No. 578 Squadron

Motto: "Accuracy".
Badge: An arrow in pale, the point downwards, cleft by another. The badge and motto are indicative of the accuracy which the squadron claimed for its bombing.
Authority: King George VI, February 1945.

No. 578 Squadron was formed at Snaith, Yorkshire, on 14th January 1944, as a heavy bomber squadron equipped with Handley Page Halifax B.III aircraft. It began operations on 20th/21st January 1944, and between that date and 15th March 1945, flew 2,721 operational sorties-all of them with No. 4 Group. On 15th April 1945, it disbanded.

Among the various decorations won by No 578 was a Victoria Cross; it was awarded posthumously to Pilot Officer CJ Barton who displayed great gallantry in bringing home a crippled aircraft from Nuremberg on 30th/31st March 1944.

Two of the squadron's Halifaxes passed the century mark on operations: LW587 (successively identified as "V" and "A") and MZ527 ("W" and "D"). They flew 104 and 105 operations respectively, and logged their 100th trips (as "A" and "D") on the same night-3rd/4th March 1945, when they bombed Kamen.

Bomber Command WWII Bases: Formed 14.1.44 as No. 578(B) Sqnfrom "C" Flt of No. 51 Sqnat

• Snaith : Jan 1944-Feb 1944
• Burn : Feb 1944-Apr 1945

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Handley Page Halifax B.III : Jan 1944-Mar 1945

Code Letters:

• "LK"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 20th/ 21st January 1944 : 5 Halifaxes (3 definitely 578 Sqn a/c 1 borrowed from 51 Sqn & 1 unidentified) bombed Berlin & another Halifax (a 51 Sqn a/c) aborted.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 13th March 1945 : 13 Halifaxes bombed Wuppertal & another Halifax aborted.

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