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No. 578 Squadron RAF

No. 578 Squadron RAF
578 Squadron RAF Halifax aircrew AWM P03759.001.jpg
578 Squadron aircrew in front of their Handley Page Halifax
Active 14 January 1944 – 15 April 1945
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Air Force Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Air Force
Role Bomber squadron
Part of No. 4 Group RAF, Bomber Command
Motto(s) Accuracy
Battle honours France and Germany, 1944–1945
Honours marked with an asterisk* are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry An arrow in pale, the point downwards, cleft by another
Squadron Codes LK (Jan 1944 – Apr 1945)
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.

578 Squadron was formed at RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire on 14 January 1944 from 'C' flight of No. 51 Squadron RAF, 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.

The first Commanding Officer was W/Cdr. D.S.S. Wilkerson, DSO, DFC and the aircrew included Pilot Officer Cyril Joe Barton, VC.

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


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