3 25 96 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1970/33774/NWakefieldHE171016-02.2.jpg 3f6ab1b2945673d4327a82c9a9e1e0ba Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wakefield, Harold Ernest H E Wakefield Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-10-16 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Wakefield, HE Description An account of the resource 93 items. The collection concerns Harold Ernest Wakefield DFC (1923 - 1986, 1582185 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents, training publications, decorations and badges, training notebooks, correspondence, newspaper cuttings, photographs and parachute D ring. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 51 and 617 Squadrons. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jeremy Wakefield and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document Pilot Officer Harold Ernest Wakefield, RAFVR, No. 51 Squadron, who comes from Leicester, was born in 1923 in Derbyshire. He was educated at Wyggeston [sic] School. He enlisted for wireless operator in 1942, and was commissioned in 1944. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newspaper cutting - Leicester and Loughborough officers awarded DFC Description An account of the resource Mentions Pilot Officer Harry Charles Tabony and Pilot Officer Harold Ernest Wakefield. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 1942 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Leicestershire England--Leicester England--Loughborough Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One newspaper cutting Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NWakefieldHE171016-02 Conforms To An established standard to which the described resource conforms. Pending text-based transcription. Under review Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Leicester Evening Mail Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sue Smith 51 Squadron 626 Squadron aircrew Distinguished Flying Cross https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1828/33518/MEylesCW900473-170410-28.2.jpg b97fdaf0cf6578d10b1b4e19267c0773 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Eyles, Bill C W Eyles Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-10 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Eyles, CW Description An account of the resource 51 items. The collection concerns Bill Eyles DFM (900473 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book. notebooks, correspondence and photographs. He flew a tour as a bomb aimer with 78 Squadron and later a second tour with 35 Squadron Pathfinders. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Hazel King and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document [underlined] copy of notes written by dad. [/underlined] [underlined] DAD [/underlined] Sept 1939 - Enlisted, trained & served on ground staff until remustered to aircrew. (as an instrument meter) * Feb 1943 detatchment to St Eval (Whitley) Anti-submarine sweeps - Bay of Biscay. May 1943 - 78 Squadron 4 Group RAF Linton & Brighton [inserted] Yorkshire [/inserted] (Halifax) 1943 -Screened & instructing at OTU's (Operational Training Unit) July 1944 Posted to 35 Squadron Pff Oct 1944 Total No. of operations 66 Demobbed Feb 1946 "The passing of time dims the memory!! Raids from which you returned were all "good" I guess & those from which friends did not return must be the worst??!!" * St. Eval was a strategic RAF station for RAF Coastal Command (Cornwall)[?] Primary role was to provide anti-submarine & [indecipherable word] - shipping patrols off the S.W. Coast. (opened 2nd Oct 1939) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bill Eyles service history Description An account of the resource Gives key dates of Bill's career from enlistment until his demob in February 1946. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One page handwritten document Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MEylesCW900473-170410-28 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Cornwall (County) England--Yorkshire Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1939-09 1943-02 1943-05 1944-07 1944-10 1946-02 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Conforms To An established standard to which the described resource conforms. Pending text-based transcription. Under review Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sue Smith Maureen Clarke 35 Squadron 78 Squadron aircrew Halifax Pathfinders RAF Breighton RAF Linton on Ouse RAF St Eval Whitley https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1866/33353/EIrvinLLSmithAC441004.2.jpg 63e07f0e78f569b5dd3e9ff93f03d3a3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Smith, A C Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-06-07 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Smith, AC Description An account of the resource 27 items. The collection concerns Sergeant Allan C Smith (1459147 Royal Air Force) and contains documents, correspondence and photographs. He flew operations as a navigator with 166 Squadron and became a prisoner of war. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by C Smith and catalogued by Barry Hunter. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document LESLIE L. IRVIN F.R.Ae.S., F.R.S.A. HONORARY SEC. EUROPEAN BRANCH ICKNIELD WAY LETCHWORTH HERTFORDSHIRE ENGLAND [picture] CATERPILLAR CLUB October 4, 1944. Sgt. A.C. Smith, Gefangenennummer: 263625, M-STAMMLAGER LUFT 3, DEUTSCHLAND. [rubber stamp] GEPRUFT 87 [/rubber stamp] Dear Sgt. Smith, Many thanks for your post card and I am indeed glad that you were able to save your life with an Irvin Chute. I have much pleasure in welcoming you as a member of the Caterpillar Club, and will certainly do as you have requested with your Caterpillar Pin, as soon as we are able to obtain one for you, although I regret to say that there is a possibility that this may not be until after the war, due to supply restrictions. Enclosing your Membership Card herewith, with our compliments and best wishes, I am, Yours sincerely, Leslie Irvin Leslie L. Irvin. MEL. Encl. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to Allan Smith from the Caterpillar Club Description An account of the resource The letter is a response for Allan's request to become a member of the Caterpillar Club after his safe use of a parachute. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Leslie Irvin Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10-04 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One printed sheet Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Correspondence Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context EIrvinLLSmithAC441004 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sue Smith Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 aircrew Caterpillar Club prisoner of war Stalag Luft 3 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1791/32503/BWierTWierTv1.1.pdf 5f188c9ba5ddfdcf0a5d99baf50ed940 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wier, Tadeusz T Wier Tadeusz Wierzbowski T Wierzbowski Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-22 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Wier, T Description An account of the resource 24 items. The collection concerns Tadeusz Wier (b.1920) and contains his log books, memoirs, photographs and documents. He flew operations as a pilot with 300 Squadron. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Michael Wier-Wierzbowski and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Requires A related resource that is required by the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence. Tadeusz Wierzbowski grew up on a farm near Zgierz, Poland. He learned to fly at the training school at Deblin and escaped from the Nazi and Russian invasions in 1939. He travelled through Romania to the Black Sea, and was in France when the Nazis invaded. He eventually arrived in Liverpool on the Andura Star in June 1940. He flew as an instructor, training others to fly for three years, before he was posted into combat with 300 Squadron. He flew 25 operations as a Lancaster pilot from RAF Faldingworth including bombing Hitler’s Eagle’s nest at Berchtesgaden. Tadeusz was a test pilot after the war and shortened his name to Wier to make it easier for air traffic control officers. Over his career, he flew over 40 different aircraft types from Polish RWD 8 trainers to Vampire jets. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document FLASHBACKS – 0 to 4 SQN. LDR. T. WIER, A.F.C., R.A.F. (Retd.) [page break] [underlined] 0 FLASHBACKS 0 [/underlined] Most of my family are of the opinion that I ought to write something about my childhood. I guess they are right because I came and eventually settled in this country over half a century ago and with the exception of my wife and my son, Michael, no other member of my immediate family have seen or heard much about the part of Poland where I come from. I must confess that up till now I did not think that the times of my youth were particularly interesting but, having lived all these years I have come to the conclusion that one should leave something in black and white for the children and succeeding generations. I can even cite a personal example why one should do so. I have never met or known my grandparents because I was born quite a few years after their death. Therefore, the only good and reliable source of information about them would have been my own parents but, due to the way my life has been fashioned by world events, I could not talk to them about it, simply, because I was not able to see them in my later years. I saw the family for the last time during the Christmas holidays in 1938 when I was already in military uniform and spending the few days of my leave at home between recruit training with the infantry and posting to the Officers' Flying Training School in Deblin, Poland. My father died less than a year later and I was not able to visit my mother after the war because the communist regime would not allow Polish citizens any social contacts with the people living in the Western countries. Actually, I received a letter from by brother about my mother's death six months after her demise while I was serving in Singapore. She died on the 1st of May, 1960, age 77 years. The next person to die in my family was my eldest brother, Wacek, and I got the news of that event again half way round the world while I was serving in Belize, British Honduras, in the early seventies. It is obvious that I should start writing my story from as far back as it is possible. And, as all the beginnings come from our ancestors, then it must be in order to mention them at this stage. Every time when I go to Poland, I set aside a few hours to visit the Parish Cemetery in ZGIERZ where a lot of my dead relations are now buried. It is not in any way a depressing experience because I usually find people there tending the graves, bringing flowers, clearing the footpaths or just simply walking about. There are permanent flower stalls outside the cemetery gates and they are open every day of the year. I still remember All Saints' Day celebrated on the 1st of November each year when there is a real flood of people who turn out in the evening to light the candles on the graves of their family departed. Some persons travel long distances, even scores of miles, to visit on that day their parents or other relatives graves [page break] 2 and also to meet old colleagues and friends. Most of the graves will have dozens of candles flickering in the wind, others a few and there may be the odd one unattended. Very likely it will have a candle lit by a neighbour. The glow of thousands of candles is visible a long way off even on a darkest night, no matter what the weather. It is a real social occasion and one not to be missed lightly. Last year, when I went to the cemetery, I made a note of the inscriptions on the gravestones of my grandparents and my parents. Here are the names and dates I have noted: - My mothers' parents: - WAWRZYNIEC i MALGOZATA (z PABIANCZYKOW) WIERZBOWSCY ZYL LAT 39, ZM. 4.10.1904 (Born 1582) ZYLA LAT 67, ZM. 28.11.1917 (Born 1850) My fathers' parents:- BRONISLAWA i MARCEL WIERZBOWSCY ZYLA 44 LAT, ZM. 3.1.1904 (Born 1860) ZYL 56 LAT, ZM. 20.1.1906 (Born 1850) My mother: - ELEONARA WIERZBOWSKA UR. 22.11.1882, ZM. 1.5.1960 (Lived 77 years) My father: - JOZEF WIERZBOWSKI UR. 19.3.1883, ZM. 1.10.1939 (Lived 56 years) Some explanatory notes: - ZYL, ZYLA means Lived LAT means Years ZM. (Zmarl, a) means Died UR. (Urodzony, a) means Born WIERZBOWSCY is a collective name of the family. It seems that in the nineteenth century Poland people did not live too long – old age being an exception rather than the rule. As I said before, I never saw my grandparents and now I very much regret that I did not talk closely to my parents about the life of our ancestors. Were my mother and father [page break] 3 alive today, I would have hundreds of questions to ask them but, unfortunately, it is too late and I have only odd bits of information which remained in my memory. Somehow, I don’t think there was an opportune time, urge or sufficient will to delve deeply into my parents’ past. Neither do I know if the lives of my grandparents were particularly happy or joyous. None of them lived in a free country because Poland was then partitioned amongst our age-old enemies of Russia, Germany and Austria. It is certain that they were not benevolent as masters. By a curious coincidence my mother’s parents had the same surname as my father. I queried that fact once or twice with my mother but she assured me that there was no blood relationship between her and my father. Apparently, her family came from a small settlement 25-30 miles to the west of KROGULEC which was the name of the village where we lived. I suppose, the chances are that some Wierzbowski strayed in one direction or another long, long ago and started a new branch of the family. However, my maternal grandparents must have lived not too far away because they are buried in our cemetery. I only vaguely remember being told that my father’s parents lived in a neighbouring village and raised altogether twelve children, my father being the eldest of the five brothers. My mother had two brothers and two sisters, making five children in all on that side of the family. When I went back to Poland for the first time after my retirement in 1976, my brother, Ryszard, and I sat down and made a list of our first cousins. There were over sixty of them and some were already dead. One was killed as a soldier during the Polish campaign and another was murdered by the Gestapo during the occupation. I think that my paternal grandfather was a small farmer because I remember that the parts of the land which were inherited by my father and belonged to our farm were really in the next village where the grandparents lived. There is not much more that I can write about my grandparents so I will now say something about my parents, my brothers and my only sister. My mother was married twice, my father being her second husband. Her first husband’s name was KOSTECKI so that my two elder brothers and the sister had that surname. Her name was GENOWEFA, I think she was born in 1900 or 01 which made her the eldest of the children. Unfortunately, she died in 1936 with lung disease – her trade was tailoring. Next was my brother WACLAW who served as an officer in the Polish Army (Armoured Brigade) and he was followed by HENRYK who trained at an Agricultural College and became a farmer. I believe their father died just before the First World War at a fairly young age. I was born on the 2nd of January 1920 as the first of three brothers, the other being RYSZARD born in February 1921 and ZENON born January 1927. Ryszard became a chemical [page break] 4 engineer and Zenek studied Agriculture and eventually took over our farm. There is only Ryszard left now of all of my family and we are in a kind of a race for the second place with the undertaker. I think our chances are fairly even. Something about my father. As far as I can figure out, our part of Poland was under Russian occupation because my father was called up or conscripted into the Russian army. I still have a photograph of him in a Russian army uniform which was taken somewhere in Moscow. (There is an inscription on it to that effect). He was eventually taken prisoner by the Germans during the First World War and spent sometime in a Prisoners of War camp in Germany. I want to mention one legacy of those times which remained with him for the rest of his life – he had a somewhat choleric temperament and when he got mad he could swear fluently in three languages – Russian, German and Polish! He returned home after the war and married my mother who was then a widow. I suppose one of the factors which helped in the marriage was the fact that my father's land was adjoining my mother's. The plots were divided only by the village road so it made economic sense to combine the two properties together. As a matter of fact, this made our farm one of the largest in the neighbourhood. I was really born in a thatched cottage. It was very ancient, rather small and built on my mother's part of the property. A few years after my birth my parents must have decided that a larger dwelling was necessary. A new house was built of bricks and roofed over with tiles simply on the outside of the old cottage so that we had somewhere to live while the building was going up and the new roof covered the lot. I was then 4 to 5 years old. One incident from that period of time remained in my memory and it concerns the actual new building. Well, the external walls were built of red-fired bricks but, I think, that in order to save expense, the chimney which was located in the centre of the house, was built of dried but unfired clay bricks. It was an important structure in the house because it contained near its base a kind of bakery for making our bread every week. I guess it was an accepted practice to use unfired bricks in that situation because, when the fire was lit in the bakery stove, it produced a lot of heat and would, obviously, further dry and harden the bricks. The chimney was partly built and then one night it came crashing down. There must have been some damage but, fortunately, no one was hurt. Next morning the builders inspected the havoc and looked for the cause of the disaster and eventually said that it must have been one of our dogs which peed against the corner of the chimney and thus weakened the structure. Some explanation! In point of fact I now think (with hindsight!) that the mortar they used which was lime and sand only might have been too wet and thus soaked the unfired bricks so they eventually gave way. Anyway, I believe they stuck to their story but had to rebuild the chimney where it stayed until recent years. [page break] 5 One of the earliest memories which I have is that of our orchard. This happened while we still lived in the cottage and when I was very young. I was sick with measles and on top of that I caught a cold or some other infection, became very seriously ill and remained in bed for good few weeks. I remember when I was eventually allowed outside I saw the orchard in full bloom. We had a lot of fruit trees; - apples, pears, plum and cherry trees, damsons and also lots of fruiting shrubs. The time must have been in May or so because all the trees were covered in blossom. They looked beautiful to me and after being cooped up inside all those weeks, seeing the sun and the blue sky, and feeling the warm spring air, was as good as heaven to me, or at least a kind of paradise. I have never forgotten the experience. I was my father's oldest child and he must have been quite fond of me because I was often with him and sometimes he led me around the farm by the hand. Life slows down in winter on the farm, the days get shorter so on most evenings my father would sit me on his knee and read aloud books to me. They were mostly fairy tales and, of course, I was fascinated by the wonderful stories. When my father read to me he also used a pointer showing me the words and letters as he pronounced them. Somehow or other I very quickly learned to read myself and from then on I was always in love with the written words and the treasures and wisdom to be found in books. Later on, when I was at school, I belonged and used three different libraries so that I would always have an unread book at hand. To illustrate my commitment to reading I will quote my uncle who seeing me for the first time during my return visit to Poland in 1976 said:- “Last time I saw you before the war you were reading a book and now almost forty years later on you still have a book in front of you.” Another uncle used to say to his children:- “Why aren't you like Tadek and read books?!” Those cousins reminded me of that many years later. I must have been a real pain in the behind to them. The school starting age in Poland is seven years, although now they have a kind of preparatory classes from the age of six. My father knew the local village Schoolmaster fairly well and he arranged for me to start school before I was even six years old. It was a very small school, one classroom, one teacher and the kids up to the age of twelve or fourteen. I was probably a little shrimp of a lad amongst the other village boys and girls but I could read, while my contemporaries were beginning to learn the alphabet. Life was real easy for me then. I don't really remember too much about that school except that I busted my collar-bone during one playtime period and was off school for two or three weeks. It was a peculiar kind of a game called “Snake” where about a dozen boys and girls would join hands in a line, usually according to size and then run. The 'heavy' end of the Snake would turn and the whole line would act like a whip. I was the sucker at the end of the line and went flying as if I were shot out of a catapult. Result, damaged and painful arm. [page break] I left the village school at the age of ten to attend a large school in town. From there to the Gimnasium still in Zgierz where I matriculated in 1938. A few lines of information about our farm. It was situated 2 1/2 miles or so west of Zgierz which was our nearest town. I think we had over 25 acres of land and were mostly self-sufficient in food. 2 or 3 horses to work on the farm. 6 to 8 cows, some pigs, chickens, geese and turkeys. The farm produce included mainly rye grain, oats, barley, potatoes and plenty of fruit in the season. We had to go occasionally to town to get such things as sugar, coffee, tea and again fish which was usually salted or fresh herrings. While I was at home, that is to say between the wars, we always had a hired man and woman living in; the woman helping mother in the house (laundry, baking) and working outside on jobs like milking cows and feeding poultry and pigs. The man would work mainly in the fields with my father. Of course, at harvest time everybody was on the go including us when we were off school. When the cherries were in season and there was no panic about work I would often hide in a tree with a book and stuff myself with fresh fruit. Now and again mother would chase us around to pick the cherries or plums as they could be sold in town without any trouble. They were sure great times! I do not wish to create the impression that we were particularly well-off. Far from it! There was never too much money about and regular taxes to pay. It was the time of the Great Depression and there certainly weren't any farm subsidies to collect. It was more or less a hand to mouth existence and people would work for next to nothing, very often for their keep and a small reward. For instance, I never heard of the idea of pocket money for kids until I came to this country. I guess it would be very difficult to starve on a farm but we certainly never had any luxuries. Nevertheless, it was a healthy kind of life and the sun always seemed to be shining. Youth is such a wonderful time but one only learns to appreciate it in later years! January 1992 T. Wier N.B. One of my Aunts' first name was NEPOMUCENA. How about that?! [page break] [underlined] FLASHBACKS 1 [/underlined] I still remember our first bombing raid. Not necessarily because it was the first but because it did not go exactly according to plan. I was posted with the crew just after Christmas 1944 to No 300 Bomber Squadron at Faldingworth, near Lincoln. It was snowing heavily at the time - fortunately the journey was not too long, about 30 miles from Blyton, near Gainsborough, where we had finished our training on four-engined Halifaxes and Lancasters. I think I ought to write something about my experiences in England up to that time because it is likely that they are different from those of my colleagues. I started flying in England in May 1941 about 10 months after the collapse of France. I had one week on aircraft type Magister at Hucknall, near Nottingham and after that to Montrose in Scotland (NO 8 SFTS) for training on Masters and Hurricanes. From September until the end of that year I was in the south of England flying Henleys and Lysanders at Weston Zoyland [sic], Somerset. January and February 1942 Flying Instructors Course at Church Lawford, near Rugby and then a posting to No 25 (P) EFTS at Hucknall, Nottingham for duties as a Pilot Instructor. I must have been one of the youngest instructors there – a new, 22 year old Pilot Officer serving in “C” Flight with Capt. Tanski as Flight Commander. The next two years felt like a constant roundabout. Each instructor had, normally four pupils every eight weeks and the first ten hours flying (average) with a pupil is mostly all talk in the air and often lots of explanations on the ground. So much talk that often one’s throat would get sore. And the pupil listened and learned to fly, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. What amazes me now is the fact that they learned so much in such a short time – first solo, spinning, aerobatics, instrument flying, cross-country flights and even night flying. I remember one poor soul made 23 approaches before finally landing without mishap. I must admit that landing was difficult that particular night because the wind was from the wrong direction. The Flight Commander and the instructors heaved a sigh of relief – somebody wanted to bring anti-aircraft artillery! At Hucknall there was also another problem. Practically each and every one of the instructors wanted to join an operational Squadron. Of course, the result was that there was a regulated list of such volunteers and one had to wait for one’s turn to be released from flying instructor’s duties. I must have been way down the list because my turn did not come until June 1944. Moreover, I only got in because someone ahead of me declined this privilege. I received an allocation to a bomber Squadron and a posting to Finningley, near Doncaster for training on twin-engined Wellingtons. I was very pleased that my instructor would be Janek Dziedzic and Flight Commander Jozek Nowak – both of them my colleagues from the Flying School, Deblin, in Poland. [page break] 2 At Finningley, apart from flying training the aircrew personnel were formed into individual aircraft crews, that is to say the crew would consist of pilot, navigator, bomb-aimer, radio-operator and two gunners. The flight-engineer would join the crew later for training on four-engined aircraft. I was very lucky with my crew. They approached me as a gathered and complete group – all good lads – I had a lot of flying hours under my belt, maybe that helped. They were all N.C.O.s, younger than I was with the exception of the bomb-aimer a year or so older. The youngest was the rear-gunner, only nineteen! Flight Sergeant Hieronim Stawicki, our Flight Engineer, became eventually “The Father” of the crew. I think he was 27 years old at the time and started flying with us in November 1944. I return now to our arrival at Faldingworth. The end of December, winter, frost. There were not too many people as the older crews were finishing their tours of duty and some of the others simply were not returning from the raids. In spite of the fact that the Germans were retreating on all fronts, the Squadron was still losing crews. One aircraft lost meant seven aircrew, leaving a large hole in the Unit. Even during the last raid of the war on the 25th of April 1945 while bombing Berchtesgaden, one of Squadron aircraft was so badly damaged that the pilot was forced to crash-land in France. Luckily, the whole crew escaped without too many injuries. The bomb-aimer in that crew was my school-friend, Flying Officer, Roman Piaskowski. A few weeks after our arrival, reporting to all our Commanders and some training flights we found ourselves on the 2nd of February 1945 at the briefing with all other aircrews for our first raid on Germany. Target – WIESBADEN. A night flight, but not too bad because most of the route was over France. The flight duration was about six hours. As far as I remember the weather was fairly good. From time to time we could see the other aircraft in the stream. The only problem which we discovered on route to the target was strong head wind, much stronger than forecast – the navigator was complaining that we should be late over the target. I was not sure what to do about it – we increased the speed slightly, but this was not necessary as we discovered after our return to base. The correct procedure was to continue as per flight plan following the principle that the same wind was affecting all the other aircraft. I guess we must have been in good time over Wiesbaden. There was quite a bit of anti-aircraft fire on the approach and over the target. Not much time to worry about it because one has to fly accurately following bomb-aimer's instructions. After a while the aircraft jumps up, “Bombs gone!”, bomb doors close and the aircraft shoots forward without the load. [page break] 3 14,000 pounds went down – a great relief for the aeroplane and all crew members. The return flight is always easier. The aircraft is very light and after crossing of the Channel everyone feels fairly safe. We were returning to Faldingworth from the south. When the navigator said that we were getting near the airfield I noticed the lights and received clearance to join the circuit and to land over the R/T. Normal circuit, approach and landing without much trouble. Then our problems began. After clearing the runway and taxying [sic] to dispersal we stopped the engines and started to leave the aircraft. To my surprise we had landed at FISKERTON, an airfield few miles south of Faldingworth which also had Lancasters probably taking part in the same raid. The worst trouble was that we were not allowed to take off again and return to Faldingworth because we had one or two hung-up bombs in the bomb bay which we were unable to jettison earlier. And naturally, the Armament Officer in charge of such operations decided that it would be more sensible to tackle a job like that in daylight rather than in the middle of the night. We, of course, had to sit and wait there, returning eventually to Faldingworth eight or nine hours later. What had happened? Well, there were quite a number of Bomber Command airfields in Lincolnshire (I can list 10 of them within 12-15 mile radius of Faldingworth) and they were very much alike. That is to say, their lighting was similar, the runways more or less in the same direction and of nearly standard length. One thing which distinguished one airfield from another were the recognition letters placed in, what was called “The Outer Circle” of airfield lights. Nearly always they consisted of two letters – the first and the last letter of the airfield's name. Thus Faldingworth had FH and Fiskerton FN. I did see the letters when I was doing the circuit, but unfortunately, I did not know or realize that there was an airfield with similar letters so close to ours. As a matter of fact, I thought that the installation of the lights was slightly damaged and the centre bar of the letter H had dropped at one end and was simply leaning over. I fully intended to report the matter on the ground after landing. This is my explanation of the incident. It ended without mishap, but now I realize that we really avoided trouble. A simple oversight on my part, but talking to our own air Traffic Control and landing at another airfield was neither a sensible nor a safe occupation. I stopped flying as a pilot in the Royal Air Force towards the end of 1959. Sometime later I read the following short article (I do not know the author and I decided that it would be appropriate to place it on the last unused page of my Pilot's Flying Log Book:- [page break] 4 [underlined] “I WANT TO BE A PILOT” [/underlined] [underlined] by a 10- year old Schoolboy [/underlined] “....I want to be a pilot when I grow up ….because it's a fun job and easy to do. That's why there are so many pilots flying today. Pilots don't need much school, they just have to learn to read numbers so they can read instruments. I guess they should be able to read road maps so they won't get lost. Pilots should be brave so they won't be scared if it's foggy and they can't see, or if a wing or motor falls off, they would stay calm so they will know what to do. Pilots have to have good eyes to see through clouds and they can't be afraid of lightning or thunder because they are closer to them than we are. The salary pilots make is another thing I like. They have more money than they can spend. This is because most people think plane flying is dangerous except pilots don't because they know how easy it is. There isn't much I don't like except girls like pilots and all the stewardesses want to marry pilots so they always have to chase them away so they don't bother them. I hope I don't get air sick because I get car sick and if I get air sick I couldn't be a pilot and then I would have to go to work....” I guess this is the right way to finish this part of my recollections. June 1991 T. Wier [page break] [underlined] FLASHBACKS 2 [/underlined] There must be lots of reasons which influence and help young people in the choice of their career. I was already interested in flying in Primary School – I read what I could find about the subject, made flying models of gliders and aeroplanes and when I was in Gimnasium (Grammar School) I attended several lectures given by a glider instructor. At fifteen or sixteen I received a brochure describing conditions of Service in the Polish Air Force and in the Officers Flying Training School situated at that time in Deblin forty or fifty miles south of Warsaw. There were a number of photographs in the book and the one that impressed me a lot was a photograph of a pilot with the rank of a colonel in the Polish Air Force. He looked very smart at at 36 was about to retire. Fantastic! Of course the profession was somewhat risky and there was always a possibility of a fatal accident but the pilot then had a very impressive funeral and a propeller over his grave! One of the books which I read was by Captain Janusz Meissner and the title of it was “School of Young Eagles”. Beautifully written and the contents were really inspiring – kind of an answer to the dreams of all would-be young Flyers. As it happened we met Captain Meissner later while we were interned in Romania and where he was our Unit Commander for a while. A very imposing and kind officer – he looked after us like a father. Very much like “Captain Grey” - the character in the book I mentioned. While considering my future career I received some advice from my older colleague. Takek Walczak matriculated from the same school in ZGIERZ one year ahead of me and joined the Polish Air Force in 1937. He was actually then at the Flying School and I met him while he was on leave all resplendent n his uniform and the “walking out” dagger at his side. My original intention was to apply for admission to the Technical Officers School but he soon convinced me that life as a “plumber” would be very dull and that of a pilot much more interesting. I must now admit that he was absolutely right. I can not now imagine the 22 years of my life from 1938 to 1960 in a profession other than as a military pilot. I feel certain that I have lived during the “golden age” of aviation. When I started flying the aeroplanes were “string, wires and canvas” (at least the first ones I trained on were!) and by 1948 I was flying the early jet aircraft. In 1957 the SPUTNIK was circling the globe and in 1969 NEIL ARMSTRONG walked on the surface of the moon. What progress! Soon after my matriculation in 1938 I received a notification to attend a course on gliders in Ustianowa, South-East Poland. Two weeks earned my category “B” on glider type “Wrona”. Week or two later another course in Ustianowa but this time for selection to the Officers Flying Training School. Gliders “Czajka” and “Salamander” ending with the award of category “C”. 