Description

Formed in February 1918, the RFC’s 148th Squadron was disbanded in 1919 but eventually reformed as 148 Squadron RAF in 1937. It began the Second World War in a training role before being disbanded again in May 1940. A loose flight of Wellington bombers on the island of Malta formed the next incarnation of 148 Squadron in December 1940. Forced to withdraw to Egypt in March 1941, its Wellingtons flew bombing operations against Axis forces in the Western Desert. In early 1942 the Squadron achieved the dubious, and possibly unique, distinction of having all its NCO aircrew flying operationally whilst on charges of insubordination, with five of them ultimately being court-martialled. In December 1942, with the Axis forces in North Africa in full retreat, the Squadron was disbanded yet again. However Prime Minister Winston Churchill was keen to increase resistance in the Balkans, and a small RAF Flight of long-range Liberator aircraft in North Africa had been dropping a modest amount of supplies to the Partisans in 1942. On Churchill’s direct orders six Handley Page Halifax bombers joined the Liberators. In March 1943 the Flight became 148 (Special Duties) Squadron. In January 1944 the squadron moved to Brindisi in the south of Italy and, until the cessation of hostilities in May 1945, flew hundreds of tons of supplies and dropped many Allied agents to support resistance movements in Eastern Europe and the Balkan countries. The Squadron suffered numerous casualties, but its worst moments saw it come close to being wiped-out as it attempted to drop supplies in July and August 1944 in Poland, including the ill-fated Warsaw Uprising. The stories of courage and sacrifice of bomber crews in the Mediterranean and on Special Duties in the Balkans have received less attention than those in Bomber Command’s more mainstream operations..