No. 38 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a bomber (and later maritime reconnaissance) squadron formed in 1916 and was disbanded most recently in 1967. World War I No.38 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was originally formed at Thetford in early 1916 and shortly after was re-designated as No.25 (Reserve) training squadron. A new No.38 Squadron was formed at Castle Bromwich in July 1916. It was designated as a Home Defence unit for the West Midlands and equipped with B.E.2c aircraft. In September 1916 the squadron was re-equipped with F.E.2b aircraft and the HQ moved to Melton Mowbray. Operations were undertaken from Stamford, Buckminster and Leadenham involving pilot instruction during the day and air defence against possible attacks from Zeppelins by night. For several months in 1916 the squadron was commanded by Captain A. T. Harris, later to become Air Chief Marshal Arthur Harris, C-in-C, RAF Bomber Command and Marshal of the Royal Air Force. In May 1918 the squadron with its F.E.2b aircraft was designated as a night bomber squadron and transferred to Dunkirk. In its first raid on 13 June 1918 ten of the squadron's aircraft targeted Ostend docks. Over five months of operations the squadron flew 1,591 hours' made 47 raids, dropping nearly 50 tons of bombs mainly on the German canals, railways, dumps and airfields in Belgium. After returning to England without its aircraft, 38 Squadron was disbanded at RAF Hawkinge on 4 July 1919. Reformation In September 1935 the squadron reformed at RAF Mildenhall as a night bomber squadron and was equipped with the Handley Page Heyford. It became one of the first RAF squadrons to re-equip with a monoplane bomber, the Fairey Hendon in November 1936. In 1937 the squadron moved to RAF Marham and in December 1938 received the first of the new Vickers Wellington bombers. It was declared operational on the outbreak of war as a bomber squadron under No. 3 Group. 38 Squadron was one of the few RAF squadrons to use the Wellington from the beginning to the end of the Second World War. World War II Home service The squadron had a quiet start to the war, flying sorties over the North Sea. It flew its first bombing mission on 3 December 1939, when three of its Wellingtons with aircraft from Nos. 115 and 149 Squadrons made a daylight raid against German warships in the Heligoland area. Although the