[2] Following the liberation of Europe by allied forces, an urgent need emerged to promptly repatriate ex-prisoners of war (POWs) to Britain.

[4] The chosen reception airfields for these repatriation flights included Westcott, Oakley, Cosford, in Shropshire, Dunsfold in Surrey and Wing in Buckinghamshire.

[4] The operation started with the receipt of orders at RAF Oakley, Buckinghamshire, on 2 April 1945, instructing the preparation for the arrival of 300 repatriated prisoners of war scheduled to land by air at 11:00.

[5] In the subsequent month of May 1945, a significant number of personnel, totalling 15,088, were flown back using a variety of aircraft, including 443 Avro Lancasters, 103 Dakotas, 51 Handley Page Halifaxes, 31 Consolidated Liberators, 3 Short Stirlings, 3 Lockheed Hudsons and 2 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses.

Its final mission in this operation took place on 15 May, with seven planes bringing back 360 prisoners from Juvincourt airfield near Rheims, France, to Buckinghamshire.

Thus the tires of the heavy bombers came into contact with the tops of the stakes pegging down the edges of the perforated steel plate decking.