operations
17th January 1943 Squadron Leader missing
18th January 1943 Beaufighter crashed at sea
19th January 1943 Detachment recalled
20th January 1943 Baled out
21st January 1943 Ju88 destroyed
23rd January 1943 Ju88 destroyed
26th January 1943 Two enemy aircraft shot down
27th January 1943 No activity
28th January 1943 Air raid on Algiers
29th January 1943 Three enemy aircraft shot down
31st January 1943 Training activities and postings
7th February 1943 Busy night
10th February 1943 Daylight scramble
11th February 1943 Ju88 shot down
15th February 1943 Patrols over Oran
17th February 1943 Enemy aircraft escaped
28th February 1943 Monthly report
31st March 1943 No enemy aircraft encountered
14th April 1943 Shot down off Sardinia
23rd April 1943 Failed to return
30th April 1943 Medical Report
31st May 1943 Medical report
23rd June 1943 Missing over the sea
27th June 1943 Failed to return
30th June 1943 Medical report
23rd July 1943 Move to Tunisia
31st July 1943 Medical Report
17th August 1943 Three enemy aircraft shot down
18th August 1943 Two He111 destroyed
26th August 1943 Probable
27th August 1943 Missing over the Med
6th September, 1943 Missing airmen
26th November 1943 Wing Commander missing off Algeria
10th January 1944 Exploded in combat
8th March 1944 Failed to return
10th April 1944 Baled out
July 1944 Detachment to Sardinia
10th July 1944 Failed to return
10th July 1944 Failed to return
August 1944 Fighter support
8th August 1944 Missing from Sardinia
15th Aug 1944 Assault Launched
26th August 1944 Airman missing
4th September 1944 Night fighter squadron disbanded
7th October 1944 New Lancaster Squadron formed
14th October 1944 Two Lancasters lost
15th October 1944 Move to Scampton
19th October 1944 Raid on Stuttgart
30th October 1944 Damaged on landing attempt
31st October 1944 Lucky escape
2nd November 1944 Lancaster lost over Dusseldorf
4th November 1944 Attacked by jet fighter
16th November 1944 Hazardous flight home
18th November 1944 Luxury provisions
24th November 1944 Reorganisation and new tactics
29th November 1944 Lancaster lost
17th December 1944 Mid-air collision
2nd January 1945 Mid-air collision
7th January 1945 Operation Thunderclap
14th January 1945 Sythetic oil plant damaged
16th January 1945 Operation Thunderclap
23rd Jan 1945 2 Lancaster of 153 Squadron lost
28th January 1945 Shot down
31st January 1945 Crew reallocations
3rd February 1945 Baled out over Allied lines
7th February 1945 Assault on the Rhine
8th February 1945 Flight over Sweden
14th February 1945 Dresden
15th February 1945 Operation Thunderclap
20th February 1945 Night fighter activity
1st March 1945 Raid misses target
4th March 1945 Shot down on 33rd sortie
5th March 1945 Off course
11th March 1945 1079 bombers hit Essen
12th March 1945 Two Lancasters lost on minelaying sortie
15th March 1945 Mid-air Collision
17th March 1945 Heavy losses
24th March 1945 Forced landing at Eindhoven
1st April 1945 Crowded accommodation
3rd April 1945 Wing Co lost while minelaying
9th April 1945 German battleships damaged
21st April 1945 Trial run for Operation Manna
22nd April 1945 Lancaster shot down
26th April 1945 Final Ops
29th April 1945 Operation Manna
11th May 1943 Operation Exodus
June 1945 Operation Dodge
If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.
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Those known to have served with No. 153 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Adams William. WO.
- Baird James Franklin. F/O (d.26th August 1944)
- Barker Noel Rochford Guyse. Flt.Lt.
- Bell Andrew. Ft/Sgt
- Bolton Dennis Leslie. Flt.Sgt.
- Burton Harold James. Flt.Sgt. (d.21st Feb 1945)
- Crocker George William Osborne. Flt.Sgt.
- Ings Frederick John. Sgt.
- Irving Frederic Cleveland. F/Sgt. (d.16th January 1945)
- Jones Alan Edger. Flt. Lt. (d.22nd Jan 1945)
- Lowerson John. Flt.Sgt.
- McCann Joseph Maurice Allan. Flt.Sgt. (d.2nd Nov 1944)
- Picard Alfred Alexander. F/O. (d.14th October 1944)
- Powley DFC, AFC Francis Sidney. Wing Commander (d.5th April, 1945)
- Simpson Albert. Sgt. (d.22th Jan 1945)
- Simpson Albert. Sgt. (d.23rd Jan 1945)
- Simpson Albert. Sgt. (d.22nd/23rd Jan 1945)
- Simpson Albert. Sgt. (d.22nd/23rd Jan 1945)
- Smith Donald. W/O.
- Taylor DFC Arthur Herbert. F/Sgt.
- Trafford Reuben Victor. Sgt. (d.23rd January 1945)
- Wicks William Henry. Sgt. (d.14th/15th Feb 1945)
- Wilkinson Cecil. Sgt. (d.14th October 1944)
- Wood Frank. F/Sgt. (d.22nd Apr 1945)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of No. 153 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.
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Want to know more about No. 153 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2116 items tagged No. 153 Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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WO. William Adams 152 Squadrons My father William Adams used to sing me this song:
Oh merry, oh merry, oh merry are we
We are the boys of 153
Blow high blow low, wherever you go,
153 Squadron are too blinking slow.
I think the original may not have contained the word blinking.
I have my father's log books which record 1482 operational hours principally in Beaufighters with 153 and 272 Squadrons.