2 After all these valiant efforts the authorities still managed to get hold of me and sent me to a Labour camp in Southern Poland. The work involved building a road and was kind of obligatory for all students who have completed secondary education. I think the attachment was for a month or so. However, the Camp Commandant realized that I have done my stint of service for the Government and sent me home after three or four days. Just in time for the harvest! Father was very pleased – great help on the farm. End of September 1938 found me in a khaki uniform with a very short haircut in the barracks of 31st Infantry Brigade in Lodz for my course of Recruit Training. Lots of drill, marching, weapon training, instructions in field tactics, rifle and machine-gun range firing and, thank God, after Christmas posting to Flying School in Deblin. Much, much better there! Fitted uniforms, modern barracks, mattresses instead of straw pallets. (Easy to remake the bed after duty N.C.O.s' failed inspection). About an hour of drill a day and an awful lot of lectures. I think that we had about seven hours – one had to have a brain like a sponge to assimilate it all – somehow a lot stayed in. We started lectures about six or seven in the morning then one break and a small snack at eleven. Lunch was well after two in the afternoon. And one hour of drill after that! Spring 1939. The weather was kind because I remember that we finished initial flying training on aircraft RWD 8 fairly quickly. We used a small grass satellite airfield called Zajezierze on the west side of the river Vistula. I ought to add that the main airfield at Deblin, the other satellite airfields and the nearby town Irena were all on the right, east bank of the river. Before the first solo we had a dual flight and carried out spinning on aircraft type PWS 26 (our initial RWD 8 was non-aerobatic and not stressed for practice of spinning) and after that a free fall parachute jump out of a large three-engined Fokker aircraft. There were six of us in each group to carry out the jump and I was the first to be pushed out of the aeroplane. I do not know if I was the lightest or the heaviest in the group but I fell down fairly fast. 3 seconds later I pulled the ripcord and the parachute opened without any trouble. One had to hang on to the handle of the ripcord because it’s loss meant a small fine and every penny of our meagre pay soon got used up. What actually frightened me most was the fact that I seemed to be heading straight for a huge metal wind indicator which was situated in the corner of the airfield not too far from the Officers’ Mess. However, my Guardian Angel looked after me and I managed to land several yards away from this obstruction. There would not be much fun having an argument with such a heap of iron and one could certainly do oneself an awful lot of painful injury by landing on it. [page break] 3 I do not remember now the exact date but early in June we found ourselves at another satellite airfield called Borowina. I still had my original instructor on the next type of aircraft which was a biplane PWS 26. I think now that my instructor was near enough a saint – he never got angry and had infinite patience. Only once, I remember, he told me after an hour’s instrument flying under the hood that he could not have lasted much longer. I don’t know if it was my flying or some other reason that caused the remark. I recollect a couple of incidents from that part of my flying career. I was very impressed with the speed with which our Technical Branch dealt with a problem which was discovered in our aircraft following a near-fatal accident. It happened that one of our lads, Stasiek Litak, was carrying out an exercise in spinning. This required starting the spin, two or three turns and then recovery. Fairly simple exercise – one needed some height, a clear bit of sky, speed reduced to minimum and then the stick fully back, rudder pedal hard over to one side and the machine goes round. for the recovery exactly opposite action of the flying controls, that is to say, the stick fully forward and the rudder pedal hard over to the other side. I must add that Stasiek Litak was a big chap and wore very large size boots. (This has no connection with the incident but he was a brilliant player on the accordion). What I heard eventually was that Stasiek started the spin OK but while doing so his foot slipped of [sic] the rudder and got jammed by the side of the fuselage and the bar itself. In spite of great efforts he was unable to pull his foot out and apply the opposite rudder. And so the aeroplane continued spinning although at a slower rate all the way down. I believe Stasiek was injured but, fortunately, still able to explain what had happened. Few days later all the PWS 26 aircraft were modified – special wooden guards were fitted to prevent the foot getting jammed. Very simple and effective. We had a very comprehensive program of flying exercises to carry out. Towards the end of the course one of them involved live air to ground firing – fixed machine gun firing through the propeller into a target on the ground. The target was a large rectangle of cleared ground and covered with smoothed-out sand so that every bullet hitting it would show a trace. We had a prescribed number of rounds loaded for each pilot to fire and it was thus fairly simple to count the hits and figure out who was a good shot. As the target was flat on the ground, one had to dive and aim the aircraft. Furthermore, the nearer the vertical the dive and closer to the ground, the better the score. Of course, we were limited to the number of passes we could make on the target so one had to judge everything nicely – there wasn’t much time to correct any mistakes. I guess, I must have got a pass-mark for my live firing – I certainly do not remember my score. But I remember what happened to another pilot doing the same exercise. 4 Parallel with our course we had eight or ten officers from the Bulgarian Air Force trained by Polish instructors. They were not billeted with us and we saw them only from time to time. Their senior officer was a Bulgarian captain, very strict, keen and correct. He was always trying to get top marks in every activity, no doubt to set a good example to his other officers. Unfortunately, as I said before, one did not have much time to correct mistakes during the air firing exercise. It was necessary to stop the firing and pull out of the dive in good time to avoid crashing into the ground. Few seconds too long and the pilot was in trouble which is exactly what happened to our Captain. He must have pulled out very hard but did not quite make it and left some bits of his aeroplane on the surrounding bushes and trees. Somehow he got away without serious injury himself. September 1939 and the German invasion of Poland. The bombing of Deblin and our own airfield was not very pleasant. Fortunately, we were a mile or so away from the airfield and nobody was injured in our Section. The bombing took place about lunchtime on the 2nd of September and that afternoon we cleared out of our barracks and continued the march for most of the night in the direction of Lublin, which was South-East of our airfield. We stopped for a couple of days near a large farming estate and from there I was detailed for my last flight in Poland. I do not know how it happened but I think that my instructor must have been confident of my flying ability because I was instructed to fly one of our training aircraft, PWS 26, in formation with my instructor in the direction of Lwow in South-East Poland. These aircraft were already dispersed from our home airfield so the take off and landing were to be on temporary landing grounds. My instructor flew ahead and I had to follow him. We were flying quite low and I simply kept close so as not to lose his aircraft – he was navigating for both of us. My attention must have wandered off temporarily because I got a real fright when a tall chimney of some brickworks or a factory suddenly appeared ahead of me. Quick yank on the stick and full throttle got me out of that predicament. I landed, eventually, behind my instructor on a field still covered with short stubble from the recent harvest. After landing, the aeroplane was pushed tail first into a nearby wood, few branches across the front completed the camouflage. I guess, the Russians found the aircraft there when they marched in, we could not fly them any further because of lack of fuel. About 11 o'clock on Sunday, 17th of September our Commanders received a message that the Russians have invaded Poland from the East. Soon after came the order to evacuate the Unit in the direction of Rumanian border and next day we found ourselves in that country – disarmed and in a foreign land. [page break] 5 It must have happened during our journey to the southern region of Rumania. Somewhere and somehow I contracted dysentery, most likely eating contaminated fruit. I spent about a week in a hospital in Tulcea and slowly recovered my health. My youth and skilled medical care helped to overcome a very unpleasant illness. Unusual coincidence. My father, in Poland, only 56 years old at the time, also contracted this disease about the same time as I did. He died because of it on the 4th of October 1939. I received the information about his death and the cause of It well after the war ended. Life for a life? The following recollection which touched me very deeply will always remain in my memory. It happened on the first Sunday of our internment in Rumania. A large camp of tents, Holy Mass in the open and at the end a hymn: - O God, Who for centuries Have allowed Poland The splendour of might and glory and Who Protected her with the shield of Your care From the misfortunes which had threatened. We carry this prayer before Your altars Bless our free Motherland, O Lord. We sang:- Return to us our Motherland, O Lord. I was then nineteen.... Tadek Wier August 1991 [page break] [underlined] FLASHBACKS 3 [/underlined] Rumania. Soon after my return from the hospital (first days of October, 1939) we were moved from the tented camp in Tulcea to a village in Dobrudja, somewhere near Bazargic in South-East Rumania. Bolek Uszpolewicz and I were billeted with a village family which consisted of the old farmer and wife, his married son and wife, and a younger daughter of the old farmer, about twenty years of age. Bolek was six years older than I and his family lived in Lithuania. I must add that I am relying entirely on my memory when writing these recollections and sometimes I am not quite certain of the dates. The reason for this is that during our internment in Rumania everybody was trying to escape to the West, that is to say to France or England which were still at war, and so to continue fighting the Germans. The right way to go about it was to get rid of everything which would connect a person with the fact that he was in the Polish Forces, then acquire a civilian suit and proceed to a designated collection point given to us just before the escape. Therefore, all the photographs, documents and papers had to be destroyed or thrown away. As a result, I do not have any positive records from that period of time. I am not quite certain now that such a drastic clear-out was absolutely necessary, but when one is young and without experience of tricky matters, it is best to listen to the advice of people who are older and have the knowledge of what to do in unusual circumstances. Our old farmer left the house practically every day to work in the fields and always took with him a full jug of wine. The jug was a fair size, three pints or so and when he returned in the evening he was in high good humour. His son invited us one day to have a look at their cellar where the wine was kept – huge barrel, about five feet in diameter – must have lasted a whole year until next grape harvest. I am ashamed to say that I do not remember our host's name or even their religion. Rut religious they were. Each Sunday the young woman in the house would trot off to church and later join the group of young people gathered in the village square. There was a small band of musicians and men and women would dance. The dances had a definite oriental flavour – very likely the influence of Bulgaria and Turkey. A small happening which I recollect with pleasure. Our food was no great shakes and there wasn't too much of it. The winter was approaching fast, November, snow, frost and often howling wind – a hungry person feels such discomforts quite a lot. Bolek and I decided that it would be nice to have a real feast for once. We managed to save some money and then bought a goose from a neighbour's wife. This lady, very kindly has agreed to cook or roast the goose for us. The cooked bird was truly delicious – stuffed with sauerkraut and paprika. These two ingredients seemed to a perfect flavouring for the goose meat, I would recommend this method of preparing it to any cook or chef. [page break] 2 Sometime at the beginning of December we got our, sort of, civilian outfits, some extra money for the journey and one early morning caught a train which eventually took us to Balcic on the coast of the Black Sea and very close to the Bulgarian frontier. We waited there a couple of weeks or so for the boat and for our travel documents. These, of course, were forged and our senior officers had a lot of work inventing new names for all of us. I don't think they had much trouble finding one for me – Tadeusz Eugeniusz Wierzbowski disappeared and Maciej Gruszka showed up in his place. I guess I ought to add that there is a common Polish proverb which says that the good times will come when willow trees will start growing pears. And wierzba means willow in Polish – gruszka is a pear! A few days before Christmas a boat called “Patris” showed up in the harbour. There must have been several hundreds of us and all eager to get away. We eventually found out that our destination was Beirut in, as it was then Syria. The boat must have been fairly small and rather unstable because when we were passing one of the islands and most of the passengers on top moved to one side to get a better view, the boat listed quite a few degrees towards the island. We landed in Beirut two or three days before Christmas and spent the next three weeks in a military camp just to the north of the city. With French hospitality we were treated at Christmas to a choice meal and half a bottle of champagne. Once or twice we wandered into the city – very busy, lots of money changers and cafes – sweet, thick coffee and cakes when one could afford it! What surprised me a lot was the sight of fruiting orange trees (January!) and the cheepness [sic] of oranges – one could buy a dozen for next to nothing. About the middle of January we embarked on a large passenger ship and after leaving Beirut spent few pleasant days on the journey to Marseille [sic]. They were pleasant because the weather was quite good and when we sailed through the Straits of Messina (between Sicily and Calabria – Italy was then still neutral) we had a good view of Mount Etna and sometime later the island and volcano of Stromboli. The ship docked in Marseille on the 20th of January, 1940. Hard winter there - frost, some snow and a short stop-over in a camp just outside the town. Very primitive, I think we inherited it after the refugees from the Spanish Civil War. Eventually we were transported to a camp near a village of Sept Fonds, not far from Caussade in South-West France. Lovely countryside, but the camp not so good, very much like the one in Marseille. The situation improved a lot when we were moved to Lyon in March, 1940. We stayed in Lyon-Foire, a large building which housed some sort of Exhibition a year or so before. It was located on the edge of the city and right on the bank of the River Rhone. Nearby was a nice park – I still remember a flock of peacocks which was kept there – they would strut around and display their dazzling tail feathers. [page break] 3 The city itself was very impressive – lovely buildings, bridges over the Rhone, spring and early summer – about the best time of the year to get to know the place and to learn French which was most important for further service in the Air force there. It did not last long. The German offensive started on 10th of May, 1940. We had an early raid by German bombers directed mainly against nearby airfield of Lyon-Bron used by our training Units. There were casualties, killed and wounded. One of the young officers in the air at the time attacked the formation of bombers but was himself shot down by them and killed – death of a hero! The 18th of June, 1940 was a sad day in Lyon. The end of the fighting in France and the armistice. Also the tears of the women who wept as they watched us marching from Lyon-Foire to the railway station. Overnight journey and we found ourselves the next day somewhere near Montpelier on the Mediterranean coast of France. We waited there nearly two days because our Commanders expected a boat or a ship to transport us to North Africa or to England. Unfortunately, nothing turned up and we were loaded on to a train again and transported in the direction of the West coast of France. The train stopped for several hours in Toulouse on a siding and alongside a goods train. I mention this because someone discovered that one of the wagons of the goods train was loaded with boxes of fresh peaches. I do remember that we were very hungry, so in no time at all quite a few of the boxes found their way on board or our train. Soon there was no trace of the peaches and the empty boxes disappeared also. Since then, I have noticed, that I had become very indifferent to the sight or taste of fresh peaches. After our stop in Toulouse the train headed southwards towards the Spanish frontier through Bayonne and halted eventually in St Jean de Luz. I think we spent the night there and the next day started boarding a British ship which was anchored about half a mile from the shore. The ship was called “Andora Star”. The following letter from a reader appeared in the “Sunday Times” on the 13th of October, 1991:- LAST TO LEAVE: The account of Sir James Goldsmith's escape from France in 1940, News Review last week stated that his family left from Bayonne in the last ship to leave for England. On Monday, June 24 1940, we (my family) overtook a German advance military unit just north of Bordeaux and raced on to Bayonne to find the British Consul had moved to St Jean de Luz. It was there that we boarded the Arandora Star, together with the remnants of the Polish air force. The ship sailed at 17.30 on June 24 with 4000 on board and reached Liverpool on June 27. That was the last sailing from the Atlantic coast of France to England. I remember it well – I was there. - R.S. Bendall, Exeter. I was there as well among the others.... [page break] 4 I also have a Post Scriptum about the ship “Arandora Star”. It happened that the journey from St Jean de Luz to Liverpool was the last that the ship completed successfully. The next sailing from Liverpool to Canada on the 1st of July 1940 ended tragically when the ship was torpedoed soon after passing Ireland by a U-boat whose Captain was the renowned Gunther Prien of Scapa Flow fame. The Arandora Star went down in half an hour with the loss of 800 lives. My Guardian Angel was still taking care of me. Tadek Wier. October 1991. [underlined] FLASHBACKS 4 [/underlined] I ought to explain how it came about that I changed my surname from WIERZBOWSKI to WIER. During the second half of 1948 I received my appointment to a Short Service Commission in the General Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force. This was a very welcome news because, before that, I spent my time in the Polish Resettlement Corps on detachments to various R.A.F. Units where I was employed on administrative duties and later, just over four months of 1948, on a training course in Millom, Cumberland, learning the trade of turner and metal-worker. I enjoyed that course quite a lot because I was always interested in technical matters. The theory and practice of turning and metal work came in very handy when I retired from the Royal Air Force in 1975 and managed to do one year's training in watch and clock repair under the auspices of the Training Opportunities Scheme (TOPS) which was then available for ex-service personnel. It was great to get back to flying. I shall always be grateful to the members of the R.A.F. Selection Board for allowing me to continue my career of the military pilot which was my original choice when I left school in Poland in 1938. My flying stopped when I left 300 Polish Bomber Squadron a few months before the Squadron was finally disbanded on the 11th of October 1946. Actually, I did a fair amount of flying with the 300 Squadron from the end of the war until 7th of June 1946 – my last flight there recorded in my Pilot's Flying Log Book. My final wartime bombing raid was on Berchtesgaden, Hitler's residence in the Alps, on the 25th of April 1945. Three days later, on the 28th of April we were off again to Europe, but this time on, a kind of, rescue mission, that is to say, repatriating former British Prisoners of War from one of the Allied forward airfields which I think was somewhere in Belgium. We were scheduled to carry back 20 men from Belgium to an airfield just north-west of London. We were taking with us 20 extra Mae Wests (life jackets!) for our passengers. I mention this fact because the flight did not start very well as one of our engines caught fire few seconds after take off. To close the throttle, feather the propeller, turn off fuel and press the fire extinguisher took less than a minute and we were back again on the ground in 12 minutes-flat landing on 3 engines. While we were carrying out our circuit and landing, Wing Commander Jarkowski, our Squadron Commander, did some very smart, fast footwork and organised a replacement aircraft, so that after landing all we had to do was to transfer our own flying gear and the extra 20 Mae Wests to the other aircraft which was waiting for us with engines warming up. We were slightly behind the rest of our chaps but at least we got on the way without further problems and well in time to collect our 20 passengers who, otherwise, would have been cruelly disappointed. [page break] 2 About one and a half hours after take off from Belgium we were landing in England. There was a very touching moment when we were coasting in somewhere near Dover and my crew brought the passengers forward in small batches to see The Cliffs when we were approaching the coast. There were some tears – quite a few of the men have been in captivity since 1940. Few days later starting on the 2nd of May we carried food supplies to Holland which was then still under German Occupation. The drop was made from a very low altitude to prevent scattering of the load. These supplies were desperately needed because the people in Holland were near starvation and the drops must have been a success because we flew again on identical missions on the 5th and 7th of May, 1945. The war in Europe ended on the 8th of May 1945. From then on we were busy carrying supplies to Europe and on the return journey bringing back former Prisoners of War. One or two flights were to and from temporary forward airfields surfaced with PSP (Pierced Steel Planking) making it a bit of tight squeeze to land a four-engined Lancaster on an airfield used only by our Spitfires or other light aeroplanes. These operations ceased towards the end of June 1945 and we were then able to relax and fly over Germany on sightseeing trips. I have two such sorties listed in my Log Book – the first with my crew only to see the damage caused to targets which we bombed and to observe the results of the bombing from a comfortable height of 2000 or 3000 feet. Appropriately, this flight was named “Post Mortem”. The second flight was made for the benefit of our ground crew personnel who worked all hours of day and night throughout the war years to keep our aeroplanes in the air. No doubt, they understood that without their contribution, it might have been German airmen looking at such sights over England. In September 1945 we started flying to Italy to transport mainly army personnel back to United Kingdom for their leave. Again 20 men at a time were back in England in about seven hours. The route for the outbound and return flight was via the South of France, near Northern Corsica, then Elba, with landing at Pomigliano, close to Naples which was our pick up point. On one occasion, when we were approaching Naples, I made a wide circuit over the Vesuvius and Pompei and actually had a look from above inside the cone of the volcano. It looked like a funnel of ashes – that’s all. We usually spent one night in Naples and then back home the next day with the passengers. I remember that on one of my trips when we were delayed, I managed to get a ticket and see a splendid performance of the opera “Aida” at the Royal Opera House in Naples. Beautiful singing, music of the orchestra, costumes and scenery – quite an experience, I must say. As a Flight Commander, it fell to me on one return journey to carry 20 nurses – all females; and all delivered safely back to England. 3 Some of the flights were not very pleasant because, as the autumn progressed, we had to fly sometime through severe storms which seemed particularly vicious at that time of the year in the Bay of Genoa and on our route. For the comfort of the passengers and safety we had to maintain heights of about 5000 to 8000 feet and these are pretty nasty heights to fly through a thunderstorm. Fortunately, such bad flying conditions do not last for very long and twenty to thirty minutes was enough to get through the worst turbulence, hail rain, lightning or what there was about. Nevertheless, we were unlucky in losing one aircraft and the crew somewhere over the Mediterranean. I do not remember now if they had any passengers on board or not. On the 4th of November, 1945, my crew and I flew to Gatow airfield, Berlin, for an overnight stay and to have a look at the capital of Germany which was then still mostly in ruins. A short wander around the City, a walk through the parts of Reich Chancellery which were accessible and a flight back to UK. I guess, we used the same corridor route as the aircraft which were to fly in the supplies during the Berlin Airlift a couple of years later. I had 2000 flying hours flown on various types of aircraft when I left the Squadron in 1946. I suppose this flying experience helped me to be selected for service in the Royal Air Force and to be employed on flying duties as a pilot. Because I haven't done any flying for over two years I had to complete a 3-week Pilot Refresher Flying Course at R.A.F. Finningley and then I was posted to No 4 Ferry Pool which at that time was located at R.A.F. Hawarden, near Chester. I also spent further 3 weeks at R.A.F. Aston Down, near Stroud, converting to other types of aircraft, as well as jets. I found the task of ferrying aeroplanes very rewarding and interesting for two main reasons. The first was the fact that I visited just about all the airfields in use in the United Kingdom at the time, delivering or collecting aircraft. The flights were carried out normally in fairly good weather but, inevitably, one encountered all sorts of conditions on longer trips and sometimes diversions were necessary. Great experience for getting acquainted with the geography of the country as we operated the length and breath [sic] of Great Britain, from the very North of Scotland to the Channel coast in the South and from the North Sea in the East to all of Northern Ireland in the west. Later on we also flew on some of the ferrying duties between UK and our Units in the British Zone of Germany. The second interesting point was the variety of the aircraft which we ferried about. I was lucky because I qualified on all the categories which were then currently in use. All the single-engined, twin, four-engined and jets. Such was the variety that flying three different types and categories in one day was routine. [page break] 4 Looking through my Log Book and monthly summaries I have the following: - January 1949 - 9 types May 1949 - 10 types June/July 1949 - 12 types June 1951 – 13 types With such a collection of aeroplanes, one would learn peculiarities of each type and remember the differences – Pilot’s Notes were always handy to refresh one’s memory. Fortunately, flying itself is always standard; forward fast or slow, left or right, and up or down! As I mentioned before, ferrying of aircraft meant landing and taking off from a lot of different airfields. Visiting 20, 25 locations in one month was again routine. Normally, the flight details would be passed to these airfields by phone from our Operations Room first thing in the morning and, similarly, that information updated would be phoned through between the airfields concerned as the day progressed. One of the items of information phoned through would be the aircraft captain’s name and, of course, a name like Wierzbowski with eleven letters in it offered innumerable permutations for misspelling to the Air Traffic Control clerks who would copy out the name on the Movements Board for use by the Controllers. A pilot would usually visit or contact the Air Traffic Control after arrival or before departure to check on the weather or other flight information of the destination aerodrome. Nearly every time during my visits I would see my name misspelled in a variety of ways. Then, after a few weeks with the Unit even our operations people got tired of spelling-out such a long name and started using a shortened form of the first four letters of it, that is to say, WIER. I suppose, it was lucky that we had no other pilot with a name like WEIR because that is how my name sometime still appeared. And still does! I guess what really convinced me that it would be right to change my name formally was the incident which occurred when my daughter, Elizabeth, started attending the Primary School in Ellesmere Port where we lived from 1949 onwards. I do not remember the exact date when this happened but Libby was then about eight years old and, one day, her teacher asked Elizabeth to write her full name on the blackboard for all the children in the class to see. No doubt, the teacher meant well but was somewhat insensitive to Libby’s embarrassment at being so different from all the other Smiths, Jones, Mills or what have you. I believe, Libby cried and refused to obey the teacher’s request and had to suffer painful consequences as a result. I changed my surname by Statutory Declaration soon after to WIER. Even after that, my name was still somewhat [page break] 5 unusual because of the strange spelling and until my retirement from the Service in 1975 was the only one so written in the Official Air Force List. My son, Michael, was born in February 1952, a couple of years after the change of my surname and was duly registered as Michael Richard WIER. Sometime in his teens he decided that he was deprived of his Polish heritage to a certain degree and so after his eighteenth birthday he added the full name of Wierzbowski to his own. This was all done legally and at his own expense. I must say, I was quite touched by his determined action and, of course, very proud of the fact that he wanted to acknowledge his paternal ancestry and descent. I imagine all this sounds like a very long-winded explanation of a simple happening but I have to point out that the situation and conditions 40-45 years ago were very different from the present. Life is much simpler now – we have Singhs, Patels, Wongs or Muhammads, one hears names like Gorbachev or Yeltsin and nobody bats an eyelid at the sound of them. It sure is a very welcome progress! Talking of progress; I had a good example of it when Michael was about 3 years old. I will mention it now because at the time it made me realize that the world is developing much faster than we think or are aware of. We lived in Whitby, Wirral, not very far from R.A.F. Station, Hooton Park, which was then used by an Auxiliary Squadron equipped with jet aircraft. These were flying around quite a lot and on occasions fairly low so that Michael was very familiar with the shape and sound of these aeroplanes. Well, one day, we were waiting at the traffic lights on the road passing the end of the runway at Hawarden near Chester, where I was actually stationed. As it happened, and old ANSON (twin-engined, propeller driven aircraft), was coming in to land and passed in front of us very low, throttled back and with the propellers turning slowly. I still remember the remark which, greatly astonished Michael made :- “Look, Daddy, an aeroplane with windmills on!” June 1992. T. Wier. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flashbacks 0 to 4 Description An account of the resource In a series of "flashbacks" the author starts with commentary on family in Poland and names recorded on visits to Poland. Continues with account of early life, school and life in Poland before the war. He mentions his first operation on 300 Squadron at RAF Faldingworth and continues by describing his training in England at RAF Hucknall, RAF Montrose and Weston Zoyland. He was eventually allocated to a bomber squadron at RAF Finningley training on Wellington where he crewed up before posting to RAF Faldingworth, He describes his first operation to Wiesbaden and mistakenly landing at RAF Fiskerton on return. He explains his reasons for joining the Polish Air Force and continues with account of flying training with various incidents. Describes events during German invasion and escape to Romania. He then recalls arriving in Romania and then travelling onwards by boat to Beirut, then onwards to Marseille, Lyon. There follows an account of German invasion of France in May 1940 and his escape via Toulouse, Bayonne and St Jean de Luz and then by British ship to Liverpool. His final flashback describes changing his name and of his career in the RAF after the war, including continuing flying with 300 Squadron and his final operation to Berchtesgaden, as well as prisoner of war repatriation flights and food drops in Holland. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource T Wier Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992-01 1991-06 1991-10 1992-06 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Poland Poland--Zgierz Poland--Dęblin (Warsaw) Great Britain England--Lincolnshire England--Nottinghamshire England--Hucknall Scotland--Angus Scotland--Montrose England--Somerset England--Warwickshire England--Rugby England--Yorkshire Germany Germany--Wiesbaden Romania Lebanon Lebanon--Beirut France France--Marseille France--Lyon France--Toulouse France--Bayonne France--Saint-Jean-de-Luz England--Lancashire England--Liverpool Germany--Berchtesgaden Belgium Italy Italy--Genoa Germany--Berlin England--Bridgwater Romania Romania--Tulcea Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1941 1944-12 1941-05 1944-06 1944-10 1945-02-02 1939 1939-09-17 1940-05-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Twenty-five page printed document Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BWierTWierTv1 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jan Waller Maureen Clarke Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive 300 Squadron aircrew crewing up Halifax Hurricane Lancaster Lysander Magister Operation Dodge (1945) Operation Exodus (1945) Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945) pilot RAF Faldingworth RAF Finningley RAF Fiskerton RAF Weston Zoyland training Wellington https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1816/32144/MMonksMA152996-170323-050001.2.jpg 456f96fb26f3d537f4f00815f329ed42 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1816/32144/MMonksMA152996-170323-050002.2.jpg a8d465921c3f24b3525062a7c08ad504 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1816/32144/MMonksMA152996-170323-050003.2.jpg b698d0975ef5fe51c87f06e5989decd7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Monks, Maurice Arnold M A Monks Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-23 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Monks, MA Description An account of the resource 39 items and a subcollection of eighty-one items.&nbsp;&nbsp;The collection concerns Flying Officer Maurice Arnold Monks (152996 Royal Air Force) and contains documents and photographs. Sub-collection contains photographs taken while he was training in Canada. He flew operations as a bomb aimer with 166 Squadron and was killed 13 June 1944.<br /><br /> <a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2023">Monks, Maurice Arnold. Photograph album</a><br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Hilary Megget and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.<br /><br /> <p><span data-contrast="none">Additional information on&nbsp;Maurice Arnold Monks</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;is available via the</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}">&nbsp;<a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/116453/">IBCC Losses Database.</a></span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}">&nbsp;</span></p> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Lincoln Congregational Churches news leaflet Description An account of the resource Starts with letter from Minister Staley G Smith about general matters concerning the church and congregation. Followed by general news from church branches. Concludes with preaching plan for October. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Lincoln Congregational Church Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Four page printed document Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MMonksMA152996-170323-05 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Lincolnshire England--Lincoln Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. faith home front https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/292/32091/PMacdonaldK1702.2.pdf 452847178767fe7671dcc321c486a883 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Macdonald, Ken Ken Macdonald K Macdonald Description An account of the resource Two items. An oral history interview with Ken Macdonald (b. 1924, 432233 Royal Australian Air Force) and a photograph. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Ken Macdonald and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-02-22 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Macdonald, K Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ken Macdonald Description An account of the resource An airman in flying kit crouching by aircraft main u/c wheel. Submitted with caption 'K Macdonald circa October 1944 at Wickenby'. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One b/w photograph Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PMacdonaldK1702 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Australian Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Lincolnshire Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. aircrew RAF Wickenby https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1656/31126/E[Author]MBrooks[Fam]441016.jpg 75dec6a6471d676648b14b2ea39f87c2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Brooks, Glenn Wesley G W Brooks Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-08-13 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Brooks, GW Description An account of the resource 56 items. The collection concerns Pilot Offier Glenn Wesley Brooks (1923 - 1944, 198013, 88793 Royal Air Force) and contains photographs, documents and correspondence. He flew operations as an air gunner with 426 Squadron and was killed 7 October 1944.&nbsp;<br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by P Van Nest and catalogued by Barry Hunter.<br /> <p>Additional information on Glenn Wesley Brooks is available via the&nbsp;<a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/203333/">IBCC Losses Database.