crews. 439 Polish airmen served through this period. 139 of them were killed in action (including five in training crashes), 55 were taken prisoner of war (two of whom were murdered after Stalag Luft III escape: Włodzimierz Kolanowski and Paweł Tobolski). The airmen were awarded with 153 Virtuti Militari 5th class crosses, 8 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 9 Distinguished Flying Medals. C Flight No. 138 Squadron / No. 1586 Flight From October 1941 several Polish volunteer crews, among others from No. 301 Squadron, were attached to the RAF Tempsford-based No. 138 Squadron RAF, performing special duty operations over occupied Europe. After a reorganisation of bomber squadrons, the C Flight was formed on 1 April 1943 in that squadron, consisting of Polish airmen and ground crew. Part of the ground crew came from disbanded No. 301 Squadron. The flight was viewed by Polish authorities as a successor of No. 301 Squadron. It had seven crews and operated three Handley Page Halifax and three Consolidated Liberator special transport bombers. On 4 November 1943, C Flight, No. 138 Squadron RAF became No.1586 (Polish Special Duties) Flight RAF at RAF Derna Libya. (according to Polish sources, at Sidi Amor, Tunisia). It was still named locally by their ex 301 crews and Polish authorities as No. 301 Squadron Land of Pomerania. On 22 December 1943, the Polish flight was transferred to Campo Cassale near Brindisi, Italy, from where it flew special operations duties over occupied Europe. An effort was undertaken to supply Polish insurgents after the start of the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944. Flights to central Poland were especially difficult, lasting up to eleven hours. To honour a commitment of crews, on 15 September 1944 Polish C-in-C Kazimierz Sosnkowski gave the No. 301 Squadron an additional name: Obrońców Warszawy (Defenders of Warsaw). No. 301 Squadron (special duties / Transport Command) On 7 November 1944, the unit was reformed at Brindisi, Italy, when No. 1586 Flight was renamed back to 301 Squadron. The squadron operated the Handley Page Halifax and Consolidated Liberator until February 1945, flying supply missions to occupied Europe. The last flight to Poland was accomplished on 28 December 1944. On 28 February 1945 the squadron was subordinated to RAF Transport Command, and on 15 March 1945 returned to RAF Blackbushe, England, to operate the Vickers Warwick. In 1946, the squadron re-equipped with the Handley Page Halifax again until 301 Squadron was disbanded