No. 161 Squadron RAF | |
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Active | 9 May 1918 - 17 August 1918 15 February 1942 – 2 June 1945 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Motto(s) | Liberate[1] |
Insignia | |
Squadron badge heraldry | An open fetterlock |
Squadron codes | MA Feb 1942 - 1945 JR Apr 1944 - 1945 (Lysander Flight only) |
No. 161 (Special Duties) Squadron was a highly secretive unit of the Royal Air Force, performing missions as part of the Royal Air Force Special Duties Service. It was tasked with missions of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) during the Second World War. Their primary role was to drop and collect secret agents and equipment into and from Nazi-occupied Europe. The squadron had a secondary role in acting as the King's Flight.