John Boden ’s Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book

John Boden ’s Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book

John Boden ’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book from 22nd December 1941 until 31st July 1946. During this time trained as a pilot at No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School, No. 3 (Pilots’) Advanced Flying Unit, No. 1531 Beam Approach Training Flight, Empire Central Flying School, No. 6 (Pilots’) Advanced Flying Unit, No. 1516 Beam Approach Training Flight, 12 Operational Training Unit, 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit and No. 3 Lancaster Finishing School. Posted to 115 Squadron for operations in July 1944. After attending the Pathfinder Navigation School, posted to 7 Squadron (Pathfinder Force) in December. In August 1945 posted to No. 11 Ferry Unit followed by No. 1529 Beam Approach Training Flight, No. 16 Ferry Unit, No. 17 Aircraft Holding Unit and 1332 Heavy Conversion Unit. May 1946 saw a posting to No. 1333 Transport Conversion Unit.

Served at RAF Derby, USAAF Gunter Field, USAAF Souther Field, USAAF Turner Field, RAF South Cerney, RAF Hullavington, RAF Little Rissington, RAF Pershore, RAF Chipping Warden, RAF Edge Hill, RAF Stradishall, RAF Shepherds Grove, RAF Feltwell, RAF Witchford, RAF Warboys, RAF Oakington, RAF Talbenny, RAF Dunkeswell, RAF Snaith, RAF St Mawgan, RAF Riccall, RAF Dishforth, RAF Wymeswold.

Aircraft flown were Magister, Boeing-Stearman PT 17 Kaydet, Vultee BT 13 Valiant, Cessna AT 17 Bobcat, Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep, AT 6 Harvard, Oxford, Wellington I, Wellington III, Wellington X, Stirling, Lancaster, York, C-47 Dakota.

With 115 Squadron John flew 30 bombing operations (19 day, 11 night). The targets were Coutances, Mare de Magne, Foret de Lucheux, Lens, Hamel, Sint-Truiden, Russelsheim, Kiel, Stettin, Pont-Remy, Eindhoven, Le Havre, Kamen, Neuss, Calais, Saarbrucken, Dortmund, Emmerich, Duisburg, Wilhelmshaven, Bonn, Flushing, Essen, Cologne, Homberg and Solingen. His pilot for the first operation was Flying Officer Oldham, after which he was the pilot for all further operations.

When flying with 7 Squadron, he flew 26 bombing operations (6 day and 20 night). He also flew 1 day Operation Manna (Rotterdam) and 1 day Operation Exodus (Brussels). His bombing targets were Karlsruhe, Soest, Essen, Osterfeld, Ludwigshafen, Hannover, Hanau, Munich, Stuttgart, Ludwigshafen, Dresden, Chemnitz, Dortmund, Worms, Pforzheim, Mainz, Hamburg, Dortmund, Baraham, Hagen, Rheine, Hildesheim, Hamburg, Kiel and Potsdam.

With 7 Squadron, his crew started as Supporter Aircraft before advancing to Visual Markers.

One booklet

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