Page 16 - Alfred Thorpe Turton

After the end of hostilities in the Europe 576 Squadron was tasked with
returning repatriated prisoners of war. One of the many airfields used for this
repatriation was RAF Oakley in Buckinghamshire.
nd
Orders were received at Oakley on the 2 May 1945 that 300 repatriated
prisoners of war were arriving by air at 11:00 am. All arrangements were
made for their reception, and the provision of refreshments laid on in the
social club. The arrival was, in fact, postponed to later in the day. Seven
Dakotas landed with repatriated POW’s on the following day and more
throughout the month, until by the end of April, 72 Dakotas
had brought 1,787 POW’s.
Operation ʺEXODUSʺ was in full swing and May 1945 was even busier with
443 Avro Lancasters, 103 Dakotas, 51 Halifaxes, 31 B-24 Liberators, 3
Stirlings, 3 Hudsons, and 2 Flying Fortresses bringing 15,088 personnel. The
airfield will be remembered by many a prisoner of war who, after release from
the Continent, first stood upon the soil of freedom as he stepped on to
Oakley airfield.