</a></p> Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document 16 Oct 1944 estimated: from Mary. Glenn went missing on Saturday, 7 Oct; this letter was written on a Monday, so I’m assuming it would have been just over a week for news to get back home. It made us all feel so very very badly to hear of Glenn. It's hard to believe it! If only we didn't have to! Of course we think of you mostly at this time - and Dora! I do wish we could do something to help you. We can only hope and pray for Glenn. We think such a lot of Glenn. We were to see Jesse’s today and talked of Glenn a great deal. They had a recent letter from Glenn and we were awfully pleased to hear about his commission. He's really done very well to get that. I don't think very many in his line are that good. We think of Glenn so often. Every time we ever heard of a raid on Germany, my heart sank. I've been so afraid for Glenn. Last Saturday night the word came through about that big raid with 50 some planes missing and I'm wondering if that was the one1. I do so hope everything will be alright. Since hearing the wonderful news about my cousin Ross, I do have hopes2. Mum and Dad3 are here for the weekend. They enjoyed the trip to Caledonia and seeing Jesse’s. Try not to worry. I'm afraid this will be hard for Sam with his trouble. I was sorry to hear about that. Do take care of yourselves. According to Ross that was one of his chief worries - how everyone at home was and not hearing from them so you must have a good report for him when he's freed! Love to all, Mary 1 It likely was the Dortmund Raid, the start of the 2nd Battle of the Ruhr. The Allies sent almost 1000 planes that night, one of the largest concentrations of the war. Although Mary reports 50 planes lost, only 5 of the 298 planes in 6 Group were lost that night. One was Glenn’s Halifax. 2 Mary’s cousin, Ross Doubt, was shot down but successfully escaped through the underground back to England. 3 Ben and Ethyl Smallman of Port Perry, Ontario. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to Glenn Brook's Family from Mary Brooks Description An account of the resource Mary expresses sadness that Glenn is missing. She discusses family news. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mary Brooks Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One handwritten sheet Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Correspondence Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context E[Author]MBrooks[Fam]441016 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Canadian Air Force Civilian Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Canada Ontario--Port Perry Germany--Dortmund Ontario Germany Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 6 Group evading Halifax missing in action shot down https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1656/31125/E[Author]ABrooks[Fam]441016.jpg cca973c3d350bab521ce5f6d911db4e0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Brooks, Glenn Wesley G W Brooks Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-08-13 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Brooks, GW Description An account of the resource 56 items. The collection concerns Pilot Offier Glenn Wesley Brooks (1923 - 1944, 198013, 88793 Royal Air Force) and contains photographs, documents and correspondence. He flew operations as an air gunner with 426 Squadron and was killed 7 October 1944.&nbsp;<br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by P Van Nest and catalogued by Barry Hunter.<br /> <p>Additional information on Glenn Wesley Brooks is available via the&nbsp;<a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/203333/">IBCC Losses Database.</a></p> Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document 16 Oct 1944 estimated: from Arnot This letter was written on the back of Mary’s letter. Dear Sam, Doreen, Dora, Gwendolyn & Grant I have hoped and prayed that this letter would never need to be written. Verna phoned us this evening (Monday) to tell us about Glenn. Needless to say we love him just as you do and as everyone would who knows Glenn. It is an awful shock even though circumstances make you always a little prepared. Hope that Glenn is still fine is [sic: as] possible because so many are reported safe. Ross Doubt (Mary’s cousin) was reported missing on May 13th. No word came until September 9th when he was reported safe back in England. He is on his way home now. Cases like this give us all a chance to hope and pray that Glenn may be as fortunate. We are all very proud as you will be that Glenn got his commission. I'm sure he earned it as Glenn always does things by full measures. I am sending word to Norm and Jesse tonight. We were down to see Jesse’s this afternoon. They are settled in the house and are fine. They had a very recent letter from Glenn which we read. He always writes such a nice letter. Enclosed find a letter which I wrote to you folks last night but did not send as I wanted to add any news from Jesse. We shall be thinking almost all the time of you folks and of Glenn. Hope you keep improving Sam. If you know any details of the raid that Glenn was on, please let us know when you have time. Love Arnot Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to Glenn Brook's Family from Arnot Brooks Description An account of the resource The letter expresses sympathy to Glenn's family. He hopes that Glenn will turn up. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Arnot Brooks Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One handwritten sheet Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Correspondence Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context E[Author]ABrooks[Fam]441016 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Canadian Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Canada Ontario--Brantford Ontario Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 aircrew missing in action https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1764/30644/SJenkinsonPR1826262v10002-0001.1.jpg e36b6b34396d90913baf7f6e9599fc4c https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1764/30644/SJenkinsonPR1826262v10002-0002.1.jpg 1505fdecbe7994185319f558d9c1e5a3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Jenkinson, Peter and Leslie. Peter Jenkinson Description An account of the resource Fifty-three items concerning Peter Jenkinson who served as a flight engineer on 166 and 153 Squadron Lancaster and was killed with his crew on 28 January 1945. Collection contains official and family correspondence, photographs, biographies, newspaper articles, official documents, roll of honour and records of operations. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-08-24 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Jenkinson, LP-PR Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document “The tale of a WHITE FEATHER” Peter Jenkinson’s story has to commence from the age of 13 when he arrived home from school during the day and collapsed when his mother opened the door to him. From this, he ended up in hospital with double pneumonia and had to have an empyema, This meant he had to have 5 inches of rib removed from the back of his chest to drain off the fluid from his lungs. No Penicillin in those days. so what was known the crisis time, when the lines had reached its peak and he would either live or die. The usual medication in those days was to feed the patient on champayne. [sic] The cheerful feeling gave them a better chance to live. A terrible few days for mother and so a tremendous relief for her when she returned from visiting him and said “he will live, he has come through the crisis”. We are not sure what his age was when he had his next illness (this was in his teens). He had an appendicitis with an absess [sic] which caused peritonitis, all his intestines became septic. Again he nearly died. Only to have a year or so later yet another serious illness. This time it was bovine TB. Mother said it was due to milk from one of our neighbour’s cows. This was when mother bought a cow, being the only way to enable her to give him all the milk he had to drink. She used to milk the cow just outside the garden in front of the garage at “Penforder”. the cottage where we lived at St Breward, in North Cornwall. This was why each time Peter was ill he went to hospital at Bodmin. No National Health in those days, so all the fees to be paid for hospital treatment came from the 1p a week hospital fund! In about 1937 Peter joined the Bristol aircraft Company as an apprentice engineer but with the outbreak of war he immediately volunteered for RAF aircrew. Much to his disappointment he was declared medically unfit, obviously as a result of his previous serious illness. He continued to work as an aircraft engineer with the Bristol Aircraft Company but he was determined to serve as aircrew and volunteered twice more but both times was found to be medically unfit. Following his failure to pass a medical to join the RAF as Aircrew for the third time Peter continued working for the Bristol Aircraft Company as an Engineer. Sometime in 1942 he was sent down to RAF Predannack in Cornwall to carry out a modification to the tail planes of Beaufighters, whilst there he went to a local dance one evening, we are not sure where this was, it could have been at the RAF Station or in Helston. At the end of the evening he was approached by a young lady who gave him an envelope which he thought might contain her address or telephone number but it came as a great shock to find it was a white feather! indicating that he was a coward for not being a member of the fighting services. On his return to Bristol he found a sports shop and bought a football bladder. His idea was to use the bladder as a means of improving his lung capacity in the hope that he might be able to volunteer once more for Aircrew duties and pass the necessary medical by blowing up the column of mercury to the required height and hold it there for the necessary 30 seconds!. This he was able to do and he was at last accepted for training to become a Flight Engineer. Following Initial Training he went [page break] to RAF St Athen where he finally passed out as a Flight Engineer on Lancaster Aircraft and joined No 166 Squadron at RAF Kirmington in Lincolnshire for Operations. During August and September he took part in thirteen raids on enemy territory. Early in October 1944 he was one of twenty seven crews to transfer to join 153 Squadron at RAF Scampton. From October 44 until January 45 Peter took part in a further sixteen attacks deep into the heart of German territory. It is now know that he had a very tough time but he never discussed any of his operational experiences with his family. On the 2 [number obscured] of January 1945 he was the first Flight Engineer of 153 Squadron to be awarded the DFM for heroic deeds. In his last letter to his parents he said he had something special to tell them but he did not say what it was. The [deleted] following [/deleted] night [inserted] of [/inserted] the 28th of January Peter and his crew took off for an attack on Stuttgart. They failed to return and it was subsequently learned that their aircraft had been shot down by an enemy fighter and his whole crew had lost their lives. The story of Peter does not finish here. Nearly 20 years later in October 1974, the family received the news that the seven members of Peter’s crew were to be honoured by the German community of Michelback a small village south of Heidelberg. A local sculptor and locksmith had erected a large sand stone memorial at a place where their aircraft had crashed. Unfortunately the family received the news too late to enable them to attend the unveiling ceremony on the 13th of October 1974. They learned that the ceremony had been attended by Air Commodore L.G.P. Martin, British Air Attache German Air Force and many of the local dignitaries and inhabitants. It was not until 1983 that Peter’s brother and sister were able to visit the memorial. It has to be said that they were amazed by the friendliness and hospitality of the local people. They were met by the Bergomaster [sic] and the sculptor together with a contingent of local dignitaries. The Memorial is a large block of red sandstone weighing 3 tons or more. On it is a large metal plaque which has the words (in German) “On January 28 1945 a Four-engined English bombing plane crashed at this place; seven airmen were killed; Also, fixed to the stone is what was described as the Airmans sign, an emblem depicting the earth, the water and the sun, and, in the middle of the stone is a large fragment of one of the jettisoned bombs (thought by the sculptor to be a piece of the aircraft). The stone is encompassed by a wrought iron fence which incorporates two eternal flames, a cross for each member of the crew. The crew were initially buried in the local churchyard and given a large granite headstone with the crews names embossed on it. We were told that they were buried with full military honours on the insistance [sic] of the Bergomaster [sic] who had served as a pilot in WW1. The crew now rest in the war graves cemetary [sic] at Bad Tolz, south of Munich, but their original head-stone remains in the churchyard at Michalbach. Peter’s DFM was subsequently awarded to his brother, Philip Jenkinson, at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 1946. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flight Sergeant Peter Raeburn Jenkinson DFM - life story Description An account of the resource Covers medical problems in childhood, starting work with Bristol aircraft company in 1937, medically unfit for RAF aircrew, he was sent to work on Beaufighter at RAF Predannack where he was awarded a white feather by a young lady at a social event. Eventually through improving his lung capacity he was able to pass medical for aircrew. Trained as flight engineer on Lancaster and complete 13 operations on 166 Squadron before being transferred to 153 Squadron where he completes another 16 operations and was awarded DFM. His aircraft was shot down on 28 January 1945 during operation to Stuttgart. Continues with story of memorial to his crew built by Germany community of Michelbach and eventual visit to the area by his brother. Gives description of memorial. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Two page printed document Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SJenkinsonPR1826262v10002 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Bodmin England--Bristol Wales--Vale of Glamorgan England--Lincolnshire Germany Germany--Stuttgart Germany--Heidelberg England--Cornwall (County) England--Gloucestershire Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1937 1942 1944-10 1945-01 1945-01-28 1974-10 1974-10-13 1983 1946 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Steve Christian Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive 153 Squadron 166 Squadron aircrew Beaufighter Distinguished Flying Medal final resting place flight engineer home front killed in action Lancaster memorial RAF Kirmington RAF Scampton RAF St Athan shot down https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1539/29120/PAllnuttFJ1628.2.jpg 4cebb716f2927917f633603aec88f7d0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Allnutt, Frank John F J Allnutt Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-16 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Allnutt, FJ Description An account of the resource 32 items. The collection concerns Frank Allnutt (436745 Royal Australian Air Force) and contains his log book and photographs. He flew operations as an air gunner with 625 Squadron. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Frank Allnutt and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flight Sergeant Ralf Williams Description An account of the resource Navigator F R Williams in flying gear, seated at a his station writing in his log on the way to Essen October 1944. Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One b/w photograph Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PAllnuttFJ1628 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. 625 Squadron aircrew Lancaster military service conditions navigator RAF Kelstern https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1396/28431/PHookKG18020009.1.jpg 3499756e2da4fa9471c85eb4d5a88572 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1396/28431/PHookKG18020010.1.jpg 8c52c1122235f8d45101ed00434615a6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hook, Ken Kenneth Gordon Hook K G Hook Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Hook, KG Description An account of the resource 53 items. The collection concerns Flying Officer Kenneth Hook DFM (b. 1923, 1335989, 195765 Royal Air Force) and contains his log books, documents, photographs, objects and correspondence. He flew operations as an air gunner with 75 Squadron. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Iain Hook and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document [photograph] 4. 1246.C. SQUAD 3. No 60. A.G.I. COURSE SQUAD 4. OCT 194[missing number] [page break] D. Pedder. (16) [indecipherable letters] Richardson P/O. F Taylor. L Banks. R. Carr. J G Kirk L. Mulholland. L [indecipherable letter] Lambert. E G Page. P Lowe P.P.P Z.S.L. A.S. L.S. [inserted] Subject 3rd left middle row. [/inserted] Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Air gunners instructors course photograph Description An account of the resource 23 air gunners posed in three rows in front of brick building, captioned 'squad 3 & 4 of No 60 A.G.I. Course Oct 1944'. The reverse captioned 'Subject 3rd left middle row.' Also some signatures. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One b/w photograph Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PHookKG18020009, PHookKG18020010 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource David Bloomfield Roger Dunsford Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 air gunner aircrew training https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1566/27654/YArthurEG431155v1.1.pdf 0f2478218672e23a6e81aa8b128c359a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Arthur, Eric Garnet E G Arthur Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-12-01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Arthur, EG Description An account of the resource 33 items. The collection concerns Eric Arthur (1923 - 2019, 431155 Royal Australian Air Force) and contains his diary, an audio recording, a newspaper cutting, and 30 photographs. He flew operations as a navigator on 627 Squadron. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Eric Arthur and Alan Arthur. It was catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document [black and white photograph of five airmen in front of an aircraft] RIC WITH GROUND STAFF AT WOODHALL 1944 [page break] [RAF Wings] 627 SQUADRON [underlined] PARTHFINDER [sic] WINGS [/underlined] WORN ON LEFT POCKET THERE WERE 3 PARTHFINDER [sic] SQUADRONS – OTHER 2 HAD LANCASTERS AUS 431155. [signature] N.Y May. ‘44 1943-1945 PAGE 1 to 199 1946-1996 PAGE 200 TO 216 1997- PAGE 216 TO 1923 – PAGE 230 TO 254 LIFE SUMMARY 1946 POSTWAR PAGE 255. [page break] [blank page] [page break] [header] NAME – ADDRESS – TEL [/header] Miss L. Buck. – 8 Wellington Rd Oxton Birkenhead Eng. – [blank] Mr & Mrs G. Duncan-Brown – “Glenleigh” Kingmoor Rd. Carlisle. Cumberland. – [blank] Mrs J. Bolton (BOB’S PARENTS) – Tailem Bend. Sth Aust. – [blank] Mrs C. Clark – 31 Snowdon Place Stirling Scotland – [blank] Miss Evelyn H. Currie – “St Rogwald.” Blackbank Gretna Carlisle. – [blank] [page break] [blank page] [page break] [header] NAME – ADDRESS – TEL [/header] Mr & Mrs Stinson Studio – Suva – [blank] Mr & Mrs W. H. Shaver – Box 459. Midland Ontario. – [blank] Mr & Mrs R. W. Rose – 110 Glenmore Rd., Toronto – [blank] Mr R. W. Thorn & Mrs J. Cameron. – Collingwood Ontario – [blank] Mrs C. W. Tyson – 15 Westminster Rd. Summit New Jersey. – [blank] Mr G. M. Shepherd. – Navana Ltd. 29 New Bond St. London W1. – [blank] Mr C Bennet. – Navana – [blank] Mr H. Samson. – Kodak. – [blank] [page break] [blank page] [page break] [inserted] [underlined] 1941. [/underlined] OUR BROTHER COL MISSING IN FLYING IN BLIZARD [sic] IN CANADA MY ARMY CALL UP NOV 1941 AT AGE 18. ARMY TRAIN TO ADELAIDE AND GANLER CAMP [underlined] 1942 [/underlined] TRAIN TO GELONG BUSH CAMP PUCKAPUNYAL ARMOURED DIVISION [underlined] 1943 [/underlined] JUNE TRANSFER TO RAAF POINT COOK THEN AIR OBSERVER COURSE 2 2 AOS MT GAMBIER [/inserted] [underlined] 1943. [/underlined] Posted from 2 A.O.S. on Nov 30th. – beginning 3 AOS Pt. Pirie Dec 6th. Xmas ’43 – 3 days’ leave in Adelaide with Glenn Cliff. Xmas dinner with the Berry family. [inserted] (GLENN CLIFF – ANOTHER TRAINEE) [/inserted] [underlined] 1944. [/underlined] Jan 1st. Glenn & I celebrated New Years’ Eve in Pt. Pirie – show after midnight. Jan 4th Bombing examinations. Phoned John [inserted] DOBSON [/inserted] at Gambier on his return from U.S.A. Jan 6. Temp 112 to 115 – warm at low level, 600’ bombing. Jan 7. 4 details at low level. [page break] beginning at 7 AM take off. Mighty hot! Jan 8. 3 days’ leave, - Glenn & I in Adelaide. Swimming at Glenelg. Jan 11. Began gunnery, flying in “Battles” in afternoon. Bombing exam results – 87 percent – 9TH Jan 22. Glenn & I visited Williams family. – swimming at Glenelg. Began Astro. Nav. on Feb 3rd – weather still hot. Feb. 5th. Aileen Berry’s 21st. Feb. – Continuous night Astro. Nav. flights. Feb 14. 42 Course interview with C.O. (W.C. Hedlem). [page break] Astro exams began Feb. 26th – finishing course on 29th. Mch 2. Beginning of 9 days’ home leave. Glenn & I stayed at the S.P.F. hostel. Mch. 4. Travelled by Bonds to Gambier. Mch 5 & 6. On leave at “Colwyn” Mch 7. Left for Melbourne – with Mum & Joy at flat. Peter born at 11.40 P.M. Mch 9. Called on Glad & Peter with Joy & Mum. Mch 10. Return to Adelaide & Pirie. Mch 13. Glenn in hospital. [page break] Mch 14. Beginning of 3 weeks extra course. – flying etc. & gardening. Mch 19. Glenn out of Hospital Church with Brenda, Clarrie & others. Continuation of Day flying. Mch 27th. Trip by plane to Gambier for Court Martial [inserted] NOT FOR ME! WAS CREW ON THE AIRCRAFT. [/inserted] – leave for 1 day at home. April 1st. Pre-embarkation leave began. At home ‘till Tuesday 11th. April 11th Left for Melb. at 1 AM. – stayed at “Stratton Heights” April 12 Reported to E.D. at M. Cricket Ground. Issued with overseas equipment. [page break] April 15. March through Melbourne at head of A.T.C. lads. April 16. Called on Pascoes. Tea at Glenn’s & dance at his club. Wrote home – Posting overseas definite. April 17. Dinner with Bucknall family – Win & I to a show in town. April 19. Dance at Leggetts’ with Glenn & lads. April 20. Show at “State” with Lilian Pascoe. April 22. Lectures by returned chaps. Final issues of equipment Evening at flat with Bob Bolton, Jim Allsop & Alan Boase! [page break] April 23. Spent the day with Ron, Joy & Lilian – drove to Upway. Saw Auntie Lil and Sid. April 24. Final embarkation preparations – ‘phoned home Received letters from Mum, Dad & Rev. Fearon. Anzac Eve – dance. April 25. Called on Uncle Dick April 26. Parade & March past of all overseas draft before the G.O.C. April 27. Early parade & prep. of gear. Leave from mid-day – called on Auntie Bess. Tea with Win Bucknall – concert, Luna Park and “Ye old Galleon.” A Grand night! [page break] [underlined] April 28. [/underlined] Early embarkation parade – arrived at ship at 11 o’clock. We steamed from the Melb. wharf at about 1800 hours. Glenn Cliff, Bob Bolton, Wal Brue, Jim Alsopp, Alan Boase, Alan Beavis & yours truly joined in a fitting farewell to Melbourne – for how long? We only wished we knew! April 29 Our first day at Sea found us more or less satisfied, but mostly wandering with our minds many miles away. The sea began to become rougher, but the “Mariposa” did not roll much, so I slept as well as usual. – but from 7 P.M, a little earlier than I used to. After a few days at sea we were becoming used to [page break] the strange “refrigerator” taste of the food, & the most unusual 2 meals a day. May 1. We sighted New Zealand in the late afternoon, but continued straight between the two islands, passing Wellington to port at about 9 P.M. From here meals seemed to improve, but we only ate because we had to – the monotony of the trip and the really tasteless food were most depressing! On Teusday [sic] May 2nd, we were given another vaccination and crossed the international Date Line. – thus Teusday [sic] was repeated and we were almost a day behind “Aussie” The sea continued to be fairly calm, much to our disgust, & thus added to the monotony of our trip. [page break] May 4th. This was my 21st I did not forget it, I guess, & soon after breakfast, opened the small parcel which Mum had sent me in Melbourne, and asked me not to open ‘till this day. It was a grand surprise, & meant so much to me – with letters and cards. It was not exactly a “happy” birthday but was one which I shall never forget. The book enclosed in the parcel, from Mum & Dad, was a mighty fine one – “Combat Report” and I was soon enjoying reading it. Guess it was read by most of my cobbers before the close of the trip – thanks to the two most wonderful People in the world! May 5th. We steamed into a mild storm, and our [page break] speed was much reduced. May 7th Mothers’ Day – a very impressive service on deck. May 8th. We passed the Pitcain [sic] Islands – weather warmer & day fine. 18 hours behind Victoria. Days passed and we listened to operational lectures, read & played cards - & of course spent [underlined] some [/underlined] time sleeping! May 12. 15th day at sea – weather became warmer & we changed into shorts & shirts. We also began some washing, but had very little fresh water, so soon left it alone. May 13. We were all rather pleased to see a Mariner [page break] flying boat circling the ship on a patrol flight. May 15. I met Laurie Hall, of Penola – he was on our draft, but 3 courses ahead of me in training. We expected to sight land before sunset on Sunday 14th & as was our usual custom after our rather early dinner (1600 hrs), we soon found ourselves reading on the starboard deck, using life jackets as pillows etc. The sea was very calm & the air rather misty – Wal Brue, Bob Bolton & I then settled to resting on deck & listening to the piano broadcast from the Padre’s office & then a short religious service. After settling in our cabins at about midnight, we were able to catch about six hours [page break] sleep before being awakened by some claims that land was in sight. The ship’s engines had been throttled back, & thus it would take some time to reach the harbour, so guess I did the best thing & turned over to sleep a further hour. However, it was not long before I was out on deck, & was able to watch our progress into Panama harbour for about an hour before breakfast. As we continued, the welcome sight of the numerous green islands was really grand – gosh! how green everything appeared. And how refreshing after 18 days at sea. I would certainly have liked a movie to record the colour combination – red rooves & mottled cliffs. As we moved to berth at the wharf, the whole harbour [page break] showed signs of much activity with jeeps & military vehicles of all kinds & numerous ‘planes in the sky. It was not long before an announcement – “No leave for RAAF personnel” – settled us to being satisfied with what we could see from the boat, which was not very much, I’m afraid! So, it was another early night to bed – it was sultry so we slept on deck again. May 16. soon came along & the morning soon passed uneventfully. At 2 P.M, we sailed from Panama & began our trip up the canal – 50.27 miles. It had been warm & steamy during the morning but the sky was now overcast & stormy. We followed our progress [page break] up the canal with much progress in our geography & it all proved mighty interesting. The cutting was not as wide as I expected, but the whole proved a wonderful piece of engineering & at this time of the war is best left undiscribed. [sic] We were lifted about 90’ in the 3 locks & then lowered again to continue into the Atlantic. The boat was held steady in the centre of the canal by cables & electric trains which were controlled by negroes. These negroes were just as one had seen them in the movies – “baggy” clothes, big hats & huge boots, and to finish it off, they mostly carried ancient umbrellas, as it was now raining! We made good progress [page break] & at about 9 P.M found ourselves at the wharf at Colon. Steady rain was falling, when we made our beds on the deck under the main open deck. – we had little trouble in falling asleep, once more. At about 2 AM., Bob Bolton woke me by yelling something about “WATER” – and gosh! was it raining! I’ve never heard rain come down like it, & of course we were soon in the midst of a swamped deck, & quickly gathered blankets and all, and after some strife, found our way to our cabins. However, we came thru’ O.K. & were O.K in the morning. May 17. We expected to set out for either Boston [page break] or New York this day – which it was, we had not been told! We witnessed the flying of all types of planes before we began moving again at about 2 P.M. - & so we left Colon and headed for the Carribean [sic] Sea. May 19 was the next day on which we saw land, - only a small island or two, but quite good to see after a couple days at sea again. We passed between Peurto [sic] Rico and Hispaniola at night, it seemed. We had estimated the sun to be directly overhead at this latitude. Our course was then made direct for Boston - & as far as we were concerned, [page break] the sooner we arrived, the better. May 20. This was the last night on which we were still able to see the Southern Cross. The trip continued O.K in quite calm waters, & time passed rather quickly with lectures, medical & Pay Parade etc. May 22. We began preparing for our arrival at Boston – and came into the harbour at about 3 o’clock. The city band was out at Boston to welcome someone – guess the Yanks we had on board, but we were soon tossing coins on the wharf & everyone soon knew the “Aussies” were there! Once again we had [page break] to remain on board for another night - & little happened before be [sic] turned into bed at the close of our 25th day at sea. We were now 14 hours behind Melbourne. I had written quite a few letters during the trip, but was disgusted to find at this stage that we were unable to mention anything at all about our trip - & as they would not pass the censor, I tossed them all out. May 23. We made an early start this morning and disembarked quite early. This was the first time we had set foot on Mother Earth since leaving Melbourne. – next time I go on a boat I shall [page break] take a box of soil so that I’ll always be in sight of land! We were soon on the train and heading south to New York. The country was very interesting & the whole of it through which we passed, was very green & rather thickly timbered with weeping willow, & elms etc! Our train trip took us thru’ Brooklyn & in the distance we were able to see New York’s skyscrapers against the skyline! A grand sight for the first time. - & we sure were all eyes! We arrived at Fort Hamilton per ferry at about 4 P.M. - & soon settled into our quarters. Of course we were all rather anxious to get away [page break] on leave, but found we could not go until the following day, so were quite content to settle into bed quite early to prepare for a good week, & little sleep ahead! May 24. – Wednesday. This was our first day on leave in New York. – we left Fort Hamilton at about 5 P.M. after gathering all the final pay we could; my financial situation now being quite fair. Our first port of call was the Anzac Club. – which we found later to be of wonderful assistance to us. Here we were able to get a concession ticket to stay at a hotel – the Century for the night. As we had [page break] not yet had tea, we were soon bundled off to a Service Club in E56 st. [sic] near Central Park. – what a place to find after being in N.Y. for about an hour. However, all was O.K & Bob and I soon sought a good feed & after being given pamphlets about the city & being told as much as possible too, we set off to find our hotel! This was relatively simple & right from the beginning we found the city very well laid out, & its streets simple to follow. It was about 1 AM. when we were shown to our room – we had heard all about tips & had it “sewn up”, so sent the lad off with his 10c. tip – no trouble at all! However, we were then [page break] wondering if we should happen to find a milk bar open at this unearthly hour. – certainly not in Melbourne, but maybe we could here. O.K! we set out to find one – But gosh! we bumped right into Broadway, & what a surprise we got! Everything was open – drug stores, milk bars, theatres, jewellers & all! What a show! – it was then after 3 AM before we returned to the hotel. It impressed us as a really amazing city right from the start - & we went looking for a milk bar!!!!!! May 25. We found our [page break] way from the Century & began walking in search of the Gramercy Park Hotel, where Mrs Gilkinson lived, - it was some distance but we had too much to see to notice it. Bob & I had quite a chat to her & arranged to see her again in the afternoon. We returned to the Anzac Club for lunch - & spent the afternoon wandering about the city before calling for Mrs Gilkinson. She took us to Miss Beaty’s – for “supper” as they termed it! She is a most delightful lady & helps entertain many of our chaps – Bob & I enjoyed it all very much. This is where John met Mrs Gilkinson & her [page break] daughter, Jane! Bob, Wal Brue & Hilton Bruce and I visited a theatre later – we obtained free tickets for it, but were not at all please with the show, so left half way through, & spent the remainder of the night, ‘till 12, on Broadway! We stayed at the S. Army hostel this night. May 26. We arrived at the Anzac Club early this day to arrange for a billet for the weekend. – this was soon fixed O.K. and we left with the Padre & others for a tour of Rockefeller Centre. We had lunch at the 2 in 1 Club, & soon [page break] buzzed off to obtain free tickets to “Pin-up Girl” – at a theatre on Broadway. This was an excellent show – stayed at the Century again! May 27. Anzac Club had arranged for us to go to stay at Summit – about 25 miles from N.Y - & we left the city at 11 AM. Bob & I were still able to stay together – we were doing well that way, & I certainly enjoyed being with him. He proved to be one of the best, so I was mighty lucky to have such a cobber – it made a mighty big difference when there was so much to do, & we both enjoyed doing similar things! This was a grand [page break] break for us, & we looked forward to staying with the people whom we were to meet at Summit, in the green, thickly wooded hill country of New Jersey! Mrs Henderson met us in her car at the station, & at once made us feel quite at home. It was a grand day, & after we had settled in at her home & enjoyed a really good lunch, Mrs Henderson, Barbara (aged 12), Bob & I set out for a walk to a Scout camp, which our host & young “Bo” were attending for the day. We soon met Mr Henderson, & as Bob & I had much in common with him in the scouts, so all was well, - & we returned home together. [page break] In the evening we were taken to an excellent “movie show” - & spent some time at home later talking. They were very interested in all we had at home – family & all - & also in Australia. They were both very good to us - & we sure were as near to “home” as possible. May 28. A really excellent day – visited the Presbyterian Church with Mr & Mrs Henderson and later drove to Surprise Lake. This was amidst thickly timbered hills & a delightful spot. Took numerous snaps, & we all had a grand picnic & afternoon. About 8 of the Henderson’s friends visited us in the evening & once again [page break] passed an enjoyable few hours. This was a wonderful weekend for us, & we sure did appreciate all Mr & Mrs Henderson did for us. [underlined] May 29. [/underlined] Bob & I returned to Fort Hamilton – to obtain leave for a further six days. [underlined] May 30th [/underlined] Left camp early & first booked into the council club, where we stayed ‘till the end of the week. From 99 Park Avenue we obtained tickets (free) for the Music Hall in Radio City & for NBC studios. The Statue of Liberty was our next interest & we spent a couple hours to, [sic] at & from this really [page break] interesting monument! We saw quite an amount of the city before we finally arrived for the 6 P.M show at the Music Hall – this is a continuous show, as are all “movies” in N.Y. It was a marvellous show, with “The White Cliffs of Dover” and a wizard stage show – the stage & theatre was colossal & I’d never seen anything like it before! We visited the NBC studios at about 11 P.M. – mighty interesting & we were sure pleased to see the whole works of television as well as other radio programmes being broadcast. This was in Manhattan – Rockefeller Centre – so up we went still further to the observation roof; about 60 stories. – it [page break] was a wonderful sight from up there at night, as everything was so clear & there were lights by the thousand – or maybe million? Rather a late night, so let’s away to bed! May 31st. We were into the Anzac Club early again this morning & Bob & I were fortunate to obtain free passes to “OKlahoma” [sic] for the following night – what luck! Also obtained free tickets to a show for this night and then visited the Empire State with Neil Bilney & “Pete” Curtis. Bob & I then made our recordings to send home, & had them sent from Anzac Club. [page break] We then spent the remainder of the afternoon at the Hayden Planetarium – a really wonderful place – lecture on “Planets & Meteors.” Had time to write home before setting off for the evening’s picture show – namely “Mr Sheffington”. June 1st. We were mighty pleased to receive our “OKlahoma” [sic] tickets from the Anzac Club - & then set out for a further tour of the city taking numerous snapshots. Bob soon became accustomed to using my camera – so I was in a good many which were taken. We saw “The Little Church around the Corner” - & then to the Empire State. We could not use cameras up there, but Bob & I had a photograph taken & so, all was well. In the [page break] afternoon we visited the Hayden Planetarium – a wonderful place where we spent a few hours. “OKlahoma” [sic] was a marvellous show, & one which I’ll never forget. June 2nd. This was our last day in the city, as we were to leave on billets to the country in the afternoon. Thus, Bob & I spent some time shopping & seeing all we could. I bought some “OKlahoma” [sic] records from Macy’s - & sent them off