550 Squadron RAF

Per ignem vincimus - Through fire we conquer

"The fighters are our salvation but the bombers alone provide the means of victory"
Winston Churchill
September 1940

550 Squadron Formation

No. 550 Squadron RAF was formed at Waltham, near Grimsby, in November 1943, as a Lancaster heavy-bomber squadron in No. 1 Group and began operations that same month. Early in the New Year it moved to North Killingholme - also near Grimsby - and from there continued to play its part in the bomber offensive until late April 1945, when it switched to dropping food to the starving Dutch people.

Roll of Honour

"Remember The Many"

Squadron History

550 Squadron Crest
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Brief history of 550 Squadron

Squadron Memorials

550 Squadron Memorial Window

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The stained glass window dedicated to 550 Squadron in
St Denys' Church, North Killingholme.

Squadron Association

550 Squadron Crest
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550 Squadron and North Killingholme Association

Reunions

550 Squadron Reunions over the years
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Remembrance

Remembrance Sunday 2023
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North Killingholme

St Denys' Church, North Killingholme
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Association Museum

550 Squadron Association Museum
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Association Newsletter

550 Squadron Association Newsletter
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St Denys' Church

St Denys' Church, North Killingholme
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Service Men and Operations

550 Squadron Information
List of detailed reports on 550 Squadron Service Personnel, operations, etc
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Lists of: Service Personnel      Operations      Aircraft

Roll of Honour: Basic     Detailed/extended

Cemeteries: Alphabetic list     Sorted country list     Single country (e.g. NL)

Log Books

Lancaster air-crew log books and service histories
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Photos

Photos of RAF 550 Squadron 1944-1945
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Photos continue to arrive and appear online here

Politz Raid 08/02/45

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Aschaffenburg Raid 21/11/1944
Last operation of The Phantom of the Ruhr

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Pforzheim Raid 23/02/45

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Special Order Of The Day, V E Day

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All His fault ... a log book says it all

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PoW Responsibilities

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"The Crew who Started D-Day" F/O K Bowen-Bravery CdG DFC and Crew
BQ-J, Bad Penny II	CdG Citation

The Phantom of the Ruhr - 2007 Unveiling

Unveiling of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster in April 2007
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The Phantom of the Ruhr - Photos

BBMF Lancaster BQ-B
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BBMF Lancaster - Photos

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster
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550 Squadron: FTR

550 Squadron Lancasters (that failed to return)
Request for information
(click on picture)

IBCC Digital Archive

IBCC Digital Archive
Archive of interviews with 550 veterans
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Thirty Missions by Roger Kirby

Thirty Missions by Roger Kirby
Roger Kirby's tribute to his father and to RAF Bomber Command
More information at http://www.30missions.com/.
Daily Telegraph review (2008) describes the background
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Bomber Command Memorial

Arrived Green Park: May 2012 Unveiled: June 2012
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Unveiling of Bomber Command Memorial

Poppy Salute 28th June 2012
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Bomber Command Memorial Virtual Service

31 October 2021 at 12 noon
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Books and Magazines

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Bomber Command Clasp

For those who flew at least one operational mission over Germany and France

PLUS: Bomber Command Clasp Presentations
By Prime Minister Cameron: 550 Squadron represented
(click on picture)

Searching for Information?

RAF Squadrons and Bomber Command information
There is a large amount of information about RAF Bomber Command
available on the Web
(click on picture)

Requests For Information
Request for information on Sgts Sheridan and McVey killed 4th October 1944 in NF963 on a training flight with the F/O S H Hayter crew. Both men were from Scotland and are buried in Glasgow and Lanarkshire repectively. For more details click here. If you can help with information on any of the requests then do please contact the web-site.
A mounted copy of an original Phantom of The Ruhr print has been given to the 550 Museum. Over the years the Association has received many requests for information such as concerning the above print or about individual air-crew, aircraft, operations, etc. You can find many of these queries on the requests for information page. If you can help with information on any of the requests then do please contact the web-site.

Requests For Information

Request for information on Sgts Sheridan and McVey killed 4th October 1944 in NF963 on a training flight with the F/O S H Hayter crew. Both men were from Scotland and are buried in Glasgow and Lanarkshire repectively.

For more details click here.

If you can help with information on any of the requests then do please contact the web-site.

A mounted copy of an original Phantom of The Ruhr print has been given to the 550 Museum.

Over the years the Association has received many requests for information such as concerning the above print or about individual air-crew, aircraft, operations, etc. You can find many of these queries on the requests for information page.

If you can help with information on any of the requests then do please contact the web-site.

In The Media
TV and Newspaper Items A collection of items that have appeared on TV, on the radio or in newspapers, some specifically about 550 Squadron or North Killingholme, and others more generally about Bomber Command. Follow this link.

Royal British Legion

Royal British Legion
Shoulder to shoulder with all who serve
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Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day 2023 Saturday 24th June
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The men and women of our Armed Forces, past and present, deserve our remembrance and appreciation.

The 2023 National Event to be hosted by Cornwall Council in Falmouth on Saturday 24th June 2023.
Local, and virtual, events will be taking place across the country.

To get involved, visit the Armed Forces Day National Event web-page.

Help for Heroes

A charity for the wounded in Britain's current conflicts.
It is all about the men and women of the Armed Forces.
Practical, direct support for our wounded.
See how you can help.
(click on picture)

Miscellaneous
Association Contacts 550 Squadron Association contact names/details are available here	Web-site information Web-site information, including the details associated with setting up the web-site, contact information and reference sites hosted on the same server(s) is available from the here Note that the web-pages have been defined/implemented principally for viewing on PC (laptop or desktop) on web browsers, and have not been adapted for viewing on mobile devices (smart-phones, tablets). Re-engineering pages for better viewing on mobile devices remains a future aspiration. The (technical) server details are outlined here.

Miscellaneous

Association Contacts

550 Squadron Association contact names/details are available here

Web-site information

Web-site information, including the details associated with setting up the web-site, contact information and reference sites hosted on the same server(s) is available from the here
Note that the web-pages have been defined/implemented principally for viewing on PC (laptop or desktop) on web browsers, and have not been adapted for viewing on mobile devices (smart-phones, tablets). Re-engineering pages for better viewing on mobile devices remains a future aspiration.
The (technical) server details are outlined here.

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