After completing pilot training Vaughan-Fowler was assigned to 161 (Special Duties) Squadron.
The posting was quite unusual, for the squadron was a secret unit that flew insertion missions at night into occupied France.
The pilots were required to be experienced and have logged at least 250 hours of night flying.
Vaughan-Fowler was a new pilot, whose total flying experience was only 250 hours, none of which had been completed at night.
Apparently the flying discipline and control he demonstrated in flying school earned him the recommendation to 161 Squadron, who elected to try to train him to be a pick-up pilot.
At the time he was only 19 years old.

161 Squadron had formed just two months earlier by hiving off the Lysander flight from the original Royal Air Force Special Duties Service unit, 138 Squadron.
The clandestine squadron had the role of delivering SOE and SIS agents, wireless operators, wireless equipment and weapons to assist the resistance.
The squadron was commanded by Edward Fielden, an experienced pilot who had been the CO of the King's Flight.
161 Squadron's 'A Flight' was made up of 6 Lysanders, with Guy Lockhart as its commanding officer. '
A Flight' undertook the pick-up operations.
At the time Vaughan-Fowler joined the squadron in April 1942 the squadron had just moved to the secret airfield at Tempsford, located in the Bedfordshire countryside.
The squadron was building up its capability, training new pilots and new agents to manage the fields in France.
These special agents were known as 'operators'.

The primary aircraft used in these operations was the Lysander.
The aircraft's exceptional short-field performance made it the ideal aircraft for landing on small, unimproved airstrips behind enemy lines to perform pick-up operations.

This flying of aircraft at night to small fields in France with no navigational aid was a new undertaking, fraught with danger.
They had to fly to a small field in the middle of a darkened countryside.
If they found the field, then the field's operator would exchange an agreed to code letter in Morse.
If correct the operator would direct his team to light three small flashlights.
These did not illuminate the ground, but gave the pilot an idea where he was to put the aircraft down.
There was always the fear of landing and finding the Gestapo waiting rather than the Resistance, or of the Gestapo arriving and capturing the pilot and operator's crew while the aircraft was on the ground.

Vaughan-Fowler practiced navigational flying over England without radio assistance or navigational aid, initially by day and then by night.
He also trained in night landings, using the tiny indicator lights.
Pilots and operators were trained at the false airfield at "RAF Somersham".
There they would practice signaling to each other in Morse code.
The operators would lay out a flare path and the pilots would bring their Lysander down to land, change passengers and take off in the dark.
The last step in his training was to complete a cross-country trip over France without passengers.
He was told the location of the target he was to reach but not that it was a POW camp.
Fowler flew towards his target over a blacked out France, and too his astonishment found the target was a rectangular compound, with a wired periphery that was extremely brightly lit.
Returning to base, he met the scowling Guy Lockhart to debrief him on the flight.
As he gave his description of the target he noted the trace of a smile break into the corners of Lockhart's mouth.
He had made the grade and was now an operational pilot.

The Lysander flight put on their pick-up operations for two weeks each month, during the moon period.
For this time period the A Flight of 161 Squadron (Lysanders) would move forward to RAF Tangmere.
Tangmere is on the coast, 100 miles south of Tempsford.
The move extended the reach of the Lysander into Europe.
Vaughan-Fowler's first successful operation was on the night of 26/27 October during the October moon period, when he brought out two agents to a field near Mâcon, bringing two others back with hi
After completing pilot training Vaughan-Fowler was assigned to 161 (Special Duties) Squadron. The posting was quite unusual, for the squadron was a secret unit that flew insertion missions at night into occupied France. The pilots were required to be experienced and have logged at least 250 hours of night flying. Vaughan-Fowler was a new pilot, whose total flying experience was only 250 hours, none of which had been completed at night. Apparently the flying discipline and control he demonstrated in flying school earned him the recommendation to 161 Squadron, who elected to try to train him to be a pick-up pilot. At the time he was only 19 years old.
161 Squadron had formed just two months earlier by hiving off the Lysander flight from the original Royal Air Force Special Duties Service unit, 138 Squadron. The clandestine squadron had the role of delivering SOE and SIS agents, wireless operators, wireless equipment and weapons to assist the resistance. The squadron was commanded by Edward Fielden, an experienced pilot who had been the CO of the King's Flight. 161 Squadron's 'A Flight' was made up of 6 Lysanders, with Guy Lockhart as its commanding officer. 'A Flight' undertook the pick-up operations. At the time Vaughan-Fowler joined the squadron in April 1942 the squadron had just moved to the secret airfield at Tempsford, located in the Bedfordshire countryside. The squadron was building up its capability, training new pilots and new agents to manage the fields in France. These special agents were known as 'operators'. 
The primary aircraft used in these operations was the Lysander. The aircraft's exceptional short-field performance made it the ideal aircraft for landing on small, unimproved airstrips behind enemy lines to perform pick-up operations.
This flying of aircraft at night to small fields in France with no navigational aid was a new undertaking, fraught with danger. They had to fly to a small field in the middle of a darkened countryside. If they found the field, then the field's operator would exchange an agreed to code letter in Morse. If correct the operator would direct his team to light three small flashlights. These did not illuminate the ground, but gave the pilot an idea where he was to put the aircraft down. There was always the fear of landing and finding the Gestapo waiting rather than the Resistance, or of the Gestapo arriving and capturing the pilot and operator's crew while the aircraft was on the ground.
Vaughan-Fowler practiced navigational flying over England without radio assistance or navigational aid, initially by day and then by night. He also trained in night landings, using the tiny indicator lights. Pilots and operators were trained at the false airfield at "RAF Somersham". There they would practice signaling to each other in Morse code. The operators would lay out a flare path and the pilots would bring their Lysander down to land, change passengers and take off in the dark. The last step in his training was to complete a cross-country trip over France without passengers. He was told the location of the target he was to reach but not that it was a POW camp. Fowler flew towards his target over a blacked out France, and too his astonishment found the target was a rectangular compound, with a wired periphery that was extremely brightly lit. Returning to base, he met the scowling Guy Lockhart to debrief him on the flight. As he gave his description of the target he noted the trace of a smile break into the corners of Lockhart's mouth. He had made the grade and was now an operational pilot.
The Lysander flight put on their pick-up operations for two weeks each month, during the moon period. For this time period the A Flight of 161 Squadron (Lysanders) would move forward to RAF Tangmere. Tangmere is on the coast, 100 miles south of Tempsford. The move extended the reach of the Lysander into Europe. Vaughan-Fowler's first successful operation was on the night of 26/27 October during the October moon period, when he brought out two agents to a field near Mâcon, bringing two others back with hi
Peter Vaughan-Fowler