No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force

No.156 Squadron formed in October 1918 for day-bombing, but disbanded in November 1918 without having become operational.
The Squadron was reformed at Alconbury in February 1942 by redesgnating a part of no.40 Squadron, equipped with Wellington bombers. In August 1942, No. 156 was one of the four squadrons selected to form the nucleus of the new Pathfinders force. It continued in the Pathfnder forse for the remainder of the war, being re-equipped with Lancasters in January 1943.
Airfields at which No. 156 Squadron was based:

Alconbury: 14th February 1942 to August 1942.
Warboys: 15th August 1942 to March 1944.
Upwood: From 5th Mar 1944.

21st February 1945

14th Feb 1942 Reorganisation

5th April 1942 DFM awarded

16th April 1942 Wellington lost over Belgium

16th April 1942 Wellington lost minelaying

19th April 1942 Wellington missing

20th April 1942 Landing error

30th April 1942 Shot down near Paris

19th May 1942 Bomber shot down

30th May 1942 Squadron C/O missing

31st May 1942 1000 bomber raid

1st June 1942 Wireless Operator baled out

3rd June 1942 Shot down

6th June 1942 Aircraft lost

7th June 1942 Only 4 Wellingtons fit to fly

26th June 1942 Accident

28th June 1942 Ops

7th July 1942 Novice crews

24th July 1942 Award of immediate DFM

27th July 1942 Enemy unseen

29th July 1942 Squadron C/O and three Wellingtons lost but one saved

1st August 1942 Shot down

12th August 1942 Three Wellingtons shot down

15th August 1942 Pathfinder Force formed

15th August 1942 Move to new base

16th August 1942 Raid on Dusseldorf

27th August 1942 First Pathfinder mission

29th August 1942 Pathfinders attacked

1st September 1942 Crash on take-off

14th September 1942 Two Pathfinders lost

16th September 1942 BEM awarded for saving colleagues

20th September 1942 156 Squadron Wellington lost.

