[bearoutwest]

Hello Peter,

I think “confusion with records” is the name of the game with the RAF Middle East Liberator squadrons, they never seem to be homogenous outfits, with mixtures in equipment, intended bases, transfers to Burma, etc.

I had a quick look through my limited notes and books, and it surprised me how ad-hoc the squadrons were:
- 108Sqn – flew a mixture of Wellingtons and Liberators from late 1941, until “formalising” the arrangement with A-Flight (Wellingtons) and B-Flight (Liberator IIs) in May 1942 but with regular detachments.

- 159 Sqn – operating in Egypt/Palestine for most of late-1942, before relocating to India.

- 160 Sqn – this is the really unusual outfit. Equipped with Liberator IIs and intended for operations out of India, but retained in UK-based Coastal Command for a time for additional training in over-sea and shipping attack intended against Japanese Naval Task forces in the Indian Ocean. Eventually sent to Palestine for Malta convoy support and occasional bombing raids. Renamed 160 Sqn (ME Detachment) as a new UK-based Coastal Command squadron was formed as 160 Sqn. 160 Sqn [ME] eventually to be renamed/absorbed into 178 Squadron.

How do you managed to keep track of a paper trail like that!?! What also surprised me when I tabulated the losses/damaged before, was the relatively high numbers of Liberators lost to flak rather than fighters.

No problems with late reply. Good luck with the search.

Regards,
…geoff