No. 159 Squadron

No. 159 Squadron was formed on 2 January 1942 at RAF Molesworth, equipped with Consolidated B-24 Liberators, and initially deployed ground personnel to Egypt before the whole unit transferred to India in late 1942. Operating under Eastern Air Command’s Strategic Air Force, the squadron flew its first sorties against Japanese targets in Burma in November 1942, subsequently extending its reach to Siam, Malaya, Indo-China, and the Dutch East Indies. Its long-range Liberators made it one of the most versatile heavy bomber units in the theatre, undertaking bombing raids, mine-laying missions, and strategic reconnaissance across South-East Asia. In October 1944, under Wing Commander James Blackburn, the squadron carried out a mine-laying raid on the Japanese-held port of Penang — a round trip of over 3,000 miles that was at the time the longest such operation in RAF history, closing the port entirely with all aircraft returning safely. The squadron remained active through the end of the war before converting briefly to transport and survey duties, finally disbanding on 1 June 1946.