No. 178 Squadron R.A.F.

Description of the Squadron's Badge

A demi-lion erased, holding a flash of lightning

Squadron's Motto:

Irae emissarii (Emissaries of wrath)

Formation date:

15 January 1943

Brief History:

Formed at from a detachment of No 160 Squadron Shandur on 15 January 1943, it was equipped with Liberators and began bombing operations immediately. Moving to Libya in March the squadron carried out missions against targets in North Africa, Italy and the Balkans as well as carrying out supply dropping mission to Northern Italy and Poland.

The squadron moved to Italy in March 1944 and continued to operate from there until the end of the war. Some Halifaxes were used between May and September 1943 but it was November 1945 before the Liberators were replaced by Lancasters, by which time the squadron was back in Egypt at Fayid, where it was disbanded by being renumbered No 70 Squadron 15 April 1946.

Squadron Bases & Airfields		Equipment Used and Dates
Shandur 15/1/1943		Liberator II 1/1943-12/1943
Hose Raui (Ghemines) 4//1943		Halifax II 5/1943-9/1943
Detachment Shandur.		Liberator III 9/194-7/1944
Terria 1/10/1943		Liberator VI 1/1944-1/1946
Detachment El Adem		Lancaster III 11/1945-4/1946
El Adem 1/1/1944
Celeone 1/3/1944
Amendola 4/7/1944
Detachment Ein Shemar
Eon Shemar 25/8/1945
Fayid 5/11/1945 - 15/4/1946