home, hoping they would travel O.K. Then souvenirs etc. & slippers for Peter! After obtaining directions from Anzac Club, we left later in the afternoon for Summit, where we were to stay again with people for the weekend. We could not [page break] stay with the Henderson’s, as Mr. H. was away on Business – so we were met at the station by a Mrs Tyson who impressed us at once as being an excellent hostess! We soon met all the family – Mr. Tyson, a mighty fine chap – “Wusty”, he was about 9. – Louise, 6 & Helen 4 1/2. They all made us feel “at home” & we knew we were going to enjoy another excellent weekend. We all enjoyed the evening at a show in a nearby township to which we drove in the Buick. June 3rd. Bob & I collected 10 petrol tickets allowed to us - & then helped Mrs Tyson with her shopping. We had a grand day – played baseball & then dozed in the sun. Mr & Mrs Tyson took us out to dinner & then two [page break] WAG’s, Bob & myself spent a grand evening with four lasses who had joined us at dinner. June 4th. It was good to be able to sleep ‘till about 10 this morning, but then we had to bustle to church to get there in time. We enjoyed this very much & then after taking a few snaps, we set off on a drive to Princeton. It was the first long drive Mr & Mrs Tyson had taken for a couple years, so were pleased that we could obtain the petrol tickets. We had a marvellous day – the weather was good & the country O.K. Princeton University & other well known buildings were very interesting. We had dinner before returning late in the evening – a 40 mile drive which almost brought to a close, [page break] our weekend! June 5th. We were very sorry to leave Mr & Mrs Tyson and family, - had to be at camp at 10 AM. We certainly had hopes of seeing them again some day, whenever that would be – as they had done so much for us during the weekend. The children were well trained, & both Bob & I took a liking to them, and enjoyed their company very much. However, we were soon back at Fort Hamilton & prepared to move on across the Atlantic. June 6. We made use of what time we had to buy a few articles at the canteen - & we were pleased to be able to buy some large boxes of chocolates which we posted to [page break] Mr & Mrs Henderson and Tyson. We joined a ferry in the late afternoon & after steaming around the tip of Manhattan to the other side of the island, we embarked on the “Queen Mary.” June 7. When I awoke this morning we were already under way & almost out of the harbour. Gosh! what a ship – we were only allowed in a certain section, so could not see much of it. Meal lines were terrific – there were as many thousand on board as there are miles for “Colwyn” to Pt. Mac D.; Breakfast carried from 6 AM till 12 noon – Tea from 2 P.M till 8 P.M. some show! Meals were better than on the “Mariposa” & altho’ we had less room, all was O.K. [page break] June 8. We were now beginning to find our way about O.K, & spoke with many of the Yanks – some of them had never seen our uniform before & quite a few were hazy as to Australia’s whereabouts. Could buy chocolate etc from the canteens, so we were not hungry this time. June 9th. The weather seemed to be becoming warmer, & so we were not sure what course we were on – we had spoken to quite a few Yanks, but many knew little, if anything of Aust. Most of them were only a very ordinary type of chap, - some were really decent tho’. The “Queen Mary” was certainly interesting to us & we saw all we could whilst aboard her. [page break] June 10. Sea calm – glorious day Spent from noon ‘till 3 PM on submarine watch from the bridge – was O.K. & now I have seen right over the ship! The view from the bridge is great – gosh! what a ship. June 11th. Sea rough – weather cooler. “The Mary” swayed a fair amount causing many Yanks to take to the rails, but I guess we were used to it. We spent quite some time wandering about the boat – the beautiful veneers & panelling appealed to me & the huge dining room which was used as our mess, was really marvellous. We could easily notice that we were well north & so took to warmer clothing. [page break] June 13th. Was pleased to find the ship had stopped rolling & we were at anchor in Glasgow harbour – had to remain on board ‘till afternoon to be taken ashore by ferry. The “Mary” made a marvellous picture in the bay as we left her, & for the first time I realised how really big she was. We were well looked after by ladies of the American Red Cross – with doughnuts & tea. Our trip southward by train was very interesting & altho’ we did not set out until 10 P.M, we travelled for 2 hours in twilight before it became dark. It was amazing to see children out at that hour of the night, in broad daylight. The country was very green & hilly- & the homes rather quaint! June 14th. We slept well for a few hours on the trip, but at 4 AM it was light again, so we once again became interested in the countryside. It was not long after seven that we found ourselves at Padgate, & settled to quite a decent breakfast. We spent the day filling out the usual papers etc & listening to all sorts of lectures on “what to do & what not to do” etc. Sent off a cable home – much cheaper than from USA. We found it pleasing to be using similar coins to our own, altho’ we had little trouble with “bucks”, dimes” etc. Met Vic Berry & had quite a chat to him. – had to leave writing Airgraphs as we had missed a fair amount of sleep & had to catch up on it. [page break] June 16th. Spent yesterday tearing about as a squad having identity cards etc. attended to - & then away to begin some drill. Was able to write quite a few Airgraphs home, - along with a cable. Tonight, Bob & I visited Warrington, about 3 miles from here – guess it is a typical English town, & we sure did find it an ancient spot! The township was rather busy & we noticed quite an abundance of food, clothing & all else in the shops. As the streets are [inserted] of [/inserted] cobble stones & very narrow, the double decker buses which buzz around them, leave very little room when they pass. Left a couple films at a chemist’s to be developed. On our return walk to camp, we had a good stroll - & before long found ourselves in the midst of [page break] rather heavy drizzle. Bowls was being played by old men – coats off & in the rain! The time was eight o’clock but still quite twilight. This night was the first I had spent sleeping between sheets whilst in camp anywhere I had been since joining the army. It was really good! June 17th. Saturday – we were given leave soon after lunch & set out for Manchester. The train trip was O.K through well cultivated country, & in surprisingly good trains compared with what I expected. We found the city very interesting but rather dirty & with very narrow streets. Quite a number of buildings had been flattened in raids about 18 mths [page break] before – there was hardly a car to be seen anywhere, & this allowed people to wander all over the place & along the main roads. We found ample stocks in the shops, - many articles there, had not been seen in Aust. for years. Saw quite an amount of the city before we paid a visit to a theatre & saw “Pimpernel Smith” & returned to camp on the last train. June 18. After our church Parade at camp, Bob & I decided to go to Liverpool & then to visit Auntie Lil in Birkenhead – we had little trouble finding our way there & spent a few hours telling her all about home. She was certainly pleased to see us, & actually became very [page break] excited & could not speak fast enough. She showed me letters from “Colwyn” – the remains of a cake from Joy, etc. She seemed well - & Beatrice too, was very nice & looked out for our afternoon tea. We returned to Padgate after seeing “Pygmalion” – the railway tunnel from Liverpool to Birkenhead is very good & far ahead of those in New York. June 19th. A year ago I began at Somers – arrived at I.T.S. from Pt. Cook on this day. However, things are much different now – but all is well. Bob & I took our washing into the laundry to prepare for our leave next week. I am certainly lucky to have him for my cobber now – he is such a mighty [page break] fine lad & I’m sure he could never be led off the “straight & narrow.” As in the army, I have found the young chaps being very easily led astray – Glenn does not even pay any attention to me nowadays, & after our long friendship, I cannot make it out. He seems to prefer other company, & appears to be dropping back quickly, - drink has upset him too! Guess I will see if I can wake him up before he goes too far, but am afraid it will be tough. I thought I had helped him quite an amount, but guess he doesn’t think so! However, Bob is far more reliable than he & altho’ of the same age, he could be taken as much older. We certainly get along well together, & is one of the finest chaps I’ve met in the [page break] past few years. I met Vic Hill, of Gambier today. June 22nd. The past few days we have had little of interest to do – just arranging billets for leave, etc. Bob & I paid a visit to Warrington last night to arrange an order for a bicycle. As the shops had been shut since midday, we had to go in again tonight - & now all is O.K. Our flight had a swim parade in the local baths this morning & it was O.K. Was a test to swim 100 yds. – Alan Beavis, Bob & I called again at 7 PM for another dip. June 24th. Saturday – After spending the morning on night vision tests, etc Bob & I set out for Warrington [page break] to pick up my films & then met Gordon Curtis & Alan Beavis to go by train to Liverpool. After seeing over the city once again we booked into a hostel & crossed by tunnel to New Brighton. This seemed quite a good spot & we spent some time about the sideshows - & even had a ride on a donkey. Returned to Liverpool & decided to have a look at the well known tunnel roadway. We managed to bludge a ride both ways thru’ & we certainly were pleased we had the experience – it is a wonderful piece of work. June 25. We had some trouble finding a way to Chester, where we had intended spending the day. As we had to wait until 2 P.M. for a train, [page break] we called on the Liverpool Cathedral (C. of E.) – It was an amazing place, & a terrific size, but owing to the echoes we were unable to follow much of the service, as we were well to the rear of the church. Chester proved very interesting, as it is a city enclosed by a huge wall with bridges, & forts or such like on the corners. It was from one of these that Charles Ist saw his army defeated – we were supposed to have stood at the same window. The gardens & river were very beautiful – typically English & the township was cleaner & better than others we had seen. We spent a couple hours at a modern & really good theatre - & returned to Warrington by road. It was a mighty good trip - & I sure do hope we can pedal the bikes [page break] through that country, some time. June 26th. I managed to pass my second attempt at night vision this day – sent another cable home to tell of my leave etc. Weather turned wet & rather cold – hope we will be moving to Brighton again, soon! June 28th. Yesterday & today we continued doing little other than preparing further for the future days, - this afternoon we were issued with our flying gear & personal issues which were later handed into the store, for us to collect when posted! I blew into Warrington again after tea – Bob was not with me as he hadn’t a shirt to wear until I returned from the laundry – was able to buy a rather good booklet [page break] of road maps of England, & then, after looking without success to find an electric iron, I returned to camp. Was rather surprised to find the electrical pressure in the lines over here at 230 V. – same as ours at home - & I could then have brought Glad’s Iron with me. However, on my return to camp, I received the best surprise I had had since leaving home – my first cables & letters. There were cables from Mum & Dad, Joy & Murray, & Ralph! Also 2 air mail letters from Ralph, which only took 4 weeks to come over. It was a great show, - & I arranged with Norm Deady to send some cables in answer for me – as we were to set out on our leave early next morning. This news from home set me sleeping like [page break] a top as soon as I “hit the pillow”. June 29th. We were out soon after breakfast to set out north on leave - & Bob & I certainly made sure we weren’t late! 43 course arrived into Padgate as we prepared to leave – Ted Belcher was among them, so that makes another Gambier rep. over here! We caught a train to Manchester, altho’ later we found we could have gone direct from Warrington far better. – Alan Beavis & “Brucey” were with us. At Manchester, Bob & I left the others to find our way north to Kendal – this was quite easy, and after I had ‘phoned Mrs Huggins we left Manchester. We were met at Kendal by Mrs Huggins’ daughter & taken home. P/O Ferguson was staying with them – we met Mrs Huggins, who is a wonderful [page break] person & has helped so much with the Lady Ryder scheme to billit [sic] we chaps! Her address is – Mrs Huggins, Helme Bank, Nr. Kendal (Sedgwick 63). Mrs Huggins gave us our address where we were to be billited [sic] - & we caught our train to Carlisle Mr Brown, our host & his small son, Keith (about 11) met us at the station, & soon we were home and had met Mrs. Brown & her daughter, Joyce (19). At once, we were taken into Mr & Mrs Brown’s home, as two of the family. Gee! it was grand. – I thought we may wander over the whole of England without finding such a home. We were early to bed this night – the Brown’s address Mr & Mrs [inserted] G. [/inserted] Duncan Brown, “Glenleigh” Kingmoor Road. Carlisle. Eng. [page break] June 30th. Gee! what a sleep – guess I didn’t know much about it ‘till Mrs Brown awoke Bob & I at about 9 AM. with a grand breakfast! We managed a shave & bath & were ready for an early lunch to leave with Mr Brown at about 11 to go with him by car on a business trip up north. We crossed into Scotland & then turned off along to Gretna Green – saw the old blacksmith shop where the runaway marriages became famous. The country through which we passed was most interesting & amidst the sunshine we had for the day, - I saw the typical Scotch countryside at its best. So old, & quiet yet full of abundant crops & progress – it sure did make my heart beat & my eyes dart from side to side. We moved on to Annan [page break] & then to Dumphries [sic] Bob & I saw quite an amount of this town whilst Mr Brown was busy & took numerous snaps. The return trip was just as enjoyable & then we spent the evening at home. July 1st. Saturday - & as this was holiday week in Carlisle, there were numerous people about town when Bob & I were shown about by Keith – we called on several places which advertised bicycles for sale. In the afternoon Bob & I called on the Carnival grounds – to see the sideshows & horse displays for holiday week. Even in war time Carlisle has its holiday week & most business houses close during this period. In the evening Bob & I joined Joyce & her girlfriend in a bicycle ride of about 10 miles – the twilight hours enabled us to enjoy this till about [page break] 10 o’clock. July 2nd. Once again we were awakened to be given our breakfast in bed by Mrs Brown – what a life! It was another damp day, so we had an early lunch & did little else before setting off for a cycling tour to Port Carlisle with Joyce & her girlfriend. We were fortunate in as much that we missed any showers which were about, - & all four managed rather well pushing the “beaut” cycles. I had Mr Brown’s bike with a 3 speed gear – was O.K, too! We called on relatives of the Brown’s & after spending the afternoon around the bay & amidst fields in which I tried my hand at shooting rabbits etc. Our return trip was O.K. too, - was rather late when we arrived home. It was rather strange to sit down to quite a meal of salad etc. for supper [page break] but at about 10 P.M. – this seemed the usual thing, but of course it was still quite light & Mrs Brown had some trouble getting Kieth [sic] to bed before 9 PM. July 3rd. Our usual breakfast in bed was really fine – Bob & I did not rise ‘till late & then only had little time to write our airgraphs home before lunch. In the afternoon Mr Brown accompanied us to an auction sale where we had arranged to buy a bike & an iron if the prices were O.K. However, we missed them both, so, as Mr Brown had a business trip to Annan, to attend to, we set out in the car for that town & purchased two “beaut” cycles with all fittings & spare parts. Mr Brown, being a commercial traveller in the clothing line, - was able to take us about the [page break] country quite an amount – we sure were lucky. The bikes were sent to Carlisle per train, so, in the evening after we had collected them from the station, Bob & I called for Joyce & we buzzed off to a Noel Coward show in town. Joyce was on fire watch after this, so we left her to it & returned home to our usual supper & good bed! July 4th. Teusday [sic] – we were up early, for a change, as Mr Brown, Bob & I were to leave on a full day trip around the lakes district at about 9. We were on our way in the good little Austin ‘ere long, & altho’ the clouds seemed to have burst, we hoped the rain would soon stop – as we were looking forward to seeing the scenery in good weather. However, the [page break] rain continued to pelt down – similar to our winter, but of course this was a bad week & unfortunate that we should meet it! Had to have the bus tuned at a garage before we had gone far! Saw Neil Livingstone whilst waiting here – then on to Penrith. The country between Penrith and Appleby was just as interesting as ever – so green & with rows of hedges and unusual stone walls. The roads were all very good – winding up hill & down dale, through farms & villiages, [sic] so much so that my head darted to and fro the whole time. All the roads were of bitumen & seemed in good repair actually – in the towns we found numerous quaint old cobble stoned roads. So this continued, into the county of Westmorland to Kirby [page break] Stephen where Mr Brown attended some business – we saw 3 WAG’s who were also being billited! [sic] At Sedberg we wandered off while Mr Brown was busy – we saw the large boys’ school there, with a huge field for cricket – quaint old houses all about, & absolute peace. One would certainly not think there was a war on to see this quiet spot! We were able to buy numerous postcards of the surrounding country, - thru’ Kirby-Londsdale [sic] & then to Kendal. We passed Mrs Huggin’s home & spent a short time in the town. Quite a few hundred people had been coming to this district from London – the “flying Bombs” were raining down at this time. The drive from Kendal to Bowness on Windermere was most interesting – the stone fences [page break] here changed – they were made of irregularly shaped stones & curved all over the hillsides in most fascinating patterns. This was good dairying country - & we were pleased to be able to buy a few eggs! Bowness was a really beautiful spot on the lake – this is where Seagrave used to race & was killed when his craft hit a log in the water! Took some snaps there & purchased postcards. – the drive through here & along the lake was really marvellous & altho’ the sun was not shining we were amazed at the marvellous scenery – it was really a wizard show. Photographed an old church on the road to Wythburn – was the smallest & oldest in the country! The scenery right through to Keswick & back to Carlisle was wizard - & some day soon I hope to [page break] have the good fortune to see it all in better weather! After returing [sic] home we spent an hour or so until about 10 P.M. at Mr Browns Victory garden & collected quite a few good vegetables. Spent the evening at home with the Brown family – our days tour covering about 140 miles. We were sure pleased that Mr Brown’s job took him over so much country. July 5th. Once again Bob & I were spoiled with breakfast in bed, by Mrs Brown – I rose a little earlier than usual, after this, & began adjusting & fitting up my bike a little. Managed to saw some wood for Mr. Brown – don’t think he expected me to do it, as I’d joked about it before! He is a mighty fine chap, too – Gosh! we sure had enjoyed the whole week with the Brown family & now, the [page break] close of our leave was coming far too quickly! They sure had looked after us & even had the winder on my watch fixed for me. After lunch we took photos of the family & Bob & myself. Bob & I cycled about town during the afternoon & were later joined by Kieth, [sic] who showed us all the sights. We were pleased to spend the last hours of our leave with the Brown family at home – we had a good walk in the evening amidst some of the first real sunshine of our leave! Had a rare supper of chips & beans at 11 P.M – what a show. July 6th. What a grand day too! Sun shining & all and we had to be up to an early breakfast to catch a train at 8.20. Gosh! we sure were sorry to [page break] leave Mrs Brown & Joyce – Mr Brown & Kieth [sic] came to the station to see us off! So came to the close, our first stay in an English home – we found hospitality, & the people grand! We arrived back at camp on the “beaut” bikes soon after Midday. Wrote an Air Mail Letter home & an Airgraph to Ralph – also sent a cable home. On my first leave in this country I found to my surprise that the town shopping centres had every thing in abundance, & altho’ food, sweets & clothing were rationed people lived well & had all they could wish for in war time. In the country, - the narrow winding roads, numerous hedges & trees – stone walls, power lines, the lack of road & rail crossings & thus the use of numerous bridges, and the [page break] large number of double decker buses & cycles throughout the country appealed to me to be the most fascinating pints of interest July 7th. Had little to do so I filled in the day after lunch with letter writing. Had an interview with the Categorisation Board at 9.30 AM – think I’ll probably be a Nav. as my results are too high & my night vision a bit low for Bombaimer! Collected our kits & sorted it out – then a beaut Air Mail letter home & airgraph to Ralph & Bet Bailey! Bob & I cycled into Warrington to see “Phantom of the Opera” – Nelson Eddy etc. – quite a good show. We were caught in a shower on our way home but the bikes proved a big help & we were in camp in no time but the NAAFI was [page break] closed & we missed our supper! July 8th. Saturday: - had a quiet morning & managed to buzz about camp to see Norm Deady & then write letters. Met Bill Braithwaite in the mess at lunch time. Alan Beavis, Gordon Curtis, Wal Brue & Hilton Bruce left by train with Bob & I for Manchester in the afternoon. Bob & I left them & booked in at the YMCA for the night. We saw the “Desert Song” – an excellent show, & then at 7 PM set out for “Belle Vue”. The sun began to shine about then so, it was quite a break – we called in at the speedway straight away, & were amazed to find motor bike racing on just like it was in Melb. in peace time. Took a few snaps – one at the bend using F 3/5 at 1/300 sec. [page break] We certainly enjoyed the racing – it was a wizard show, & the dipper etc was also extra! July 9th. Set out early from Manchester for Blackpool – train was crowded & we sure were surprised to find such a mob at the station when we arrived. The weather was typically English when we came out into the street, but we soon found our way to the sea front & on to one of the mighty large piers! There were amusements all along the coast & all the many thousands of people were spending money galore. They were holiday crowds – many were evacuees from London! We drifted into the “Tower” there – a huge building with a zoo, & roof gardens, aquarium, ballroom & all! [page break] We spent two hours in the huge ballroom theatre listening to an organ recital – a chap from London played everything under the sun. Wandered around more later & finished up with ice cream (“artificial” but O.K). & fish & chips for tea. The train back to Manchester at 7 PM was crowded & we had to bludge into the line to get on! July 10th. Spent this as my first of three days in a dark room on Night Vision training Wrote home by air mail & to Mrs Brown & Auntie Lil. Bob & I rode into the laundry with our shirts in the evening – then to the “Southern Cross” & supper at the NAAFI. Plenty of rain! [page break] July 12th – Yesterday & today I found myself rather flat out on night vision – Alec Brown was with me! Bob & I saw “the Man from down Under” last night at the station cinema – was about Australia, & altho’ amusing, it was no good impression of life at home. Tonight I rode into Warrington after tea & as my films weren’t finished, I returned immediately – Bob & the other chaps in my hut went to Liverpool on a tour of the docks & my night vision left me out of it. They were away all day, & after making their beds & getting some cake from the NAAFI for them I buzzed to bed & was asleep when they returned! July 13th. – Had a hell of a shock today to learn that after the night vision I had been put into “pool” – Bob & the boys were already on lectures & this [page break] meant that I would be the only one split up from them – looks like this is where I leave them anyway, & expect I’ll go to EFTS next week. Received an airgraph from Bet & a cable from home telling of receipt of letters – gosh! waiting & not receiving mail is not the best & it sure makes one feel flat! Bob had quite a few airgraphs from home - & is of course quite pleased. Wal, Alan Beavis, Bob & I rode the bikes quite a distance out toward Leigh after supper at about 9 P.M. – good show! July 14th. On 24 hour duty of orderly Sergeant – Received airgraphs from Dad, Ralph & Win - & also Ted Pedley! A great day to receive first letters – sent cables & letters in return! [page break] July 15th. As I was still in “pool”, I had little to do in the morning, so managed a few odd jobs & some more letter writing. Called for our mail – Bob & I received our first surface mail. I had six in my bundle, all written about May 1st, soon after we set sail. Bob & I set out to spend the weekend at Ripon with Mr & Mrs Hebden – friends of Bob’s Grandparents. We arrived at Ripon, after quite a long trip, just in time for a late tea. – we found the old people very interesting, and as they had been out to Australia, we had much to talk about. In the evening we walked down to the township to see a huge horn blown at 9 PM by a fairly old chap in a fascinating uniform & old three cornered hat – it is an old tradition [inserted] or custom [/inserted] & has been kept up for hundreds of [page break] years without a break. That was in the former market place, which was once made of cobble stones but is now concrete! We then spent quite some time in their very interesting cathedral – one of the many beautiful ones in this country. The stained glass windows & carved wood were really wonderful. I noticed that it was becoming dark at about 10.30, as we returned home. – the days were already becoming shorter! July 16th. Sunday. This was a beautiful day & proved to be the best we had seen since our arrival. – we saw blue sky all day! It was grand, & we had the good fortune to spend the morning with Mrs Hebden’s two nieces at the ruins of the cathedral of Ripon. They are the largest ruins in England, & with the [page break] spacious grounds & numerous huge green trees, it was all very fascinating on this fine day. These were the first ruins we had seen, & I took a few snaps whilst there – the place sure was old & it made one wonder how the monks in those days had ever managed to lift the huge, hand cut stones up such terrific heights. The stones were cut out of solid rock – many were now missing, as the nearby farmers in days gone by, had built homes of the stones from the ruin. Some of the walls were four feet thick & the huge archways were perfctly [sic] made & fitted by hand. We walked quite some distance about the district – everything was so fresh & after seeing the dirty industrial cities, this was truly a good tonic. Bob & I had some [page break] strife returning to camp, & altho’ we left Ripon at 9 P.M, we did not arrive at Padgate ‘till 7 AM. – had to wait from 11 to 3 AM. at Leeds! July 19th The past couple of days had meant a few odd jobs in stores etc. about camp, whilst in pool – Bob & the remainder were still on lectures, & I missed beginning this week too, so guess I will be moving to go to EFTS with them now! Bob sent a cable to Glad for her birthday today – I left camp at about 10 AM with about 20 other chaps whom I did not know, for a tour of Liverpool. On our arrival there, we were taken by a member of the British Council Club to the Cathedral, which I had previously visited with Bob. It was 40 years today that the foundation stone was laid - & it is still under [page break] construction. The architect had done a wonderful job – began at 21 & is still working on it at 63. The building is of really wonderful modern design! After lunch at the club, we took the overhead railway along the docks – the battleship King George V was in harbour. We then went by ferry to Brighton, which I had also visited with Bob – so I set out immediately to call on Auntie Lil in Berkinhead. [sic] Returned to Padgate at about 10 PM. – Bob & Wal had been into town on the bikes to collect my films, so they had them, my supper & bed made when I arrived! July 20th. Just another day spent at stores etc. working on all odd jobs. – No letters from home yet! Wrote to Dad by air mail & enclosed my first negatives. [page break] July 22nd. Spent the morning at the ration store carting bread from Warrington – sent negatives to [inserted] No. [/inserted] 27 to Dad before lunch. Bob, Alan Beavis, Gordon Curtis & myself cycled to Chester soon after lunch – it was a good trip of about 20 miles & we sure did enjoy it! However, on our arrival, we found there was not any accommodation at all in the town – we had hoped to stay at a roadside inn but they were all full, as there were people all over the place, including hundreds of evacuees from London! After spending some time along the river & the shops we returned to camp by train. Chester has one row of shops above the other - & there are two footpaths at these levels. It was most unusual to see this, & it is [inserted] the [/inserted] only one of its type in the country. [page break] July 23rd. Sunday. Was really good to be able to remain in bed until about 10.30 this morning – was the first Sunday that Bob & I had spent in camp since our arrival. There was very little for us to do, so I wrote letters & after tea we four set out again on a cycle tour. At 7 PM we came back into Warrington to see “40,000 Horsemen”. – was just as good a show as ever, but rather cut about, & worn out. We had to make good time back to camp to arrive in time for supper – the bikes sure were proving very useful. July 25th. Received more surface mail – 2 from Dad & Mum & some from Wal Metters. Still in pool – Bob & I saw a show at the camp gymnasium in the evening. Rather wet in the afternoon – had set in at night. [page break] July 28th. Left Camp at about 9 AM. with a party of chaps for a tour of Manchester by the Council Club. The day was passed by visits to quite a few historic buildings. Bob & Wal Brue called in town for my films, so when I returned to camp my “beaut” bed was already made, with supper, mail & the snaps awaiting me. Good old Bob! Received an airgraph from Mum. July 29th. Besides my usual odd jobs for the morning, I arranged with the Southern Cross for our billet for the weekend. – then ‘phoned Mrs Morris, at Southport! Had to register our bikes with the camp S.P.’s by noon – so now we have to carry registrations with us too. We arrived at Southport at about 4 P.M & took a bus to the home of Mrs. Morris, our hostess for the weekend. We were soon [page break] making ourselves at home, & amidst the usual afternoon tea – however, we were surprised to find ourselves at a Vicarage – our host was the Canon of the All Saints Church. ie – Canon & Mrs H. Morris The Vicarage 1 Rawlinson Rd. Southport. Lancs. In the evening Bob & I saw the show – “Half Way House” with Mary, Mrs Morris’ married daughter who had 3 young daughters. (3 yrs to 9). July 30th. Bob & I accompanied the family to the morning service – was quite a fine day then, but it was soon overcast again, so besides a walk to Southport, we did little but rest! Returned to camp in the first darkness we had seen for some time. – about 11 o’clock. Days are becoming shorter now – [page break] August 2nd. Bob & the remainder of the course joined us in pool today - & we continued on the usual odd jobs. We cycled to Warrington tonight to pick up more prints & see if we could find some stain for Dad. – saw “Destination Tokio,” [sic] a very good show at a new theatre, which is the best we have seen here. It even had an organ! Aug. 3rd. Alan Beavis & I were interviewed today before being posted to an A.F.U. somewhere. – on mediums! We found that we were due to go to Half-penny Green – in the Midlands! I tried to have Bob posted with us, & at the interview thought it would be O.K, but it did not come off. He was no more pleased than I was today; & thus it seems that we will only have a few more days together. [page break] Aug. 5th Bob & I had checked up on our leave for today, & managed to leave camp at about 9 AM. to catch the 10 o’clock train to Carlisle. ‘Twas a really extra day – the trip was O.K & the scenery very good & we were met by Mr Brown & Joyce at about 2. As soon as we arrived at “Glenleigh”, Mrs Brown settled us to a good meal – then out into the garden. Joyce & a girlfriend accompanied Bob & I to rather a good dance in the evening, & altho’ hot, it was O.K. Aug. 6th. We were well looked after, as usual, with Breakfast in bed, & All! Spent a very enjoyable quiet day at home – was a grand day & we saw plenty of sun in the garden. It was really good to be able to feel so much at home – it was O.K. We left Carlisle on a midnight train, arriving at camp in time [page break] for breakfast. Aug. 7th. Alan Beavis & I had a busy day arranging gear etc. in preparation for our posting. We had to take our bikes into the station in the evening – Bob & I spent some time, later, writing at the “Southern Cross.” & then to supper. We were not at all pleased that this should be our last night together! Glenn Cliff came in later in the evening & I had quite a good chat to him. – only wish we three could have stuck together all along. It was not the best of jobs, saying au revoir to all the chaps we had known for so long! Aug. 8th Alan & I had to rise fairly early to be at breakfast before 7. – It was tough having to say goodbye to Bob. We left in rather unsettled spirits! Left Warrington station at [page break] about 10 AM. – took train back to Wolverhampton. We had a couple hours in the town, & even managed to buy a new iron for £2. On arrival at Halfpenny Green, we found that we were the first “Aussie” Navs. to be on the station. Had soon been told that we may be on Mosquitos – here’s hoping. The ‘drome, - set amidst some really excellent countryside & hills, is about 11 miles from Wolverhampton! Alan & I had a good long stroll about the station before bed – all was O.K. but the canteen was not the best! Aug. 9th. After spending most of the day on “arrival duties” & lectures by the C.O etc., Alan & I had a grand surprise to see Bob walk in at about 5 P.M. Thought he may come, - & [page break] now we were set again – a great show that we three should be together again! & all goes well!! Aug. 10th. Our first day at work again. – settled to our first lectures on Nav., Briefing etc. The 20 chaps (16 Sgts & 4 P/O’s) on our course went into Stourbridge at 3 o’clock for dinghy drill & swimming at the local baths. – passed tests O.K. Aug 12th. Spent the whole of yesterday in the D.R. instructor. – “the horror box”. Had a sore head after the day was thru’ & then had to go on guard in the night. Had a tough day of lectures today – received quite a few airgraphs from home. Aug 13th. Sunday: - Spent most of the day catching up on bombing g.g. – had my first flight in the afternoon on a 3/4 hour bombing trip. [page break] Aug. 14th. Had this as a day off – rose at about 9 AM in time for morning tea at the NAAFI – then Bob, Alan & I set off to cycle to Wolverhampton. It was [deleted] always [/deleted] [inserted] O.K. [/inserted] along the country lanes - & a good day for cycling. Had a good look about the town – bought some stain for Dad, etc! We saw “Fanny by Candlelight” – a good show. Also visited the West Park, etc. before returning – we were more or less last on our return ride & took some time to find the camp. Aug. 15th. Lectures all day – went on a bombing trip in the afternoon & managed to get the best score of the mob. – 72 X from 10,000. Aug 17th. 1st day flying exercise – as bomb aimer. Two trips, the first at 8 AM. – had to rise at 6 to get to briefing. Second at 2.30. [page break] Aug 20th. Continuing lectures as usual – some details of flying have been scrubbed during the past few days thru’ bad weather. Received a.g’s from home O.K yesterday – course proceeding O.K. Saw a show at the camp cinema in the evening. Aug. 22nd. Flying was once again cancelled last night – very poor vis. & plenty of rain. Today was our day off. – but far too wintry to use our bikes so most of the chaps in our hut & Bob, Alan & Self took the bus to Wolverhampton. The day was so miserable that we had little to do after some shopping & I had posted the parcel of stain to Dad. – so we saw “Gone With the Wind” & after tea, “This is the army.” We took fish paste & raisin bread back to camp for supper & future use. [page break] Aug 23. Usual nav. lectures & plotting. Received SAFFCF parcel from London – no mail from home for some time. Sent cable to Ted for his graduation. Weather still poor & visibility very little. Aug. 24th. Rose at 6 AM. to fly at 7. – Two 3 1/2 hour exercises over the Irish Sea. – late returning from 1st exercise, so I missed out on dinner. Took off at 2 PM on 2nd exercise – all went well. Quite an amount of mail was awaiting me on my arrival at tea at 7 P.M. – wrote to Ralph in evening, but was pleased to turn into bed after my shower. [page break] Aug. 25th. After a day of lectures, I wrote my letters before beginning night flying. – we took off at about 10 P.M. & our trip took us south to Southport, then to Northhampton [sic] & Coventry. Was clouded over at base when we returned – too thick to land, so we had to fly to Leichfield. [sic] – landed O.K. & settled to bed there at about 4 