No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force

No 55 squadron formed at Castle Bromwich on the 27th April 1916 as a training squadron but in January 1917 converted to a bomber squadron with the arrival of the DH4 day bomber. It proceeded to France in March 1917. As part of the Independent Air Force, 55 Squadron was tasked with long distance bombing raids into Germany. Following the Armistice, 55 Squadron was briefly used to run airmail services to British forces, before returning to the United Kingdom and disbanding on 22th January 1920.
The Squadron reformed on 1 February 1920, when No. 142 bomber Squadron, based at Suez was renumbered. It it transferred to Turkey in July 1920 to support British forces occupying Constantinople and the Dardanelles, but moved to Hinaidi near Bagdhad in Iraq in September that year.
It was re-equipped at RAF Habbiniya in March 1939 with twin-engined Bristol Blenheim bombers, and transferred to Ismailia in Egypt just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Airfields used by No.55 Squadron during the war:

August 1939-June 1940: Ismailia (Egypt)
June 1940-January 1941: Fuka
January 1941: LG.79
January-February 1941: Amseat
February 1941: Bu Amud
February-March 1941: Heliopolis
March-April 1941: Maraua
April 1941: Derna
April 1941: Gazala North
April 1941: Great Gambut
April-May 1941: Matten Bagush
May-June 1941: LG.95
June-July 1941: Helwan
July-August 1941: LG.100 Wadi Natrun
August-September 1941: Aqir
September 1941-January 1942: Fuka
January 1942: Bu Amud
January 1942: Benina
January 1942: Berka Main
January 1942: El Gubbi
January-February 1942: Gambut
February-March 1942: Fuka
March-April 1942: Helwan (conversion to Baltimores)
April-May 1942: Luxor
May-July 1942: LG.99 Amriya
July 1942: Ismailia
July-August 1942: LG.98
August 1942-March 1943: LG.86
March 1943: El Sirtan (Libya)
March-April 1943: Marsa Gardane (Tunisia)
April 1943: Medenine Main
April-June 1943: La Fauconnerie South
June 1943: Enfidaville
June-August 1943: Reyville
August 1943: Gela West (Sicily)
August-September 1943: Gerbini 3/ Sigonella
September-October 1943: Brindisi (Italy)
October 1943-January 1944: Foggia 1/ Celone
January-March 1944: Kabrit
March-May 1944: Biferno
May-June 1944: San Severo
June-July 1944: Tarquinia
July-October 1944: Cecina
October 1944: Perugia (re-equipped with Bostsons)
October 1944-January 1945: Marcianise
January-March 1945: Falconara
March-May 1945: Forli
May-September 1945: Aviano

September 1939 Patrols

11th June 1940 New Targets

11th June 1940 Italian airfield bombed

13th June 1940 Bombers told to hold back

14th June 1940 In Action

16th June 1940 Attack on Tobruk

4th August 1940 Melee

31st October 1940 Air battle over Mersa Matruh

21st January 1941 Assault on Tobruk

21st May 1941 Aircraft Lost

27th May 1941 Six aircraft lost in accidents

September 1941 Anti-Shipping Ops

20th October 1941 Two Blenheims lost

March 1942 Conversion

12th May 1943 Bombing Raid

August 1943 Relocation

September 1943 Another Move

October 1944 Re-Equipping

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Those known to have served with
No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Finney DSO. Francis. A/Sqn.Ldr.
Holman Richard Woodman George.
Partington Edward Seabrook. F/Sgt.
Tofts Robert Arthur. Flt.Lt.

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. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.

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Want to know more about No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force?

There are:2018 items tagged No. 55 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.

Richard Woodman George Holman 55 Squadron

My father, Dick Holman was stationed at an airfield in Norway at some time during WW2. Every day, the lookout was killed by enemy fire. Each morning, the commanding officer asked for a volunteer to take over that post. And every morning, every man stepped forward ... To mark their heroism, Dick carved a cross bearing the first two lines of the poem which begins "There is some corner of a foreign field which is forever England..."

Rita Mcfarlane

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F/Sgt. Edward Seabrook Partington 55 Squadron

Ted Partington is thought to be in the last allied aircraft to be shot down. The last aircraft he flew in as crew, in January 1946, was the BAe Mosquito, RR299, that crashed at Barton in July 1996.

Alan Partington

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Flt.Lt. Robert Arthur Tofts 114 Squadron

My father Robert Tofts was a sergeant in the Volunteer Reserves. He served with 114 Squadron in Blenheim IVs. His log books show a variety of aircraft and operations. He remained in the RAF until 1964 when he retired. He was also with 55 Squadron for a time. Whilst I have a variety of photographs I am attaching a picture of the entire 114 Squadron. I am not certain when this was taken but suspect it was circa 1940. I met Richard Rook (Dickie) who died approx 4-5 years ago. Some people may recognise some of members of the Squadron in this photograph. Father was commissioned in 1944 and retired as a Flt/lt.
I also attach two photgraphs of my father (extreme left) with W/C Monson, Flt/Lt Adam and Flt/Lt Bedford. This was taken in January 1946 in Elmas, Sardinia. The aircraft is a Buckingham which was on a test flight at the time.

Ian Tofts

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A/Sqn.Ldr. Francis Finney DSO. 114 Sqd.

My father was Frank Finney. At the beginning of WW2 he was sent to be a flying instructor in Rhodesia and South Africa, then in 1943 he travelled north through Africa, by land and sea, to Egypt where he converted onto Baltimores. Then he joined 55 and later 114 Sqns, converted to Boston III, then IV and finally in early 1945 to Boston V, as they progressed through Italy when the Germans retreated. The task was to hinder the Germans as much as possible. There was much 'flak'.
In Feb 1945 my father led a raid on railway marshalling yards and his a/c was set alight by flak. His comms with the crew in the belly of the a/c ceased to operate and although he gave the command to bale out, he was unaware if this had happened so felt unable to bale out himself and elected to stay with the a/c as long as possible. The heat was intense and the a/c was at imminent risk of explosion owing to the proximity of flames and fuel. Nevertheless he got back to the nearest airfield across the line and managed to pump down the under carriage manually although he had no idea whether it had lowered or not or if the tyres were OK. But he landed successfully. The charred remains of the mid-upper gunner were in the fuselage but the other 2 crew had gone. It was discovered later that one had been hidden and repatriated by Partisans whilst the other had died owing to a burning 'chute. Flt Lt Finney was awarded the DSO and given acting rank of Sqn Ldr.
The Wing was at Aviano, NE Italy, when the war ended. Sqn Ldr Finney, having been overseas since 1940, was repatriated in May 45, flying a Boston to Marseilles to catch a troopship. Little did he realise that day, it was to be his final flight in the RAF. His pre-war civilian employers, discovering he was home on leave, asked the Air Ministry to release him, this was agreed and he found himself back as Clerk of the County Court in Stoke. Frank Finney died aged 87 in 2005.

Steve Finney

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No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with
No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project - No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force

Logbooks

Those known to have served with No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Forceduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force?

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force
during the Second World War 1939-1945.