No. 358 Squadron RAF was a Bomber and Special duties squadron of the Royal Air Force flying with South East Asia Command from 1944 to 1945.
No. 358 Squadron RAF | |
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Active | 8 November 1944 – 19 November 1945 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Role | Bomber squadron Special duties |
Part of | No. 231 Group RAF, South East Asia Command[1] |
Motto(s) | Latin: Alere flammam (Translation: "To feed the flame")[2][3] |
Insignia | |
Squadron Badge heraldry | An arm embowed, holding in the hand a torch[3] The torch represents the spirit of freedom and the arm upholding it the role played by the squadron[2] |
Squadron Codes | TA (Nov 1944 – Dec 1944)[4][5] |
Aircraft flown | |
Bomber | Consolidated Liberator |
Trainer | Vickers Wellington |
The squadron was formed on 8 November 1944 at Kolar, India with personnel of the disbanded 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit. Its role was as a heavy bomber unit flying the Consolidated Liberator. The squadron performed only one bombing mission on 13 January 1945, bombing Mandalay and by then flying from Digri. Thereafter the squadron role changed to a special duties squadron,[2][3] starting operations as such in the night from 22 to 23 January 1945,[2][3] when 11 of the squadron's Liberators were dispatched on missions around Hanoi. Three aircraft were lost, with only two successfully completing their missions.[6] On 10 February 1945 the squadron moved to Jessore. For the rest of the war the squadron dropped agents and supplies to resistance groups in Japanese-held territory. After the Japanese surrender the squadron then dropped supplies to POW camps and repatriated released prisoners. It was disbanded on 21 November 1945 at Bishnupur.[3]
From | To | Aircraft | Version |
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November 1944 | December 1944 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.X |
December 1944 | November 1945 | Consolidated Liberator | Mk.VI |
From | To | Base |
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8 November 1944 | 3 January 1945 | RAF Kolar, Karnataka, British India |
3 January 1945 | 10 February 1945 | RAF Digri, Bengal, British India |
10 February 1945 | 19 November 1945 | RAF Jessore, Bengal, British India |
19 November 1945 | 21 November 1945 | RAF Bishnupur, Bengal, British India |