The Avro Lancaster heavy bomber was the most successful bomber of World War Two. It was built by Avro for the RAF and went into service in 1942. No 44 squadron was the first squadron to convert to the Lancaster.
Between 1942 and 1945 the Avro Lancaster bomber was involved in 156,000 missions delivering 608,612 tons of bombs.
Although it had been designed as a night bomber it was used during daylight raids and was used to delivery Wallace Barnes’ ‘bouncing bomb in the 1943 Dambuster raid.
The Lancaster was also involved in the mission to sink the German battleship ‘Tirpitz’
Lancasters were used to drop food parcels into occupied Netherlands where people were faced with starvation.
