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On 18 June the squadron moved without personnel or equipment, to [[RAF Cheddington]], where it assumed the night leaflet operations that had been performed by the [[422d Bombardment Squadron]].<ref>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 517-518</ref> Only a cadre of the 858th actually transferred, and the squadron was filled out by veterans of the 422d, who joined on 24 June.<ref>Warren, p. 141</ref> On leaflet missions, called Nickling, squadron aircraft would fly at high level and drop cardboard canisters with leaflets that would explode at 2–3000 feet above ground level to disperse the materials. The squadron lost one aircraft on these missions. This was the first loss for the Eighth Air Force night leaflet squadron and all ten crewmembers were lost.<ref>Warren, pp. 146, 149</ref>
The 858th Squadron returned to the 492d Group in early August, but at [[RAF Harrington]], where it assumed the [[Operation Carpetbagger]] missions of the [[406th Bombardment Squadron]],<ref>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 497-498</ref> which became the night leaflet squadron in the equivalent of a swap in unit identity. With the 492d Group, the squadron flew 131 [[Operation Carpetbagger]] missions by the middle of September.<ref>Warren, Appendix 9, p. 217</ref> With black-painted aircraft configured with engine flame dampeners and optimized for night operations, the group operated chiefly over France with B-24's and C-47's, transporting agents, supplies, and propaganda leaflets to patriots. As [[allies of World War II|Allied]] forces moved forward through northern France and into Belgium, the need for Carpetbagger missions decreased and operations ended on 16 September 1944.<ref>Warren, p. 63</ref> The squadron's support for the [[French Resistance]] earned it the [[Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (France)|French Croix de Guerre with Palm]]. With the drawdown of the Carpetbagger mission, the squadron concentrated on hauling gasoline to advancing [[mechanized infantry|mechanized]] forces in France and Belgium.<ref name=
The squadron resumed limited special operations when some of its crews began operations from [[Dijon Airfield]], France on 19 March 1945, flying agents into Germany under the names Operation Red Stocking and Operation Skywave. These operations continued until 26 April 1945.<ref>Warren, p. 65</ref><ref name=Freeman263/> The squadron left England for the United States in July 1945. In August 1945 it began to reform at [[Kirtland Field]], New Mexico as a [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]] very heavy bomb squadron, however it became unnecessary when
===Strategic Air Command===
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