AM. after a good supper. Aug. 26th. Rose at about 11 AM – had a good lunch at the Sgts. mess. This station was a RAAF. O.T.U. so we saw a good many “Aussies”. – Took off again for H.G. at 2 P.M. On returning we found that one of our “kites” had pranged. – killing one of our course, P/O Trusty. Bob had come back to base early, with engine trouble & landed O.K. Alan landed at another ‘drome & returned O.K today! [page break] Aug. 27th. We flew on one detail last night – I was NAV. & had a good trip. Turned into bed at about 3 AM. - & rose in time to write letters home at the mess before lunch! Aug. 29th Spent yesterday flat out in the DR. trainer – quite a good day tho’ & with Bob acting as pilot, we did quite a good exercise. Our former exercise was not very good tho’ – ie the whole course’s exercises - & the C.I. decided to cancel our day off, so we have [inserted] had [/inserted] to work today. We were to be posted straight to Bomber command as st. Navs. but our course has been extended another week to keep us as Nav B. Will probably be on Mosquitos or Transport now! Received ag. from home today. [page break] Aug 31st. On lectures all yesterday - & then rather a busy day today in the D.R.I. Received quite a few letters today from home - & locals from Alex Brown & Wal Brue at Brighton! PD.R.C. Shifted down there a short time ago from Padgate, & are now having a marvellous time. We were given the news of our posting this afternoon – Alan, Bob & I are to go direct to the Mosquito Training unit at “Warboys” – a ‘drome about 80 miles north of London, near Huntingdon. We missed out on a week’s leave & the other 3 “Aussies” on our course will get it, & so [inserted] will [/inserted] be a course behind us from now on. We are on night flying tonight! Sept 1st. Friday. After two exercises last night, I crawled into bed at about 6 AM this morning - & was I tired!! We were to fly tonight but [page break] the weather was lousy, - & it wasn’t “scrubbed” till the last minute. Spent some time in the mess this afternoon writing letters – rose at about 3 P.M., so was kept busy! We are all pleased that the whole of our course are going to the M.T.U. on “mossies” – they are all a fine lot of chaps & we get along well together! Sept 2nd. The last of our days of lectures at Halfpenny Green – we had leave at midday so Bob, Alan & self, set out for Wolverhampton by bus at about 4 P.M, & after having a “beaut” meal, came back to camp as it was far too cold & miserable to stay in there. The bus stopped at the local pub. – so we had to finish walking a mile to camp. Sept 3rd. 5 years since war was declared – a wet & miserable day here, so we did little but [page break] prepare for our departure from 3 (0) AFU. Sept. 4th. After spending quite some time obtaining the last of our clearances, Bob & I caught a bus to Wolverhampton at 4 p.m. – I collected my first cake from home, at lunchtime so I sent a cable to that effect & also one to Ralph for his birthday. Was grand to receive the cake – can see we’ll be enjoying some for supper before long. Tried to buy a wireless in town – no luck. so Bob & I saw “Her Jungle Love” – an old show, actually, which I saw at home! Sept. 5th. We left Halfpenny Green at about 10 AM. - & left by train from Wolv. For London. The country changed, & became more level as we went south – we passed many ‘dromes & also a good many modern factories. It was quite impressive, & the [page break] whole was much better & more modern than any city I had seen here. We arrived at Paddington & had to wait quite some time before we managed to get a Yank transport to take us to King’s Cross station! Had hoped to be able to spend the night in London, as we were too late to make the train scheduled for us, but the RTO refused permission to stay, so we had to head for Huntington. [sic] Had rather an interesting drive thru’ London, to the station. – the buzz bombs had almost stopped now, as most of the sites across the channel had been captured! Some fell earlier in the morning, but we missed them O.K. – the city was very busy & the whole atmosphere was O.K. It was a really good day - & the sun brightened the city so, that I was amazed just [page break] how good the city looked. – the gardens & all made it equally as neat as N. York. We arrived rather late at Hunt. & ‘twas well after midnight before we saw bed. Sept 6th. Buzzed off to begin finding our way about the camp. – it sure had us tricked. & the whole was so scattered that we had 2 miles almost to go from our hut, in a roundabout route, to reach the ‘drome & H.Q. We were sure pleased we still had our cycles! There were the 4 Canucks & we three – so the canadians [sic] had a fair amount of walking to do. The other chaps of our course were given a week’s leave – we missed on it! We had a busy day & after interviews & all, setted [sic] to tea & some writing in the [page break] mess! We found a wizard Club. – Warboys’ Club. – ideal for our evening writing, & the whole was O.K. The meals were good & so we made a very good beginning. Mosquitos, Lancs & Oxfords flew about all day – it would not be long now before we were twiddling “G” on the “mossies.” Sept 8th. Yesterday we began lectures & so far have heard so much gen. on ops & the general goings on in Europe that we have been fully concentrating to take it all in. Bob, Al & I were put straight on the course, but the Canucks are now in pool, - we have a W.C, Sq. Leaders & other officers with us. They sure are gen men & we feel strange to be in the midst of all them. At this rate we should [page break] be on ops. in “Mossies” in a month. We crew up later at Wyton! Received a.g. from home today – they had received my records from U.S. Finished up after writing letters in the Club, with cake for supper. – sure is a good reminder of home! Sept 10th. Gosh! we sure have been getting some gen. today – all secret stuff which we must remember & not take in notes. – is best forgotten ‘till it is needed. Have still a couple days of lectures before beginning flying. Sept 11th. Our first day on “G” – found out all about it & after the lectures etc. all was O.K & we had the subject more or less sown up! Had an early tea, & at 4.30. our course (32) left by bus for Cambridge to do dinghy drill. – had to hurtle off the [page break] platform in flying gear this time. Bob, Alan & I strolled about the town afterwards – a really fascinating place! The colleges were very interesting – typically English, & with excellent grounds. Saw some extra good souvenir spoons – but shops were closed We saw a show in the evening – “the Lost Angel.” On coming out of the theatre, we found ourselves in the blackout & were lucky to have remembered our way back to the bus! Was sure pleased to crawl into bed after all that! Sept 12th. Had rather a lively day on “G” today – along with practice in a “dry swim”! Bob, Al & I had to go bombing at 6 P.M. – my first trip in an oxford. Was quite a good show – but we did not get back to the [page break] mess for supper ‘till late! Was sure pleased to get an air mail letter from Dad, today – photo of our march in Melb. was enclosed! Mail is coming thru’ well from home now – is mighty good, too, as it makes home seem only a short distance away - & as we are not far off operations now, they go a long way to keeping one’s mind off the task ahead. Sept 13th Wednesday “We three” spent this morning in the decompression chamber – at 37,000’ for 2 hours! Bob felt pains in his shoulder, but Al & I didn’t have any trouble at all – we were all O.K, after that! Sept 14th. I now have crewed up with my pilot – W/O. John Herriman (RAAF) He is a really decent chap & rather a gen. man [page break] I am fortunate to have him, as we get along so well together – it will sure make a difference in our job, too. Hope to fly with him soon in a “Mossie” – he soloed a few days ago and is progressing well. He thinks they are wizard “kites.” As he is rather a practical sort of chap & is really keen on photography, we have much in common, I think, & I am looking forward to some interesting days ahead especially at the squadron We went thru’ dinghy drill together on Monday – quite a good show! Went to Wyton to see over a bombing “Mossie” today – it sure is a wizard station & I’m looking forward to going there! Sept 15th. First cross country flight using “Gee” this afternoon [page break] - a really good show! Received letter from Jean Rogers. Had another chat to John tonight – getting all the “gen” on mossies. Sept 16th. – Saturday, & Ralph’s birthday – was wondering all day just what he was doing. Received “Over to you” from Mum today – will keep me busy on some interesting reading during spare time (just where that comes from, I do now know!) However, all is O.K & I also heard from Whem, Glenn & Aunt Lily. Flew this afternoon – had a good trip on “G”, but was not able to drop my bombs. Sept 17th. Clocks were put back an hour at 3 AM. – had to rise at 6, to be at 7 o’clock briefing. However, we had to wait ‘till 9 AM for the fog to clear off the ‘drome, so all [page break] our early rising was to no advantage! Flew 2 trips of 3 hours, bombing on each! So, it was late when I finally returned to the mess for tea. - & so another Sunday passes (one would never know it actually). On such days as this, one sure does realise how grand & peaceful it is at home on Sundays – where one does as he likes, when he likes! Had a letter from Wal Brue today – he is on 9 days leave in Glasgow & had hoped to see us on his return to PDRC. Couldn’t wire him, so guess we won’t meet him now! The lucky blighter is still bludging at Brighton - & the P/O’s such as Alec Brown & Jim Allsop are with him. They will soon be F/O’s & we’ll be on ops as Sgts! – what a difference! However, we’re going along [page break] O.K & expect to go to Wyton on Tuesday. Had an orange for lunch yesterday & another today – the first I had seen since leaving the USA. Sept 18th. Returned to lectures today for the final few days before moving to Wyton. Bob, Al & I had hoped to catch a bus to Huntingdon tonight just to get a break from camp, but we missed it, so we returned to the mess to a picture show. We managed supper at the Warboys Club. – chocolate biscuits & tea! Quite a good show. Sept 19th. Had a quizz [sic] this morning summing up the whole of the course – we came out well! John sure is a “gen” man, & I’m looking forward to getting on to the real thing with him. Bob had a RAF [page break] F/O chat him about crewing up, so he has a pilot now. – Al is missing out still & I don’t know what he’ll be doing. We hoped to have a day’s leave tomorrow – but we are required to do another “Gee” flight before leaving here so that is all scrubbed. & our next leave is still a fair way off! Had our usual letter writing programme tonight at the club. - & later found a really excellent supper at an evening in the mess. We were speaking to the AOC. – A. Vice M. Bennett of Brisbane for about 15 mins. He was quite interested in our progress - & we now feel that things are moving along O.K. Sept 20th. Found today that we were to make another trip before proceeding to Wyton. – so, as soon as the fog had lifted from the ‘drome, (10 AM.) a RAAF pilot & I set out, & had a good trip on “G” [page break] Was really warm above the clouds & we sure did enjoy it. Spent the afternoon getting clearance – but Al then found that, as he didn’t have a pilot, he had to stay ‘till he was able to get one. So Bob & I were due for Wyton, & as we didn’t have to be there till Friday at 2 P.M. we buzzed off to catch a train to London for a day’s leave. To ride 5 miles to Huntingdon in a hurry was a bit much for us at this stage so we decided to hail a car – quite some traffic passed along these roads. There were three ‘dromes together here, so things were always busy. Our train took over 3 hours to reach London – yes! eight o’clock when we landed at King’s Cross, & altho’ the total blackout had now been lifted, - it sure was dark. And, to our disgust, we had forgotten [page break] a torch – so there we were, in London, along with its almost total blackout! Which way does one go in a city of 8,000,000? After ‘phoning a hostel, we found it had nothing in the way of accommodation – but were informed of another near Marlebone [sic] Station, so we buzzed by the underground to this spot. We were amazed to learn that there were no hostels there & were directed along further – then somewhere else, then on again by two policemen until we found after walking for about an hour along black streets we managed to come to the hostel we ‘phoned in the first place! We managed to get a room here O.K. - & sure were pleased to stay until daylight before exploring further. [page break] Sept 21st. At breakfast Bob & I had quite a chat to some AIF chaps who were on their way home after being POW’s in Germany since Greece & Crete. It was grand to see the old uniform again. We then set out for Sth. Aust. House. The city appeared quite neat & tidy, and I was amazed to see numerous modern shops & very good statues & gardens. My idea of London had been quite different. – expected to see something dirty & ancient like Liverpool. A very nice lass from Adelaide was at Sth A. House – she directed us to the Boomerang Club. There were many of our chaps at Aust. House – we signed books etc. & [page break] arranged for something in the “Advertiser.” Met Mrs. Bruce & had a chat to her. I bought a tiny Koala to send to Browns as a souvenir. Bob & I then set out to see the beaut city – all the well known spots, such as Waterloo Bridge, Tower Bridge Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament. Big Ben struck three, while we were there. The Thames made a typical London scene – fog & boats all over the place. We spent some time wandering about & used the camera quite an amount – Buckingham Palace & the gardens & broad road leading to it, which had witnessed the coronations – were just as I had expected. Guess the King [page break] & Queen must have been away – the flag was down! We saw Piccadilly Circus & the main shopping centre before returning to the club. Managed to buy some oil colours for Dad. – the shops are well stocked but one can’t usually get what he wants, or at least, I can’t! We returned by train this evening & settled for our last night at Warboys. Sept 22nd. We were sorry to leave Warboys. – the fortnight we spent there were really most enjoyable! Alan had left on a week’s leave, so we didn’t see him – he sure was lucky to get that. We settled into Wyton [page break] before lunch & had quite a good chat & interview to the O.C. – we were pleased to see how well organised the show was, & we were looking forward to our next fortnight! Sept 23rd. Began the day well today with P.T at 7.30, - was O.K & then a shower after it made me really fresh & ready for breakfast. John took rather a dim view of the P.T – but all was well as we had puffed rice & eggs for breakfast, & took to it very well! Today we had lectures on Mosquito flying & an interview with the Adj. – getting along fine now & as all the officers here are really decent, all should be well. Had my first trip in a “Mossie” today – John [page break] & I took off at about 1400. – he did 3 circuits & bumps in 1/2 hour. Was really good – they are wizard “kites” & he makes a good job of handling them. Dropped eight bombs – John had not been on bombing for ages & we stooged all over the place, & finished putting our first on the wrong target – that nearly cost me 6. Finished up really well, tho’ – my score was the best they had had on the Holbeach target for a while! Sept 24th. Sunday We were to go on our first cross country at 25000’ today, but weather was really foul – flying was scrubbed in the finish so we had an interesting day figuring out all our gen. We are having excellent meals here – eggs & cereal for breakfast (haven’t seen them since [page break] leaving U.S. Three course meals for lunch go very well – was as cold as could be today, & gosh! I could have well sat before a fire to warm myself tonight! Sept 25th. Rose at 7. this morning to begin P.T. at 7.30 – what a show! Gosh! it sure is cold these mornings & I’ll be taking to long trousers for PT from now on! John & I flew this afternoon on our first cross country in a “mossie” – all went well. Flew at 25,000’ – cloud came right up to us, & we were unable to carry out bombing! Sept 26th. Had an early start on a cross country this morning – we were up for nearly 4 hours & thus covered 8 – 900 miles. Was a very good trip, mainly D.R. & as I was only 15 miles from the target after all that time, it was [page break] considered a good exercise! So, on our return we prepared for a night trip. – ‘twas a really grand night tonight & we were the last to take off. Once again had a good trip – but what a day! Gosh! was I pleased to hit the old bed!!! Sept 27th. We sure were tired this morning & it took me all my time to rise at midday to be at briefing for tonight’s trip. John & I tested two mossies this afternoon – was good experience & practice for us, but I sure had to move fast to be ready to take off for a cross country tonight. All went well & we were back at midnight! [page break] Sept 28th. Thursday. Had to ferry a “mossie” to De Hav.’s drome near London this morning. John & I spent the day there at the works – picked up some extra good photos of the Mosquito from the boss. We returned here tonight – picked up by a W/Cmd in an oxford. Received first mail from home today for three weeks. – don’t know why the family didn’t write in between this time, but I sure missed the letters & hope they continue to come O.K now! Sept 29th. Spent the morning in the Intel. library getting all the “gen” here – John was feeling the effect of his cold today so we did not fly tonight. Tested a kite this afternoon, but soon [page break] settled to washing & pressing clothes & ironing etc in the earlier part of this evening. Have had little time to spare of late – gosh! I’ll be needing a wife to look after me if this keeps up!? Oct. 1st. Yesterday afternoon we stooged up to Holbeach to do some practice bombing – cloud very low & vis. was poor. We returned without dropping any “eggs.” Night flying was cancelled at the last minute, so Bob & I soon wizzed into our blues & caught a bus to Huntingdon. Have a new “O” wing up now, as the “N” doesn’t go with us any more. We were very disappointed with the township – people were in great long queues waiting for the shows we intended seeing. ‘Tis only a fairly small villiage [sic] - & we saw [page break] people (typically English villiagers [sic]) gathered around the Salvation Army Band near the bus stop. Light rain was falling & ‘twas rapidly becoming dark, so Bob & I set off to see what else we could find. That, we found ended up to be nothing, so, after buying a small cake & eating same between us at the bus stop, we returned to camp. Today, John & I did an hour & half of bombing before lunch – stooged all over the place practicing target runs! Spent a couple hours before tea this afternoon writing in the mess. – a peaceful Sunday afternoon! We took off fairly early tonight for the last of our cross country exercises – had a U/S kite so was late when we finally set off. Had a good trip, returning soon after midnight. [page break] Oct 2nd. Posted the oil colours & photo of the “mossie” home to Dad today Was hoping to be able to buzz off on a few days’ leave today, but we have an interview with the group Nav. officer tomorrow. Bob & Alan still have night flying to complete, but as it was scrubbed tonight we called on the camp cinema for the evening – the first show I had seen for some time. It was “Hit the Ice” with Abbott & Costello – a really good show & we sure had a grand laugh. Oct 3rd. Today, after spending the morning obtaining clearances etc, I left camp to buzz to Carlisle for a couple days. Bob still has flying to complete, so couldn’t be with me. Had a rare time hitch-hiking to Peterborough so that [page break] I could catch an express to London – made it OK after being in about 3 trucks & 2 cars! Was a long trip from London to Carlisle & we were to arrive at 4 AM. – however there were numerous stops & starts and long waits on the line, & I was amazed to find we were still going at daybreak. Nearly had forty fits to see mountains etc, which I had never seen before, & thought I must have been asleep when we passed Carlisle. What a show – guessed I’d have to make a trip back from Glasgow! However, I found that we had made a deviation owing to a smash on the main line & we rolled into Carlisle quite O.K at about 8 AM. [page break] [underlined] Wednesday [/underlined]: Mr & Mrs Brown were home when I buzzed in – we were soon busy talking & I was quite at home at a good breakfast in no time! After a bath & clean up I joined “Dunc” at morning tea – we returned home early for lunch & then I spent the afternoon peacefully before the fire, writing letters. ‘Twas grand to get back to see Mr & Mrs Brown, Joyce & Kieth [sic] again – they are just the same after two months or more having passed since we saw them. Oct 5th. Was grand to have the usual breakfast in bed this morning – Mrs Brown still looking after me as usual! I was out for a rest [page break] these two days, so I made the most of it, & did very little before lunch. Mr Brown had the afternoon off – so I made them a “hotbox” & we set some boiling water in it to test it. Proved O.K, & I hope it will cook O.K, too! Was quite a nice afternoon so we walked to the Cathedral & the Tower, - then home to another few hours spell before my return trip. I wished Bob could have been with me – it was grand to be able to spend a couple days with them, & gosh I had all I wanted. Mrs Brown gave me a “Le Havre” spoon to send to Mum. Made the return trip thru’ Newcastle & Peterborough & arrived at camp by 9 AM. [page break] Oct 6th [underlined] Friday [/underlined] John returned a little after me this morning – I rode the good old bike from Huntingdon, so managed to get in a bit before him. We soon found from the Adj. that we were posted to 627 Sqn. at Woodhall Spa, near Boston – gosh! what a show! This didn’t appeal to us. And so the time had come when I found that it really seemed like leaving Bob & Al - & that last couple hours I had with them passed all too quickly. We made our train connections O.K & after making four changes at all sorts of out back stations, we managed to reach Woodhall & find an “Aussie” WAAF to drive us to the drome – good show! But gosh! were our spirits flattened when we saw the [page break] the place. – a dispersed ‘drome (one of the many in this country) ‘Twas so different from Wyton, & it sure was a blow to find we had been dumped here! There was only another crew besides us sent to this spot – we sure were unlucky this time! And so we began – John had ideas to be moved elsewhere as soon as we knew the running of things here! It was a grim show, & I was pleased to hit the old bed & sleep it off! Oct 8th. We sure were feeling rather flat yesterday – spent the day finding out all we could about the squadron & everything else! Dive bombing & the prospects of a very long tour of ops did not appeal to us, as we told the C.O. – W/Cmd Curry, when we were inter- [page break] viewed. Today we did little more of interest – was a typical English winter Sunday. Gosh! it is might cold & damp here even now, so I don’t know what it will be like in a couple months if we are unlucky enough to still be here! We have started things moving now. – John has written to H.Q to try for a move elsewhere! Oct 10th. Since my arrival at this spot these English “bods” have annoyed & sickened me more than ever. – I never have been dead keen on them, & now that John & I are the only “Aussies” about here, there is definitely something amiss. & thus I’d sure like to find ourselves on a RAAF station with people who think & talk as we do. We [page break] have certainly had bad luck to be sent here - & the dull, damp atmosphere of the place, and prospects of a very slow & uninteresting tour of ops. ahead, have sure made us feel flat! Guess Bob is now on a fairly good station & maybe already on ops – he has sure had a good spin! John & I spent last evening at the camp cinema – rather a boring show, but it managed to break the monotony & ease our depression! This morning I was peacefully making up a “Gee” homing card when John burst in. - “We’re Airborne” he says! “O.K Let’s go”, I answer, rather stunned by this sudden outburst of life on behalf of the beaut squadron! So, off we buzzed in a “beaut” old MK IV & completed our dive boming [sic] before lunch. No mail today – poor [page break] show! Can’t make out where my airgraphs have gone. Oct 12th. Today I received quite a budget of mail – on top of some from Mum, Dad, Glad, Auntie Bess which came yesterday. So all is well again, & an answer to my letter to “Auspo” re. airgraphs tells me that air letters are definitely best now, - so they should continue O.K. This place was making me feel mighty flat, but some mail sure makes a difference & I don’t mind now if I’m left here a while before beginning ops, as I can pick up quite an amount to help me. John & I blew across to Conningsby [sic] this morning, to get the hang of using T.I’s etc on targets – in a special training arrangement. ‘Twas a huge place like a B.T. - & we [page break] peered down on the target, from a balcony as if we were in a “kite” at about 10000’ seeing a dinkum raid. It would make a really good sideshow for post war days. – something like “How the RAAF did it!” Was well worked out tho’ & mighty interesting with red, green & yellow markers going down, flak bursting & searchlights on! We thought it quite a good station – gosh! why should we be sent to a wicked place like Woodhall! Hope to have a chance to begin something for our move before long! Oct. 13th. All we navs. had a lecture by the C.O this morning – on much secret “gen.” John & I set out on a bombing trip soon after, but we developed a mighty big swing on take off. - & [page break] skidded off the runway & flat out towards the control tower – was funny to watch everyone run for trucks etc. expecting things to happen, but we came round O.K & began taxying back to the flight – brakes were soon U.S so we left the “kite” on the perim. track! Visited Coningsby again this afternoon to get some more secret “gen” – good stuff! Oct. 15th. Continued with the usual “genning” today & at 11 this morning John & I took a F/LT to Oakington – good show! I’ve now at least put foot on the place even if we don’t get our move there! Set out to do some wind finding on our way back. – instruments went U/S on us, so we had to forget it! Tonight there was a grand show on in the mess – a party for one & all apparently! We [page break] had to take off on a practice marking trip at 10, so it was all over when we returned at midnight. We dropped 250 lb. T.I’s which went down O.K. – but I forgot to fuse them! What a show – thats [sic] twice I’ve done it (first & last) I hope. Had a late supper & piled into bed at about 1 A.M. Oct 16th. ‘Tis impossible to express the rotten feeling I’ve had all day. – Bill Read’s letter, telling me that Bob was missing after a raid on Berlin last Wednesday night, came this morning. Gosh! it hardly seems possible – I go back over all the good times we have spent together, & gee! I’m just hoping & praying that he’ll be O.K. I wrote to Mrs. Bolton a couple nights ago – will write again now. Contacted H.Q in London today [page break] & hope for some news of him before long! Wrote also to Bill Read, & hope to hear from him again soon – Alan Beavis is now with him at Downham Market! Oct 17th. John & I had to make an early start this morning on a special wind finding trip. We Made [sic] two trips – took some shots today of the “kites.” I wrote to Brown’s last night – it will be a hell of a shock to them to hear of Bob’s misfortune. Oct 19th. Yesterday we were flying early again – then on bombing in the afternoon. Were due to take off at 1900 for wind finding – dropping incend. & spot fires. It was a rotten night – we had to wait ‘till midnight before we could get off but it was raining so heavily when we [page break] began taxiing out, we had to switch off & the whole was cancelled. – Was sure pleased to hit the old bed at 2 AM. Oct. 22nd. Sunday Have had rotten weather the past few days & most of our flying has been scrubbed because of fog & rain. The only way to keep the dampness out of our huts is to keep a fire on the whole time – but fumes etc. soon cause us to open all windows, so I don’t know [deleted] hh [/deleted] what we’ll do as it becomes colder. Have not yet had any news of Bob. – received a cable from home yesterday, so the family all know of Bob’s misfortune! Oct. 23rd. The weather sure is “clamping down” here now. – fog & rain usually greets us in the morning, [page break] & gosh! everything seems so miserable! It usually clears up in the evenings, tho’ - & so we are then able to fly, & it is OK as long as we get back before the fog begins to gather again. Went out to Wainfleet on bombing again last night – T.I’s didn’t burn very well tho’. Today I was a pal-bearer at the funeral of an RAF chap who was unable to bale out of a “mossie” in time a few days ago. – was not at all enjoyable! Had a letter from Mr Brown today with snaps from my last film enclosed – they came out rather good & there were quite a few we took in London when Bob & I were last there on leave. Still no news of Bob – guess it may yet be some time before any comes along! Am saving [page break] some chocolate to send to him as soon as I have his P.O.W. address, as he likes it best of all! Gosh! I’ve really “had” this place now. – we have had everything go wrong lately & I sure would like to get away for a while. Mr Brown’s letters are always grand to receive – they are wizard people & I sure do owe a lot of my happiness here to them! John’s wizard sense of humour keeps me going O.K too. – we get along well together & without him there would not be much of interest for me! We have hopes of some good ops soon - & maybe make the grade to ferry a “mossie” home! Oct 25th. Firstly today – a change of ink & so we proceed. Today was the great day – as it seems we are to be on this Squadron for some time, [page break] I found the opportunity to apply to the Adj. for the required form 1020 for my application for a Commission – so it is now on its way, & maybe in a few months’ time I’ll hear something of it! Has yet to be passed by our W/C Curry – who no doubt will require a very interesting interview before he passes it on! Still no news of Bob. – a fortnight tonight since he was missing, so I sure hope he is O.K as a P.O.W. & if Jerry has finished his interrogation, I may hear something soon! Oct 27th. We are still on training – gosh! we have “had” this place & only wish we could get on to the real thing. I’m afraid I’m looking forward to leaving England – as far as I’m concerned, the [page break] whole place makes one feel so miserable, & I’d sure dislike being here very long. John & I flew a few hours on a X. country this afternoon. Oct. 28th. Had a couple hours’ trip in a Lanc today – using H2S. There sure is plenty of room in them compared with the “mossie”! Was grand to receive Mum’s parcel today too – it only took a little over 2 months. Dad had enclosed some films, so I’ll be taking the camera with me to get some shots of the “kites” when I next fly. Oct 30th. Yesterday was quite fine - & the sun helped brighten things a little. Had intended cycling to a nearby castle, but we had to fly, so that settled that. Wrote to Mr & Mrs Bolton again before lunch. – John & I set out to [page break] begin a bombing exercise early in the afternoon, & to our delight a large formation of Fortresses were streaking along up above with Con-trails galore. – so up we wizzed to 20,000 after our bombing to do likewise. It was really a grand Sunday afternoon’s flying. – the old “mossie” did a good job! Today another crew from 627 Sqn. is missing – had to bale out over their target, so should be O.K. Oct 31st. Teusday. [sic] My “Flight” actually came through today – only a month overdue, so I must now find some crowns to put up! Have received quite an amount of mail from home – letters & papers & “Waltzing Matilda” from Mum & letters from Dad. No further news of Bob has yet come to hand. – I sure do [page break] hope I’ll know of him soon – have now quite a supply of chocolate for him, & will send it on as soon as I have his address. This makes me remember how well we both used to like chocolate. – the chocolate cakes & ice cream of New York are a vivid memory. Nov. 5th Sunday. The past few days have been rather hectic & as we’ve had quite an amount to do on Loran etc., time has passed rather quickly. I blew into the flight office & had our well over-due leave fixed up – for Monday 6th. John & I have been on a fair amount of bombing practice the past few days - & with some link practice & some “gen” on flying the “mossie”, John managed to show me how to handle the “kite” – found it O.K & I sure would like to get in a dual control job. [page break] We saw “Goodbye Mr Chips”, last night at the station cinema – really enjoyed it again, & it sure made one feel like fighting to keep such lads as those out of this business. The moral of the film was very impressive. The National Anthem runner at the camp show is an old one – with an Anson in part of it. It always reminds me of our days in the old Anson’s at home – gosh! how many times have Bob & I been in them, - & its amazing to think how things are for us now. This afternoon we were not able to fly owing to bad weather – so, after a great effort by the whole squadron to run the 3 1/2 miles round the ‘drome, I was pleased to get into a bath & so begin preparing to go on leave. Left camp at 4 P.M by bus for Boston & after a [page break] considerable wait, managed to get to Peterborough. The train to Newcastle was packed – so I had to stand in the corridor & freeze! I never want to see another train after this business is all over – especially an English one. Was a terrifically cold night - & I was pleased to arrive at “Glenleigh” in time for breakfast. Mr Brown, & a friend of his were going to Coldstream by car, so I bundled in with them - & off we went before lunch! It was quite a good drive & the country we passed thru’ very interesting – however I was pleased to return home, as I had missed out on all my sleep the night before. Wednesday 8th. After a lazy day yesterday, I actually rose early (about 8.30) this morning, to go off with [page break] Mr Brown on his trip to Edinburgh. We had a really good day – the sun was shining & all was O.K. Passed thru’ Hawick & Galashiels & many of the hills about were already covered with snow. Arrived in the “big smoke” at about 2 P.M, so were able to have a good look about before tea. – we stayed at a small hotel! Visited the Castle & took snaps about the place. In the evening Mr Brown & I went off to a show, in which Will Fyfe, the Scottish comedian was the main attraction – it was very good, & we sure did enjoy ourselves. Nov. 9th. We managed breakfast O.K this morning & set out to see all we could of the city. ‘Twas very smoky & hazy but we found our way to the old Castle & Cathedral! [page break] I was able to buy “This, my Son” at a bookstall, to give to Mrs. Brown. We then caught a bus for the Forth Bridge, & spent an hour or so there – ‘tis truly a wonderful piece of work & I wished Ralph were there too. Our trip back took us along a slightly different route – had been cold the night before, so there was quite an amount of snow & ice along the roads. Met trouble on the road, with a blowout, so had to change the tyre in a slight snow storm. Sunday. Came along all too quickly & soon ‘twas time to board a train again. My week at Carlisle was one big bludge – but it was grand to be in such a homely atmosphere again! [page break] Mrs Brown fitted me up with biscuits & powdered milk, so all should be well for supper now! Monday 13th. Arrived at camp at midday – things were well fogged up, so there was little doing in the Squadron. Saturday 18th. John & I had hoped to get an interview with the C.O this week, but he was on leave when we returned, so we must wait a couple days yet - & in the mean time continue our daily “stooges” & training about here. Made a trip in a Lanc. on Loran today – out to the North Sea. Was O.K but I’d rather have a “mossie” any day! Have not had any further news of Bob yet – a letter from his mother came a few days ago. [page break] Wednesday 22nd. Last night John & I were on our trip to Munster – O.K. Had a grand day for mail today – quite an amount from home, & one also from Glenn & Clarrie. Glenn & I may be able to coincide our leave – I sure do hope we can make it O.K! Sent off the last of my Xmas Air Letters today. – was scrubbed from the op tonight – “kite” U/S. [deleted] On Munich – via Manston [/deleted] We had a snow storm today, but was very light. Saturday 25th. On our return from T.I. dropping at Wainfleet tonight, we collided with a Lanc. at the perimeter track. The “mossie” wasn’t touched much, but the Lanc. broke in two – I shall never forget the sight of the fin suddenly appearing in front of us. [page break] No one was touched in the collision so all is well so far! Sunday – We were on Munich tonight. – had a very wet afternoon with some sleet & snow Trip via Manston! Monday 27th Nov. Spent today at the inquest to our accident – we are in the clear, as it was the Lanc. chap’s fault & he is in some strife! Received parcel from home & Tyson’s today. Wednesday 29th. Our trip to the River Weser was spoilt by cloud over the target – otherwise O.K. ‘Twas 5 AM. before we at last made bed! Wrote to Glenn today to hope to arrange Xmas leave together. Have no further news of Bob, yet! [page break] Monday 4th. We were out tonight on Halcunn rail centre – good trip. 13 Lancs missing Teusday: [sic] Today more papers came from home, with four parcels & one parcel from SAFFCF. On ops. again tonight – but they were later scrubbed, after us getting up at 1 A.M, having a meal & preparing for the trip. Dec 6th. Raid a rail junction near Frankfurt tonight – quite O.K. Dec 8th. We had our first real heavy fall of snow today – gee, it was cold. Had to practice ditching drill too! Received a letter from Mrs. Francis – Allen Boase’s friends who want me to spend my next leave there. So I may go there before visiting Brown’s [page break] but hope to see Glenn also! Dec 9th John & I had a flight this afternoon on blind windfinding – we were to be on ops tonight but it was “scrubbed.” [underlined] Sunday: [/underlined] Rather