By June 1940, having suffered many losses while bombing advancing German troops, the unit was evacuated to England, where it converted to the Bristol Blenheim.

In November, it rearmed with Vickers Wellingtons and began bombing a wide variety of Axis targets with the new longer-range aeroplanes.

In December 1941, the squadron began changing to Short Stirlings and continued its bombing raids in occupied Europe against everything from infantry columns to V-weapon sites.

Just before the D-Day invasions in Normandy, the Stirlings of 218 Squadron undertook diversionary bombing raids against Wehrmacht shore defences near Pas de Calais.

218 squadron played a significant role in a diversion known as Operation Glimmer in which Window was dropped to simulate a naval fleet headed towards the French coast.

Afterwards, it began performing a number of relief efforts in Europe, ranging from rescuing POWs to transporting food and other supplies.