Service History

Formed from No. 1419 Flight in August 1941 as served as the first Special Duties squadron fro Resistance operations.  Administered by No. 3 Group, the squadron operations were to some part controlled by No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group. In March 1945 the squadron’s Special Duties operations were disbanded and the status was returned to a normal bomber squadron within No. 3 Group

Squadron Identity Letters

Stations

AC

Newmarket, Stradishall, Tempsford, Tuddenham

Logistics

Operational Performance

Operational Sorties And Losses

Group

Aircraft

Bombing Targets Tasked

Mine Laying Areas Tasked

Leaflets

Total Sorties

Flown

Aircraft Lost

Percent

3 GP

Halifax

Full operational record is incomplete due to lack of accurate record keeping in the early part of the war

1788

69

2.70

3 GP

Stirling

503

3 GP

Whitley

219

3 GP

Lysander

64

3 GP

Liberators

3

3 GP

Wellington

1

3 GP

Lancaster

9

0

0

105

1

1.00

Of Note:

Flew a variety of aircraft including Halifax and Stirling dropping supplies and agents by parachute and Lysander’s for the delivery and collection of agents and urgent packages to or from landing grounds in occupied countries.

428 Operations carried out in support of Resistance movement

Lancaster bombing role from March to May 1945 only

Carried out more operations in support of the Resistance than any other squadron

Had Czechoslovakian airmen amongst its air crews in late 1941

Memorial