No. 159 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 159 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force
Squadron that was active as a Bomber
, Mine-laying, Reconnaissance
and Transport
unit in World War II
.
.
on 2 July 1942 during the Second World War and its ground crew personnel were posted, without aircraft, to the Middle East on 12 February 1942 and then to India on 18 May 1942. Flying B-24 Liberator
s, the squadron was posted to Palestine in July 1942 and carried out bombing raids in North Africa, Italy and Greece. No. 159 then flew to India on 30 September 1942. The first operation against the Japanese was on 17 November 1942, and during the rest of the war, the squadron flew mine-laying, bombing, and reconnaissance missions over Burma, Siam, Malaya
, Indo-China and the Dutch East Indies
. After the war, No.159 converted to transport and survey duties before disbanding on 1 June 1946.
, a wireless operator who served with 159 squadron, was awarded the George Cross
posthumously in 1948. Woodbridge had steadfastly refused to divulge his codes and other details of his radio equipment to his Japanese captors. Woodbridge was tortured and eventually beheaded along with three other members of his crew.
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 Bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
, Mine-laying, Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and Transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
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 in World War One
The original 159 Squadron was to be formed during the First World War, but the idea was disbanded so that reinforcements could be sent to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Reformation in World War II
No. 159 Squadron was reformed at RAF MolesworthRAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...
on 2 July 1942 during the Second World War and its ground crew personnel were posted, without aircraft, to the Middle East on 12 February 1942 and then to India on 18 May 1942. Flying B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s, the squadron was posted to Palestine in July 1942 and carried out bombing raids in North Africa, Italy and Greece. No. 159 then flew to India on 30 September 1942. The first operation against the Japanese was on 17 November 1942, and during the rest of the war, the squadron flew mine-laying, bombing, and reconnaissance missions over Burma, Siam, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, Indo-China and the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. After the war, No.159 converted to transport and survey duties before disbanding on 1 June 1946.
Stanley James Woodbridge, GC
Flight Sergeant Stanley James WoodbridgeStanley James Woodbridge
Flight Sergeant Stanley James Woodbridge, GC, was a British World War II recipient of the George Cross. He was born in Chelsea, London, and during World War II served as a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, with No...
, a wireless operator who served with 159 squadron, was awarded the George Cross
George Cross
The George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
posthumously in 1948. Woodbridge had steadfastly refused to divulge his codes and other details of his radio equipment to his Japanese captors. Woodbridge was tortured and eventually beheaded along with three other members of his crew.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1942 | August 1943 | Consolidated Liberator | Mk.II |
| August 1943 | February 1945 | Consolidated Liberator | Mks.III, V |
| March 1944 | July 1945 | Consolidated Liberator | Mk.VI |
| June 1945 | May 1946 | Consolidated Liberator | Mk.VIII |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 January 1942 | 12 February 1942 | RAF Molesworth RAF Molesworth RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s... , 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... |
Air echelon training at RAF Polebrook RAF Polebrook RAF Polebrook is a former World War II airfield located 3.5 miles east-south-east of Oundle, at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, UK. The airfield was built on Rothschild estate land starting in August 1940.... (1653 HCU) |
| 12 February 1942 | 15 April 1942 | En route to Middle East | (Ground echelon) |
| 15 April 1942 | 10 May 1942 | RAF Fayid RAF Fayid RAF Fayid is a former military airfield in Egypt, located approximately 23 km south of Ismailia ; 69 miles 116 km northeast of Cairo... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
(Ground Echelon, Air echelon 26 April to RAF Lyneham RAF Lyneham RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No... ) |
| 10 May 1942 | 24 May 1942 | En route to India | (Ground echelon, one element remained at Fayid) |
| 24 May 1942 | 1 June 1942 | RAF Deolali Deolali Deolali is a small hill station and a census town in Nashik district, Maharashtra. It has several army establishments including the School of Artillery of Indian Army and nearby Airforce station... , Maharashtra Maharashtra Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India... , British India |
|
| 1 June 1942 | 27 September 1942 | RAF Chakrata Chakrata Chakrata or Chakrauta is a cantonment town in Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.It is situated between the Tons and Yamuna rivers, at an elevation of 7000–7250 feet, 92 km from state capital, Dehradun, it was originally a cantonment of British Indian Army... , Uttarakhand Uttarakhand Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship... , British India |
(Ground echelon, Air echelon 7 June to RAF Fayid, Egypt; 2 July to RAF St Jean RAF St Jean RAF St Jean is a former military airfield in Israel, which is located approximately 4 km east-northeast of Acre and 100 km north-northeast of Tel Aviv.... , Palestine Palestine Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.... and 12 August to RAF Aqir, Palestine) |
| 27 September 1942 | 24 October 1943 | RAF Salbani Salboni Salboni is a town with a police station in Medinipur Sadar subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal... , West Bengal West Bengal West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP... , British India |
Ground and Air echelons joined |
| 24 October 1943 | 9 March 1944 | RAF Digri, Bengal Bengal Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous... , British India |
Det. at RAF Dhubalia Dhubulia Dhubulia is a village in Nadia district of West Bengal, India. It has the biggest tuberculosis Hospital in Asia. Belpukur is the oldest neighborhood in the village.- History :... , Bengal |
| 9 March 1944 | 15 April 1944 | RAF Dhubalia, Bengal, British India | Det. at Madhaiganj Madhoganj Madhoganj is a town and a nagar panchayat in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Madhoganj is located at . It has an average elevation of 131 metres .-Demographics:... , United Provinces United Provinces United Provinces may refer to:* United Provinces, another name for the Dutch Republic , now The Netherlands* United Provinces of Agra and Oudh , a former province of British India; now Uttar Pradesh... |
| 15 April 1944 | 2 October 1945 | RAF Digri, Bengal, British India | Dets. at Jessore, Akyab, Chian Bay, Drigh Road and Pegu |
| 2 October 1945 | 1 June 1946 | RAF Salbani, West Bengal, British India | Dets. at Pegu, Santa Cruz and Sookerating |
Commanding officers
| June 1944 | December 1944 | 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... James Blackburn James Blackburn (RAF officer) Wing Commander James Blackburn DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DFC was a Royal Air Force officer who completed a record five tours of operations during World War II.-Early life:... 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... & Bar Medal bar A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the... , 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... & Bar |
| December 1944 | April 1945 | W/Cdr. Byron Francis Burbridge |
| April 1945 | ? | W/Cdr. Lucian Brett Ercolani, DSO & Bar, DFC |