158 Squadron, RAF

Hi Community,

I'm doing some research on 158 Squadron and was wondering if any of the members would know what type of aircraft 158 would of been flying in April 1942. I'm trying to find out where and what their target would of been on the 9th or 10th of April 1942. Any help would be appreciated on this.

Thanks in advance
Mike

 

They flew Wellington II between Feb and June 1942. On the night of the 8th/9th April 1942 they attacked Hamburg and on the night of the 10th/11 April they were on a Nickling mission (dropping leaflets) in the Lille region.

They lost one aircraft in each mission:

Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

 

8/9 April 1942

Hamburg
272 aircraft - 177 Wellingtons, 41 Hampdens, 22 Stirlings, 13 Manchesters, 12 Halifaxes, 7 Lancasters - on yet another record raid for aircraft numbers to 1 target. 4 Wellingtons and 1 Manchester lost.
Icing and electrical storms were again encountered. Although 188 aircraft reported bombing in the target area, the raid was a failure. 17 people were killed and 119 injured. Bremen reports a load of incendiaries dropped very accurately on the Vulkan shipyard where 4 U-boats and several surrounding buildings were damaged by fire.

RAF History - Bomber Command 60th Anniversary

 

You guys are just amazing. I have just found out where, what and how Sgt Whitbread met his end. I really am so grateful to you both. Many many thanks.
Mike

 

158 Squadron were reformed of 14 February 1942 at Driffield from UK echelon of No.104 Squadron. From February 1942 until June 1942 they operated the Wellington II. The squadron then converted to the Halifax II

On 8-9 April 1942 their target was Hamburg. One aircraft lost

On 10-11 April 1942 they carried out a 'Nickel' op, dropping leaflets in the Lille region. One aircraft lost.

 

Sgt Whitbread and the rest of the crew probably wouldn't have been involved on the Hamburg mission because it's highly unlikely that a crew would be sent out on missions on consecutive nights. And nickling missions were usually individual affair or a very small number of aircraft, not squadron strength.

 

Hi Kyt, I think your right with that and he died on the 'Nickel' Op. Many thanks for your help with this, its really helped me, next step is to check the local newspaper archives to see if i can see any mention of him. Besides this and the National Archives can you recommend where else i'll be able to find further information about him?
Thanks again
Mike

 

I have some information on No 158 Squadron which I will sort and post.The Squadron finally settled down to be the only resident squadon to be based at Lissett,on the outskirts of Bridlington in East Yorkshire when it opened during late February 1943.

The squadron is active, at least its veterans are, and last met in East Yorkshire last September but were down to below 100 in total for the gathering.Their aircrew losses were nearly 900 during war and the squadron was one of these which by December 1945 had been disbanded.

Recently they erected a memorial to a crew lost in Bridlington Bay without survivors.

 

You guys are awesome. Thankyou all so much. Harry i look forward to reading what you have on the squadron. Owen this is great as i now know what he did, next stop the local library to see if they have anything on him and the rest of casualties you guys have helped me with. Anymore info will also be appreciated.
Thanks again guys
Mike

 

Squadron CO's 158 Squadron Crest

 

You guys are awesome. Thankyou all so much. Harry i look forward to reading what you have on the squadron. Owen this is great as i now know what he did, next stop the local library to see if they have anything on him and the rest of casualties you guys have helped me with. Anymore info will also be appreciated.
Thanks again guys
Mike


In their time at Lissett,No 158 Squadron despatched more than 1300 Halifax individual operations in 1943. By 1944 this figure had risen to 2633 Halifaxes despatched.More than 100 Halifaxes failed to return in 1944 alone. In the last few months of the war ,841 Halifaxes were despatched against 12 who failed to return.This squadron's targets were mostly directed against the German industrial targets

Total aircrew losses from its formation was 851 aircrew kia and these lie in cemeteries throughout Europe with 78 airmen having no known graves.Over 340 aircrew became POWs and 61 went on to be successful evaders and returned to the UK by various routes.

Friday the Thirteenth,LV 907 was a very famous aircraft which completed 128 operations but was soc after the war.Its name lives on with the Yorkshire Air Museum museum piece, LV 907 on display butis a rebuild of the fuselage of HR 792 and the wings of Hastings TG 536.As a new aircraft,LV 907 was delivered from HP and immediately went on to its first operation at the end of March 1944 to Nuremburg,a raid which resulted in disasterous losses for Bomber Command.From this date LV 907, completed 128 operations to the end of the war.One rear gunner who completed a tour on this aircraft relates it was a fine aircraft to handle and surprisingly revealed that he never had to fire his guns in anger throughout the tour.