5th October 1942 Civilians killed

14th October 1942 Pathfinder shot down

15th October 1942 Pathfinder lost without trace

7th November 1942 Nine hour flight

22nd November 1942 Attack on Stuttgart

20th December 1942 VC recommended

21st December 1942 Aircrew killed

January 1943 Lancasters replace Wellingtons

9th February 1943 Back on ops

19th February 1943 Lancaster lost

5th March 1943 CO shot down

9th March 1943 Baled out but died

3rd April 1943 Lancaster Shot down

4th April 1943 Aircraft Lost

8th April 1943 Pathfinder shot down

17th April 1943 Lancasters crash

18th April 1943 Target in Italy

26th April 1943 Novice crew

5th May 1943 156 Squadron Lancaster lost

12th May 1943 Lancasters shot down

28th May 1943 Three killed in Lancaster crash

12th June 1943 Lancaster shot down into the IJsselmeer

17th June 1943 3 Pathfinders shot down

22nd June 1943 Missing over the North Sea

23rd June 1943 Shot down on raid to Mulheim

25th June 1943 Two pathfinders missing

12th July 1943 Lost on flight to Turin

26th July 1943 Operations

27th Jul 1943 Aircraft Lost

30th July 1943 Lancasters lost

23rd August 1943 Ops

27th August 1943 Record turnout

3rd September 1943 Mystery

3rd September 1943 Lost without trace

6th September 1943 Five taken PoW

7th September 1943 Pathfinders shot down

27th September 1943 Lancaster Lost

29th September 1943 Targets Marked

4th October 1943 Failed to return

8th October 1943 Lost on raid

18th November 1943 Commanding Officer and crew lost

22nd November 1943 Two Pathfinders failed to return from Berlin

23rd November 1943 One Pathfinder exploded, one crashed

2nd December 1943 Two Pathfinders lost over Berlin

3rd December 1943 Two sorties within 24 hours

17th December 1943 Black Thursday

20th December 1943 Two Pathfinders lost on sortie to Frankfurt

23rd December 1943 Missing in Action

2nd January 1944 Four Pathfinders lost

3rd January 1944 Five Lancasters lost over Berlin

15th January 1944 Five 156 Squadron Lancasters lost

21st January 1944 Ju88 and Lancaster crash over Germany

30th January 1944 Two more 156 Squadron Pathfinders lost

10th February 1944 Royal Visit

20th Feb 1944 156 Squadron Lancaster lost

24th February 1944 Three Pathfinders shot down

2nd March 1944 Failed to return

5th March 1944 Relocated

24th March 1944 Navigator survived crash

30th Mar 1944 Aircraft Lost

31st Mar 1944 156 Squadron Lancaster lost

23rd April 1944 Pathfinder shot down

28th April 1944 New bombing strategy

7th May 1944 Rail yard bombed in France

22nd May 1944 Two Lancasters destroyed

1st June 1944 Escape Line back to England

8th June 1944 Unidentified bodies buried

24th June 1944 Attack on V1 launch site

15th Jul 1944 156 Squadron Lancaster lost

27th July 1944 Lancaster crew rescued by Danish trawler

6th August 1944 Mosquitos lost

13th August 1944 Lancaster lost over Luxembourg

9th September 1944 Killed in explosion

11th September 1944 Lancaster Lost at Gelsenkirchen

24th September 1944 Lost without trace

6th October 1944 DFM for Navigator who flew Lancaster home

30th October 1944 Shot down over Berlin

18th December 1944 Missing over France

30th December 1944 Shot down by flak

29th January 1945 Shot down

4th February 1945 Two Pathfinders shot down

31st March 1945 Two Lancasters lost on mission to Hamburg

17th April 1945 Heavy bombers lost in mid-air collision

25th April 1945 Gun batteries bombed

1st May 1945 Relief missions

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.

Logbooks

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If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you.

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Those known to have served with
No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Adair. Leslie James. WO1. (d.3rd Jan 1944)
Barry George. F/Sgt. (d.2nd January 1944)
Bell. John. F/S (d.2nd Jan 1944)
Blanchette Charles Edward. P/O (d.2nd January 1944)
Bolsover Alan Richard. F/O (d.2nd January 1944)
Bond DFC Gerald Peter Robert. P/O (d.2nd January 1944)
Borland DFC James. P/O (d.3rd Jan 1944)
Cromarty John Donald Range. PO (d.3rd Jan 1944)
Eaton Harold. Sgt. (d.12th May 1944)
Egan A E. Sgt
Evans Emrys Arthur. F/Sgt.
Faulkner Reginald James. (d.24th March 1944)
Fordyce. Gordon William. W/O (d.23rd Now 1943)
Gilbert James Walter . Sgt. (d.24th Feb 1944)
Gillis. DFC Hartley David. F/Lt. (d.12th Jun 1943)
Harries R. Sgt
Hayes DFC. Ernest Spencer. P/O. (d.17th Jun 1943)
Hopkinson Samuel. Sgt. (d.12th May 1944)
Hopton. DFC Cecil George. S/Ldr. (d.8th Jun 1943)
Johnson George. Sgt
Jones DFM. Ronald Charles Cottingham. Sgt.
Lyford. DFC Percy Robert. Sgt (d.2nd Jan 1943)
McKenzie. Duncan Benjamin Grant. Sgt (d.3rd Jan 1943)
Minogue. DFC James Steel. Sgt
Morassi Allan. P/O (d.2nd January 1944)
Morton Frank Ronald. Sgt. (d.12th May 1944)
Neighbour Stanley William George. P/O (d.12th May 1944)
Pillinger Leonard Charles. Flt Sgt. (d.12th May 1944)
Rugg George William. Sgt. (d.12th May 1944)
Sharland DFC. Robert George. F/O. (d.28th April 1944)
Snelling. Denis Cyril George. F/Sgt. (d.3rd Jan 1944)
Underwood DFM Ronald. F/Sgt. (d.2nd January 1944)
Vickers. DFC Geoffrey. P/O (d.2nd Jan 1944)
Waller. Alan Abraham. Sgt (d.3rd Jan 1943)
Ward William John George . F/Sgt
Waterhouse DFC Victor. F/O (d.2nd January 1944)
Whitebread Roy Edward. P/O (d.12th May 1944)
Williams DFC Lional Thomas Richard Howard. F/Lt.

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. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.

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Want to know more about No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:2117 items tagged No. 156 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.

