No. 158 Squadron RAF - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

No. 158 Squadron RAF was a World War I proposed ground attack squadron that did not became operational in time to see action, and a World War II bomber squadron. After World War II had ended in Europe the squadron operated in the transport role until disbandment in December 1945.

Formation in World War I

No. 158 Squadron RAF was first formed on 9 May 1918, and the squadron was originally to be equipped with Sopwith Snipe

Sopwith Snipe

The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...

fighters, but this was postponed and the squadron eventually formed at Upper Heyford

RAF Upper Heyford

RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...

on 4 September 1918, equipped with Sopwith Salamander

Sopwith Salamander

-See also:-References:NotesBibliography...

ground attack aircraft

Ground attack aircraft

Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft with primary role of attacking targets on the ground with greater precision than bombers and prepared to face stronger low-level air defense...

. The squadron arrived too late to see action during the war, and disbanded on 20 November 1918.

Reformation and World War II

The squadron reformed at RAF Driffield

RAF Driffield

RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school...

on 14 February 1942, via the renumbering of No. 104 Squadron

No. 104 Squadron RAF

No. 104 Squadron RAF was formed at Wyton on 4 September 1917 and was equipped with the DH 9. It then moved to Andover, prior to being posted to France in May 1918. The squadron later began re-equipping with the DH 10, however the armistice arrived before this was completed and the squadron returned...

, which was equipped with the Vickers Wellington

Vickers Wellington

The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...

medium bomber and 158 sqn used these on night raids to Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

and occupied France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

In June 1942 the squadron re-equipped with the Halifax B.Mk.II

Handley Page Halifax

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...

heavy bombers and moved to RAF East Moor

RAF East Moor

RAF East Moor was a Royal Air Force air station operated by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. The station was located near Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire, UK and was a sub-station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.-History:...

. On 6 November 1942 the squadron moved to RAF Rufforth

Rufforth

Rufforth is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of York. The village is mentioned in the "Domesday Book" and dates from Saxon times....

, followed by a move to RAF Lissett

RAF Lissett

RAF Lissett was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located just to the south of Bridlington, Yorkshire, England. It was named after the nearby village of Lissett.-History:...

on 28 February 1943. In January 1944 the squadron had re-equipped with the Halifax B.Mk.III and the squadrons 'C' flight was used to form No. 640 Squadron

No. 640 Squadron RAF

No. 640 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 640 Squadron was first formed at RAF Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire on 7 January 1944, from 'C' Flight of No. 158 Squadron RAF. It was equipped with Halifax Mk.III bombers, and...

at Leconfield

RAF Leconfield

The former RAF Leconfield, or 'Leconfield Camp' was a Royal Air Force airbase in Leconfield , East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site is now used by the MoD Defence School of Transport Leconfield .-History:...

.

By 7 May 1945 World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

in Europe had finished, and the squadron was transferred to RAF Transport Command

RAF Transport Command

RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.-History:...

, re-equipped with the Short Stirling Mk.V

Short Stirling

The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...

. The squadron moved to Stradishall

RAF Stradishall

RAF Stradishall was a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, opened in 1938.The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South...

on 17 August 1945, where it disbanded on 31 December 1945.

One of the squadrons aircraft, a Handley page Halifax B.Mk.III, serial no. LV907, coded NP-F and nicknamed "Friday the 13th", completed a remarkable 128 operational missions. Incredibly this precious aircraft was not saved from the scrapheap after being displayed on Oxford street in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, only a section of the nose from the aircraft was saved and is exhibited at the RAF Museum Hendon. The Halifax that is displayed at the Yorkshire Air Museum

Yorkshire Air Museum

The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial, , is an air museum in England. The museum was founded, and first opened to the public, in the early 1980s....

is made up of parts of various aircraft and painted as LV907, in honour of the aircraft and its crew.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 158 Squadron RAF, data from
From	To	Aircraft	Version
February 1942	June 1942	Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...	Mk.II
June 1942	December 1943	Handley Page Halifax Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...	Mk.II
December 1943	May 1945	Handley Page Halifax	Mk.III
April 1945	May 1945	Handley Page Halifax	Mk.VI
May 1945	December 1945	Short Stirling Short Stirling The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...	Mk.V
November 1945	December 1945	Short Stirling	Mk.IV

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 158 Squadron RAF, data from
From	To	Base	Remark
14 February 1942	6 June 1942	RAF Driffield RAF Driffield RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.Situated between Kelleythorpe and Eastburn on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school... , Yorkshire Yorkshire Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...	Det. at RAF Pocklington RAF Pocklington RAF Pocklington was an operational flying station of the Royal Air Force during World War II, forming part of Bomber command, and operating primarily Wellington and Halifax bombers. The station, adjacent to the village of Pocklington at , opened in 1941, and was closed in 1946... , Yorkshire, 14 Feb/5 Mar 1942
6 June 1942	6 November 1942	RAF East Moor RAF East Moor RAF East Moor was a Royal Air Force air station operated by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. The station was located near Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire, UK and was a sub-station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.-History:... , Yorkshire	Det. at RAF Beaulieu RAF Beaulieu RAF Station Beaulieu was a World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408... , Hampshire Hampshire Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force... for operations with Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive... in October 1942
6 November 1942	28 February 1943	RAF Rufforth Rufforth Rufforth is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of York. The village is mentioned in the "Domesday Book" and dates from Saxon times.... , Yorkshire	Det. at RAF Manston RAF Manston RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... for operations with Coastal Command, 7/25 Nov 1942.
28 February 1943	17 August 1945	RAF Lissett RAF Lissett RAF Lissett was a Royal Air Force station during the Second World War. Located just to the south of Bridlington, Yorkshire, England. It was named after the nearby village of Lissett.-History:... , Yorkshire
17 August 1945	31 December 1945	RAF Stradishall RAF Stradishall RAF Stradishall was a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, opened in 1938.The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South... , Suffolk Suffolk Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

Commanding officers

Officers commanding no. 158 Squadron RAF, data from
From	To	Name	Remark
14 February 1942	7 October 1942	W/Cdr. Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... P. Stevens, DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...	Posted to 10 OTU
7 October 1942	10 March 1943	W/Cdr. C.G.S.R. Robinson, DFC	Posted to 138 Squadron No. 138 Squadron RAF No. 138 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force that served in a variety of roles during its career, last disbanded in 1962. It was the first 'V-bomber' squadron of the RAF, flying the Vickers Valiant between 1955 and 1962....
10 March 1943	10 August 1943	W/Cdr. T.R. Hope, DFC	MIA Missing in action Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively... , 10 August 1943
11 August 1943	7 June 1944	W/Cdr. C.C. Calder, DFC	Posted to 1652 HCU
7 June 1944	7 March 1945	W/Cdr. P. Dobson, DFC, AFC Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
7 March 1945	12 June 1945	W/Cdr. G.B. Read, DFC
12 June 1945	10 July 1945	W/Cdr. F.J. Austin, DFC
10 July 1945	30 July 1945	S/Ldr. Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... W.H. Whitty
30 July 1945	31 December 1945	W/Cdr. D. Iveson, DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... , DFC

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