Page 3 - 150 Squadron History

st
150 Squadron, R.F.C, was formed at Salonika, Macedonia, on 1 April 1918, as a
fighter squadron and subsequently operated in both Macedonia and Turkey.
Disbanded in 1919 it was re-formed in England as a bomber squadron in 1938 and
equipped with Fairey Battles.

In the early months of the Second World War the Squadron served with the
Advanced Air Striking Force in France and in May 1940, was one of the Battle
squadrons that attacked the Meuse bridges in an attempt to stem the German
advance. It was withdrawn to England in June 1940, and by the end of the year was
flying Wellingtons and playing its part in the strategic night-bombing offensive. In
December 1942, after having flown 1,717 sorties from the United Kingdom with
Battles and Wellingtons, the Squadron moved to North Africa and subsequently took
part in the Tunisian, Sicilian and Italian campaigns.

150 Squadron was disbanded (in Italy) early in October 1944, but re-formed at RAF
Fiskerton a few weeks later as a Lancaster heavy bomber squadron, leaving
Fiskerton on the 22 November 1944 for its new base at RAF Hemswell, also in
nd
North Lincolnshire.
th
th
Between 11 November 1944 and 25 April 1945, the Squadron flew 827
operational sorties, and dropped more than 3,827 tons of bombs on enemy targets.
In so doing it lost 8 aircraft and 40 aircrew. After finishing bombing operations the
Squadron was employed on dropping food supplies to the starving Dutch people,
transporting ex-P0W's from Belgium to England, and also ferrying personnel from
Italy to this country.

st
th
The Squadron was disbanded on 7 November 1945; on 1 August 1959, it
reformed as a Thor Intermediate Ballistic Missile Squadron at Carnaby, disbanding
again on 9 April 1963.
th