title: No. 578 Squadron RAF
text: No. 578 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
  
  History
  578 Squadron was formed at RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire on 14 January 1944 from 'C' flight of No. 51 Squadron RAF, equipped with Halifax Mk.III bombers, as part of No. 4 Group RAF in Bomber Command. It transferred to RAF Burn, North Yorkshire in February, and was disbanded there on 15 April 1945. The squadron carried out 2,721 operational sorties with the Halifax for a loss 40 aircraft.
  
  Notable squadron members
  The first commanding officer was W/Cdr. D.S.S. Wilkerson, DSO, DFC and the aircrew included Pilot Officer Cyril Joe Barton, VC.
  
  Aircraft operated
  
  Notable aircraft
  Two of the Halifaxes of 578 squadron passed the century mark and flew more than 100 operational sorties:
  
  Squadron bases
  
  References
  
  Notes
  
  Bibliography
  
  Further reading
  
   Adams, Chuck. 578 Squadron Operations, 1944–45. self-published, 1983.
   Cawdron, Hugh. Based at Burn – 578 Sqn airmen recall.... Middlesex: Hugh Cawdron/578 Burn Association,1995
   Cawdron, Hugh. Based at Burn Mk.II: After 50 Years the Biography of an Outstanding Airman and a Diary of the Bomber Squadron he Founded and Commanded. Bristol: Hugh Cawdron/578 Burn Association, 2001. .
   Marshall, Ken. The Pendulum and the Scythe: A History of No.4 Group Bomber Command. Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, UK: Air Research Publications, 1996. .
   Ward, Chris. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Squadron Profiles: 578 Squadron – "Accuracy" (Bomber Command Profile no. 113). Lutterworth, Berkshire, UK: Ward Publishing, 1998.
  
  External links
  
   578 Squadron Association
   Squadron history on RAF website
   No. 578 Squadron RAF movement and equipment history
   Squadron histories for nos. 541–598 squadron on RAFweb's 
  
  578 Squadron
  Military units and formations established in 1944
  Military units and formations disestablished in 1945