About This Unit
For the purpose of RSL-VWM, 576 Squadron is included as one of the RAF Squadrons in which Australians served fought and died during WW II.
The Empire Air Training Scheme supplied tens of thousands of aircrew for the Royal Air Force (RAF) air war in Europe during WW II. While a number of so-called Article XV national squadrons were created in Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands of the RAF, the majority of Australian aircrew were posted, along with their Commonwealth colleagues, to RAF Squadrons as individual crew members, where they would 'crew up' often with a very multi-national aircrew comprised of men from all over the Commonwealth. Ground staff were similarly assigned.
This extract from the Royal Air Force (RAF) site:
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.
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
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Elsham Wolds, Lincs : Nov 1943-Oct 1944
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Fiskerton, Lincs : Oct 1944 onwards
For more information on 576 Squadron see the links in the side-bar.
Main Image: FISKERTON RAF STATION, LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1945. A LANCASTER BOMBER AIRCRAFT OF NO. 576 SQUADRON RAF ON THE RUNWAY PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF. (AWM Image: P00811.019)