No. 356 Squadron RAF

No. 356 Squadron RAF
Active	15 January 1944 - 15 November 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	long range bomber
Part of	No. 231 Group RAF, South East Asia Command[1]
Motto	We bring freedom and assistance[2][3]
Insignia
Squadron Badge heraldry	A demi-tiger erased[2][3]
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Consolidated Liberator

No. 356 Squadron RAF was a short-lived long range bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force between 1944 and 1945.

History

The squadron was formed on 15 January 1944 at Salbani, Bengal, British India, as a long range bomber unit equipped with the Consolidated Liberator. The squadron attacked Japanese bases in South East Asia and planted mines outside enemy harbours. In July 1945 the squadron moved to the Cocos Islands to prepare for the invasion of Malaya. The end of the war came before the invasion was carried out and the squadron performed supply-dropping and transport duties until it was disbanded on 15 November 1945.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 355 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][3][4]

From	To	Aircraft	Version
January 1944	November 1945	Consolidated Liberator	Mk.VI

Squadron bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 355 Squadron RAF, data from^[2][3][4][5]

From	To	Base	Remark
15 January 1944	22 July 1945	RAF Salbani, Bengal, British India
22 July 1945	15 November 1945	Cocos Islands, Straits Settlements

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Notes

1. ^ Delve 1994, pp. 77, 84.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Moyes 1976, p. 233.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Halley 1988, p. 385.
4. ^ ^{a b} Jefford 2001, p. 90.
5. ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 268–278.

Bibliography

• Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
• Gwynne-Timothy, John R.W. Burma Liberators: RCAF in SEAC. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Next Level Press, 1991. ISBN 1-895578-02-7.
• Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd). RAF Squadrons: A Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of All RAF Squadrons and Their Antecedents Since 1912, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-853100-536-1. (second revised edition 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.)
• Jones, Mike. Signed with their Honour. 355/356 Squadrons' Association, 2005.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 (new edition 1976). ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
• Oughton, James D. with John Hamlin and Andrew Thomas. The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 978-0-85130-362-8.

External links

• No. 356 Squadron history
• Squadron histories of nos. 353-361 squadron on rafweb

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