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No. 455 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force
No 455 Squadron was formed at Williamtown, New South Wales on the 23rd of May 1941 and consisted of RAAF ground staff for a Wellington Bomber squadron. It established itself in Britain in No 5 Group Bomber Command in June 1941. Awaiting its Williamtown contingent, it was equipped with Hampdens in July and flew its first operational flight in late August 1941 against Frankfurt. It was the first Australian bomber squadron to form in Britain and was employed in both bombing and minelaying, attacking the German Fleet in 1942. No 455 was transferred to Coastal Command in April 1942 in a torpedo-bombing role. While with Coastal Command, it sent detachments to Skitten, Wick, Sumburgh, Vaenga in Russia, all between May 1942 and April 1944.
No 455 was equipped with Beaufighters in October 1943 operating against German shipping off Norway and in the Baltic Sea until the end of the war. The squadron was disbanded on 25th May 1945
Airfields
No. 455 Squadron
flew from:
- RAAF Williamtown NSW from the 23rd May 1941 (formed in Australia)
- RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire from the 6th of June 1941 (Hampden I)
- RAF Wigsley, Nottinghamshire from the 8th of February 1942
- RAF Leuchars, Fife from the 21st April 1942 (Coastal Command. Hampden I, Beaufort Ia, Beaufighter X)
- RAF Langham, Norfolk from April 1944
- RAF Dallachy, Caithness from the 19th of October 1944
- disbanded the 25th May 1945
29th Aug 1941 Aircraft Lost
15th Sep 1941 Aircraft Lost
5th Nov 1941 Aircraft Lost
7th November 1941 Aircraft Lost
8th Nov 1941 455 Squadron Hampden lost
30th Nov 1941 Aircraft Lost
2nd Jan 1942 Aircraft Lost
13th August 1942 Operation Orator launched
2nd September 1942 Prepared for move to Russia
4th September 1942 Eight Hampdens lost on flight to Russia
6th September 1942 Move to Russia completed
14th September 1942 False alarm
27th September 1942 PRU Spitfire shot down
1st October 1942 Aircraft gifted to the Russians
22nd October 1942 Return from Russia
29th April 1943 Fruitless search for U-Boat
4th August 1944 Very quiet
7th December 1944 Wing attack on shipping beaten off
9th February 1945 Black Friday
26th April 1945 Shot down in Norway
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Want to know more about No. 455 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force? There are:2023 items tagged No. 455 Squadron Royal Australian 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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Sqd.Ldr. James Catanach DFC. 455 Squadron (d.29th March 1944)  James Catanach completed nine perilous missions with Bomber Command, before his unit, No. 455 Squadron, RAAF, was transferred to Coastal Command in April 1942. By June, 20-year-old Catanach had been promoted Squadron Leader, the youngest in the Royal Australian Air Force, and been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), his squadron's first.
On 2nd of September 1942, sixteen Hampden torpedo-bombers of No. 455 Squadron set out from RAF Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands. Their destination, Vaenga (now Severomorsk), Russia.
Allied shipping convoys bound for the Soviet port of Murmansk always suffered heavy casualties. No. 455 crews were tasked with transferring their aircraft to the Soviets who could use them protect the incoming ships. Catanach's aircraft, AT109, was forced down en-route, however, and he and his crew were captured near Norway.
Imprisoned at Stalag Luft III, Sagan (Zagan, modern Poland), Catanach was among 75 Allied airmen take part in the legendary Great Escape, on 24th of March 1944. Seventy-three prisoners were recaptured. Fifty of these including Catanach were executed by the Gestapo in bloody retribution.
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Tony Gordon 455 Squadron My father, Tony Gordon flew with Sgt M N Stokes in 455 Squadron and was also a POW from 7th of Nov 1945.
I am trying to contact Sgt Stokes grandaughter, Tara Dickens.
If anyone knows Tara can she please get in touch.
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Sgt. Maurice A. Jenkins 455 Sqn (d.6/7th Nov. 1941) Maurice A Jenkins was a pilot with 455 Squadron.
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