No. 178 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a bomber unit based in Egypt, Libya and Italy in World War II.
| No. 178 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 No. 178 Squadron ground crew preparing to load a Liberator bomber with mines | |
| Active | 15 Jan 1943 – 15 April 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Irae emissarii (Emissaries of wrath)[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge[a][2] |  |
History
editFormation in World War II
edit
The Squadron was equipped with Liberators at Shandur, Egypt on 15 January 1943 and then moved to Libya, then Italy from March 1944. The squadron was actively involved in the air drop operations in support of the besieged Polish Home Army in Warsaw in 1944.
Postwar
editIn November 1945 the Liberators were replaced by Lancasters at Fayid, Egypt. It was disbanded upon renumbering as No. 70 Squadron RAF on 15 April 1946.
Aircraft operated
edit| From | To | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1943 | Dec 1943 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | II |
| May 1943 | Sep 1943 | Handley Page Halifax | II |
| Sep 1943 | Jul 1944 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | III |
| Jan 1944 | Jan 1946 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | VI |
| Nov 1945 | Apr 1946 | Avro Lancaster | III |
References
edit- Notes
- ^ An erased lion holding a flash of lightning.
- Citations
- ^ Pine, L G (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & K. Paul. p. 116. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ "178 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017.
- ^ C.G.Jefford (1988). RAF Squadrons. UK Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.