The Last Flight of Halifax JB837
 25/26th May 1943
Bomber Command Order of Battle

In the spring of 1943, the aircraft available to Bomber Command is shown in the table below. The 'S.E.' was the nominal number of aircraft allotted to that squadron (the nominal establishment plus a figure for spare aircraft to replace losses). The 'A.E.' was the actual number of aircraft located at the squadron. Squadrons shown in bold red suffered losses in the raid.

1 Group
1 GROUP.  Headquarters: Bawtry Hall, Bawtry, Yorkshire
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E.
12 Wickenby Lancaster
Wellington Mk.II		 16+2 (All types) 22 Lancasters
1 Wellington
100 Grimsby Lancaster 16+2 19
101 Holme-on-Spalding Moor Lancaster 16+2 20
103 Elsham Wolds Lancaster
Halifax		 16+2 (All types) 18 Lancasters
1 Halifax
166 Kirmington Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 18 (III) & 4(X)
199 Ingham Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 15 (III) & 6 (X)
300 (Polish) Hemswell Wellington Mks.III and X 10+2 12 (III) & 2 (X)
301 (Polish) Hemswell Wellington Mk.IV 10+2 12
305 (Polish) Hemswell Wellington Mk.IV 10+2 11
460 (RAAF) Breighton Lancaster 16+2 20
2 GROUP.  Headquarters: Castlewood House, Huntington, Cambridgeshire
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E
21 Methwold Ventura 16+2 19
88 Oulton Boston Mk.III 16+2 14
98 Foulsham Mitchell B-25 16+2 19
105 Marham Mosquito 16+2 16
107 Great Massingham Boston Mk.III 16+2 5
139 Marham Mosquito
Blenheim Mk.V		 16+2 (All types) 19
4
180 Foulsham Mitchell B-25 16+2 19
226 Swanton Morley Boston Mk.III 16+2 14
464 (RAAF) Feltwell Ventura 16+2 18
487 (RNZAF) Feltwell Ventura 16+2 17
3 Group
3 GROUP.  Headquarters: Exning, Suffolk
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E
15 Bourn Stirling 24+3 27
75 (NZ) Newmarket Stirling 16+2 16
90 Ridgewell Stirling 16+2 20
115 East Wretham Wellington
Lancaster 		16+2 (All types) 8
13
138 (Special Duties) Tempsford Halifax 15+2 13
149 Lakenheath Stirling 16+2 16
161 (Special Duties) Tempsford Lysander
Halifax
Hudson
Havoc
Albemarle Hudson
Cygnet		 7+0
5+0
1+0
2+0
2+0
1+0		 8
5
0
2
2
N/K
192 (Special Duties) Feltwell (relocated from Gransden Lodge in April 1943) Halifax
Wellington Mk.X
Mosquito
Wellington Mk.IC
1+1
8+3
3+0
N/K		 2
8
4
2
214 Chedburgh Stirling 16+2 15
218 Downham Market Stirling 24+3 24
4 Group
4 GROUP.  Headquarters: Heslington Hall, York
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E
10 Melbourne Halifax 16+2 22
51 Snaith Halifax and Whitley 24+3 (All types) 22 Halifax 2 Whitley
76 Linton-on-Ouse Halifax 16+2 17
77 Elvington Halifax and Whitley 16+2 (All types) 18 Halifax 1 Whitley
78 Linton-on-Ouse Halifax 16+2 18
102 Pocklington Halifax 16+2 18
158 Rufforth Halifax and Wellington Mk.II 24+3 23 Halifax
1 Wellington
196 Leconfield Wellington Mk.X 16+2 17
429 (RCAF) East Moor Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 11 (III) & 3 (X)
431 (RCAF) Burn Wellington Mk.X 16+2 20
466 (RAAF) Leconfield Wellingtom Mk.X 16+2 20
5 Group
5 GROUP.  Headquarters: St. Vincents, Grantham, Nottinghamshire
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E
9 Waddington Lancaster 16+2 17
44 Waddington Lancaster 16+2 17
49 Fiskerton Lancaster 16+2 18
50 Skellingthorpe Lancaster 16+2 16
57 Scampton Lancaster 16+2 17
61 Syerston Lancaster 16+2 18
97 Woodhall Spa Lancaster 16+2 20
106 Syerston Lancaster 16+2 17
207 Langar Lancaster 16+2 18
467 (RAAF) Bottesford Lancaster 16+2 18
6 Group
6 GROUP.  Headquarters: Allerton Park, Knaresborough, Yorkshire
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E
405 Topcliffe Halifax 16+2 21
408 Leeming Halifax 16+2 18
419 Middleton St. George Halifax 16+2 18
420 Middleton St. George Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 10 (III) & 8 (X)
424 Topcliffe Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 10 (III) & 8 (X)
425 Dishforth Wellington Mk.III 16+2 17
426 (RCAF) Dishforth Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 17 (III) & 2 (X)
427 Croft Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 11 (III) & 4 (X)
428 (RCAF) Dalton Wellington Mks.III and X 16+2 12 (III) & 6 (X)
8 Group
8 (Pathfinder Force) GROUP.  Headquarters:  Wyton, Cambridgeshire
Squadron AIRFIELD AIRCRAFT TYPE S.E. A.E
7 Oakington Stirling 24+3 23
35 Graveley Halifax 24+3 24
83 Wyton Lancaster 16+2 18
109 Wyton Mosquito and Wellington Mk.IC 18+3 (All types) 22 Mosquito
1 Wellington
156 Warboys Lancaster and Wellington Mk.III 16+2 (All types) 18 Lancasters
1 Wellington