F/O. Robert George Sharland DFC. 156 Squadron (d.28th April 1944)

Robert George Sharland's wedding to Beryl Jones

Robert George Sharland's gravestone at Durnbach Cemetery

In 1944, seven young airmen took off in a Lancaster bomber from an RAF airfield in the East of England. Their target was Friedrichshafen, in the far south of Germany. It was about as far as a Lancaster could fly; a journey of 8 hours there and back before it would run out of fuel. Their mission was to bomb factories where inmates from Dachau concentration camp were forced to work in an underground bunker,making parts for tanks and V2 rockets. It was part of the RAFs mission to destroy the Nazis industrial capacity, end the war and ultimately deliver Europe, from the tyranny of the Third Reich.
On board were Kenneth Franklin, a 21-year-old shepherd from Napier New Zealand; John Dodds, 28 from Australia; and from England, Cecil Eaton the commanding officer of the squadron and a comparatively old man at 32; Leslie Glasspool, the Squadron Leader, aged 25, Philip Wadsworth aged 22, who had just had a baby son; Colin Kidd, aged 30; and my uncle Robert Sharland (Flight Gunnery Leader), aged 21, who had been married for 23 days.
After 4 hours of flying, their plane was hit by a Luftwaffe nightfighter over Neuhausen. The plane crashed to the ground and exploded with the loss of all seven men. They are now buried in Durnbach Military Cemetery. RIP my Uncle Bob and comrades.

Miriam Sharland

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F/Sgt William John George Ward 156 Squadron

Bill Ward is my uncle, I've been slowly tracing his war record.

Les Ward

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PO John Donald Range Cromarty 6(P) AFU (d.3rd Jan 1944)

My first cousin once removed was Jack Cromarty of Liverpool. In 1939 his parents lived in Berwick Gardens, Little Sutton, Cheshire He was a dental mechanic before he enlisted in 1941 He was a sergeant then flight sergeant then pilot officer and received his commission in November 1943 Prior to arriving at 6 (P) APU on 16th of February 143 he was at various other training units. After training at 6 (P) AFU he went to 81 OTU on 13th of April 1943 and then onto 1656, then 12 and finally after training at Upwood to 156 squadron, one of the Pathfinders at Warboys. He was the pilot of Lancaster JB640 and died the night of 2nd/3rd of January 1944 when the plane was shot down on a mission to Berlin The other crew members were:

Sgt. Frederick Edwin Woolven.(Navigator) aged 23 years
Sgt. Norman Henry Colebatch (Wireless Operator)
F/Sgt Leonard Norman Lapthorne aged 21 years.
F/Sgt Dennis Frederick Burtenshaw RAAF (Second Navigator/Bomb Aimer) aged 20 years.
F/Sgt R.J.Collens Mid-upper Gunner aged 31 years.
F/Sgt. Kenneth Sidney James Chapman. Rear Gunner aged 20 years.
They completed approx 16 missions all over Germany between joining 156 sqdn in Nov 1943 and the last flight.
It was discovered in 1976 that the plane had crashed into a lake in what was by then the Russian zone. The remains were handed over to the RAF in 1976. It has taken from then until approx 2011 for the MOD to identify where these remains were buried and then another three to find relatives of the lost airmen. On the 27th of April 2016 there was a rededication ceremony in Berlin for four of the crew of JB640 whose remains have been found. The headstones now changed to reflect they were crew members of JB640. Alas as John had no wife, children or siblings there are no known photographs of him as an adult in the RAF. I have this one photo of him in my late mother's photo album.

Rebecca Owen

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F/Sgt. Emrys Arthur "Taff" Evans A Flight 516 Sqdn.

Emrys Evans joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve on 18th April 1941. The following day he was put on the reserved list and on 11th August 1941 he was called up. He then went to 71 T.W. Newquay, Cornwall where he did an air navigation course. Then on 1st January 1942 he was on a troopship HMT Voldan to Canada, where he got his wings on 11th September 1942. On 26th September 1942 he was on HMT Anatea (a troop ship) on his way back to the UK.
On returning to the UK he went to the Advanced Training Unit at Peterborough, then spent a short time with No 1 and No 56 Squadrons. He then went to 516 Squadron at the experimental unit of combined operations at RAF Dundonald on 5th June 1943, where he stayed until it was disbanded on 1st July 1944. Then Emrys was posted to 122 Squadron, which was part of the 2 TAF where they supported the push through France. The squadron was moved back to Britain in November 1944 and started long range bomber escort from RAF Matlaske and Andrews Field until the end of the war.

