Country United Kingdom | Branch Royal Air Force | |
Active 8 November 1944 – 19 November 1945 Role Bomber squadron
Special duties Part of No. 231 Group RAF, South East Asia Command Motto(s) Latin: Alere flammam
(Translation: "To feed the flame") | ||
No. 358 Squadron RAF was a Bomber and Special duties squadron of the Royal Air Force flying with South East Asia Command from 1944 to 1945.
History
The squadron was formed on 8 November 1944 at Kolar, India with personnel of the disbanded 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit. Its role was as a heavy bomber unit flying the Consolidated Liberator. The squadron performed only one bombing mission on 13 January 1945, bombing Mandalay and by then flying from Digri. Thereafter the squadron role changed to a special duties squadron, starting operations as such in the night from 22 to 23 January 1945. On 10 February 1945 the squadron moved to Jessore. For the rest of the war the squadron dropped agents and supplies to resistance groups in Japanese-held territory. After the Japanese surrender the squadron then dropped supplies to POW camps and repatriated released prisoners. It was disbanded on 21 November 1945 at Bishnupur.