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Flt.Sgt. Joseph Maurice Allan McCann 153 Squadron (d.2nd Nov 1944) Flight Sargent Joseph McCann was shot down on a bombing raid to Dusseldorf on the 2nd of November 1944. He is buried at Reichswald Forest Cemetery in Germany.
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F/O. Alfred Alexander Picard 153 Squadron (d.14th October 1944) Alfred Picard was a Canadian navigator, assigned to 153 Squadron. They went to bomb Duisburg on 14th of October 1944. He was on one of two planes that did not return. His plane was NG190 (P4-T), flown by F/O Brouilette along with 4 Canadian officers (which included Picard).
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Sgt. Reuben Victor Trafford 153 Squadron (d.23rd January 1945) Vic Trafford served with 153 Squadron, Royal Air Force.
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F/Sgt. Arthur Herbert Taylor DFC 153 Squadron  .jpg)  Westkapelle, The Netherlands, A bombing raid now fifty-six years ago, remains a subject of keen interest to the residents of the strategically located island of Walcheren.
On October 3, 1944, the earth in and around the Zeeland coastal village of Westkapelle shook when Allied bombs aimed at nearby North Sea dikes detonated. The purpose of Operation Infatuate was to breach the Walcheren's dikes as a prelude to battle with the Germans who on the island controlled the approach to the port of Antwerp. The bombing which took the lives of 159 inhabitants of Westkapelle, later was repeated at Vlissingen and Rammekens.
A local amateur historian recently has reconstructed the events of that fateful day in an English-language book called, "We Never Blamed the Crews The Flooding of Walcheren Island October 1944". Author Paul M. Crucq was able to tap into all kinds of military information about the operation and extensively used flight logs, diaries and personal memories of people involved in Operation Infatuate, particularly the pilots and their crews.
Five Mosquito war planes opened the raid to drop markers for the ensuing bombing. The raid by 29 squadrons involved 240 Lancasters, each carrying eight bombs, one 4,000 pounder, six 1,000 pounders and one 500 pounder. A 400 metre error by one of the marker planes led to disaster which was compounded by worsening weather and loss of visibility due to smoke from the explosions. Part of the southern section of the village was bombed as well causing, directly or indirectly, the death of 159 people.
Widening the gap
The fourth bombing run finally breached the dike. The next waves of bombers then tried to widen the gap, dropping their loads more precisely by flying at a much lower altitude. The raids met with little resistance from German pillboxes which only were equipped with surface-to-surface and light machine guns. The book, of which the title fully voices the sentiments of most if not all inhabitants of Westkapelle at that time, has been well received, especially by RAF veterans, many of whom had largely been unaware of the tragedy among the civilians.
Crucq since has received many letters from crew members recounting the events. Following the raids, the island was inundated causing extreme hardship to civilians whose conditions worsened - many who had not evacuated lived on lofts - when invading Allied forces - Canadians and British - slowly pushed tenaciously fighting Germans back off the island. With Walcheren secured, the Allies were able to substantially cut their long supply lines in anticipation of the liberation of the rest of occupied Netherlands, and a final dash into the heart of Germany.
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Flt.Sgt. John Lowerson 153 Squadron Jack Lowerson served with 153 Squadron.
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Sgt. Albert Simpson 153 Squadron (d.22nd/23rd Jan 1945) My dad Albert Simpson was stationed at Scampton with 153 Squadron. He was a rear gunner.
On the night of 22nd/23rd of January 1945 my dad's Lancaster took part in a raid on an oil refinery in Duisburg. Bomber Command lost two Lancasters that
night one was my dad's Lancaster and the other one his pal's Lancaster both
of 153 Squadron. A force of 286 Lancasters took part. My dad's Lancaster was never seen or heard of again. The other Lancaster was found crashed in
Germany with all their bodies. I don't think we will ever know what happened to my dad's Lancaster that night. The aircraft numbers were PB636 my dads the NG185 code P4D.
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W/O. Donald Smith A Flight 153 Squadron From 1944 to 1945, my dad Donald Smith, completed approximately 33 missions as Mid Upper Gunner mostly with Pilot Potter in Lancaster Bombers from Scampton, (153 Squadron - A Flight). He remembers Pilot Potter once passing out as they sped up the runway for take off, resulting in the Lancaster spinning several times on runway and grass with full fuel and bomb load and scattering ground crew, WAAFs, etc., who had lined up to see them off and wish them well. Lanc (letter 'I') eventually stopped and no one was hurt. Pilot Potter was taken to hospital and did not return to the Squadron.
Dad doesn't say much about his time in the air, other than it was very cold at times, but remembers the great breakfasts after missions and also catching rabbits around the airfield to sell to the local butcher. Now in 2017, Dad is doing well and will soon be 93.
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Sgt. Albert Simpson 153 Squadron (d.23rd Jan 1945) My dad Albert Simpson was based at RAF Scampton with No. 153 Squadron who at the time were flying Lancaster bombers.
He was was lost on a raid on a synthetic oil refinery in Duisburg on the 22nd/23rd of Jan 1945. 286 Lancasters took part on the mission that night. Bomber command lost only two Lancasters that night one was my dads and the other was his pals.
My Dad was the rear gunner, nothing was ever seen or heard of my dads lancaster again. The other Lancaster was found crashed in Holland with all their bodies being recovered.
I don't think we will ever know what happened to my dads Lancaster.
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Sgt. William Henry Wicks 153 Squadron (d.14th/15th Feb 1945) Bill Wicks was rear gunner on Lancaster Type 1 NN803 of 153 Squadron which went missing over villages of Amsfeld and Grumbach. All crew of the aircraft were missing or killed.
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