RAF 138 Squadron

RAF 138 Squadron
Unit name	138 Squadron
Caption	Avro Lancaster bomber, type used by 138 Squadron
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Special operations, Bomber Command
Garrison	Various RAF stations
Motto	Secretive operations
Battles	Second World War, Operation Market Garden, D-Day

RAF 138 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron formed for clandestine and special operations during the Second World War and later reconstituted for transport and support roles during the early Cold War. The unit became noted for night-time operations supplying resistance movements, dropping agents and matériel to French Resistance, Polish Home Army, and other occupied-country groups, and working closely with Special Operations Executive and SAS elements.

History

138 Squadron was formed in 1941 at RAF Stradishall and reformed in 1944 at RAF Tempsford to concentrate on clandestine air operations in occupied Europe and missions linked to Shetland Bus and Operation Overlord. The squadron operated under the aegis of RAF Bomber Command and coordinated with SOE, MI9, and British Army special forces to insert agents and supplies into France, Belgium, Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands. Postwar, elements were absorbed and reformed for transport duties, interacting with Royal Air Force Transport Command, Berlin Airlift planners, and Cold War logistics until eventual disbandment.

Operations and roles

The squadron specialised in night-time agent drops, supply parachute operations, and landing small teams on improvised strips in support of French Forces of the Interior, Dutch resistance, and resistance networks tied to Operation Jedburgh and Operation Panther. Missions supported major campaigns including Operation Market Garden, D-Day landings, and clandestine activity ahead of the Warsaw Uprising. Coordination occurred with Special Operations Executive, MI6, and airborne infantry formations like Parachute Regiment detachments. Tasks ranged from long-range photoreconnaissance-style navigation to pinpoint supply drops to guerrilla columns behind enemy lines.

Aircraft and equipment

Aircraft types operated included converted four-engined heavy bombers such as the Avro Lancaster, twin-engined aircraft including the Westland Lysander for special landing operations, and later transports like the Consolidated Liberator and Handley Page Halifax adapted for supply and agent flights. Aircraft were fitted with specialized radio sets from Marconi Company and navigation aids influenced by work at Royal Aircraft Establishment and Decca Navigation Company systems to enable low-level night navigation and accurate drops. Equipment for missions included reception aids used by SOE agents, supply containers developed with input from Ministry of Aircraft Production, and survival kits from Royal Army Medical Corps protocols.

Bases and deployments

Primary wartime bases included RAF Tempsford, a hub for Special Duties squadrons, and satellite operations from RAF Stradishall, RAF Upper Heyford, and forward detachments in North Africa, Italy, and liberated airfields in France. Deployment patterns saw flights operate from RAF Luqa for Mediterranean missions and occasional sorties staged via RAF Gibraltar for clandestine liaison to Iberian Peninsula resistance cells. Postwar deployments aligned with RAF Transport Command networks and European support operations based from stations in Germany and East Anglia.

Notable personnel and commanders

Commanders and crews included experienced RAF veterans who had served with RAF Bomber Command and in liaison with SOE operatives; notable linked figures and collaborators comprised SOE agents like Noor Inayat Khan-associated networks, controllers from MI9, and aircrew decorated by George Medal and DFC awards. Squadron leaders often had prior service with units such as No. 161 Squadron RAF and shared tactics with officers from Special Air Service and Special Boat Service for combined clandestine planning. Several pilots later featured in memoirs alongside accounts by Violette Szabo and other resistance-support narratives.

Casualties and honours

The squadron suffered losses during night operations to Luftwaffe night fighters, flak over occupied Europe, and perilous landings on improvised strips, with aircrew casualties commemorated on memorials at Runnymede Memorial and in regimental histories held at the Imperial War Museum. Personnel received numerous decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Service Order, and foreign awards from France and Poland for resistance support. The squadron’s legacy is preserved through exhibits at RAF Museum sites and documented in historical works associated with Bomber Command Memorial projects.

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