a miserable day – kept the fire in the crew room warm & with sheepskin etc & flying boots to keep me warm, completed some letter writing & met. swotting – also Loran manipulation. On the link this afternoon – a heavy fall of snow began at about 2 & continued ‘till after tea. Gosh! what a mess! ‘Twas rather unusual to see the snow over buildings & all, as that which I have seen at home is all in the hills! Lit the fire in 126 tonight – John & I spent the evening reading & munching [page break] almonds & sultanas etc. from my parcels. – supper of cocoa & a piece of cake made a good combination while the wind & rain outside made all outdoors rather miserable! Wednesday: Have been on bombing & wind finding the past few days. – days always foggy with hardly any vis. in the morning, & to make the situation worse, some very heavy frosts, which now last all day. We were not put on the battle order for tonight. Received quite an amount of mail from home yesterday – Dad said the photo of the mossie had arrived O.K. Allan Beavis wrote today – his leave has been put back & we should now spend Xmas together at Brown’s – he has now done 15 ops. Mine laying at Bremen – 45 ships “bottled up” [page break] Dec 14th. Received three more parcels this morning – a cake from Mum & also one from Mrs Bartlett, & a beaut tin of yo yos from Gwen. – Gosh! all this is grand, & such incidents brighten things quite an amount. – the cake contained a card for Xmas & a large print of Mum & Dad. Gee! it is good to have their photo – often look through all I have, with many pleasant memories. Flt/Lt Jackson & I went for a ride around the country this afternoon – ‘twas might cold! Friday: - Received another parcel from home today. – four films enclosed. Saturday 16th. We were put on an op. this morning – left at 7 P.M for Marston for a late take off. Weather was very poor – we put down there O.K, with a [page break] ground staff “chappie” in the nose. – Op scrubbed at 1 A.M – so we settled to sleep in a really miserable hut. Sunday: - A vile day – we tested the mossies & hung round for final gen. on the op. Set course in quite fair weather, - hit Munich & came back without any troubles. The lights in Switzerland were showing very plainly – we were on marking tonight. Once again spent a few hours sleeping in a miserable hut. – rose at 9 AM. & returned to Woodhall! Had some strife this afternoon preparing for our leave – but finally managed to get everything set! Spent this evening writing & dusting the cobwebs off my “blues”. – all set for a “bang on week”. Sent a wire [page break] to Allan today & hope to meet him in London. Monday passed O.K, so John & I, after fixing up my log for the last op, caught the midday bus to Boston. All done up & somewhere to go. – they say we “Aussies” have the pick of all uniforms here, & today we managed to keep up the good name. With the help of Fl/Lt Tice, I had my leave extended to Dec 28 – 10 days – as John has an R/T course to attend in London. We arrived at the AFC at Kensington Gardens in good time – settled for a room, which altho’ in an annex, was very good. Wizzed out then to Liecester [sic] Square to have a look around – ‘twas now about 8 PM. We blew into a cafe – had some wizard sandwiches & tea, and then began sorting out the theatres. The crowds were thick & the [page break] city quite bright with the blackout partly lifted. – ‘twas amazing to watch the city more or less humming with activity whilst above our “kites” were heading across the way. We saw a newsreel show - & returned to the Club. Teusday [sic] over, we come to – Wednesday 22nd Dec. After a wonderful sleep, we managed to make breakfast with a few minutes to spare – we soon noticed the excellent atmosphere of the club. The chaps all looked so clean – it was typically Aust. Today we spent pondering thru’ bookshops etc. – time soon passed, as we were made to wonder at the interest London has for its Visitors. The underground, especially struck me more than ever as being a truly wonderful piece of engineering. The city itself [page break] was not so bright – we had run into a London fog, & one could just see across the road. Saw Michael Redgrave in “Uncle Harry,” tonight – an excellent show. [underlined] Thursday: [/underlined] John had to attend the R/T course today so he had left the club before I awoke. At Breakfast I met Geoff Mitton, so, as I had to go along to have the “Power of Attorney” from Dad, witnessed, we went along together to see Sir Chas McCann & then to Kodak House. Had hoped to visit Parliament House, but were too late, so we tripped along to the Boomerang Club to lunch. Met quite a few chaps I knew including Paul Smith. At 2 PM. four “Aussies” including “yours truly”, set out for [page break] Ealing – thence in a taxi to Paramount’s Ealing Studios. We were met with much enthusiasm – once more it seemed our chaps had a good name - & I was in my element seeing all I could of the place. Tom Walls was making a film at the time – we saw a few shots being made & pottered all over the sets which were under construction. I met John back at the Club – we had tea, & later set out for Euston, to get my train to Carlisle. We arranged that he should follow me in a day or so. – I left him hoping to see him at Brown’s for Xmas! My trip was O.K. – I arrived at Glenleigh just in time for breakfast. ‘Twas good to see the Brown’s again & they were pleased [page break] that I had at last arrived. I sorted out the local bookshops - & came home with some “gen” on photography. A wire from Allen told us of his time of arrival – met him after tea, & spent a very pleasant evening having a good chat. Was just like old times – three months since I last saw him - & it sure did remind me of the days he, Bob & I spent together. The Browns began looking after us right away – they were grand! A wire from John let us know he would arrive about midnight. However, I missed him at the station, as he was on a second part of a train which was late. Saturday: John came along this morning before Al [page break] & I were up. – we were having our usual “breakfast in bed. Our next few days were carefree & lazy, but happy & it was wonderful to relax so in such homely surroundings! It was grand we could all get together. – Xmas Day was a grand surprise & we had a really hearty meal. For the rest – so much happened that the time passed all too quickly. Firstly, Allan set out again for London & then John & I returned. I was not at all pleased having to leave. – the Brown’s had been marvellous to us & we spent a Xmas of reunion I shall not forget. I often thought of Bob. – if only he could have been with us too! [page break] Friday Dec 28th. When we arrived back at Tattershall last night, we were amazed to find the place covered in ice & frost & gosh! was it cold. Apparently it had been this way for some days. – the road was slippery & John and I had quite some fun attempting to keep up! Today John’s commission came thru’ & he is now an F/O. Received two parcels from home & one from Henderson’s today – along with “bags” of letters. Saturday: - We were on a battle order this morning – early lunch, but was in time to collect my mail. – another parcel arrived, but there was not time to collect it before we left. Flew in formation of 6 [page break] to Peterhead – spent the night [underlined] Dec 31st [/underlined] Arose at 6 AM – bleak, cold & miserable morning with snow on the ground. Weather cleared & we set course when the sun was rising – was as clear as could be as we climbed up & the effect above the clouds was extra. The formation looked grand passing over the Norwegian mountains, which were well covered with snow. – we arrived at Oslo amidst a beautiful clear day. Divebombed the Oest. H.Q there & wizzed off home on the “dick”. Noticed some skaters on a large lake as we left the town. – Flak was heavy, but we came out with only a glycol burst. Dicky Doyle & F/L Gaunt were wounded. John & I returned to Woodhall in a Lanc – our kite was U/S so we left it behind. [page break] [underlined] 1945 [/underlined] January 1st. John & I had early supper last night – too tired to bother seeing the New Year in! [underlined] Wednesday: [/underlined] John had moved to another hut today, so I moved also across the way with most of the chaps I know! Tuesday 9th. All has been going along O.K. – have only been flying on practice bombing etc. as the weather has been foul. Has been snowing for a couple days – we are now well in the midst of the cold season. Went to Lincoln today for dinghy drill – had a really good swim in the baths. John came back in the bus, but “Johnnie” Caragatta & I stayed on – saw a show & bought a kettle & some eats before our return. [page break] Jan 10th Received 4 parcels today – two beaut cakes included! They were nos. 10, 11 & 12. One cake was from Joy! They were dated Oct 30th. Heavy falls of snow again today – ‘tis now about 4” deep. John is still busy writing his “Sallies of Youth” – we spend most of the time in the crew room! I have to prepare for my comm. interview – so “swotting” is in full swing, plus “link” etc. Get along well with everyone here at the squadron, & we are actually very lucky. Have a fairly easy time in between flying & with all this snow of the past few days, we’ve had no flying, so I can catch up on quite an amount of photography etc. With my parcels, & others “Johnnie” Caragatta etc. get, we have some good suppers, so [page break] have only the cold to complain about. Jan 13th. John & I made an early start this morning – was just beginning to get light at 9 AM. when we piled into a Lanc. to go to Peterhead to collect our “kite” which we left there after the Oslo trip. She was not completed so it meant spending the night there – I sure did notice it strange to have John in the officers’ mess, but I met Ken Brand & Laurie Armstrong, two WAG’s who came on the boat with us, & we four went off to a show later on in the evening. Wherever we go here, we can always meet some RAAF chaps – it sure is great to see them. By all accounts a good many of our chaps at Brighton are on their way home. [page break] Jan 14th It was after lunch before we were able to get the “mossie” completed. - & ‘twas 6 P.M before we landed back at Woodhall. – 285 N. miles in 64 minutes is quite fair cruising! We found the squadron on an op. - & had been on one last night too! Mum’s grand Air Mail, with the photo of herself, Glad & Peter was awaiting me in the mess! Jan 17th. Received more mail from home today – also from Dad, on his last day in Melb. & from Cath Page, during her stay at “Colwyn”. I’m sure pleased she is staying at home – she must be a fine lass, & it will be great to meet her. All this recalls all Bob used to tell me of her – they are a good pair & I only hope news of Bob will soon be thru’ [page break] for her. – Past few days have been finer, & we’ve been practice bombing at Wainfleet, & T.I. dropping at night. Jan 22nd. Have had heavy snow the past few days – about a foot fell between 6 & 7 AM this morning. We have only flown on a few bombing trips Today my commission was put thru’ by W/Cmd. Curry – this is his last day as C.O of the squadron. Our new C.O. seems to be O.K. Spent a couple hours this evening shovelling snow from the runway lights etc. – caught up to us at last. “Pop” Levigne, F/O Willis, F/L Bob Boyden have all finished up! – Bob is going back to Canada. Stalin’s big drive on the eastern front is well under way, - & if he keeps up, the RAF will have a few more targets less to look after, - & maybe we can [page break] soon get tracking home! Wednesday 24th Heavy fog today – stand down for the squadron. It sure is thick, too! Received Cath Page’s letter with snaps of them taken at home. – first photos I have of her, & she is still just the same as in the ones Bob had of her! Monday 29th. Received parcel of fruits from Glad today – plus mail from home. Mine laying at Kiel Wednesday: 31st – River Elbe “gardening” Thursday 1st. Weather has cleared well – on an op. tonight to Dortmund Ems. F/LT Baker & Doug Betts missing Feb. 2nd. On ops again tonight to Karlsruhe – landed at Woodbridge. Passed over Alan Beavis’ drome as we returned. [page break] Wednesday 7th. Weather clearer with some rain – quite mild. On ops tonight to upset Jerrys railways Thursday 8th. Long trip to Politz near Stettin tonight – received Mum’s cake (14) & Gwen’s parcel today. Mail still delayed. Saturday 10th. After raid assessment this morning I caught the midday bus to Boston, & with “Freddie” Nash, went to London. John left before me, by car, but I booked into the A.C.F Club & was having tea when he arrived. We had a fairly early night, rose for breakfast – the usual fruit & cereals. I left for Brighton before [page break] lunch, but did not see Alec Brown or the other chaps I hoped to find down there. – the sea was mighty rough & the day miserable so I returned to London. John & I saw “Henry V” tonight. Monday 12th. Bought my book – “the theory of the photographic process” by Kenneth Mees & a few odds and ends, then had lunch at Boomerang Club. We saw the film “Lady in the Window” in the evening! Feb. 13th. Sent off some photos home & Mum’s birthday card to Ralph this morning - & caught a train to Leamington soon after lunch! Found my way to “Sixteen” by the help of a taxi. Was soon made at home by Mr & Mrs Francis & Joan Wednesday: Had a late breakfast [page break] & then cycled around town with Mrs Francis! We all had a grand time at the dance tonight – was not up till 10 A.M. & then I set out to explore the town. [underlined] Friday: [/underlined] As usual, I had a quiet time today – visited Coventry & met Joan after work! Alan Boase & a cobber came Saturday afternoon – we had a good chat, but they left early on Sunday 18th. Allan & Ted left at 7 AM. – I got their breakfast & took tea up to Mr & Mrs Francis! “Pop” & I spent today on the first stages of the boat shed. Monday 19th. I left Leamington at 12.30 PM. – after buying some more stain for Dad. Met John & F/L Tice in London – [page break] had tea & saw a show in Boston & landed in hut 120 Echelon at about 2300. “Blue” Dalton had got my parcels & mail for me – Nos 16, 18 & 19 – so ‘twas late when I hit the pillow. [deleted] [indecipherable letter] [/deleted] Tuesday 20th. On ops. tonight to Dortmund Ems. [underlined] Wednesday: [/underlined] Landed at Coltishall after last night’s trip. On ops. to the canals again tonight – our 14th trip. Friday 23rd. On op to HORTON tonight – marked first; “kite” caught some flak in port radiator. Did not rise ‘till 11 the next morning – had interview with the Base Commander at 1 PM. Sunday: - John & I flew during the afternoon on a fuel [page break] consumption test, & on Monday we took off again on a similar job in a MK XVI “Mossie” – we had fuel sprayed all over us, & could hardly breath from the effect of the fumes – had petrol galore on the floor on landing & we sure were “walking on air.” Took the same kite up in the afternoon – all was O.K. & we had a great time dodging among the clouds. Teusday: [sic] we spent mainly on bombing op. to Wesel rail Junctions. Wednesday 28th. Further fuel tests on climbs etc. March 2nd. Today, John & I took a “mossie” down to Cambridge for a check up – he used to instruct there on “tigers”! We were able [page break] to spend a couple hours in the villiage [sic] - & met John’s former landlady. We returned in the afternoon – the ‘drome there is only grass & very small, but the old “mossie” made it easily with + 9 boost! Saturday 3rd. We were on the Dortmund Ems Canal again tonight – had rather a hot reception over there but all was O.K. & we pushed the kite along to get back well before the heavies. Had not been on the ground long before we found that some of Jerrie’s kites had come across in the bomber stream. We had two shooting up the drome & dropping A.P. bombs. – it continued till after I “hit the pillow” but all settled down O.K. Only one civilian driving a car was killed. This is the first we’ve seen of “bandits” – will be back well before the heavies from now! [page break] We did not know till we landed that we had a .303 bullet in the tail of the kite. Monday 5th. Bowled along to Coningsby to get some pay today – found I had £140. credit, so will have to invest in a car for the summer. Received mail from home, & from Cath Page. Sent a cable for Peter’s Birthday. Teusday [sic] Mch 6th. We were on an op. to Sassnitz, near Stettin, tonight – 1400 miles, a 5 hr. trip – will be pleased to have cushions from now! Terrific light flak in the harbour, but all went well! Friday 9th. Weather poor these past few days. – calling for practice bombing & ground training on our new “gen” box. Raced a Mustang today [page break] coming back from the range – left him at 250 K. The chaps nearly collapsed tonight when I went along into Boston – saw a show & then went to the dance with Blue Dalton, G. Swales & Co. Tuesday 13th. Last night I collected my Xmas parcel from the comforts fund – then “Geordie” Swales, “Johnnie” Caragatta & I went to Woodhall for supper. Met Bill Carey in there. Today Jim Allsop was posted to 627 – talking to him for a short time. Thursday 15th. Went on op. to Halle last night – landed at Woodbridge & returned this morning. Received parcel from Joy today. We went along to Boston [page break] on the 5.30 bus. – saw a show & then went to the St. Patrick’s Ball – quite a good show! Saturday Mch 17th. On our 32nd op. last night – to Zurburg. Engine failed on the way out – came back with only the starboard & landed very well with only the one. Received parcels 20 & 21 from Mum today – sent 3/1/45 whilst Cath Page was at home. Wednesday 21st. On a target near Leipzig last night – landed at 6 A.M. today. John awoke me at 1.30 P.M. – to go for a “mossie” from Coningsby. We wizzed across in the Oxford. Thursday 22nd. Packed up & set out on leave soon after lunch – booked [page break] into the A.C.F Club. London & saw a “News” show before John arrived. Saturday: After spending yesterday about the “Big Smoke”, I caught the train to Carlisle at 10 AM. As I passed thru’ Warrington I was reminded of the first time Bob & I visited the Browns! On my arrival, Mr & Mrs Brown had my telegram of congrats etc. for my commission, from the C.O – thus I would have to return via London Saturday 31st John arrived on Sunday at Glenleigh, & we had a grand lazy spell with the Browns. Returned to London yesterday, collected all my gear from Kodak house, & arrived at Tattershall about 8 P.M – just before dark. Had to take off my stripes [page break] & put on the narrow band before turning into bed, as my battle dress was at the cleaners. Learnt on our return here that “Johnnie” Day & F/O Barnett had been missing for a few days – ditched near the Frisians. Sunday April 1st. Easter Sunday - & my first day in the officers’ mess – all went well, but nobody seemed to treat me as a “sprog” & ‘twas all taken for granted! Thursday 5th. Began high level bombing Monday – on Battle Orders Monday & Wednesday. Jim Allsop & I went into Boston tonight – saw “Bathing Beauty” & then called in at the “Gliderdrome”. Friday: - Op. to Prague. [page break] Saturday 7th. On ops to oil plant near Leipzig tonight. – received letter from H.Q. to the effect that Bob was posted as killed. Monday 9th. Yesterday was a grand spring day – Jim Allsop & I went for a ride after tea. My day off today – ‘twas very foggy when I left on the bus to Boston to wizz down to London. Collected my gear & cap from Stores & after being fitted for a uniform, settled to waffles & ice cream at Boomerang Club. Met Jerry Donoghue & Kevin Barry. Returned late this evening, & had the chat I had expected with John before bed – all is well now! April 10th. Ops took us near Leipzig again – DR Compass U/S. April 11th. Ops tonight scrubbed when we were almost ready to go, as [page break] the yanks were almost to Leipzig but it was put on again at 3 AM. John wrote this poem whilst we were at Brown’s – he thinks it’s O.K, wonder to whom he’s referring! Oh! I’ve taken off my stripes, I’ve taken off my crown Hey nonny nonny, derry derry down. No longer am I “Chiefy” A non-commissioned clown, Hey nonny nonny, derry derry down. I wear a stripe upon my arm And write with greenish ink I fill the “erks” with wild alarm I’m quite important – don’t you think? I wear a lovely peaky cap. My clothes are simply smashin’, I’m such a clever sort of chap, So debonair – so splashin’. I hob-nob with Society When I go to town, Hey nonny nonny, derry derry down On cheap but dull sobriety Contemptuously frown. [page break] Yet when this war is over, I’ll be feeling somewhat brown, Tha’ll [sic] be no “nonny nonny”, Only “derry derry down.” J.W. Herriman? April 14th. Received fair amount of mail from home today, parcel from Mum No 22. & one from Cath Page & Auntie Lil. Monday 16th. Wing/Cmd. R. Kingsford-Smith took over the squadron today – W/Cmd. Hallows is to have an operation & will not come back here. Berchesgarden today. April 19th. Last two trips have been to Czechoslovakia – near Prague. Had innoculations today. Sunday 22nd. Op. laid on for tonight. back at 8 AM. Monday, briefing again for [page break] another at 8 P.M. – 41st. Tuesday 24th. John & I flew a “mossie” to Cambridge – then in an oxford to Hatfield. Saw air tests of a new “kite” before leaving to return to Woodhall. London to Woodhall, 17 mins – 3 1/2 hrs by L.N.E.R. We enjoyed the trip. Another op. laid on tonight was scrubbed – put on again on Wed. Night. Thursday 26th. On an op. to Norway tonight – near oslo. [sic] Saturday 28th. Flew a “mossie” to Cambridge again yesterday & also brought one from there today. S/Ldr Oakley posted from here today, also. Ops tonight to Denmark. May 1st. Our day off today – left on the noon bus for Lincoln, & after lunch went [page break] along to West’s garage – decided on a 500 cc Ariel (£80) after much consideration. Will collect it at the end of the week, so we returned by bus. Teusday [sic] 2nd. (sorry Wednesday)! Today Hitler is reported to have died – all is mixed up here & it looks as if we have completed our last op. from this country. Allan Beavis finished his tour last week & is now on leave with Vic Berry at the Brown’s. Wrote to Glenn Cliff today. P.O.W. ferrying put on twice this week. Friday May 4th. Weather quite fine today – John & I had a bombing exercise & flip about the countryside before lunch. Had the afternoon off to write mail & read at leisure in the sun! [page break] [underlined] Saturday: [/underlined] Went to Lincoln on the noon bus – collected the Ariel & owing to shortage of fuel, returned as far as Woodhall Junction by train. May 6th. Flying today – weather O.K. After obtaining petrol, we tried the bike out up thru’ Woodhall. Tuesday May 8th. Today was V.E Day – we were not allowed to fly, so spent the morning on the bike out at the flights. Parade in the afternoon. Received a cake from Merle Kilsby today. We took the bike half way to Boston after tea – was cute to see the flags out in the villiages. [sic] Were celebrations in the Sgts. Mess. [underlined] Thursday: [/underlined] All “kites” still grounded – only Lancs to fly. Trip to [page break] Dortmund Ems, Germany with “Winco” to collect POW’s yesterday. John & I tuned up the bike & went to Lanrick, near Boston to get some tools. Saturday: “Barney” found – “Johnnie” Day reported drowned in ditching. Allan Beavis posted to Pershore. Tuesday 15th Airborne this morning for bombing practice at Wainfleet. – after lunch I began my “VE 48” leave. Arrived at Birmingham about 7 P.M. – booked into the Provost Hostel. On Wed. I went to Birkenhead via Manchester – stayed with Aunt Lily ‘till about 7 P.M. Thursday 17th. Met one of our WAG’s last night, so after I had been out to Ariel works, we spent the day together – bought books on Walt Disney etc. [page break] Returned via Lincoln – John had been to London & was waiting for me at Coningsby with “Euphemia.” Sunday 20th. Yesterday we learned of the reforming of 627 Sqn. – so expect to get word of our return home very shortly. “Johnnie” Caragatta & the other 3 Canadians are leaving tomorrow on the first stage of their trip home – quite a few new crews are already coming in. May 21st. Left after lunch on “Euphemia” for Leamington arrived in time for tea with the Francis family – all as good as ever! Next day we pottered about the town & then stripped the bike in the afternoon. [page break] Wednesday 23rd. Arrived in London soon after lunch & after booking in at the A.C.F club, wizzed along to Kodak House & stores. Met a chap on Thursday whom I saw in Birmingham – we saw a play at the Wintergarden – “Three’s a family”. John & I saw “The Three Caballeros” & another excellent play. Met Lloyd Howard Gordon Curtis & Bob Dennis. Saw “Fantasia” with Joan. Saturday 26th. Set out from Leamington for Stratford on Avon – were not able to book for a play ‘till Tuesday. Made a trip out to Pershore on Sunday, hoping to see Al Beavis, but he was on leave. Monday: - took us to Bath. – a most ancient place, found the [page break] Roman baths mighty fascinating. We returned to Leamington via an indirect route – quite an excellent day & trip. After tea John & I went to the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre to see “She Stoops to Conquer”. Wednesday 30th. Returned to camp this afternoon – a good trip We covered about 500 miles in all. Had quite an amount of mail, & my new uniform awaiting me! Received a cable from Norm Page asking if I could see him in London re Bob’s fate. – wrote to him tonight. Letter also from Glenn, at Bottesford. Learnt from the Newsletter that All Beavis had the DFM. – the first for 42 course! [page break] Friday 1st June Cross country over the Continent again today – Frank Armstrong landed at Brussels. Strong reports that at last we should fairly definitely go home. Received parcel No 22A from Mum – yoyos from Gwen & cake from Cath Page. Saturday: - Parcel from Glad & John came today. Wednesday 6th. Anniversary of D Day. Been on lectures etc. this week but W/Cmd K.-Smith gave us the news that we were posted to 54 base for repatriation. Will remain here until required at Brighton. Friday June 8th. Went to Huntingdon for P.F.F Board – have been given permanent P.F.F. wings. [page break] Saturday: - Our day off – ‘phoned Mr Francis after breakfast, as Alan Boase wondered if I could obtain leave. John & I then set off on “Euphemia” for Bottesford to see Glenn Cliff. I had quite a good chat to him & found that he is soon to go on indefinite [deleted] [indecipherable word] [/deleted] leave. Sunday 10th. Orderly Officer today – received the painting of the “mossies”. Asked “Smithy” about our leave – guess we should get some soon! Tuesday 12th June Posting to Gamston came thru’ yesterday, given week’s leave – after clearing, wizzed about the flights & set out on the Ariel at 2.30 for Carlisle. Several heavy showers on the way. – arrived about 11 P.M. [page break] [underlined] Wednesday: [/underlined] Allan Beavis’ leave extended a week – we decided to strip the bike, to have it rebored. We had an easy week – all went well, altho’ the weather was a bit poor. Mr Brown, Joyce, Al & I played tennis on Friday evening – was very good! [underlined] Sunday: [/underlined] after making & trying to fly a kite for Kieth, [sic] we all went off to Pt Carlisle for a picnic – ‘twas very good & we had quite a time with the kite etc. John & I rode back. Allan left in the evening for London. Wednesday 20th. Put the bike together last night – set out from “Glenleigh” at 10 AM. Took it easy going thru’ the Lakes – had quite a good trip. [page break] Arrived at camp for supper – many new crews in, & had quite some strife finding a bed! June 22nd. Our P.F.F Certificates came along yesterday – squadron party in the evening! Left Woodhall after lunch today – very good trip across to Gamston. June 26th. After four days at Gamston, preparing to go home, we were given a week’s leave – Met “Andy” before setting off on “Euphemia” for Lincoln where we sold her. Stayed at the ACF club in London. June 29th. Spent two days about London – Visited Kodak Saw “Tomorrow the world”, an excellent show! Also “Princess & the Pirate” at the [page break] Liecester [sic] Sq,. Theatre. Today we tripped off to Newquay – quite a good trip thru’ Plymouth, Devon & Cornwall. & found the ACF club O.K in time for dinner! We were taken down by a taxi chap – rather amazing that he could get away with charging 2/6 for a 300 yd. run! Monday 2nd July. Weather has not been so very good the past couple days – had a swim yesterday, but the old Atlantic was a bit fresh. The beach & surf were very good. We then took a bus to Truro & Penzance – very ancient places, altho’ we did not see much of them. The bus could just squeeze down the narrow streets. Returned to the A.C.F. [page break] club today – hoped to see “The Pirates of Penzance” at the Kings, Hammersmith, tonight but could not get in! The D’Oyle Carte players are there, so we hope to have better luck next time. Wednesday: - On our return last night I found I had 7 parcels awaiting me. 24 25 26 27 from Mum – one from Gwen, Joy & Cath Page! We will now be having leave ‘till 20th so I’ll be calling on the Brown’s again! Expect to go on a draft at the end of the month. Met Wal Brue & Lloyd Howard today – Glenn should be in here soon! Friday 6th. We were given another lot of leave till July 20th – so John [page break] & I left for London – stayed at the YMCA Officer’s club, Cromwell Rd. Saw “Blythe Spirit” on following evening – Monday 9th. Visited Denham & came back to see “Olenthe”. at the Kings. July 11th. I left London for Leamington, spent a night & then on to Brown’s via Birmingham. John joined us at “Glenleigh” in a couple days. – we had a few good days including a trip to Edinburgh, before he left again for Birmingham I remained with Brown’s – Vic Berry stayed a few days then Neil Bilney, Bill & Fred came along. I made up the side fence & a dish drier in my spare time – met Evelyn Currie [page break] & we all had some grand times. I soon became to know Ev. quite as one of the Brown family – she has such a grand character! Left Glenleigh on July 29th for Gamston, as we were to have extended leave ‘till the end of September. Monday July 30th. Arranged all as was necessary for my two months’ proposed work – John turned up after dinner, to my surprise. He brought along the camera & as he insisted I should accept it, I decided it was the only course for me to take & maybe some day in the near future I could reciprocate with something worthwhile! Tuesday: - After having my [page break] teeth attended, I left Gamston for London. We were due to spend another two months on leave before setting sail, so I soon contacted Kodak & thru’ Mr Samson, became part of Navana Studios, where I spent most of my time after Mr Shepherd’s return from holidays. Visited Buntingford for a weekend & stayed with Mr & Mrs Maughan – then VJ Day! London was in a grand state – Mrs Maughan & Ann spent the last week of the celebrations in London. ‘Twas then I saw the tennis at Wimbledon & the last test on Lords! Our leave was cancelled after Aug 31st & we were to return to Gamston. I obtained another nine days’ leave & wizzed up to Carlisle. [page break] Believed this to be my last leave with Brown’s – had a grand week, easy to remember! Sept. 10th. Left Carlisle late last night – found myself on a draft, on arriving at Gamston, & we are due to go to Brighton on Sunday. Should sail about 22nd. Neil Malkin, Bill Braithwaite & Ken Barry should be on our draft too! Sept 16th. Left for Brighton at 8.30 A.M. – met John in evening at the Metropole Hotel. Tuesday 18th. Spent today in London – called on Mr. Shepherd, bought some material for Mum’s costume & visited Neil Bilney. Thursday: ‘Phoned Mr Brown – [page break] final clearances for our departure! Saturday 22nd. Our gear was soon all put on its way & after a show in the evening we waited in “the” “Tuckerbox” ‘till our train left at 4.30 A.M. ‘Twas 9 AM. before we reached Southampton, but we were soon on board the “Andes” & I was lucky to be able to “clamp onto” quite a good bunk. Our first meals were a complete “shambles” – but it seemed the food situation was good & with a canteen, all should be O.K. Met F/O Olliver, Buckley & (N.Z.) – so we have most of old 627 on board. Monday 24th. Last Night 10 P.M. we passed the first lights of [page break] Northern Spain – ‘twas grand to have all lights on at night now. Today we passed Lisbon, at about 5 miles from the coast – slowed up by fog, but passed “Gib.” about 1 A.M. Thursday 27th. Today brought us to Malta which we passed at about 11 P.M. Watches on 2 hours so far. Wrote mail today to post at Port Said. Saturday 29th. Entered Pt Said 2200 today. – found the natives at the boat early next morning selling cheap goods. Began trip up the Suez in afternoon. Oct 1st. Left Suez early this morning, & headed out into the Red Sea! [page break] Thursday 4th. Past three days have been hardly bearable below decks – we are now sleeping on deck. Temperature is well up. – we passed Aden last night & now have altered course in the Arabian Sea & have begun on the “home straight” Sea is unusually calm, giving a strange glassy appearance right to the horizon! Saturday: Crossed the equator at 1430 today – sky overcast making the atmosphere rather heavy with the high humidity. Sleeping on deck. Thursday 11th. Life has been just as usual this past week – time passing quite quickly but little of interest happening. Changed back to “blues”, today, as the weather is decidedly cooler. [page break] Was grand to hear a rebroadcast from the A.B.C today – seems ages since we heard the once so familiar voices & programmes! Sunday Oct. 14th. Early this morning we came opposite the W.A. coast & saw the last of it at about 10 A.M. – 3 days left for our trip. Oct 17th. It was 1 A.M when at last the first lights of the Melbourne heads came into sight. – yesterday we were again fascinated by the albatross etc flying after the boat, & now it was but a few hours when we’d be tied up at the wharf which I left 19 months ago. Was out for breakfast early & on deck at 7.30 for a parade – we we [sic] then passing St Kilda. After [page break] being tied up at the wharf for about half an hour, I was amazed to see Ralph standing below me. – we had quite a chat & all seemed in a whirl as I didn’t expect to see him there. Was soon to find, as I left the boat, that Dad, Glad, John, & Peter, Lilian & Aunts were awaiting me at the gates – was grand to see them all again & even then hard to realise we were at last back home, but the whole was a scene I shall never forget – with the banner “Eric Arthur you beaut, here we are” well to the fore. Was soon clear of the RAAF & we had a grand reunion in the flat, “Stratton Heights.” Spent the afternoon with Margaret & Ralph – [deleted] caller [/deleted] called on Mr Sims & had a great day amongst the fruit! [page break] Had quite a crowd at the flat in the evening – a grand reunion! Thursday : - Glad, Dad, Peter & I left in the Standard at about 9 A.M for home, & were soon making good progress along the Princes Highway. Called on Mrs Woods at Colac & then after mending a puncture & wasting time cooling the engine we arrived at “Colwyn” at 6.30, after quite a good trip. Found Mum looking fine – gee! ‘twas great to be back amidst all I’ve known so well, & to find everyone much as I had left them. Friday Nov. 2nd. Left by Bonds at 7 A.M to go to Tailem Bend – arrived at about 3 P.M. in the midst of a dust [page break] storm. – Spent a very pleasant weekend with Mr & Mrs Bolton, & Mary. Met Cath Page. – Mary & I went to Murray Bridge for her 21st on Sunday. Travelled on to Adelaide on Monday – stayed at the Officers’ Club. Unable to go far there owing to tram strike. Returned home on Friday with Whem & Col McDonald. Thursday Nov. 15th. Flew to Melbourne with “Whem” – Dad followed next day for Lilian’s wedding on the Saturday. Monday Evening: - Flew to Hobart arriving at about 11 P.M. – week with Glad, John & Peter. John & I spent Saturday & Sunday touring to Launceston & Deloraine. Met Ted Pedley for a short time. Monday Nov. 26th. Flew back [page break] to Melbourne – was at the Exhibition Buildings, 1 P.D at 10 A.M to begin on my discharge. Discharge completed Dec 3rd. December 20th. Ralph returned home for Xmas after receiving his discharge! Xmas Day was very hot. – Joy, Murray & David joined us at “Colwyn”. New years’ Day, ’46. Spent the day at the Bay – first trip the old “Stude” had made for many a day” Ralph left to visit Margaret on Jan 5th. Monday Jan 7th. Mr & Mrs Bolton arrived at 3 P.M. – stayed ‘till Friday 18th. Trips to Pt. Mac, Portland & Caves at the River. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Eric Arthur's diary Description An account of the resource Diary starts in early 1944 and describes in some detail his journey to England and his travels around Britain when on leave. Eric was called up into the Australian Army in November 1941 and transferred to the RAAF in June 1943. Went to No 2 AOS at Mt Gambier for Air Observers course and then to No 3 AOS at Pt Pirie. It begins in detail when he leaves Melbourne aboard the Mariposa as an aircrew sergeant. The ship passed through the Panama Canal and docked in Boston. Eric had some time on leave in New York before crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary He eventually arrived at the No 3 (O) AFU at RAF Halfpenny Green in August 1944. Eric was crewed with a second tour RAAF pilot at the Mosquito OTU at R.A.F. Warboys and RAF Wyton. They were posted to 627 Squadron at RAF Woodhall Spa in October and did their first operation on 26 November to Munich. They remained there until the war in Europe ended in May 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Eric Arthur Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Printed book with handwritten annotations Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text. Diary Text Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context YArthurEG431155v1 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Australian Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tricia Marshall Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1941 1944-08 1944-10 1944-11-26 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Australia Germany Great Britain United States England--Cambridgeshire England--Lincolnshire England--Staffordshire 627 Squadron Advanced Flying Unit Air Observers School aircrew bombing entertainment military living conditions military service conditions Mosquito observer Operational Training Unit Pathfinders RAF Halfpenny Green RAF Warboys RAF Woodhall Spa RAF Wyton training https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/194/27209/MAdamsHG424504-170215-01.pdf 1081940cd3d5fc25972f96a05b4902d4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Adams, Herbert Herbert Adams H Adams Herbert G Adams Description An account of the resource 88 items. Collection concerns Herbert George Adams DFC, Legion d'Honour (b. 1924, 424509 Royal Australian Air Force). He flew operations as a navigator with 467 Squadron. Collection contains an oral history interview, photographs of people and places, several memoirs about his training and bombing operations, letters to his family, his flying logbook and notes on navigation. