No. 158 Squadron

Group: 4 Group
Home station: RAF Lissett

About

No. 158 Squadron reformed at RAF Driffield in February 1942 as a bomber squadron in No. 4 Group, flying the Vickers Wellington on night raids before re-equipping that summer with the four-engined Handley Page Halifax. After short spells at other Yorkshire airfields it settled at RAF Lissett in February 1943, which remained its home for the rest of the war.

It converted to the improved, Hercules-engined Halifax III at the end of 1943 and flew it through the main offensive against Germany. In the war’s final weeks it also took on a few Halifax B.VI aircraft. From Lissett the squadron flew some 250 operations and lost 144 aircraft to enemy action and accident. Its motto was “Strength in unity”.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including 158 Squadron Association — Squadron History and Wikipedia: No. 158 Squadron RAF. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Photographs

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. CH14589 — Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Close up of the nose insignia on Handley Page Halifax B Mark III, LV907 'NP-F' "Friday the Thirteenth", of No. 158 Squadron RAF, after returning to Lissett, Yorkshire, from its 100th operational sortie, a night raid on Gelsenkirchen, Germany, flown by Flight Lieutenant N G Gordon and crew. LV907 was so named because it was delivered to the Squadron on 13 January 1944, and was accordingly painted with depictions of various unlucky omens. However, it completed 128 successful sorties before being struck off charge in May 1945.

ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH14589.jpgView source & full licence →

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. CE161 — Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Flying Officer F H Greenhalgh, a wireless operator serving with No. 158 Squadron RAF based at Lissett, Yorkshire, contemplates his lucky escape when the propeller from the damaged port inner engine of Handley Page Halifax B Mark III, MZ928 'NP-S', smashed into his position during a raid on Duisburg, Germany, in the early morning of 14 October 1944, (Operation HURRICANE). The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire over the target, putting the port inner engine out of commission and shooting away two of Flying Officer Greenhalgh's toes. As the aircraft completed its bombing run and turned for home, the propeller and reduction gear sheared off and smashed a large hole in the fuselage, just where Greenhalgh's legs would have been, had he not shifted position in order to bandage his wounded foot. The pilot brought the damaged aircraft back, making an landing at Carnaby Emergency Landing Ground, where this photograph was taken.

ⓘ licence & credit
Royal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CE161.jpgView source & full licence →

Operations flown

Operation Nuremberg raid — 30 March 1944 (Nuremberg)

Aircraft (5)

Serial	Code	Type	Fate
HX322	NP-B	Handley Page Halifax	Lost on operations
HX349	NP-G	Handley Page Halifax	Lost on operations
LV907	NP-F	Handley Page Halifax	Survived the war
LW634	NP-P	Handley Page Halifax	Lost on operations
LW724	NP-S	Handley Page Halifax	Lost on operations

Known personnel (1)

Name	Rank	Station	Dates
Gill, Robert Henry James	Air Gunner	RAF Lissett	? – ?