David Evans

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F/Sgt. Ronald Underwood DFM 156 Sqdn. (d.2nd January 1944)

F/Sgt Underwood was a Lancaster airgunner in 156 Squadron, Lancaster ND 384 GT-D, based at RAF Warboys. The Lancaster was shot down on the night of 1st/2nd January 1944 on their return journey from a raid on Berlin.
Update
The members of the crew were:
P/O GPR Bond DFC - Pilot
P/O CE Blanchette - Flight Engineer
P/O A Morassi - Navigator
F/O AR Bolsover - Airbomber
F/Sgt G Barry - Wireless Operator
F/O V Waterhouse DFC - Airgunner
F/Sgt R Underwood DFM - Airgunner
The aircraft crashed at Grandieu, France and all the crew were killed. They are buried in Chievres Communal Cemetery.

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F/O Victor Waterhouse DFC 156 Sqdn. (d.2nd January 1944)

F/O Waterhouse was a Lancaster airgunner in 156 Squadron, Lancaster ND 384 GT-D, based at RAF Warboys. The Lancaster was shot down on the night of 1st/2nd January 1944 on their return journey from a raid on Berlin.
Update
The members of the crew were:
P/O GPR Bond DFC - Pilot
P/O CE Blanchette - Flight Engineer
P/O A Morassi - Navigator
F/O AR Bolsover - Airbomber
F/Sgt G Barry - Wireless Operator
F/O V Waterhouse DFC - Airgunner
F/Sgt R Underwood DFM - Airgunner
The aircraft crashed at Grandieu, France and all the crew were killed. They are buried in Chievres Communal Cemetery.

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F/Sgt. George Barry 156 Sqdn. (d.2nd January 1944)

F/Sgt Barry was a wireless operator in 156 Squadron, Lancaster ND 384 GT-D, based at RAF Warboys. The Lancaster was shot down on the night of 1st/2nd January 1944 on their return journey from a raid on Berlin.
Update
The members of the crew were:
P/O GPR Bond DFC - Pilot
P/O CE Blanchette - Flight Engineer
P/O A Morassi - Navigator
F/O AR Bolsover - Airbomber
F/Sgt G Barry - Wireless Operator
F/O V Waterhouse DFC - Airgunner
F/Sgt R Underwood DFM - Airgunner
The aircraft crashed at Grandieu, France and all the crew were killed. They are buried in Chievres Communal Cemetery.

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F/O Alan Richard Bolsover 156 Sqdn. (d.2nd January 1944)

F/O Bolsover was a Lancaster airbomber in 156 Squadron, Lancaster ND 384 GT-D, based at RAF Warboys. The Lancaster was shot down on the night of 1st/2nd January 1944 on their return journey from a raid on Berlin.
Update
The members of the crew were:
P/O GPR Bond DFC - Pilot
P/O CE Blanchette - Flight Engineer
P/O A Morassi - Navigator
F/O AR Bolsover - Airbomber
F/Sgt G Barry - Wireless Operator
F/O V Waterhouse DFC - Airgunner
F/Sgt R Underwood DFM - Airgunner
The aircraft crashed at Grandieu, France and all the crew were killed. They are buried in Chievres Communal Cemetery.

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P/O Allan Morassi 156 Sqdn. (d.2nd January 1944)

P/O Morassi was a Lancaster navigator in 156 Squadron, Lancaster ND 384 GT-D, based at RAF Warboys. The Lancaster was shot down on the night of 1st/2nd January 1944 on their return journey from a raid on Berlin.
Update
The members of the crew were:
P/O GPR Bond DFC - Pilot
P/O CE Blanchette - Flight Engineer
P/O A Morassi - Navigator
F/O AR Bolsover - Airbomber
F/Sgt G Barry - Wireless Operator
F/O V Waterhouse DFC - Airgunner
F/Sgt R Underwood DFM - Airgunner
The aircraft crashed at Grandieu, France and all the crew were killed. They are buried in Chievres Communal Cemetery.

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P/O Charles Edward Blanchette 156 Sqdn. (d.2nd January 1944)

P/O Blanchette was a Lancaster flight engineer in 156 Squadron, Lancaster ND 384 GT-D, based at RAF Warboys. The Lancaster was shot down on the night of 1st/2nd January 1944 on their return journey from a raid on Berlin.
Update
The members of the crew were:
P/O GPR Bond DFC - Pilot
P/O CE Blanchette - Flight Engineer
P/O A Morassi - Navigator
F/O AR Bolsover - Airbomber
F/Sgt G Barry - Wireless Operator
F/O V Waterhouse DFC - Airgunner
F/Sgt R Underwood DFM - Airgunner
The aircraft crashed at Grandieu, France and all the crew were killed. They are buried in Chievres Communal Cemetery.

Add to this record.

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The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with
No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Forceduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.