No. 357 Squadron was a
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
squadron of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
it was involved in supplying Allied ground forces operating behind enemy lines, in the
South-East Asian theatre
The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II consisted of the campaigns of the Pacific War in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Indochina, Burma, India, Malaya and Singapore between 1941 to 1945.
Japan attacked British and American terr ...
.
History
The squadron was formed on 1 February 1944 at
Digri
Digri ( sd, ڊگھڙي, ur, ڈگری) is a Tehsil in Mirpur Khas District Sindh, Pakistan. It is the second largest town of Mirpurkhas District.
Geography
Digri is connected to several towns by main roads:
* Tando Ghulam Ali Road (Disstt Badin) ...
,
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
, from
No. 1576 (Special Duties) Flight as an expansion of the
Royal Air Force Special Duty Service
The Royal Air Force Special Duties (SD) Service was a secret air service created to provide air transport to support the resistance movement in Axis controlled territories. The service helped develop and support the resistance by bringing in agen ...
. The squadron was equipped with
Consolidated Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
and
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and prim ...
aircraft, which formed "A" Flight, whilst "B" Flight consisted of four
Consolidated Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
aircraft operated by the squadron from
Red Hills Lake
Pulhal aeri, or Pulhal lake, sometimes spelled Puzhal lake, also known as the Red Hills Lake, is located in Red Hills, Chennai, India. It lies in Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu state. It is one of the two rain-fed reservoirs from where wa ...
,
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. The Catalina flight became
No. 628 Squadron on 21 March 1944. On 15 September 1944, No. 357 Squadron moved to Jessore, Bengal. Operational flights dropping small numbers of agents and equipment into Malaya began in November 1944 using the squadrons Liberators. The flights in early 1945 were to locations in
Kelatan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in th ...
and
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
. Later flights were reaching as far south as
Batu Pahat
The Batu Pahat District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies southeast of Muar, southwest of Kluang, northwest of Pontian, south of Segamat and Tangkak District. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram.
Geography
...
and
Kota Tinggi
Kota Tinggi is a town and capital of Kota Tinggi District, Johor, Malaysia. Kota Tinggi is also the name of the district, Kota Tinggi District, where the town is situated.
Kuala Sedili or Tanjung Sedili, a small fishing town located 37 km ...
and covering 3,500 air miles with a flying times of over 22 hours - near the aircraft's maximum range.
Also early in 1945, the Hudsons were replaced by
Douglas Dakota
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
s, and "C" Flight was equipped with
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War.
After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft's ...
s joined the squadron. The squadron disbanded on 15 November 1945.
Aircraft operated
Squadron bases
Commanding officers
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
No.357 Squadron historyVideo Interview with a 357 Squadron Engineer
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 357 Squadron Raf
357 Squadron
Military units and formations established in 1944
Aircraft squadrons of the Royal Air Force in World War II
Military units and formations of Ceylon in World War II
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945