# No. 156 Squadron RAF

No. 156 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was active as a bomber unit in World War II.

## History
### Formation and World War I

No. 156 Squadron Royal Air Force was first formed on 12 October 1918 at RAF Wyton and equipped with DH 9 aircraft, but was disbanded on 9 December 1918 without becoming operational.

### Reformation in World War II

The squadron reformed in February 1942 from the home echelon of 40 Squadron at RAF Alconbury, in the Huntingdonshire area of Cambridgeshire, as part of No. 3 Group RAF and was equipped with Wellingtons. In August 1942 it joined No. 8 Group RAF it became one of the original pathfinder squadrons, converting to Lancasters in January 1943. It continued in the pathfinder role until the end of the war, being based at RAF Warboys, RAF Upwood and finally its original founding base, RAF Wyton, where it disbanded on 25 September 1945. The Jamaican airman Billy Strachan, who would go onto become a pioneer of Black civil rights in Britain, once served as an air gunner with the squadron.

## Notable pilots

* Gordon Cochrane
* Peter Isaacson
* Frank Watkins
* Pilot Officer Colin Kirkus - lost without trace 13/14 September 1942 on a mission to Bremen in Vickers Wellington BJ879.
* Billy Strachan - famous for surviving 33 missions during a time when the average life expectancy for an RAF crew was 7 operations.

## Memorials

There is a memorial to the crash of Avro Lancaster ED840, 156 Squadron, which crashed in the town in Lier, Belgium on 17 June 1943. It was on a mission to Cologne when it was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. In the Netherlands is a memorial for the Avro Lancaster ND559 crew. The crew was on 22 May 1944, on a mission to Duisburg. On the way back the plane was shot down above Molenaarsgraaf and Brandwijk.

## Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by No. 156 Squadron RAF :
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
| November 1918 | November 1918 | Airco DH.9 | A |
| February 1942 | January 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.Ic |
| March 1942 | January 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.III |
| January 1943 | September 1945 | Avro Lancaster | Mks.B.I & B.III |

## Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by No. 156 Squadron RAF :
| From | To | Base | Remarks |
| 12 October 1918 | 9 December 1918 | RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire | Formed here |
| 14 February 1942 | 15 August 1942 | RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire | No. 3 Group RAF |
| 15 August 1942 | 5 March 1944 | RAF Warboys, Cambridgeshire | No. 8 Group RAF |
| 5 March 1944 | 27 June 1945 | RAF Upwood, Cambridgeshire | |
| 27 June 1945 | 25 September 1945 | RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire | Disbanded here |

## Commanding officers

Officers commanding No. 156 squadron RAF :
| From | To | Name | Remark |
| 14 February 1942 | 30 May 1942 | W/Cdr. P.G.R. Heath | KIA |
| 30 May 1942 | 29 July 1942 | W/Cdr. H.L. Price | KIA |
| 30 July 1942 | 28 October 1942 | W/Cdr. R.N. Cook | |
| 28 October 1942 | 8 June 1943 | W/Cdr. T.S. Rivett-Carnac, DFC | |
| 17 January 1943 | 13 February 1943 | S/Ldr. S.G. Hookway, DFC (acting) | KIA |
| 8 June 1943 | 22 January 1944 | G/Cpt. R.W.P. Collings, AFC | |
| 22 January 1944 | 27 April 1944 | W/Cdr. E.C. Eaton, DFC | KIA |
| 28 April 1944 | 7 May 1944 | S/Ldr. T.W.G. Godfrey (acting) | |
| 7 May 1944 | 21 November 1944 | W/Cdr. T.L. Bingham-Hall, DFC | |
| 21 November 1944 | 30 December 1944 | W/Cdr. D.B. Falconer, DFC, AFC | KIA |
| 30 December 1944 | 10 April 1945 | W/Cdr. T.E. Ison DSO, DFC | |
| 10 April 1945 | 25 September 1945 | W/Cdr. A.J.L. Craig | |