No. 158 Squadron

Group
No. 4 Group
Command
Bomber Command
Home station
RAF Lissett

In the database: 7 aircraft · 17 service members · 4 sorties.

History

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”.

Photographs

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Close up of the nose insignia on [Handley Page Halifax](/aircraft/2/) B Mark III, LV907 'NP-F' "Friday the Thirteenth", of [No. 158 Squadron](/squadrons/27/) RAF, after returning to [Lissett](/airfields/45/), 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 & creditRoyal 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. Sergeant D Cameron, the pilot of [Handley Page Halifax](/aircraft/2/) B Mark II, HR837 'NP-F', of [No. 158 Squadron](/squadrons/27/) RAF, poses with two of his crew amidst the damage caused when it was hit by a falling bomb from another aircraft while raiding Cologne on the night of 28/29 June 1943. In spite of the severe damage to the fuselage, none of the crew were injured and Cameron managed to fly HR837 back to the Squadron's base at [Lissett](/airfields/45/), Yorkshire. HR837 was repaired and flew a further 11 operations with the Squadron before being turned over to No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal Air Force official photographer / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CE84.jpgView source & full licence →
Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Flying Officer F H Greenhalgh, a wireless operator serving with [No. 158 Squadron](/squadrons/27/) RAF based at [Lissett](/airfields/45/), Yorkshire, contemplates his lucky escape when the propeller from the damaged port inner engine of [Handley Page Halifax](/aircraft/2/) 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](/aircraft/19/)). 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](/airfields/8618/) Emergency Landing Ground, where this photograph was taken.
ⓘ licence & creditRoyal 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