Page 31 - John George Blair

In April 1944 the squadron concentrated on railway and road communication
targets and military installations in preparation for the D Day landings in June.
Throughout the summer of 1944 most of its operations were in direct support of the
Allied Armies in the field and also against German V weapon facilities and oil and
fuel production and storage facilities. Many of these operations were carried out in
daylight.

In October 1944 576 Squadron departed RAF Elsham Wolds for a new base at RAF
Fiskerton near Lincoln. During the winter of 1944/45 they participated in a series of
heavy attacks against targets all over Germany. Many of these were in direct support
of the Allied Armies in the field and also against industrial targets and synthetic oil
and fuel manufacturing centres.
The last bombing operation in which 576 Squadron took part was the attack on
Hitler's mountain retreat at Berchtesgaden 576 Squadron tasked 25 Lancasters and
crews for this operation. Towards the end of the war the 576 Squadron were heavily
committed to dropping of food supplies to the starving people of the Netherlands and
also repatriating liberated prisoners of war to Britain.

576 Squadron was disbanded at Fiskerton on the 13th September 1945.
During its brief existence the Squadron operated only 1 type of aircraft, the Avro
Lancaster. The Squadron flew numerous demanding operations with great success
but sustained heavy losses in aircraft and aircrew in the process.
576 Squadron participated in a total of 189 bombing operations and 2 minelaying
operations. In all 2788 sorties were flown for the loss of 66 aircraft. In addition 9
aircraft were destroyed in crashes in Britain.

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