156 SQUADRON
(PathFinder Force)
Badge: A figure of Mercury holding a
torch.
The figure of Mercury holding a
torch in indicative of the function of the unit as pathfinders.
Motto: "We light the way".
Authority: King George VI, July, 1943.
Based at Upwood from: (March
1944 - June 1945)
Type of Aircraft:
Avro Lancaster (January 1943 - September
1945)
156 Squadron formed in October 1918 for day-bombing, but
disbanded in November 1918 without having become operational.
Some 24 years later in February 1942, 156 Squadron reformed at Raf Alconbury
in Huntingdonshire as a medium bomber squadron equipped with Wellingtons and
operated under 3 Group. A few months later when the Pathfinder Force formed
in August 1942, No 156 was one of the four squadrons selected to form the nucleus
of the new force, with the object of securing more concentrated and effective
bombing by marking targets with incendiary bombs and flares dropped from aircraft
flown by experienced crew and using the latest navigational equipment. It remained
with the Pathfinder Force for the rest of the European war and, still flying
Wellingtons at first and then Lancasters, played a major part in Bomber Command’s
Offensive. In over a span of 38 months of operations it dropped 16,017 tons
of bombs and lost 45 Wellingtons and 117 Lancasters.
When it had finished operations against Germany, No 156 marked the dropping
zone at Rotterdam and The Hague for the bombers engaged in dropping food supplies
to the starving Dutch people, also repatriated British ex-P.O.W.’s to Great
Britain and transported British troops from Italy to Great Britian, also dropped
unwanted incendiary bombs into the sea.
The squadron disbanded in September, 1945 and at that time its awards list comprised:
22 D.S.O.’s 1 bar to the D.S.O.
296 D.F.C.’s 22 bars TO D.F.C.’s
5 C.G.M.’s (Flying)
132 D.F.M.’s 1 bar to the D.F.M.
1 B.E.M.
First Operational Mission
16/17th February, 1942
1 Wellington Nickelled Lille area.
First Bombing Attack
17/18 February, 1942
3 Wellingtons Bombed Essen
Last Operational Mission
25th April 1945
16 Lancasters bombed gun batteries on island of Wangerooge
Last Mission before V.E. Day
7th May, 1945
10 Lancasters ferried 240 ex-P.O.W.’s home to the U.K. form Belgium.
The Stations
156 Squadron were based at
ALCONBURY 14/2/42 TO 15/8/42
WARBOYS 15/8/42 TO 5/3/44
UPWOOD 5/3/44 TO 27/6/45
WYTON 27/6/45 TO 25/9/45
Disbanded on 25/9/
The aircraft 156 Squadron used
WELLINGTON IC 02/42 to 01/43
WELLINGTON III 03/42 to 01/43
LANCASTER I/III 01/43 to 09/45
The Commanding Officers of 156 Squadron
WING COMMANDER P
G R HEATH
14/2/42 to 30/5/42
WING COMMANDER H
L PRICE
30/5/42 to 29/7/42
WING COMMANDER R
N COOK
30/7/42 to 28/10/42
WING COMMANDER T
S RIVETT-CARNAC DFC
28/10/42 to 8/6/43
SQUADRON LEADER S
G HOOKWAY (Temp)
2/43 to 2/43
GROUP CAPTAIN R
W P COLLINGS AFC
8/6/43 to 15/1/44
WING COMMANDER E
C EATON DFC
15/1/44 to 27/4/44
SQUADRON LEADER T
W G GODFREY (Temp)
28/4/44 to 7/5/44
WING COMMANDER T
L BINGHAM-HALL DFC
7/5/44 to 21/11/44
WING COMMANDER D
B FALCONER DFC AFC
21/11/44 to 30/12/44
WING COMMANDER
T E ISON DSO DFC
30/12/44 to 10/4/45
WING COMMANDER
A J L CRAIG
10/4/45 to 25/9/45
Ralph paech complete diary of 34 missions in 156 Squadron
Pictures of 156 at Upwood
Distinguished Flying Medal 156 Squadron
A full list of 156 Squadron Distinguished Flying Medal award.
All 156 Squadron losses at Upwood including crew names and area of crashes
Information came from:
ROYAL AIR FORCE, BOMBER COMMAND LOSSES 1945
By W R CHORLEY
ISBN 0-904597-92-X
Midland Publishing
And also
The Supplement to
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE: PART 4
Prepared by John Hamlin
Books on 156 Squadron
THEY LED THE WAY
The story of Pathfinder Squadron 156
By Michael Philip Wadsworth
A great book covering 156 Squadron History
The book is Dedicated to his father (F/O Philip Wadsworth 156 Squadron) who failed to return on the night of April 27/28th 1944, and all those who made the one-way journey.
ISBN No. 0 948929 58 8
Highgate Publications (Beverley) Ltd. 1992
Links
to other 156 Squadron websites
Chris Villiers is on the committee for the
Pathfinder March at RAF Wyton
www.pathfindermarch.co.uk
SEAN EDWARDS