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Herbert Adams and catalogued by Nigel Huckins and Trevor Hardcastle. Parts of this collection were sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-02-15 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Adams, HG Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document [inserted] (There is some duplication of notes for Ops [symbol] 1 to [symbol] 14 as I wrote something at different times (years apart.)) [/inserted] [inserted] [symbol] Soon after we feathered that engine over “A” Flight commander flew up on our wing top & feathered 3 engines & kept up with us! He was giving us some assurance that a lightly loaded Lancaster could fly level (for a while) on 1 engine … reassurance for a new crew [/inserted] My navigation Logs & Charts of our operations with 467 (RAAF) Squadron at Waddington, near Lincoln, from 10.9.44 to 16.1.45, with extracts from a publication giving some details of every operation by 467 & 463 Squadrons from 10.9.44 to 25.4.45. [circled 1] [underlined] LE HAVRE, 10.9.44 [/underlined] 21 from 467, 20 from 463 as part of 992 bombers on 8 different German strong points outside of Le Havre. The targets were accurately marked and bombed, with no losses from Waddington. We took off at 1522, flew to Syerston (nearby), then did a radius of action on a track of 260oT so as to be back at Syerston at 1604 at 8000’. The winds were about what was forecast, 025/15; we bombed at 1723 at 12100’, bomb load was 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb H.E. Two minutes after we dropped our bombs our Port Outer motor stopped (stray AA – fire?), we feathered the prop & flew home OK on 3 engines, airborne for 3h 55 min. [symbol] On 11.9.44, 218 bombers from 5 Group attacked the German positions still holding out at Le Havre, with no losses. 2 British divisions were attacking Le Havre & the German garrison surrendered a few hours after the raid. The British wished to capture the port intact, but the German garrison had laid mines, and blown up most of the docks, and so it was several weeks before the port could be used. DAMSTADT, 11.9.44. 226 Lancasters from 5 Group bombed at night, losing 1 crew (all K.I.A.) from 463 Sqdn. Our pilot, Peter Gray-Buchanan, did his “Second Dickie” on this raid. [circled 2] [underlined] STUTTGART, 12.9.44. [/underlined] 20 from 467, 14 from 463, of 204 from [underlined] 5 Group [/underlined]. (On the same night 378 Lancasters bombed Frankfurt with success.) Post-war, a German expert – Heinz Bardau – wrote that the northern & western parts of Stuttgart city were erased in this concentrated attack… a [underlined] fire-storm resulted [/underlined], with 1171 people killed, the city’s highest fatality figure for the war. [page break] STUTTGART (Con’t) 467 Sqdn lost 2 crews (F/L D. Brown, 5 KIA, 2 POW, F/O Bright. 5 KIA, 2 POW.) We took off at 1916 & set course at 1919, staying at 2500’ until 2137 when we began climbing, to 16000’ by 2233. Our last GEE fix was at 2232 and the next (after bombing OK at 2316) at 0022… so nearly 2 hours of Dead Reckoning with some map reading. (The Germans jammed our GEE receiver so that the screen was filled with “Grass”). The actual winds were about as forecast 160/15 at the target. Our bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb “cookie” & 13 J clusters (of incendiaries). Two minutes after bombing our gunners saw a fighter (they think a Do217) at about 400 yards, so we began to “corkscrew”. We continued corkscrewing until 2329, seeing one plane (unidentified) at about 50 yards! and another with a light on (!). We were airborne for 6h 51 min. [circled 3] [underlined] BOULOGNE. 17.9.44. [/underlined] We took off at 0806 & flew to Syerston, then did a Radius of Action (on track of 260oT) to return to Syerston at 0837 at 6000’, where we did a circuit to port to lose height & get into formation at 3000! We had an uneventual [sic] trip to the target where we bombed at 8100’, dropping 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb. We were airborne for 3h 26 min. 19 Lancs from each of 467 & 463 joined 762 bombers dropping more than 3000 tons of H.E. bombs on German positions around Bologne in preparation for an attack by Allied troops. The German garrison surrendered soon after the raid. [circled 4] [underlined] BREMERHAVEN 18.9.44. [/underlined] 19 Lancs from each of 467 & 463 were part of a total of [underlined] 206 from 5 Group [/underlined], with no losses from Waddington. The post-war assessors found that this 5-Group attack, with less than 900 tons of bombs, started a [underlined] fire-storm [/underlined] which destroyed 2750 buildings in the main port area, & that [underlined] 30000 [/underlined] people were made homeless & had to live in the open until evacuated several days later. [page break] Extracts from a publication giving some details of every wartime operation by 467 & 463 Squadrons (loaned by Sam Nelson) RED = Daylight. BLACK = Night BLUE = We weren’t on it. [circled 1] 10-9-44 LE HAVRE 21 from 467, 20 from 463 as part of 992 bomber raid on 8 different German strongpoints outside Le Havre. The targets were accurately marked and bombed. No losses. D. 3h 55m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 12000’ (We lost P.O. engine during bomb-run). Day 11-9-44. LE HAVRE. 218 bombers from 5 Group attacked German positions still holding out at Le Havre. Two British divisions were now attacking Le Havre and the German garrison surrendered a few hours later. The British wished to capture the port intact as a supply port for the armies, but the German garrison had proved spiteful – they had mined and blown up most of the docks, and it was a number of weeks before the port could be used. [inserted] Night [/inserted] 11-9-44 DAMSTADT. 226 Lancasters of 5 Group. Our pilot (Peter Gray-Buchanan) did his “second dickie”. 1 A/C from 463 lost (7 KIA). [circled 2] 12-9-44 STUTTGART. 20 of 467, 14 of 463, of 204 from 5 Group. (Same night 378 Lancasters on Frankfurt … with success.) Post war, a German expert, Heinz Bardau, wrote that the Northern + Western parts of the city were erased in this concentrated attack, & that a fire-storm resulted … 1171 people killed. Stuttgart’s highest fatality figure for the war. 467 lost 2 crews: F/L D. Brown .. 5 KIA, 2 POW; F/O Bright … 5 KIA, 2 POW. F 6h 50m 1 x 4000 + 13 J clusters. 15750’ [circled 3] 17-9-44. BOULOGNE. 19 from 467, 19 from 463, of 762 bombers dropping more than 3000 tons of H.E. bombs on German positions around Boulogne in preparation for an attack by Allied troops. The German garrison [page break] surrendered soon afterwards. D. 3h 25 m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 8100’ [circled 4] 18-9-44 BREMERHAVEN. 19 of 467, 19 of 463, of 206 from 5-Group. No losses from Waddington. The post-war assessors found that this 5-Group attack, with less than 900 tons of bombs, started a fire-storm which destroyed 2750 buildings in the main port area, & that 30000 people were made homeless & lived in the open until evacuated several days later. D 4h 45m. 18 cans (incendiaries – 150 per can). 15250’ [circled 5] [inserted] 19-9-44 [/inserted] RHEYDT/MUNCHEN-GLADBACH. 19 of 467, 16 of 463, of 227 Lancasters of 5-Group bombing the twin towns. German reports state that only between 267 and 271 people were killed. 467 lost one Lanc, crashing on returning (4 KIA, 1 POW, 2 evaded, including pilot, F/O Findlay) Master Bomber was W/C Guy Gibson, VC, DSO, DFC (of Dambusters fame) flying a Mosquito … which crashed in flames near the Dutch coast. He and his navigator (S/L J.N. Warwick, DFC) were killed and buried at Steenbergen-en-Kriesland. (Orbited target for 17mm – marking delay). 11000’ D 5h 5m 1 x 2000 + 12 J clusters. [circled 6] 23-9-44 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL (Aqueduct). 19 of 467, 17 of 463, of 136 Lancs. from 5-Group mounting a special attack on the aqueduct at Ladbergen on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The canal was breached, but losses were heavy 10% of the force were lost. 467 lost F/O G.A. Brown and crew. (5 KIA. 2 POW). (Orbited target losing height for 15 min extra there. Meant to bomb 14000’ but 6400’ due to cloud) C 5h 25m 14 x 1000 [page break] [inserted] On the unused back of one of the logsheets are some sketches (rough) of GEE BOX & the kind of blips, scales etc, displayed [/inserted] (BREMERHAVEN, Con’t). We took off at 1832, orbited base until 1844, when we set course at 2000’. At 1915 we needed to alter course southwards to regain our track as the winds were from about 085oT rather than 060oT (forecast). Our last GEE fix (before jamming) was on track near turning point A, and we’d climbed to 15000’, from which height we bombed at 2103. Our bomb load was 18 cans of incendiaries. The Lancaster bomb-bay, (quite long & wide, under the floor) had 14 ‘hooks’, so to use 18 cans, 3 of the hooks had a framework added to hold 3 cans side by side. The bomb-aimer could select all 14 hooks to release independently, usually at fairly short time intervals to produce a “stick” of bombs usefully spread. Each can of incendiaries released 150 small bombs about 5 cm diameter & about 40 cm long, each capable of starting a fire. It was an easy trip for navigation, with GEE only jammed for about 1/2 hr before & after the target. We were airborne for 4h 46 min. [circled 5] [underlined] RHEYDT/MUNCHEN-GLADBACH. 19.9.44 [/underlined] 19 Lancs from 467, & 16 from 463 were part of a total of 227 from 5 Group bombing the twin-towns. German reports state that only between 267 & 271 people were killed. 467 Sqdn lost one Lanc. crashing on returning (4 KIA but pilot, F/O Findlay, & one other evaded, & the 7th was imprisoned). The Master-Bomber was W/C Guy Gibson VC, DSO, DFC, of Dambuster fame, flying a Mosquito which crashed in flames near the Dutch coast. He and his navigator (S/L J.N. Warwick, DFC) were killed and buried at Steenbergen-en-Kriesland. We took off at 1856 and did a Radius-of-Action (track 260oT) to arrive back at Base at 1913, at 2000’. The winds were about as predicted, we kept close to track & time, and arrived at target at 2139 at 11000’, but were told to [underlined] orbit [/underlined] (to port) due to marking problems. At 2148 we were told to [underlined] orbit again, [/underlined] until, at 2151 we we [sic] told to “attack Green spot fires direct”, which we did at 2155, at 11000’. [page break] [photograph] D-Dog at Waddington, 1944 [photograph] [symbol] Peter at pilots window [photograph] Our gunners Left: Ken Nicholls, Rear Gunner Right: Ray Giles, Mid-Upper Gunner [page break] RHEYDT/MUNCHEN-GLADBACH (Con’t). At 2159 1/2 I logged “a/c hit ground – explosion – flame & smoke” At 2201 1/2 I logged “a/c on ground, bears 000o, 2 min (51o23’, 05o51’E). At 2211 we saw an unidentified fighter so went into the corkscrew routine, at about 51o30’N 05o00’E. At 2213 1/2 , while in starbord [sic] turn saw unidentified fighter above us, at about 51o31’N 04o53’E, so continued to corkscrew. At 2221, I logged “possible a/c hit ground 3 mi on port beam, about 51o32 1/2’N 04o19’E. Our bomb-load was 1 x 2000 lb & 12 “J” clusters. We were airborne for 5h 5 min. [circled 6] [underlined] DORTMUND-EMS CANAL [/underlined]. 23.9.44. 19 from 467 & 17 from 463 of total 136 Lancs from 5 Group mounted a special attack on the aquaduct at Ladbergen. The canal was breached, but losses were heavy … 10% of the force. 467 Sqdn lost F/O G.A. Brown & crew (5 KIA, 2 POW). We took off at 1906, did the usual Radius-of-Action to be back at Base at 1931 at 2000’. We crossed the Channel at 4000’ then climbed to 6000’, keeping nicely to track until 2047. GEE was being jammed, and the next 2 fixes showed us 10 & 20 mi North of track … they may have been wrong. We continued by dead-reckoning through cloud climbing to 14000’ and arriving at the target on time at 2148. (We were told by Master-Bomber at 2146 “to bomb 150 ft N.W. of Red Target Indicator (flare)” J. But we were in thick cloud, so [underlined] orbited to port [/underlined] losing height … very dangerous in cloud. At 2155 the Master-Bomber said “cloud base is 8000’, come in and bomb”, but we were still in cloud & had to do [underlined] another orbit [/underlined], losing height to 6300’, so that finally we could see the target at bombed at 2203 from 6400’. At 2205 I logged “a/c hit ground & exploded 8 mi S.E. of [symbol], (at about 51o59’N 07o53’E.” At 2228 1/2 I logged “crossed river; a/c hit ground, port beam, 3 mi.” At 2229 “a/c directly under us hit ground, 52o15’N 06o11’E.” At 2231 1/2 I logged “a/c hit ground ahead about 10 mi” [brackets] At 2236 1/2 I logged “a/c (same one?) on port beam, 5 mi [brackets] 52o10’N 06o00’E [page break] DORTMUND-EMS CANAL (Con’t). After leaving the target area, the winds must have been stronger than predicted from the South. At 2253 I logged “Strong searchlights ahead … Bomb-Aimer thinks its Rotterdam” (about 10 mi North of desired track). So we immediately turned 40o to port, but copped some flak. At 2303 we saw searchlights over the OVER FLAKKEE area, and at 2304 got our first GEE fix since our last good one at 2047 putting us about 11 mi north of track. Our bomb-load was 14 x 1000 lb. We were airborne for 5h 25 min. [underlined] CALAIS. 24.9.44. [/underlined] 8 from 467, & 7 from 463 of a total 188 from 5 Group. 8 were shot down, including 1 from 467 Sqdn, F/O R.A. Jones (3 KIA & 4 POW). [circled 7] [underlined] KARLSRUHE 26.9.44 [/underlined]. 17 from 467, 14 from 463 of a total 227 from 5 Group. A short German report states “that there was damage throughout the city & lists several important buildings destroyed”. 467 Sqdn lost F/O K. Miller (1 KIA, 6 POW). We took off at 0055 & did the usual radius-of-action to be back at base at 0113 at 3000’. The winds were much as predicted and we kept close to track & timing, our last reliable GEE fix was at 0337; we arrived at target at 0408 and Master-Bomber told us to “bomb direct on mixed Red & Green T.1’s” But we had 10/10 cloud below us, so we “went round again” & managed to bomb at 0414 from 11500’. Our first reliable GEE fix on the way home was at 0444, only just over 1 hour of jamming. Our bomb-load was 18 cans of incendiaries, and we were airborne for 6h 50 mins. [circled 8] [underlined] KAISERLAUTERN 27.9.44 [/underlined] 16 from 467, 15 from 463 of a total of 217 from 5 Group, did the only major raid of the war by Bomber Command. 909 tons of bombs were dropped causing widespread damage to this medium-sized city. A local German report complained that the town was not a military objective, but went on to list a catalogue of small factories destroyed. We took off at 2205, [page break] 24-9-44. CALAIS. 8 of 467, 7 of 463, of 188 from 5-Group. 8 were shot down. 467 lost F/O R. A. Jones & crew (3 KIA, 4 POW) [circled 7] 26-9-44 KARLSRUHE. 17 of 467, 14 of 463, of 227 from 5-Group. A short German report states that there was damage throughout the city & lists several important buildings destroyed. 467 lost F/O K. Miller & crew (1 KIA, 6 POW). J 6h 50m 18 cans incendiaries 11500’ [circled 8] 27-9-44 KAISERLAUTERN. 16 of 467, 15 of 463, of 217 from 5-Group on Kaiserlautern, a medium-sized city, in the only major raid on it by Bomber Command during the war. 909 tons of bombs were dropped a widespread damage was caused. A local German report complains that the town was not a military object, but goes on to list a catalogue of small factories destroyed. H 6h 20m 18 cans incendiaries 4000’ (Sept. Summary: 467 flew 199 sorties; lost 6 crews (23 KIA, 17 POW, 2 Ev.) 4 tours completed.) [circled 9] 5-10-44 WILHELMSHAVEN 17 of 467, 16 of 463, of 227 from 5-Group. 10/10 cloud, marking by H2S. The Wilhelmshaven Diary states that only 12 people died and one bomber was shot down. 467 lost 1 crew (they ditched … hadn’t got to the target … at about 11 am. They were finally rescued about 5pm next day. After short leave, they returned to ‘ops, and were all Killed-in-Action on the Harburg raid. (This was the only ‘trip’ on which we were allowed to use H2S (they thought enemy fighters could use its transmission to find us). We couldn’t see the markers, so bombed by H2S.) C. 5h 5m. 18 cans incendiaries. 15000’ (We flew to target in formation escorted by long-range Mustangs [page break] did a Radius of Action to be back at base at 2228 at 3000’. We stayed at 3000’ until 0010, then climbed to 4500’ and stayed at 4500’ until close to target, when told to bomb from 4000’, which we did (1 1/2 min early), dropping 18 cans of incendiaries. We kept close to track all the way and only lost GEE for an hour. We were airborne for 6h 20 min. [circled 9] [underlined] WILHELMHAVEN. [/underlined] 17 of 467, 16 of 463, of 227 from 5-Group, a daylight raid flying in formation to the target, escorted by long-range Mustang fighters. The met. forcast [sic] was for considerable cloud at the target, and we were given the most unusual priorities for bombing:- (i) drop them visually if target is clear; (ii) use H2S if target is obscured; or (!) (iii) drop when you see another bomber drop its load. We took off at 0755, did a Radius of Action to be back at base at 0811 to join formation at 1500’. My GEE set was not working, but being in formation I didn’t have to navigate anyway. Ted Pickard, the new assistant Nav. Officer, criticised my lack of effort to have some practice. At 1010 we began to climb to 15000’ at the target where at 1106 there was 10/10 cloud below. Our Bomb Aimer & I operated the H2S and aimed at the NW corner of the town and dropped our bombs at 1110 and noticed two other Lancasters dropped theirs immediately after. We flew home independently, but other Lancs were visible so we followed the stream. At 1212 I took over flying a plane for the first & only time, keeping straight & level without much trouble for half an hour. We did a bit of map-reading for the last 1/2 hour, and landed at 1306, being airborne for 5h 5 min. Our bomb-load was 18 cans of incendiaries. The Wilhelmshaven Diary states that only 12 people died and that 1 bomber was shot down. 467 lost 1 crew … they ditched before the target at about 11 am & were (finally) rescued about 1700 the next day. After short leave they resumed ops., but were all K.I.A. on the HARBURG raid on 11.11.44. Our bomb-load was 15 cans of incendiaries [page break] [circled 10] [underlined] BREMEN [/underlined] 17 of 467 Sq., 18 of 463 Sq., of 246 from 5 Group, a night raid on 6.10.44, with bomb-load 18 cans of incendiaries dropped from 17250’. Air borne at 1736 & did Return of Action arriving back at base at 1753 at 5000’. A good navigation trip keeping close to desired track, but winds were lighter than expected, so, despite reducing air-speed twice (10 mph each time) we did a 60o – 120o triangle to lose 7 min. This was the last of 32 major Bomber Command raids on Bremen of the war. This raid, based on the 5 Group marking method, was an outstanding success. 1021 tons of bombs were dropped, of which 868 tons were incendiaries. A detailed report (local) is available which was compiled by an official who stated that: “the night was clear, with 3/4 full moon. A huge fire area was started. Classed as destroyed were 4859 houses, 42 factories, 2 shipyards, the Focke-Wulf works & the Siemens-Schubert electrical works. The transport network was seriously disrupted.” This raid, by no more than 1/4 of Bomber Command (& hardly mentioned in the British War History) had finished Bremen … it was not attacked again in the war. We landed at 2233 after a trip of 4hr 55 min. [circled 11] [underlined] FLUSHING [/underlined] (WEST DYKE on WALCHEREN ISLAND in the Scheldt Estuary.) 12 of 467, & 11 of 463 of a total of 121 of 5 Group, a daylight raid on 7.10.44. We each did 2 runs dropping a stick of 7 each run (all 1000 lb HE bombs). The sea-wall was breached and virtually all the island was flooded except the rest of the sea-wall, the central tour (Middleburgh) & the town of Flushing. English newspapers had a photo of the flooded island the next day. We had no losses despite plenty of A.A. [inserted] [two indecipherable words] [/inserted]. On the same day 846 of Bomber Command attacked Kleve-Emerich & Kembs Dams. 617 Sqn. used Tallboys (12000 lb bomb) on Kembs to destroy the floodgates to [underlined] prevent [/underlined] the Germans flooding the valley in the face of the American & French advance. We were airborn for 3h 10 min. [page break] [circled 10] 6-10-44 BREMEN. 17 of 467, 18 of 463, of 246 from 5-Group. This was the last of 32 major Bomber Command raids on Bremen during the war. The raid, based on the 5-Group marking method, was an outstanding success. 1021 tons of bombs were dropped of which 868 tons were incendiaries. A detailed local report is available which was compiled by an official who stated that the night was clear with 3/4 full moon … A huge fire area was started. Classed as destroyed were 4859 houses, 42 factories, 2 shipyards, the Focke-Wulfe works and the Siemens Schubert electrical works. The transport network was seriously disrupted. This raid, by no more than 1/4 of Bomber Command (and hardly mentioned in British (War) History, had finished Bremen and the city was not attacked again by Bomber Command. D 4h 55m 18 cans incendiaries 17250’ [circled 11] 17-10-44 FLUSHING (WALCHEREN ISLAND – WEST DYKE) 12 of 467, 11 of 463, of 121 from 5-Group to successfully breach the sea-wall near Flushing. No losses. (The same day 846 of Bomber Command attacked Kleve Emerich & Kembs Dams … 617 Squadron used ‘Tallboy’ bombs on Kembs. (The idea was to destroy the floodgates to [underlined] prevent [/underlined] the Germans flooding the Rhine valley in the face of French & American advances … this was done OK.) D 3h 10m 2 sticks of 7 x 1000 6100’ Extra 6 min. orbit for 2nd stick. [page break] DAY 11-10-44 FLUSHING. 14 of 467, 20 of 463, of 115 from 5-Group attacked gun positions on N. bank of Scheldt Estuary near Flushing. No losses from Waddington. [deleted] NIGHT [/deleted] [inserted] DAY [/inserted] 14-10-44 DUISBURG Bomber command sent 1013 heavy bombers, and 473 fighters, Americans sent 1251 heavy bombers and 749 fighters … the raid was carried out on a directive from Allied H.Q. to show the Germans the power of Bomber Commands. NIGHT 14-10-44 BRUNSWICK 19 of 467, 20 of 463 to join 233 of 5 Group. The most effective of numerous raids on Brunswick. Using the 5-Group low-level marking method, Brunswick was finally destroyed. A German report simply lists the number of hectares burnt out. 23000 people were rescued from air-raid shelters and only 200 perished. A special train was sent from Bavaria to help feed the 80000 homeless. DAY 17-10-44 WESTKAPELLE 2 of 467, 9 of 463 of 47 from 5-Group attacking sea-wall at Westkapelle. Bombing appeared to be accurate but no report is available. No losses. [circled 12] 19-10-44 NUREMBERG (& DUISBURG) 20 of 467, 20 of 463, of 263 from 5-Group with 7 Mosquitoes in a special low-level-marked attack on Nuremberg. The target was completely cloud-covered and low-level marking could not be used. The raid was effective but not the ‘knockout’ as hoped. (There were 103 bombers from another Group on Stuttgart and other targets, losing only 0.9%). 467 lost F/O E. Rodwell & crew (7 KIA) D 8h 10m 1 x 2000 + 12 J clusters. 17400’ [page break] On 11-10-44, 16 of 467, 20 of 463 of total 115 (all 5 Group) attacked big gun positions on the bank of [underlined] Scheldt Estuary [/underlined], near Flushing. The big guns prevented a sea attack to open the Estuary for Allied supply shipping (a minefield had to be cleared too), and they menaced the Canadian Army who were attacking south of the Estuary, but couldn’t match these big guns for range. I think the weather was bad, poor visibility maybe no great harm done to the guns. On 14-10-44 there was a big daylight raid on [underlined] Duisberg [/underlined], carried out as a directive from Allied H.Q. to show the Germans the power of Allied Air Power. Bomber Command sent 1013 heavies & 413 fighters, the Americans sent 1251 heavies & 749 fighters. That night, (14-10-44) 5 Group sent 19 of 467 Sq & 20 of 463 Sq of a total of 233, to [underlined] Brunswick [/underlined], using the 5 Group low-level marking method, Brunswick was finally destroyed. A German report simply lists the number of hectares burnt out. 23000 people were rescued from air-raid shelters & only 200 perished. Special train sent from Bavaria to help feed the 80000 homeless. On 17-10-44, 2 of 467, & 9 of 463 Sq. of total of 47 of 5 Group attacked the sea-wall again near Westkapelle on Walcheren Island. Bombing appeared to be accurate but no report was available. [circled 12] [underlined] NUREMBERG [/underlined]. 5 Group sent 20 of 467 Sq. & 20 of 463 Sq of a total of 263 with 7 Mosquitos to do low-level marking. There was total cloud cover which prevented the low-level marking. The raid was effective but not the knock-out hoped for. The rest of Bomber Command raided Stuttgart & other nearby targets, only losing 0.9%. 467 Sq. lost F/O Rodwell & crew (7 KIA). We took off at 1713, did a Radius of Action coming back to base at 1718 at 2000’. We reduced speed to 150 mph but still had to lose 6 min doing 60oL, 120oR, then got to [symbol] OK but had to orbit as directed. Bombed 15 min late at 17400’ on Red & Green Target [deleted] [indecipherable word] flares [/deleted] [page break] Our bomb-load was 1 x 2000 lb HE, and 12 ‘J’ clusters (incendiary). After leaving the target we descended to 6000’, & flew on dead-reckoning, south of Stuttgart & Strasbourg for 2 hours until I got the first GEE fix, nearly 20 miles north of our track, but safely over France. Sid discovered that we had one of the ‘J’ bombs “hung-up”. We went to the jettison area in the Channel & tried to release it manually … did 2 orbits as we kept trying, but without success. So we flew on home to base at 4000’, landing after 8hr 9 min airborne, by far our longest flight so far. [page break] [inserted] [symbol] Don Coults (Engineer went to Ireland to visit his parents there. [/inserted] After our 11th Op at Flushing we went on the usual 6-day leave, after only about 4 weeks after we started our tour. The crews were put on a roster for leave, usually each 6 weeks, but you could go earlier if a few crews before you on the list went missing. A few items from a diary I kept then … 7th Oct: On our return from the Flushing op, we “shot-up” the ‘drome (low level) for W/C. Brill who was going home to Australia. Wrote up log book. Went to a dance with Jackie from our Mess. 8th:- Applied for leave passes. Got paid. Packed. 9th:- Collected subsistence money, & petrol coupons for bike, [symbol] got leave passes. Caught train to London, missed by Ken. Booked in at A.C.F. Club for the night. Ken arrived at 10 pm. We booked in for the rest of the leave. Nice room. 10th. Had breakfast at the Boomerang Club. I looked around & spotted Kirk Beddie from Mendooran. I’ll just go back in time to our first couple of operations to relate a coincidence. When our 8 new crews arrived together, our Nav. Leader, F/Lt Arnold Eastman, was still doing Ops himself, yet was responsible for in-service training of the navigators (especially us new ones). So he delegated the checking of log & charts, and giving advice to some of his senior navigators (Who’d lasted, say 10 ops or more). The first one who helped me twice was called Scotty – I didn’t find out his surname, it was strictly teacher & pupil, especially as he looked elderly … moustache & bald patch … (actually he was about 26). I didn’t see him again at Waddington – we had about 300 air-crew Flight sergeants there. Anyway, at the Boomerang club, I said good-day to Kirk, we told each other what we’d been doing … he was well into a tour as captain of Sunderland crew – doing Atlantic patrols. [page break] I remarked that it was a coincidence that the only two fliers [sic] from Mendooran should be on leave at the same place & time. He said ‘-“Oh no, there’s another Mendooranite over here, Vernon Gall, who was the teller at the Bank of NSW there.” I replied that I didn’t know him. Kirk said:- “Well you might not have met him as you were at High School at Mudgee when your parents came to Mendooran, then you worked in Sydney, went into the Army, then the Air Force – you rarely were in Mendooran. Well, what do you know – there he is, I’ll bring him over & introduce you.” Kirk came back with Scotty. We laughed about that coincidence! After the war, when I bought the sports depot in Mudgee & transferred my bank a/c to the Bank of NSW there, Scotty was the teller. [symbol] At the Club I also met Joe Barber & Eric Gentle who’d been with me at Cootamundra. Ken saw 4 chaps he knew at Lichfield, and I met Rupe Brown the Australian ground-crew corporal who looked after the 3 Lancs & ground crews at our dispersal corner. We went to a play, but didn’t enjoy it - - too serious. Back at A.C.F. played table-tennis with Ken & darts with Sid. 11th: Got some free theatre tickets with Sid & the play was quite enjoyable. Cinema after lunch .. Red Skelton in “Bathing Beauty”, very funny. Game of darts at the Club. Met Jack Freer, who played the saxophone on the ship across the Pacific. 12th. Ken & I got tickets for a play … a good comedy. Darts at the club after supper. 13th Got tickets for a show on Monday. Bought a wireless for £12/3/4. [symbol] After the war, I found that Ray Meers (Rear Gunner) & Lindsay Francis (Wireless-Operator-Gunner, of Mendooran had both done tours with B.C. about the same time as I. [page break] 14th. Bought more Xmas cards. Had lunch with Peter Dunn from Mudgee at the Club. Saw a newsreel, went to the Windmill theatre, a few beers with Ken, Supper, then table-tennis. 15th. Rupe left to return to Waddington (he’d shared our room Visited Mme Tussauds waxworks Museum .. very good. Walked through the Zoo. Saw a newsreel. 16th. At Boomerang Club met Ken Vidler’s crew (I think they were killed a bit later.) Walked the Embankment, saw Cleopatra’s Needle, down Whitehall, got a glimpse of 10 Downing St (cordoned off by Police). Saw the show we’d booked “Happy & Glorious”, easily the best show we’d been to. Had a few drinks with 2 girls who sleep in the railway station at Gloucester Road to be safe from air raids – they’d been doing that for years! 17th: Rain all day. Went cinema that featured 3 films … 4 1/4 hours. Had a steak (!) for 5/- then another film; couldn’t find the ‘steak’ cafe again. 18th. Packed, Sid came back from Exeter & Bristol. Played crib on the train with Sid, all the way to Lincoln. Lunch at 3, collected bike & rode back to camp. 19th. Flew at once for high-level-bombing practice … too much low cloud, so we got a fighter & did some affiliation practice. Then lunch & briefing at 1.30 for a “trip” to Nuremberg, the scene of one of B.C.’s worst losses sometime earlier, when about 500 heavies were caught below high cloud, searchlights lit them up & (from memory) nightfighters, mainly, & flak brought down 49 for a loss rate of 9%. This time it was cloud below us and 467 only lost 1 crew, F/O Rodwell’s … all KIA. [page break] [circled 13] 23-10-44 FLUSHING. 21 of 467, 20 of 463 of 121 from 5-Group attacked gun positions near Flushing. Visibility was bad and the bombing scattered. D 3h 20m. 14 x 1000. Briefed to bomb at 6500’ but forced to descend (bad visibility). Bombed at 4000’ [circled 14] BERGEN 28-10-44. 20 of 467, 15 of 463, of 237 from 5-Group, to attack U-boat pens at Bergen. Target was cloud-covered and master-bomber called off the attack after only 47 planes had bombed … from below 5000’ (Mountains within 10 miles of track nearly 4500’!) D 7h 30m. 12 x 1000 Briefed to bomb at 9000’. Orbited once [inserted] extra 6 min there [/inserted] and lost height using GEE to avoid mountains … bombed at 3800’ Diverted to Marston Moor on return (fog over Waddington). Returned next day. [inserted] (On our final run there was AA fire from [underlined] above [/underlined] us (mountains) as well as below!) [/inserted] [circled 15] 30-10-44 WALCHEREN ISLAND. 13 of 467, 13 of 463, of 102 from 5-Group attacked gun positions near Walcheren. The attack was successful and the Allied ground forces commenced their attack on 31st. No losses Briefed to bomb at 6000’. Cloud over target. Two orbits made – 20 min over target area – bombed at 3500’. D 3h 20m. 14 x 1000. OCT ’44 SUMMARY: 467 flew 157 sorties, lost 2 crews (7 KIA, 7 Ev): 5 tours completed, incl. (C.O.) W/C. Brill completing his 2nd tour. 1 crew ditched, rescued & returned. DAY 1-11-44 HOMBERG. 19 of 467, 17 of 463, of 226 from 5-Group attacked the Meerbeck oil plant at Homberg. Marking was scattered + only 159 planes attempted to bomb. No losses from Waddington. [page break] After nearly 2 hours on the way home we tried to jettison a J-Cluster (incendiary) which had “hung-up”. We turned back to try to realease [sic] it manually, but failed. So we brought it home & it was safely removed. We landed 1/2 hour late, time airborn was 8hr 9 min. Our bomb-load was 1 x 2000 lb HE & 12 ‘J’ clusters dropped from 17400’. [circled 13] [underlined] FLUSHING [/underlined] 5 Group sent 121 incl. 21 of 467 Sq & 20 of 463, to attack big gun positions near Flushing on Walcheren Island on 23.10.44. Visibility was bad & the bombing was “scattered”. We took off at 1429, did a Radius of Action & got back to base at 1434 at 2000’. Had a good navigation trip but had to descent from 6500’ to 4000’ to see the target. 1 1/2 min before we bombed our gunners reported a Lanc. hit the sea behind us (I plotted it at 56o33’N, 03o27’E). Quite a few planes were lost and a lot of A.A. damage – we had many holes. Our bomb load was 14 of 1000 lb HE, and 1 of them “hung-up”. We tried to jettison it but couldn’t. We were airborn [sic] for 3h. 19 min. [circled 14] [underlined] BERGEN (NORWAY) [/underlined] 5-Group sent 237 of which 20 from 467 Sq + 15 from 463, on 28-10-44 to attack U-boat pens at night. We took off at 2221 & did a Radius of Action & got back to base at 2250 at 1500’ which we maintained until 0120 (up till then we were over the N. Sea) when we climbed to 9000’ & increased speed to 180 mph as we were 3 min behind time. When we got to the target we were in cloud. The master bomber told us to come down to 5000’ … we had to orbit carefully as there were mountains East of Bergen over 4000’. I used GEE position lines to descend safely away from mountains to 3800’ when we bombed … about 10 min after the planned time. It was nice to have GEE all the way (no jamming like over Germany) & we kept nicely to track all the way. Our bomb load was 12 x 1000 lb HE. There was plenty of flak around Bergen … some from mountain tops nearly level with us! There was a lot of cloud (& maybe smoke-screen) at the target … master bomber cancelled the raid after only 47 of us bombed [page break] 30.10.44. [symbol] 15 WALCHEREN ISLAND (FLUSHING). 13 from 467 Sqdn & 13 from 463 of 102 total (all 5 Group), daylight raid on big gun emplacements on the Southern edge of Walcheren Island. The Germans also held the Southern banks of the Scheldt Estuary. The Allies had always wanted to capture Antwerp (50 miles inland, the biggest port for unloading tanks & other heavy equipment). While ever these big guns covered both sides of the Estuary, the Allies couldn’t go in to clear the minefields. In fact the Canadian army trying to take the South bank was held up by bad weather (flooded terrain), lack of petrol & ammunition (Patton was partly to blame along with Eisenhower) for so long that eventually, [inserted] our [/inserted] [deleted] Armies [/deleted] [inserted] Marines [/inserted] took Antwerp from the East & finally [inserted] 8 NOV [/inserted] captured Walcheren Island by “sailing” through gaps in the sea-wall from the East! It then took [inserted] nearly [/inserted] another month to clear the mines & winter had set in … too late to use Antwerp for the big offensive they may have been able to mount had they cleared Antwerp 3 months earlier. We took off at 1340, did a R. of A. & got back to base at 1356 at 1500’. The navigation was easy & we stayed on-track & on-time to the target. We’d been told to bomb at 6000’, but found cloud below, so had to orbit [inserted] twice [/inserted] lose height to 3500’, finally bombing 22 min later than planned. Our bomb load was 14 x 1000 lb HE. We had no losses. The attack was successful, and the Canadian army began their attack along the S. bank the next day. We dropped 14 x 1000 lb HE; the flight took 3h 20 min. For October, 467 Sq. flew 157 sorties, lost 2 crews (7 KIA, 7 Evaded); 5 tours were completed; 1 crew ditched, were rescued & returned. [page break] Nov 1st. 226 Lancs of 5 Group (19 from 467 & 17 from 463), in daylight, raided the Meerbeck oil plant near Homberg. Weather was bad, the marking was scattered and only 159 attempted to bomb. No losses from Waddington. 2.11.44 [symbol] 16. DUSSELDORF. 5 Group was part of a big raid (992) by Bomber Command, 15 from 467, 15 from 463. Detailed German reports listed 5000 buildings destroyed, many of them industrial & production works. There were other raids that night too … a total of 1131 sorties. We took off at 1651, 15 min. late. We climbed to 17000’ & increased speed to 170 mph to catch up. At 1920 (at 18000’) we were “coned” by searchlights … very dangerous as ‘flak’ then could be fired visually. We shook them off & bombed at 1925, & I noted that an aircraft was hit about 10 mi ahead, our heading 220o.T. On the way home in the next 26 min, I made 12 more log entries of aircraft crashing to the ground with estimates of their bearing & distance from us. The RAF had set up 2 more GEE “chains” based in Europe. I tried the RUHR chain, but found the readings “wouldn’t plot”. Our bomb-load was 11 x 1000 lb & 4 x 500 lb HE. The trip took 5h 20 min. 467 Sqdn lost F/O Langridge & crew (3 KIA, 5 evaded). Dusseldorf taken (on Cook’s tour 19.6.45 [two photographs] [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [circled 16] 2-11-44. DUSSELDORF. 