No. 156 Squadron

Motto: "We light the way".
Badge: A figure of Mercury holding a torch. The figure of Mercury holding a torch is indicative of the function of the unit as pathfinders.
Authority: King George VI, July 1943.

No. 156 Squadron first formed in October 1918, somewhere in England and did so, apparently, for day-bombing. It disbanded in November 1918, without having become operational.

Some 24 years later, in February 1942, it was re-formed at Alconbury, as a medium-bomber squadron equipped with Wellingtons and for the first few months operated with No. 3 Group. When the Pathfinder Force was formed in August, 1942, with the object of securing more concentrated and effective bombing by marking targets with incendiary bombs and flares dropped from aircraft flown by experienced crews and using the latest navigational equipment, No. 156 was one of the four squadrons selected to form the nucleus of the new force. 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.

When it had finished operations against the enemy, No. 156 marked the DZs (dropping zones) at Rotterdam and The Hague for the bombers engaged in dropping food supplies to the starving Dutch people; repatriated British ex-POWs to Great Britain; and transported British troops from Italy to Great Britain. Awardss to the squadron comprise 22 DSOs, 1 bar to the DSO, 296 DFCs, 22 bars to DFCs, 5 CGMs, 110 DFMs, 1 bar to the DFM, and 1 BEM.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:
Re-formed 14.2.42 as No. 156 (Bomber) Squadron from home echelon of No. 40 (Bomber) Squadron at

• Alconbury : Feb 1942-Aug 1942
• Warboys : Aug 1942-Mar 1944
• Upwood : Mar 1944 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Vickers Wellington IC and III : Feb 1942-Jan 1943
• Avro Lancaster B.I and B.III : Jan 1943 onwards

Code Letters:

• "GT".

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 16/17th February 1942 : 1 Wellington Nickelled Lille area.

First Bombing Mission in WWII:

• 17/18th February 1942 : 3 Wellingtons bombed Essen.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 25th April 1944 : 16 Lancasters bombed gun batteries on island of Wangerooge.

Last Mission before VE Day:

• 7th May 1945 : 10 Lancasters ferried 240 ex-POWs home to UK from Belgium.

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