No. 157 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 157 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron that was active as a night fighter
unit in World War II
.
was formed on 14 July 1918 at RAF Upper Heyford
and was eventually equipped with Salamander
aircraft for ground support duties, but was disbanded on 1 February 1919 without becoming operational.
as a night fighter unit and after a delay was equipped with the latest Mosquito
night-fighter aircraft at RAF Castle Camps
. The squadron flew patrols over East Anglia and by July 1943, when the squadron had moved to RAF Hunsdon, the squadron began intruder attacks on German fighter bases with their new Mosquito Mk.VIs. In November 1943 it moved to RAF Predannack in Cornwall
, closer to the German bases. In March 1944 it moved to RAF Valley where the squadron flew defensive patrols over the Irish Sea. In May 1944 it moved back to East Anglia, receiving Mosquito Mk.XIXs and providing support to bomber streams as part of No. 100 Group RAF
. It disbanded on 16 August 1945 at RAF Swannington
.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Squadron that was active as a night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
unit in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation and World War I
No. 157 Squadron Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
was formed on 14 July 1918 at RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
and was eventually equipped with Salamander
Sopwith Salamander
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography...
aircraft for ground support duties, but was disbanded on 1 February 1919 without becoming operational.
Reformation in World War II
The squadron reformed in December 1941 at RAF DebdenRAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
as a night fighter unit and after a delay was equipped with the latest Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
night-fighter aircraft at RAF Castle Camps
RAF Castle Camps
-World War II:RAF Castle Camps was listed as being in Cambridgeshire as it is close to its namesake Cambridgeshire village. It is very near the Suffolk border and the airfield straddled the Essex and Cambridgeshire county border. Construction of the station was started in September 1939...
. The squadron flew patrols over East Anglia and by July 1943, when the squadron had moved to RAF Hunsdon, the squadron began intruder attacks on German fighter bases with their new Mosquito Mk.VIs. In November 1943 it moved to RAF Predannack in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, closer to the German bases. In March 1944 it moved to RAF Valley where the squadron flew defensive patrols over the Irish Sea. In May 1944 it moved back to East Anglia, receiving Mosquito Mk.XIXs and providing support to bomber streams as part of No. 100 Group RAF
No. 100 Group RAF
No. 100 Group was a special duties group within RAF Bomber Command.It was formed on 11 November 1943 to consolidate the increasingly complex business of electronic warfare and countermeasures within one organisation. The group was responsible for the development, operational trial and use of...
. It disbanded on 16 August 1945 at RAF Swannington
RAF Swannington
RAF Swannington was a World War II era airfield located just to the north of the Norfolk village of Swannington, England, also occupying a substantial part of the neighbouring parish of Brandiston. It was opened in April 1944 and sold in 1957, though the RAF left in November 1947. The site is now...
.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 1918 | February 1919 | Sopwith Salamander Sopwith Salamander -See also:-References:NotesBibliography... |
|
| January 1942 | June 1944 | de Havilland Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"... |
Mk.II |
| July 1943 | April 1944 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.VI |
| May 1944 | May 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XIX |
| February 1945 | August 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito | Mk.XXX |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 July 1918 | 1 February 1919 | RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training... , Oxfordshire Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire .... |
|
| 13 December 1941 | 17 December 1941 | RAF Debden RAF Debden RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:... , Essex Essex Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west... |
|
| 17 December 1941 | 15 March 1943 | RAF Castle Camps RAF Castle Camps -World War II:RAF Castle Camps was listed as being in Cambridgeshire as it is close to its namesake Cambridgeshire village. It is very near the Suffolk border and the airfield straddled the Essex and Cambridgeshire county border. Construction of the station was started in September 1939... , Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west... |
|
| 15 March 1943 | 13 May 1943 | RAF Bradwell Bay Bradwell-on-Sea Bradwell-on-Sea is a village in Essex, England. The village is on the Dengie peninsula. It is located about north-northeast of Southminster and is east from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the District of Maldon in the parliamentary constituency of Maldon whose boundaries were... , Essex |
|
| 13 May 1943 | 9 Novemebr 1943 | RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and... |
|
| 9 November 1943 | 26 March 1944 | RAF Predannack, Cornwall Cornwall Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of... |
|
| 26 March 1944 | 7 May 1944 | RAF Valley RAF Valley RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training... , Anglesey Anglesey Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
|
| 7 May 1944 | 21 July 1944 | RAF Swannington RAF Swannington RAF Swannington was a World War II era airfield located just to the north of the Norfolk village of Swannington, England, also occupying a substantial part of the neighbouring parish of Brandiston. It was opened in April 1944 and sold in 1957, though the RAF left in November 1947. The site is now... , Norfolk Norfolk Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county... |
|
| 21 July 1944 | 28 August 1944 | RAF West Malling RAF West Malling RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force station near West Malling in Kent, England.Originally used as a landing area during the first World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling... , Kent Kent Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of... |
|
| 28 August 1944 | 16 August 1945 | RAF Swannington, Norfolk |
Commanding officers
| December 1941 | January 1943 | W/Cdr. Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... R.G. Slade |
| January 1943 | August 1943 | W/Cdr. V.J. Wheeler Vashon James Wheeler Wing Commander Vashon James 'Pop' Wheeler, MC & Bar, DFC & Bar , was a former British Army and Royal Air Force officer who served as an infantry officer in both World War I and the North Russia Intervention and then as a fighter and bomber pilot in World War II.-Early life:Vashon James Wheeler was... , MC Military Cross The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.... , DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| August 1943 | March 1944 | W/Cdr. J.A. Mackie |
| March 1944 | June 1944 | W/Cdr. H.D.U. Denison |
| June 1944 | September 1944 | W/Cdr. W.K. Davison |
| September 1944 | August 1945 | W/Cdr. K.H.P. Beauchamp, DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... , DFC |