| No. 148 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 148 SquadronHalifax loaded with supplies reading for dropping toYugoslav Partisans, at Brindisi, Italy | |
| Active | 1918–19 1937–1940 1940 1940–42 1943–46 1946–55 1956–65 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Motto | Trusty[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge[a][2] |  |
No. 148 Squadron was a squadron of theRoyal Air Force disbanded and re-established several times since theFirst World War, until its dissolution on 1 May 1965. During theSecond World War, the squadron operated as a Special Duties squadron performing partisan supply missions and working closely with theSpecial Operations Executive for agent drop and pick-up operations.
The squadron was formed atAndover Aerodrome on 10 February 1918, it moved toFord Junction Aerodrome on 1 March 1918 where it was equipped with theRoyal Aircraft Factory FE.2b and moved to France on 25 April 1918. On 20 May, the squadron carried out a low-altitude bombing raid on theRumbeke airfield scoring direct hits on hangars. On the night of 4 November, it also bombed theMons railway station. It returned to the UK on 17 February 1919 and disbanded atRAF Tangmere on 4 July 1919.[2][3]
It was reformed atRAF Scampton on 7 June 1937 with theHawker Audax and theVickers Wellesley and moved twice before being disbanded and merged intoNo. 15 Operational Training Unit on 8 April 1940.[3] While atRAF Stradishall in 1938, it was converted to a night bomber unit and equipped with theVickers Wellesley bombers fromNo. 99 Squadron. In 1939, it receivedVickers Wellington bombers and took part in a mass flight of theBomber Command toBordeaux and back in July of the same year.[2]
After Italy entered into the war, RAF bomber detachments were sent toMalta to attack targets inNorth Africa and Italy. In December 1940, No. 148 Squadron was reformed by merging three detachments from theNos 38, 99, and115 Squadrons atRAF Luqa. After moving to Egypt, the squadron supported theEighth Army in theNorth African campaign. Moved back to Malta in December 1942, the squadron was disbanded with its crews and aircraft being transferred to other units.[2][4]
With the expansion of theRoyal Air Force Special Duties Service, the unit was reformed in 1943 asNo. 148 (Special Duties) Squadron equipped withHandley Page Halifax andConsolidated Liberator bombers. As a special duties squadron, the unit's aircraft dropped supplies to partisans in southernFrance, Italy, theBalkans, andPoland. Working closely with theSOE, the squadron also parachuted agents to various locations in Europe, while its flight ofWestland Lysanders under the command ofPeter Vaughan-Fowler did agent pick-up operations toGreece,Yugoslavia and southern France. When it was not needed for these kinds of missions, No. 148 took part in regular bombing raids.[4][5]
After the squadron was moved toBrindisi in 1944, it assisted theNo. 1586 (Polish Special Duties) Flight by supplying ammunition, fuel and aircraft, as theNo. 138 Squadron could no longer supply the Polish Flight due to distance. The 1586 Special Flight remained with No. 148 until it was reformed as theNo. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron in November 1944.[4]
Assigned to 334 Wing of theNo. 205 Group together withNo. 178 Squadron, the squadron participated in theWarsaw airlift in August 1944[6] and suffered heavy losses during this mission. The unit continued its work through the end of the war.[4]
The squadron moved to Egypt after the war and was disbanded on 16 January 1946. Reformed in November 1946, it operatedAvro Lancasters until January 1950 when the aircraft were replaced byAvro Lincolns. It was disbanded again on 1 July 1955. From 1 July 1956 until 1 May 1965, No. 148 operated theVickers Valiant nuclear bomber out ofRAF Marham,Norfolk. In October 1956, it was detached to Malta and participated in theSuez Crisis.[2][3]
| From | Aircraft | Variant |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b | |
| 1937 | Hawker Audax | |
| 1937 | Vickers Wellesley | |
| 1938 | Handley Page Heyford | III |
| Mar 1939 | Vickers Wellington | I |
| Apr 1939 | Avro Anson | I |
| Dec 1940 | Vickers Wellington | IC |
| Sep 1941 | Vickers Wellington | II |
| Mar 1943 | Consolidated Liberator | II |
| Mar 1943 | Handley Page Halifax | II |
| Feb 1944 | Westland Lysander | IIIA |
| Aug 1944 | Handley Page Halifax | V |
| Nov 1944 | Short Stirling | IV |
| Mar 1945 | Consolidated Liberator | VI |
| 1946 | Avro Lancaster | B.1 (FE) |
| 1949 | Avro Lincoln | B.2 |
| 1956 | Vickers Valiant | B1 and B(K).1 |
| 1957 | Vickers Valiant | B(PR).1 |
| 1958 | Vickers Valiant | B(PR)K.1 |
Records from 58RSU indicate 148 Sqdn also operatedBristol Blenheims as 58RSU carried out an engine change on Blenheim Z6157 of 148 Sqdn at Maryut in July 1943, after which it was flown to Heliopolis.[7]
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 10 March 1938 | 4 September 1939 | RAF Stradishall |
| 4 September 1939 | 4 April 1940 | RAF Harwell |
| 30 April 1940 | 23 June 1940 | RAF Stradishall |
| 14 December 1940 | 9 March 1941 | RAF Luqa |
| 9 March 1941 | 19 April 1942 | RAF Kabrit |
| 19 April 1942 | 26 June 1942 | LG-106 |
| 26 June 1942 | 9 August 1942 | RAF Kabrit |
| 9 August 1942 | 14 November 1942 | LG-237 |
| 14 November 1942 | 1 December 1942 | LG-009 |
| 1 December 1942 | 7 December 1942 | LG-167 |
| 7 December 1942 | 14 December 1942 | RAF Luqa |
| 14 March 1943 | 5 April 1943 | RAF Gambut |
| 5 April 1943 | 2 September 1943 | RAF Derna |
| 2 September 1943 | 31 January 1944 | Tocra |
| 31 January 1944 | 28 June 1945 | Brindisi |
| 1 July 1956 | 1 May 1965 | RAF Marham |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
