No. 578 Squadron RAF

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No. 578 Squadron RAF
578 Squadron RAF Halifax aircrew AWM P03759.001.jpg
578 Squadron aircrew in front of their Handley Page Halifax
Active14 January 1944 – 15 April 1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Royal Air Force
Role Bomber squadron
Part of No. 4 Group RAF, Bomber Command [1]
Motto(s)Accuracy [2] [3]
Battle honours France and Germany, 1944–1945
Honours marked with an asterisk* are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldryAn arrow in pale, the point downwards, cleft by another [2] [3]
Squadron CodesLK (Jan 1944 – Apr 1945) [4] [5]
Aircraft flown
Bomber Handley Page Halifax
Four-engined heavy bomber

No. 578 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

Contents

History

578 Squadron was formed at RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire on 14 January 1944 from 'C' flight of No. 51 Squadron RAF, [2] equipped with Halifax Mk.III bombers, as part of No. 4 Group RAF in Bomber Command. It transferred to RAF Burn, North Yorkshire in February, and was disbanded there on 15 April 1945. The squadron carried out 2,721 operational sorties with the Halifax for a loss 40 aircraft. [6]

Notable squadron members

The first commanding officer was W/Cdr. D.S.S. Wilkerson, DSO, DFC and the aircrew included Pilot Officer Cyril Joe Barton, VC. [7] [8]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 578 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [3] [9]
FromToAircraftVersion
January 1944March 1945 Handley-Page Halifax Mk.III

Notable aircraft

Two of the Halifaxes of 578 squadron passed the century mark and flew more than 100 operational sorties:

No. 578 Squadron RAF aircraft with the most number of operations, data from [10]
Serial no.NameOperationsCall-signFateRemarks
MZ527105LK-W, LK-DStruck off charge, April 1945
LW587104LK-V, LK-AScrapped, September 1946Did their 100th operation together, 3 March 1945

Squadron bases

bases and airfields used by no. 578 Squadron RAF, data from [2] [3] [9]
FromToBase
14 January 19446 February 1944 RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire
6 February 194415 April 1945 RAF Burn, North Yorkshire

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References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Bowyer, Michael J.F.; Rawlings, John D.R. (1979). Squadron Codes, 1937–56. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN   0-85059-364-6.
  • Delve, Ken (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN   1-85310-451-5.
  • Falconer, Jonathan (2003). Bomber Command Handbook, 1939–1945. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Sutton Publishing. ISBN   0-7509-3171-X.
  • Flintham, Vic; Thomas, Andrew (2003). Combat Codes: A Full Explanation and Listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied Air Force Unit Codes since 1938. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-84037-281-8.
  • Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN   0-85130-164-9.
  • Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-85310-053-6.
  • Jones, Geoffrey (1978). Raider: The Halifax and its Flyers. London: William Kimber & Co. Ltd. ISBN   0-7183-0066-1.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN   0-354-01027-1.

Further reading

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