No. 576 Squadron

Motto: "Carpe diem" ("Seize the opportunity").
Badge: A merlin, wings inverted and addorsed, preying on a serpent. This squadron had aircraft fitted with Merlin engines and the badge is symbolic of the unit seeking out and destroying its prey.
Authority: King George VI, June 1945.

No. 576 Squadron came into being at Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire, on 25th November 1943, as a heavy bomber squadron equipped with Lancaster Mk. I and III aircraft. It formed part of No. 1 Group, RAF Bomber Command, and between 2nd/3rd December 1943 and 25th April 1945, flew 2,788 operational sorties; 67 aircraft were lost, including two abandoned over France in February 1945. When it had finished its offensive, No. 576 took part in Operation Manna - the dropping of food supplies to the Dutch; Exodus - repatriation of British ex-POWs to Great Britain; Post Mortem - testing the efficiency of captured German early-warning radar; and Dodge-the transport of British troops to Great Britain from Italy.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:
Formed 25.11.43 as No. 576 (Bomber) Squadron Main nucleus-officially posted on same day but actually arriving 2 days later-was "C" Flight of No. 103 (Bomber) Squadron

• Elsham Wolds, Lincs : Nov 1943-Oct 1944
• Fiskerton, Lincs : Oct 1944 onwards

Bomber Command WWII Aircraft:

• Avro Lancaster B.I, B.III : Nov 1943 onwards

Code Letters:

• "UL"

First Operational Mission in WWII:

• 2nd/3rd December 1943 : 7 Lancasters despatched to Berlin. 4 aircraft bombed target, 2 aborted due to engine failure and the other FTR.

Last Operational Mission in WWII:

• 25th April 1945 : 23 Lancasters bombed Berchtesgaden.

Last Mission before VE Day:

• 28 Lancasters dropped supplies to Dutch at Rotterdam.

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