▁down ▁after ▁severe ▁losses ▁in ▁its ▁initial ▁operations ▁but ▁stayed ▁at ▁Harr ington ; ▁its ▁squad rons ▁became ▁the ▁ 8 5 6 th , ▁ 8 5 7 th , ▁ 8 5 8 th ▁and ▁ 8 5 9 th ▁Bomb ▁Squad rons . ▁From ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Group , ▁in ▁l ia ison ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁Special ▁Oper ations ▁Executive ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁Special ▁Forces ▁Head quarters ▁( SF H Q ) ▁in ▁London , ▁dropped ▁sp ies ▁and ▁supplies ▁to ▁the ▁resistance ▁forces ▁of ▁France , ▁Belg ium , ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁Den mark ▁and ▁Norway . ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁hi atus ▁in ▁operations ▁from ▁mid - Se ptember ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁Group ▁fer ried ▁gas oline ▁to ▁dep ots ▁on ▁the ▁Cont inent ▁for ▁two ▁weeks ▁to ▁supply ▁adv ancing ▁Al lied ▁arm ies , ▁then ▁three ▁squad rons ▁went ▁into ▁training ▁for ▁night ▁bomb ing ▁operations , ▁whilst ▁the ▁ 8 5 6 th ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁Al lied ▁air men ▁on ▁the ▁Cont inent ▁who ▁had ▁either ▁ev aded ▁capture ▁or ▁had ▁walked ▁out ▁of ▁Switzerland ▁after ▁that ▁country ▁relax ed ▁its ▁intern ment ▁practices . ▁This ▁exercise ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁mostly ▁in ▁Douglas ▁C - 4 7 ▁Sky tra ins ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁group ▁originally ▁for ▁insert ion ▁operations ▁during ▁the ▁previous ▁summer . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1