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- No. 157 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 157 Squadron Royal Air Force



   No 157 Squadron was formed as a ground attack unit in July 1918, but never saw operational activity and was disbanded in February 1919.

It reformed at Debden on 13th December 1941, receiving Mosquitos the following month and becoming the first Mosquito night fighter squadron. No 157 patrolled East Anglia and Wales. In July 1943 Mosquito VI fighter bombers were added, taking part in intruder missions over France and the Netherlands. In November 1943 the squadron performed similar duties from Cornwall, and over the Irish Sea. In May 1944 it joined No 100 Group in Bomber Command and was fitted with SERRATE air borne radar to provide support for heavy bombers over Germany by flying sweeps in search of enemy night fighters.

Airfields No. 157 Squadron flew from:

  • RAF Debden, Essex from 13th December 1941
  • RAF Castle Camps, Essex from 18th December 1941 (Mosquito II)
  • RAF Bradwell Bay, Essex from the 15th March 1943
  • RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire from 13th May 19443
  • RAF Predannack, Cornwall from the 9th November 1943
    • Detachment to RAF Valley, Anglesey from the 26th March 1944.

Transferred to Bomber command 7th May 1944.

  • RAF Swannington, Norfolk from 7th May 1944 (Mosquito XIX)
    • Detachment to RAF West Malling, Kent from 21st July 1944 for anti-Diver operations
  • RAF Swannington from 28th August 1944 (Mosquito NF30)


 

13th December 1941 New night fighter Squadron formed

27th April 1942 Sacking of Norwich

19th May 1942 Mosquito crashed on landing

24th May 1942 Aircraft hits a bus

29th May 1942 Ditched

10th June 1942 Broke up in the air

2nd September 1942 Engine failure during take-off

12th December 1942 Hit a tree on exercise

23rd December 1942 Crashed on test flight

20th January 1943 Mosquito lost at sea

15th March 1943 Short move

23rd March 1943 Mysterious accident

13th May 1943 Relocated

3rd August 1943 Lost on night intruder mission

31st August 1943 Killed in air crash

9th November 1943 New area of operation

19th November 1943 USAAF crew with 157 Squadron missing

1st December 1943 Mosquito shot down in combat

3rd December 1943 New radar equipped fighter force approved

4th December 1943 Transfer to Bomber Command

28th December 1943 Accident in low cloud

7th January 1944 Airmen spend 6 days at sea

26th February 1944 Ground staff save navigator

26th March 1944 Detachment to Anglesey

7th May 1944 Relocated for new bomber protection role

June 1944 Luftwaffe responds to AI Radar development

13th July 1944 Ju88 captured

21st July 1944  Anti-diver operations

26th July 1944 Missing from V1 patrol

7th August 1944 Navy airmen killed

28th August 1944 Return of detachment

1st September 1944 Mid-air collision

16th September 1944 Failed to return

28th September 1944 Two Mosquitos destroyed

29th September 1944 Shot down during sea search

6th October 1944 Mosquito shot down over Belgium

19th October 1944 Friendly fire incident

20th Oct 1944 Award

24th December 1944 Monica installed

1st May 1945 Seven men killed on exercise


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



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Those known to have served with

No. 157 Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

  • Ashcroft Alfred Edward David. F/Lt (d.6th Oct 1944)
  • Astley Sydney. Fl.Lt./Pilot
  • Fry Peter William. F/O. (d.29th September 1944)
  • Smith Harry. F/O. (d.29th September 1944)

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of No. 157 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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Want to know more about No. 157 Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:2039 items tagged No. 157 Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


F/O. Harry Smith 157 Squadron (d.29th September 1944)

Flying Officer Harry Smith was the son of Harry and Pheobe Elma Smith of Hull. He was aged 20 when he died and is buried in the Oosterhesselen (Geesbrug) General Cemetery, Drenthe, Netherlands.

S Flynn



F/O. Peter William Fry 157 Squadron (d.29th September 1944)

Flying Officer (Pilot) William Fry was the son of Frank and Eva Frym husband of Margaret Fry of Rainham Mark, Gillingham, Kent. He was aged 25 when he died and is buried in the Oosterhesselen (Geesbrug) General Cemetery in Drenthe, Netherlands.

S Flynn



Fl.Lt./Pilot Sydney Astley 157 Sqdn.

Syd Astley was a Mosquito pilot night flyer. He died in 2012.

Janet Vaughan



F/Lt Alfred Edward David Ashcroft 157 Squadron (d.6th Oct 1944)

F/Lt Navigator Alfred E. D. Ashcroft, was killed in an air-crash with a Mosquito NF.MkXIX, serial number 678 of 157 Squadron, X1D: RS-A . His pilot William Vale was also killed. They were airborne at 1805 6 Oct 1944 from Swannington Airfield in support of the Main Force Dortmund operation.

Although the crash-site is unknown, my mother was a witness: it happened in Belgium, in the village of Drieslinter, Province: Vlaams-Brabant,at approximately 5 miles of the city Tienan (Tirlemont in French). I am looking for a photo of him and contact with any family members for the VVF Tienen Heritage Association.

Marc Lambeets







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