No. 578 Squadron RAF
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United Kingdom
Royal Air Force| No. 578 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 578 Squadron aircrew in front of their Handley Page Halifax | |
| Active | 14 January 1944 – 15 April 1945 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | 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 heraldry | An arrow in pale, the point downwards, cleft by another[2][3] |
| Squadron Codes | LK (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.
Notable squadron members
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]
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
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1944 | March 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:
| Serial no. | Name | Operations | Call-sign | Fate | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MZ527 | 105 | LK-W, LK-D | Struck off charge, April 1945 | ||
| LW587 | 104 | LK-V, LK-A | Scrapped, September 1946 | Did their 100th operation together, 3 March 1945 |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 14 January 1944 | 6 February 1944 | RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| 6 February 1944 | 15 April 1945 | RAF Burn, North Yorkshire |