Lissett was a target for Luffewaffe intruder raids and lost one aircraft withou survivors during the widespread intruder raids on Bomber Command airfields on 3 March 1945 when the Halifax was in circuit about to land.Other Halifax gunners having just landed,returned fire as the aircraft, thought to be a Junkers 88, strafed the airfield.Apparently the Station Commander,Group Captain Tom Sawyer in the watch tower at time manned a Bren,firing at the intruder from the watch tower roof.

Lissett was favourably placed being a few miles from the North Sea and was one of the Bomber Command's airfields which was nearest to German targets.It was only a few miles from the large Bomber Command emergency landing strip at Carnaby although there are no reports that the squadron ever used it in emergency.

In 2005, the squadron unveiled a memorial garden seat in the Park Resorts Caravan Park at Barmston to the crew of Halfax MZ 286 which crashed into Bridlington Bay off Barmston on 18 July 1944 minutes after taking off before daybreak for support operations against Caen,one of three squadron Halifaxes lost on this operation.

The squadron is remembered by a memorial erected on 9 Setember 1984 in the grounds of St James of Compostela Church in the village of Lissett. The squadron motto "Strength in Unity", crest and the sketch of a Halifax are inscribed on the memorial plaque.

During the past year,23 veterans have passed away but reunions still attract ex wartime squadron members from Australia,the US, Canada and the UK. Last year 30 ex members of the squadron met with 60 associates at Bridlington for the annual reunion which how been locally based to Lissett for nearly 30 years.

 

Harry,
That is an awesome mine of information, you must have followed 158 Sqn through your research. Thankyou for this, its given me an idea.
Regards
Mike

 

Going through my spreadsheet data on RAAF deaths in ww2, I have so far come across four deaths from 158 squadron.


FL/S McLEOD, GRAHAM ALBERT GEORGE 24/8/1943 - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery

FL/S HARBER, HARLEY CECIL 24/8/1943 - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery

P/O HILTON, RAYMOND WILLIAM - 18/2/1944 - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery

FL/L CRANMER, PAUL AUGUSTUS - 13/8/1944 - Becklingen War Cemetery

 

McLeod & Hornibrook
Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

Harber & Burgum (the site has him down as Barber)
Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

Hilton:
Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

Cranmer:
Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

 

There is to be a new memorial unveiled at Lissett on 16 May next.Apparently it is to be a metal one with 7 members of a Lancaster crew depicted in its outline.On the memorial will be the individal names in metal of those 851 members who lost their lives while serving with Royal Air Force No 158 Squadron at Lissett.

Looking at the BBMF Lancaster PA 474 programme, it should be overhead performing a number of passes in salute at 1315hrs.

 

See Bill Chorley's book " In Brave Company" published by Midland Counties , revised and republished in 1990 it should (may) still be available.
It gives a very complete and detailed history of the Squadron , all iarcraft lost , a complete index of all crews lost, causes and operations flown by the Squadron , it is the only history as yet written on the Squadron.
Having has some contavct with Bill in the past I can only say he is an utter and complete gentleman.



Harry mentions Tom Sawyer - he wrote a good book on ops called "Only Owls and Bloody Fools Fly At Night".

Some photos of the memorial in Lisset Churchyard and the base as it is now can be seen here.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/15778-family-war.html

The base itself is mostly gone although some of the dispersed sites are still in being , used by local farmers mostly or just slowly falling apart.

The attached copy is from "Action Stations Vol.4 - Military Airfields of Yorkshire". ( Bruce Barrymore Halpenny, PSL. 1982).

The Halifax attacked by the intruder ( Operation Gisela) was R/158 , she was hit by 25 cannon shells but managed to land safely.
( See"Intruders Over Britain" by Simon Parry. Air Research 1987).

A Ju-88 crashed near to Lisset , close to the base at Elvington on the same night.

 

Was his name Basil E Whitbread if so I have a photo of his name engraved on the new memorial, I was just scanning my photos that I took the other week and spotted his name. I can send a copy if you like?

Simon