Westland Lysander Night spy

From mid-1941, Lysanders with additional under-hull fuel tanks were used for special service - cooperation with the resistance movement in occupied France. They were used in this capacity by two RAF squadrons: 138 and 161. Thanks to their short take-off and landing properties, in a special black painting, they landed on prepared landing strips at night and were used to transport people, including SOE agents. In the overload variant, a maximum of 4 passengers could be taken in the gunner’s cabin, normally 2-3 . These planes were unarmed to reduce weight. In total, 293 people were transferred to France between August 1941 and the end of 1944 and 500 were taken back. On over 400 missions, some of the planes were shot down