15 of 467, 15 of 463 as part of 992 of Bomber Command. Detailed German reports list 5000 buildings destroyed, many of them industrial & production works. (There were other raids that night too … a total of 1131 sorties.) 467 lost F/O L. Langridge & crew (3 KIA, 5 evaded). C. 5h 20m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 18000’ NIGHT 4-11-44 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL. 12 of 467, 12 of 463, of 174 from 5-Group attacked the canal near Munster. The banks of the canal were breached again. A report from Albert Speer to Hitler dated 11.11.44 was captured at the end of the war. Speer stated that the raids on the Dortmund-Ems canal, with attacks on the rail system, produced more serious setbacks to the German war industry at this time than any other type of bombing. [circled 17] 6-11-44. EMS-WESER CANAL. 19 of 467, 16 of 463, of 235 from 5-Group attacked near the junction of the Ems-Weser and Mittland canals, near Gravenhorst. Markers had considerable difficulty in finding the junction due to ground haze, until a low-flying Mosquito (pilot: F/L L.C. de Vigne, and Aust. navigator, S/L. F. Boyle of 627 Sqdn) found and marked the target with such accuracy that the marker fell into the water and was soon extinguished. Only 31 planes bombed before the Master-Bomber ordered the raid be abandoned. 10 planes lost in the raid, 3 crews from 463 (all KIA). Waddington was fog bound on return & most planes were diverted to Seething. We were perhaps the last to land (in v. poor visibility). D 5h 25m. 14 x 1000 (but did not bomb). Orbited target once, for extra 10 min. over it. [page break] 4.11.44. 174 Lancs of 5 Group, 12 each from 467 & 463 Sqdns, attacked the Dortmund-Ems Canal, near Munster. The banks of the canal were breached again. A report from Albert Speer to Hitler dated 11.11.44 was captured at the end of the war. Speer stated then:- “that the raids on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, with attacks on the rail system, produced more serious setbacks to the German war industry, at this time, than any other type of bombing.” (In early 1945, the raids on oil targets may have been even more damaging to their war effort.) 6.11.44 [symbol] 17. EMS-WESER CANAL. 235 of 5 Group, 19 from 467, 16 from 463 attacked the Ems-Weser junction with the Mittland Canal, near Gravenhorst. The markers had considerable difficulty finding the junction due to ground haze, until a low-flying Mosquito (pilot: F/Lt L.C. de Vigne, & Australian navigator, S/Ldr F. Boyle of 627 Sqdn) found & marked the target with such accuracy that the marker landed in the canal & was soon extinguished. Only 31 planes bombed before the Master-Bomber abandoned the raid. 10 planes were lost, 3 of them from 463 Sqdn (all KIA). We were supposed to take off at 1633 but actually took off 28 min late, so once we climbed to 11000’ we boosted our I.A.S. to 180 mph & were on-time by 1915. I logged a Lanc. crashing at 1923 1/2; we had to orbit twice [inserted] (12 min) [/inserted], at the target (due to the marking problem) … very dangerous. Logged 4 more planes crashing [deleted] at [/deleted] in the target area, & another at 1943, after we’d left the target without bombing. I couldn’t get any “joy” on either of the 2 new GEE chains. The trip took 5h. 25 min. We brought back our 14 x 1000 lb H.E. bombs. [page break] The weather deteriorated on the way back … the bumps were so bad that I had to hold all my navigation gear down to stop them hitting the roof, & brace my knees under the nav. table to avoid joining them there. The visibility at Waddington was bad due to fog, and most of our planes were diverted to Strubby; however, Peter did an abbreviated circuit (so he could actually keep the runway in sight) & then came in as if in a Tiger Moth, almost clipping the caravan stationed near the “funnel” (where they might use a Verey to send-you-round-again), but he landed safely … and then they closed the airfield. Besides getting the 2 new GEE chains (RHEIMS & RHUR) to help with navigation over Germany, we now had LORAN fitted. It was similar in some ways to GEE, but depened [sic] on the radio signals being reflected from the ionosphere (only at night). The stations were widely separated … I think England, Norway, Italy … and each single reading had to be made & timed, then another [deleted] one [/deleted] tuned-in, read & timed … probably 2 min or more later, & the running -fix method used. On 9.11.44 we did at [sic] Cross-Country, using Loran, over England, ending with some high-level bombing practice … 3 1/4 hrs trip. The trailing aerial had to be used to receive Loran signals. 11.11.44 [symbol] 18. HARBURG. A 5-Group raid of 237 planes, + 8 marker Mosquitos, 19 from 467, 14 from 463 … a night raid on the Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery, near Hamburg. This refinery had been raided several times by American daylight bombers. We took off at 1627, did a R. of A. to be back a [sic] base at 1634 at 3000’. [page break] (HARBURG) We climbed to 15000’ & later to 16000’ to get out of cloud, & kept nicely to track all the way to the target, getting a bit behind time all the way (no worries we were over the sea nearly all the way). We bombed 8 min late from 16000’. Our WOP (Eric) told us the Master Bomber said to bomb the centre of the Red Target Indicators (there were 4), but to ignore outside Indicators which were dummies (set up by the Germans). Half an hour before the target I wanted to use LORAN, but Eric (our WOP) said he’d been ordered not to use the trailing aerial. I relied on Dead-Reckoning from the target and got my first GEE fix 50 min later about 15 mi. N. of track. Our bomb-load was 1 x 4000 lb “cookie”, 6 x 1000 lb, & 6 x 500 lb H.E. We could still see the plant burning from 100 mi away on our way back. Our squadron lost F/O Fedderson’s crew (7 KIA) & F/O Eyre’s crew (6 KIA, 1 POW) … one of these killed was Geoff (“Bushie”) Goodfellow, their navigator, one of my best friends … we played a lot of cards together & we bunked opposite each other in our room. He came from Tooraweenah (father ran the “Mountain View” hotel there), & he said I was the only person he’d met that had even heard of the place, let alone been there, which I had. F/L Kynoch’s plane was hit & badly damaged, but he crash-landed it at Manston (an emergency ‘drome on the coast) & he & the crew survived. The flight lasted 5h. 35 min. On 13.11.44 we did our “20 SORTIE CHECK”, on a flight of 55 min. We’d only done 18 ops plus the 2 BULLSEYES at Lichfield & Swinderby. [page break] [circled 18] 11-11-44 HARBURG. 19 of 467, 14 of 463, of 237 from 5-Group, plus 8 Marker Mosquitos attacked the Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery at Harburg (near Hamburg). This had been attacked several times by American (day) bombers. Brunwig’s ‘History of Hamburg & Harburg’ (air-raids), gives the raid a brief mention. (We could still see the plant burning 100 miles away on our way home.) 467 lost F/O. M. Fedderson & crew (7 POW), and F/O. T. Eyre & crew [inserted] (G Goodfellow was the Nav) [/inserted] (6 KIA, 1 POW). F/L Kynoch’s plane was hit and badly damaged – he crash-landed at Manston (an emergency ‘drome on the coast). D 5h 35m. 1 x 4000 + 6 x 1000 + 6 x 500 16000’ [circled 19] 16-11-44 DUREN. 15 of 467, 15 of 463, as part of 1188 from Bomber Command, attacked Duren, Julich & Heinsburg in support of the American 1st & 9th armies which were about to advance on this area. Raids were made by 1239 American heavy bombers on targets in the same area. (this was the biggest raid we took part in … there were planes to the horizon all the way, heaps of fighter escorts.) 9400 tons of bombs dropped. The result was disappointing. Heavy rain and wet ground prevented much of the tank assault and slowed the supplies of artillery ammunition and the armies’ advance was slow and costly. (For our part, the centre of Duren was reduced to rubble.) G/C. Bonham-Carter, O/C of Waddington led our Group, as ‘second dickie’ to the crew who had bombed the wrong target on a daylight raid on Flushing (23-10-44?), killing some Canadians. D 5h 25m. 12 x 1000. 10500’ [page break] 16.11.44 [symbol] 19. DUREN (daylight). 15 planes from 467, & 15 from 463, were part of a big effort by Bomber Command (1188 planes) attacking Duren, Julich & Heinsburg in support of the 1st & 9th American Armies which were about to advance in this area. Raids were made on other targets in this area by 1239 American heavy bombers. This was by far the biggest raid we took part in … there were planes to the horizon all the way with heaps of fighter escort … [deleted] B [/deleted] 9400 tons of bombs were dropped, but the result was disappointing. Heavy rain & boggy ground prevented most of the tank attack and slowed supplies of artillery ammunition with the result that the advance was slow & costly. For our part, the centre of Duren was reduced to rubble – it may have needed bulldozers to clear a path through it! The base commander at Waddington, Gp/Capt Bonham-Carter, led 5 Group as ‘second dickie’ to one of our crews who had bombed the wrong “target” (a smoke-generator) on an earlier daylight raid near Flushing on 23.10.44, killing some Canadian army men. The navigation was easy. Our bomb-load was 12 x 1000 lb H.E. dropped from 10500’. Flight time: 5h 25 min. [two photographs] Snaps of Duren taken on the “Cook’s Tour” I did on 19.6.45. [page break] Extracts from Diary – 18.11.44 navigators briefing at 1.30 for a v. long trip. Not enough time for preparation. Our crew just got out to the “kite” when the trip was “scrubbed” …joy! After tea we went down to the local Horse & Jockey (Hotel). Saw a bloke about his car, & bought it for £3 … a little Morris 8 HP Sedan 19.11.44 To navigation section before lunch for another briefing, to the same place as yesterday, more time for preparation & less to do. No lunch … sandwiches at briefing … then it was scrubbed again. Collected car. 20.11.44. Went to briefing for another daylight raid on the Dortmund-Ems canal, but it was scrubbed. Went to town with Ken Nichols & Ken (of ground crew) … wanted to go to the theatre, but all seats were sold, so we went to the cinema & saw “White Cliffs of Dover.” 21.11.44. Briefed again for the same canal raid as yesterday, chart was already done. [symbol] It was scrubbed at the 11th hour & we missed lunch … again had sandwiches in the briefing room. 21.11.44 [symbol] 20 DORMUND-EMS CANAL We took off at 1726, did a R. of A. & got back to base at 1754 at 2000’. The winds were light & fairly consistently Westerly at first, then N.W. It was easy to keep on track & close on-time. At 2020 I logged “Lanc, crashed & blew-up 15 mi. astern”. We’d been at 10250’ until 2058 when WOP told us to descent to 3-4000’ … we did so, fast, and bombed at 2103. At 2108 I logged: “Aircraft crashed below us 3 mi. past other target.” At 2232 we jettisoned a hang-up bomb in the sea. Landed at base at 2337, time airborne 6h 11 min. Our bomb-load was 13 x 1000 lb H.E. [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] 21.11.44. [symbol] 20. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL, near LADBERGEN. 15 from 467, 15 from 463 bombed Dortmund-Ems & Mittland Canals; as part of Bomber Command maximum effort of 1345 heavy bombers attacking 6 targets in this general area. No losses for 5-Group. We took off at 1726, did a R. of A. getting back to base at 1754 at 2000’. I had a good navigation trip, GEE from England lasted until 2020, then the RUHR chain worked to the target area. I logged a Lanc. blowing-up 15 mi astern at 2020. We were briefed to bomb at 10500’ but, 5 min before out T.O.T our W.O.P. (Eric) got word that we descend to 3 – 4000’ to get below cloud. We descended quickly & bombed 5 min later at 4500’; then began climbing again into the clouds. Tried Loran for fixing without success. We had a bomb hang-up, but jettisonned [sic] it in the sea at 2222. Our bomb load was 13 x 1000 lb H.E. The trip took 6h 10 min. [photograph] This is an enlargement of the smaller print of the area bombed repeatedly … DORTMUND EMS CANAL. [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [photograph] Open bomb-bay of a Lanc. loaded with 1000 lb H.E. bombs. Bomb-aimer could select each one to drop separately at predetermined intervals (usually close together as a “stick”.) [photograph] Our Mid-upper gunner Ray Giles, near his turret – 2 Browning .303 machine guns [photograph] Lanc’s in formation on a daylight raid. Nearest is PO-J [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] On a low-level “Cooks Tour” from Wigsley on 19th June, 1945 (after war’s end in Europe), I took some photos with the old box Kodak. [two photographs] The Dortmund Ems canal where it was built above a stream, shown clearly in the left photo. The embankments here were bombed repeatedly, 8 times I think. We did 3 of Ops there and one at the nearby Ems-Weser canal. [two photographs] Broken bridges over the Rhine at Duisberg – we didn’t bomb there, but 5 Group did. [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [two photographs] The Krupps works at Essen, which was regularly bombed by the RAF during most of the war. Including some 1000 – bomber raids. [photograph] Wrecked bridges at Cologne, another regular RAF target; somehow the Cathedral survived. [photograph] The railway marshalling yards at Hamm received plenty of “attention” [two photographs] Dusseldorf was regularly bombed … we did our 16th Op. there [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [circled 20] 21-11-44. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL, (near LADBERGEN). 15 of 467, 15 of 463 as part of 1345 Bomber Command heavies attacked 6 targets in this general area. 5-Group targets were the Mitteland and Dortmund-Ems canals … without loss. D 6h 10m. 13 x 1000. Briefed to bomb at 10250’, got 5 min warning by radio to descend to cloud base … bombed at 4500’. [circled 21] 23-11-44. TRONDHEIM. 16 of 467, 4 of 463 of 171 from 5-Group, incl. 7 Mosquito Markers, to attack U-boat pens at Trondheim. The target was covered b y a smokescreen and could not be marked. The Master Bomber ordered the raid abandoned. No losses. (The weather was bad; big wind changes. Many jettisoned bombs in North Sea or diverted to North Scotland due to fuel shortage … we were the only one to return to Waddington with bombs still aboard.) D 10h 55m. 9 x 1000 (brought home). 26-11-44 MUNICH (Our rear gunner, K. Nickols, went on this trip as ‘spare bod’.) 270 Lancs from 5-Group, 467 lost F/O Findlay & crew (crashed – out of fuel … their Nav. vomited and blocked his oxygen supply, went unconscious and they got lost in cloud. But all survived the crash and were flown home by the Americans on 1.12.44. NOVEMBER SUMMARY 467 did 148 sorties, lost 4 crews (9 KIA, 8 POW, 11 Ev) 8 tours expired. 2 were badly wounded. NIGHT 4-12-44 HIELBRONN. 282 from 5-Group (Main force attacked Karlsruhe). 467 lost F/O J. Plumridge & crew (6 KIA. 1 POW). F/L Bill Kynock & crew attacked by fighter, rear gunner killed (F/S R. Steele), and plane badly damaged (we think it was ‘D’.), crash landed at Manston (emergency airfield). [page break] 23.11.44 [symbol] 21. TRONDHEIM (Norway). 5-Group sent 171 planes (including 7 Mosquito markers) to attack the U-boat facilities there. This was a very long trip mostly over the North Sea at low-level (1000’) in bad weather, rain & severe wind-changes. Tankers topped us up with petrol at the end of the runway before we took off at 1609, 12 min late. GEE ran out at 1848 … over 2 hours before we’d reach the target. We were unable to identify where we crossed the coast, so we continued on northwards and at 2050 saw the target lit up by flares to our left. A wind velocity to use for bombing was received by radio, and at 2055 we saw yellow Target Indicators about 10 mi to Port. We turned to a Westerly course. At 2102 we were told to abandon the raid as a smoke-screen obscured the target. We continued by Dead Reckoning & B.A. (Sid) identified a pin-point at 2112. We descended from 9000’ to 1000’, and at about 2130 discovered that the earlier pin-point was wrong, giving a new one near Smolen Island. At 2248 I got my first GEE fix (after 1 1/2 hr since the target) … about 50 mi NW of where we thought we’d be … big wind change. Pilot (Peter) & I decided to aim to land at LEUCHARS (Nth Scotland) as we had a head-wind. Then, at 0024 I got a good fix & found the wind had eased & changed to NE, and by 2130 was from the NW & getting faster. Pilot & Engineer consulted with me & we decided to try for Waddington, cutting our speed back from 190 to 170 mph. The wind held about NW & increased to about 45 mph, so we reached base OK & landed at 0302, with only about 80 gallons left. Most of our planes jettisonned [sic] bombs in the North Sea, or landed at Leuchars. We were the sole plane to bring our bombs home to Waddington. Trip-time 10h 53 min. [page break] 26.11.44. 5-Group sent 270 heavies to MUNICH. Our rear-gunner, Ken Nicholls went as a “spare-bod” in place of a sick crewman. One of the 467 crews crashed, out of fuel. Their navigator had vomited and blocked his oxygen supply, he went unconscious, and they were lost in cloud. They all survived the crash-landing and were flown back by the Americans on 1.12.44. November summary for 467 Sqdn: 148 sorties, 4 crews lost (9 KIA, 8 POW, 11 Evaded); 8 tours expired. 2 men were badly wounded. 4.12.44 (night). HEILBRONN was attacked by 282 from 5 Group, while the main force of Bomber Command attacked Karlsruhe. 467 Sqdn lost F/O Plumridge & crew (6 KIA, 1 POW). F/Lt Bill Kynoch’s plane was attacked by a fighter, his rear-gunner killed (F/Sgt R. Steele) & the plane badly damaged … we think it was our favourite “D”. They crash landed at the emergency ‘drome, Manston, & we heard that “D” was a write-off. 6.12.44. GIESSEN (night) attacked by 255 of 5-Group (19 from each of 467 & 463 sqdns) while the rest of Bomber Command bombed Osnabruck & Leuna (oil plant). 8.12.44 URFT DAM [symbol] 1. 205 of 5-Group (10 of 467, 15 of 463). 9/10 cloud over target, no result observed. No loss. 10.12.44 URFT DAM [symbol] 2. 5-Group (15 [inserted] each [/inserted] of 467 & 463). All were recalled before the target due to bad weather & visibility. [page break] More extracts from Diary. 23.11.44. No operations on. Went to Lincoln with Peter & Don in my car to see about getting Peter’s car fixed. Went to the pictures. Feeling very crook … terrible cough. 24.11.44. Went on sick parade. The Dr. reckoned I was OK for flying … I didn’t. had heard there was to be a long trip that night & saw the Dr. again .. he put me into Sick Quarters & I slept!!! about 20 hours a day. Our crew wasn’t listed for the operation that night, but our rear-gunner, Ken Nichols, opted to go with Bill Kynock’s crew … but the trip was scrubbed anyway. Ken visited me. 25.11.44. Still in sick-quarters. No ops. Ken, Don & Rupe came to see me, then they went to an ENSA concert on the base. 26.11.44. Out of sick-quarters. Ken went with Kynoch’s crew to MUNICH in crook weather. It was OK at the target, quiet & a good ‘prang’. Went over to [deleted] 3 Sqdn [/deleted] SICK QUARTERS to see Ted Pickerd who’d been our Navigation analysis ‘joker’ for some months. Played pontoon, won 10/- Kynoch’s crew were diverted to Langham. 27.11.44. Went to Swinderby & got 3 gal of petrol in the car. Ken & Kynocks crew came back from Langham. 28.11.44. No ops. Made up a list of comments on ops that had to be done … big job. Flew to Thornaby [deleted] to bring [/deleted] & back in ‘D’ [deleted] back [/deleted] with a ferry crew for their plane. Navigators party on tonight … too bad Ted Pickerd is still in sickquarters. Des Sands (o i/c A flight … Sqn Ldr, DFM on 2nd or 3rd tour) Lionel Hart & I took others in cars, the rest used bikes. Wionderful show. Bags of beer & fun. [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] NIGHT 6-12-44 GIESSEN 19 of 467, 19 of 463, of 255 from 5-Group. (Main force attacked Osnabruck & Leuna). DAY 8-12-44. URFT DAM [symbol] 1. 10 of 467, 15 of 463 of 205 from 5-Group. 9/10 cloud over target and no result observed. No loss. DAY 10-12-44 URFT DAM [symbol] 2. 15 of 467, 15 of 463 … 5-Group. All recalled before reaching target due to bad weather and visibility. [circled 22] 11-12-44 URFT DAM [symbol] 3. 15 of 467, 15 of 463, of 233 from 5-Group, with Mosquito Markers. Hits observed but no breach seen. (We brought our bombs home, despite doing an orbit … (hoping for gap in clouds) … against orders … extra 7 min. in target area. Very accurate radar-directed flak; we lost P.O. motor.). F 6h 5m. 14 x 1000 (brought home) (9750’) [circled 23] 17-12-44 MUNICH. 22 of 467, 19 of 463 of 280 from 5-Group, with 8 Mosquito Markers. (Main force attacked Duisburg, Ulm and Munster … a total of 1310 heavies, 1.1% loss.) Reconnaissance showed severe damage. 467 lost F/O T. Evans & crew (all 7 Ev) … they collided after bombing with an engine on fire. M 9h 45m 1 x 4000 + 9 cans + 1 MONROE 11750’ [circled 24] 18-12-44 GDYNIA. 19 of 467, 15 of 463 of 236 from 5-Group. 2 crews from each flight attacked 2 pocket Battleships anchored near the port (which was the main target) … we hit “Lutzow” with 3 of our bombs (& 1 v. close in water) nicely near funnel area. Considerable damage to port area. M 9h 45m. 10 x 1000 S.A.P. [page break] 29.11.44. No ops. Went into Lincoln to try to register car … no joy; had to go to Sleaford, but no time. Tore around garages [inserted] for [/inserted] a battery & brake adjusters, but no joy. Finished off the navigation comments from yesterday. Decided to sell my autocycle & got a buyer. Played pontoon, won 3/-. 30.11.44. No ops. Went to Sleaford, got car registered & oil changed. Got coupons for petrol to go on leave, packed up, got leave pass, laundry & shoes. Went into Lincoln with Ken & got petrol & a new battery. Saw about trains for Ray & Eric for tomorrow. 1.12.44. Went out to our dispersal where mechanics helped get new battery in & working after a lot of trouble … bludged a couple of gallons of petrol from Ken (ground crew). Left at 10.10, had lunch at Nottingham & then went on to Birmingham, getting to where Don was staying at 3.30. had tea there, played solo until 1.30 am, went down to “Old Farm” at [inserted] ? Wesley [/inserted] Westly Castle for the night. 2.12.44. Duck eggs for breakfast! Lunch at Police Station (don had been a policeman in Birmingham before he enlisted for air crew.) Then tea at Mrs Benlays (friend of Don). Met Ken & Mrs Smith & Margaret from next door. Played solo. Went to Police Club for drinks. More solo ‘till 2 am. Slept next door at Smiths. 3.12.44. Breakfasts on both at Smiths & Benlays. Called at jewellers for Ken’s watch, but no luck. Set off for Swindon. Lunch at Swan’s Nest in Stratford. Looked over Shakespeare’s birthplace, got postcards & saw Home Guard parade. Went on to “Stow-in-the-Wold” & stayed the night in a nice little pub. Played darts, crib & drank beer. [page break] [photograph] Engineer Don Coutts & Mid Upper Gunner Ray Giles, Birmingham [photograph] Rear Gunner, Ken Nichols, & Ray Giles at Benlay’s place at Birmingham where we stayed on leave 1/2 Dec ’44. [photograph] Ray Giles, at Benlays’ place, Birmingham [page break] More from the Diary. 4.12.44. Rachel Swindon for dinner. Found our way out to Clyffe-Pyhard & saw Bunty Duff & got back just before dark. Had tea at fish & chip shop & went to pictures – saw Jon Hall & Maria Montez in ‘Cobra Woman’. 5.12.44 After breakfast towed an Engineers car to get it started. Bought side-lamp for car. Reached Slough via Reading for lunch & called [deleted] on [/deleted] at Margaret Vyner’s place … she was in London meeting Hugh Marlowe, home from France on 72-hours leave. Saw Mrs Vyner & Hugo, had afternoon tea & went to Slough, booked in at Salthill Hotel & had tea. At pub, picked up 2 girls & took them home but got lost on the way back. Turned in at 12.30. 6.12.44. Looked around a lot of shops in Slough & finally got some bulbs for dash-lights. Met an old Aussie-Scot, Macintosh for yarn & drinks; he showed us his home at 26 Windsor Rd. Slough. Drove to Windsor & looked over Eton College on Founders Day, … going for 504 years. Saw Windsor Castle & had tea there. Played cards with Ken, before & after tea. 7.12.44. After breakfast caught train to London & booked in at A.C.F. Club. Met Scottie Gall & Kirk Beddie again; had steak (!) & mushrooms at Athens Cafe; went to pictures & saw “Casanova Brown”. More steak with onions then a variety show at the Empire in Finsbury Park. Went back tp pub at Gloucester Rd & saw girls we knew from last leave in London. Also ran into Syd & Peter. 8.12.44. Arranged to meet Peter on the way to Cambridge. Got car at Slough & was 1 hr late in meeting Peter. Had lunch at Cambridge Arms. Saw a good picture “Love Story”. Met a navigator I knew at Brighton … Cameron, who’d done 35 ops in Mosquitos. More steak & onions for supper. [page break] 9.12.44. Looked at some of Cambridge University … not much to see. Had lunch at roadside pub and got to Lincoln about 4.30. collected photos, had drinks at the Saracens head & went to a show at the Royal Theatre. Peter’s car had a flat tyre. Got battle-dress from cleaners & put overcoat in. A good leave 10.12.44. Welcomed back to nav. section. No ‘war’ today. had an interview for commission with Group-Captain Bonham-Carter. W/Cdr Bill Brill had told us not to apply for a commission until we’d done about 20 “trips”. But after he left, in October, the new C.O. W/Cdr J.K. Douglas invited anyone interested in a commission to apply, regardless of the number of ops. I did, but didn’t impress him with my answers (especially when I said “probably not” to his question “would I be more use to the air force with a commission?”. He didn’t recommend me. But Bonham-Carter said something like this: “I have 2 W’ Cdrs here, at 467 & 463; one C.O. recommends virtually all applicants after they’ve done 20 trips; the other (Douglas) likes to interview them at depth & knocks a few back. I have to make the final decision. You seem to be doing well. I’ll look at you again next month.” (He saw me in Mid-January with only one Op (Brux) to go, and recommended me without any further questioning.) 11.12.44. Took laundry & boots down but didn’t have time to check them in … there’s “war” on. Went to briefing room & sorted out Gee charts. The briefing was hurried; the plane we got, (F), was slow, climbed poorly, and we were late getting to the target. (con’t on next page) [page break] 11.12.44 [symbol] 22. URFT DAM No 3. Daylight raid by 233 from 5-Group (15 each from 467 & 463 Sqdns), with Mosquitos doing the marking. Hits were observed but no breach seen. We brought our bombs back despite doing an orbit (against orders) hoping for a gap in the clouds … we spent 7 minutes extra over the target, and experienced very accurate radar-directed flak just after leaving. We lost our Port-Outer motor. We took off at 1205, did a R. of A. returning to base at 1219, at 6000’. We climbed to 12000’ & “cruised” at 170 mph, but gradually got behind time (5 min late at 1350) but only 3 min. late at the target. This plane, F, would not go any faster with our bomb-load of 14 x 1000 lb. H.E. Pilot feathered our Port Outer motor at 1554 (maybe some flak damage). Jettisonned [sic] 2 bombs at 1645 which took extra time … ending up 47 min. late home. Flight time 6h 5 min. 17.12.44 [symbol] 23. Night-raid on MUNICH by 280 from 5-Group, (22 from 467, 19 from 463), with 8 Mosquito markers. The rest of Bomber Command attacked Duisberg, Ulm & Munster, a total of 1310 ‘heavies’, for a 1.1% loss rate. Reconnaissance showed severe damage. 467 lost F/O T. Evans & crew (all 7 Evaded) … they collided after bombing with an engine on fire; they baled out before the plane crashed. We took off at 1636, 3 min late, and immediately began climbing on course, south for Reading, then into France near Le Havre, mostly at 4000’, very bumpy, tried 5000’ to get out of cloud, then down to 3000’ & back to 4000’. As we neared the SW corner of Switzerland we climbed to 15000’ & skirted its southern border, seeing lights on in some villages. [page break] We had a good navigation trip to the target, keeping close to track & timing OK. We used GEE until 2026, then some LORAN fixes (some inaccurate) but sighted target at 2152, descended to 12000’ to bomb at 2211. At 2214 I logged “air-to-air firing up – qr. to beam” At 2215 1/2 “ “ “aircraft went in 40 mi ahead”. We began descending in steps to 5500’ & continued to use LORAN until 2350 when GEE came good. I got very airsick about 2250 (first time since Cootamundra!), and at about 2310 saw flak coming up from Mulhouse, so we turned to Port to avoid it. At 0110, the GEE box went unserviceable (U/S), and we read PUNDITS back to base where we landed at 0220. Flight time was 9h 45 min, bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb “cookie” & 9 cans of incendiaries & 1 Monroe. [page break] 18.11.44. [symbol] 24. GYDNIA (“A” Target: Pocket Battleship LUTZOW). A 5-Group raid, 236 planes, 19 of 467 & 15 of 463 Sqdn, on the Naval base. Considerable damage to the port area was reported. Two crews from each flight of both squadrons were to arrive at their targets … two pocket battleships, 9 min before the rest of the Group were to start bombing; the markers & the accompanying flare-force (they dropped lots of long-burning flares to light up the area for the Markers) arrived then too. We were supposed to see the battleships in the light of the flares & do our bombing between 2151 & 2156. Our bomb-load was 10 x 1000 S.A.P (Semi-Armour Piercing) bombs … unlikely to be really damaging, although the decks of the pocket-battleships were much thinner than on “real” battleships (although they had 16” guns, the same.) We took off at 1712, already 10 min later than planned, & flew at about 3 – 4000’ at 180 mph until 2000, when we climbed to 11500’. GEE had given out at 1850, but LORAN was OK & I got good signals at 1920, but we hadn’t been given Loran charts that covered beyond 56oN. So it was dead-reckoning & the hope of a pin-point later. Then, at 2055 1/2, I got a Loran fix, on track, just below the 56oN latitude, which could be plotted. I got another dubious fix at 2105 1/2, about 5 mi Sth of track, then another good one at 2122 1/2, on track again. I got another good Loran fix at 2133 which allowed me to estimate the wind velocity at 190/23. We turned on dead-reckoning 3 min late at point E, & arrived at point F, on dead-reckoning 2 min late, and steered visually for our target. At 2150, Syd, our Bomb-Aimer, reported a smoke screen starting over the battleships area. The flares went down at 2150 1/2, but didn’t penetrate the smokescreen. At 2153 our Pilot, Peter, decided to “go-round” again. As we turned Syd saw the Lutzow, [indecipherable word] behind us now. We flew North East [page break] for a while, did a timed run, using his stop-watch, to be back over our target at 2158. But again, the smoke-screen obscured our target. We turned Northwards & repeated the timed run. All this time we experienced a lot of radar-predicted flak, close enough to keep rocking our plane. While we were doing this 3rd orbit, Peter said: “If we can’t bomb this time, we’ll go round again and lose height to bomb at low-level.” Syd said: “Geez, that would be bloody dangerous.” At 2206, the target was clear & we bombed accurately. On the photograph which we saw back at base the next day, 3 of our bombs hit the deck amidships, one very close to the funnel, and a 4th bomb right alongside in the water. We’d actually bombed from 11750’ at 150 mph (I.A.S.), heading 260oT. At 2208 I logged: “Lanc. crashed Stb. Bow, 20 mi.” We crossed the coast at 2216 and got a Loran fix at 2222 1/2, only 3 mi. S. of track. The rest of the trip home was uneventful, we kept close to track and landed at 0303, flight-time 9h 51 min. [drawing of area map] [page break] I did some research about the Lutzow & Admiral von Sheer. They were both damaged and the Lutzow was towed to Swinemunde, the Admiral von Sheer to Keil, where, on the night of 9/10 April ’45, a raid using 591 planes, sank the von Sheer, and so severely damaged the light cruised Emden & the heavy cruiser Hippo, that their crews then scuttled them … they were unable to put to sea. Then on the night of 16/17 April, 617 Squadron attacked Swinemunde, & effectively disposed of Germany’s last pocket battleship, Lutzow, although I read that its crew also finally scuttled it, as it was beyond repair [symbol] [underlined] 25 [/underlined]. 27-12-44. 5-Group sent 200 planes (15 of 467 & 12 of 463) to bomb [underlined] RHEYT [/underlined] (our [symbol] 25 trip), the railway yards there, part of Munchen-Gladbach, where we’d done our 5th trip. We took off at 1204, did a R. of A. to be back at base at 1220 at 6000’. We were supposed to fly in formation but there was a lot of confusion … we finally flew individually until 1309 when we joined the formation. Near the target, the other planes began turning towards the target long before reaching the GEE lattice line we were told to follow. We did as we’d been told, and bombed at 1505 1/2 from 17200’. The trip home was uneventful, the navigation easy, as we had GEE all the way, using the RHUR chain over Germany. We had some flak going close just after the target at 1512 1/2. We landed at 1705, flight-time was 5h., bomb-load was 14 x 1000 lb. H.E. [page break] [deleted] [circled [indecipherable number]] [/deleted] NIGHT 21-12-44. POLITZ. 17 of 467, 17 of 463, of 207 from 5-Group attacked synthetic oil plant. 3 Lancs lost over Europe, but 5 crashed in England on return … 90% of airfields were fogbound … most were diverted to Scotland, but some were so short on fuel they had to try to land in fog. (F.L. Kynoch crashed ‘M’ at Waddington, but no injuries.) [circled 25] 27-12-44 RHEYDT. 15 of 467, 12 of 463, of 200 from 5-Group, attacked railway yards at Rheydt. No loss C 5h 0m. 14 x 1000. 17200’ DAY 28-12-44 MOSS SHIPPING (OSLO FIORD). 4 of 467, 6 of 463 of 67 from 5-Group attacked a large naval unit off Oslo Fiord. No direct hits claimed. 30-12-44 HOUFFALIZE. 12 of 467, 12 of 463 of 166 from 5-Group attacked the German supply bottleneck at Houffalize. Cloud obscured target. (Main force of 500 heavies attacked Kalh-Nord railway yards near Cologne … results obscured by cloud.) DEC ’44 SUMMARY. December ended in a long spell of cold, fog & snow which restricted operations and serviceability. 467 flew 172 sorties, losing 2 crews + 1 gunner. (7 KIA, 1 POW, 7 Ev) 8 crews finished tours. 1 crew crashlanded [sic] and were rescued. (The 2 Lanc. Squadrons (467 & 463) had learnt that the 5-Group method of marking was the most cost-effective way of striking heavy flows to the enemy. From 17.8.44 (when Bomber Command returned to attacks on Germany proper, after the many short trips for 2nd Front, a total of 72881 sorties from which 696 aircraft were lost (… about 1%). In this period of 137 days [deleted] 467 & 463 [/deleted] [inserted] Bomber Command [/inserted] made 530 sorties per day (av.) & lost 5.1 planes per day (av.) … 265708 tons of bombs were dropped. [page break] [circled 26] 1-1-45. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL 18 of 467, 5 of 463 of 102 from 5-Group, breached the canal near Ladbergen, (the Germans had repaired the canal again.) They were using an enormous number of slave labourers (‘Todt’ workers … 40000 we heard) to repair these vital links in their transport system. (And so when the barges began to run again they ‘knew’ the Lancs would soon come, and they were ready with AA & fighters … it was a hot spot.) (On this trip F/O Merv Bache got an immediate DSO … their B/A. was Sam Nelson (WaggaWagga) … onfire, [sic] crashed just inside Allied lines … they’d all baled out in time. F/S Thompson of 9 Sqdn. got a posthumous VC also.) B 6h 40m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 10900’ Landed at STRUBBY on return, due to fog. NIGHT 1.1.45 MITTELLAND CANAL (GRAVENHORST). 4 of 467, 6 of 463, of 152 from 5-Group with 5 Mosquitos. No loss. During all this period, Waddington, and most of England, was deep in snow. Aircraft were buried in snow, and runways could not be kept open for them. Landing on icy runways was difficult. (On 1.1.45, Bomber Command flew 598 sorties day & night, and 5 planes crashed trying to land.) [page break] More about the DORTMUND-EMS on 1/1/45. Many years after the war I got to know Sam Nelson, (also a golfer), who was the Bomb Aimer in Merv Bache’s crew. He told me that his navigator was in the process of writing a small book covering their ‘troubles’ that day. I mentioned that I still had my logs & charts, including for that day, so I posted them to him, with the result that parts of my log & chart were photocopied (reduced size) and included in his book … and I received a copy; later a few more pages were sent about what happened to their crew members thereafter. Several of their crew had a reunion in Canberra just at the time when they refurbished the Lancaster display in the War Museum. They told the staff of their “trouble” on 1/1/45, and were given the privilege of going inside the Lanc, even though it was not then open to the public. I’ve made a “pocket” at the back of this folder for that book. On pages 33/4 of that book is some details about a major German air attack on Allied aircraft & airfields on the same morning as our daylight raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. It may have been fortunate for us that most of their fighters were otherwise-occupied that morning. [page break] [circled 27] 4.1.45. ROYAN (S. France). 8 of 467, 16 of 463, of 344 Lancs & 7 Mosquitoes. F/O R. Eggins (467) had a mid-air collision with another Lanc., they baled out & were rescued. Stubborn German garrison holding out at Royan prevented Allies from using Bordeaux as a port. (the Americans had kept a big force in that area, hoping to capture Bordeaux much earlier.) Bomber Command was ordered to bomb the town. It appears that the order was cancelled, but that order not received by the Squadrons concerned. But the French people there were told of the cancellation. As a result 700 French people were killed & soured relations with Britain. We took off at [deleted] 0122 [/deleted] 0104, did the usual Radius of Action to be back at base at 0140 at 2000’. We flew southwards crossing the coast near Portsmouth. We had GEE all the way 7 so kept nicely on-track; the winds mainly from NNE varied between 35 & 60 mph. When just short of the target we got a message at 0359 1/2 “do not bomb for 2 min.” We were due there in about 1 min. I wrote “Have to orbit I think.” Then at 0400 1/2 we were told “Come in & bomb”, which we did at 0401 without having to orbit, at 6250’. We had an easy trip home, airborne for 6h. 30m. Our bomb load was 1 x 4000 (“Cookie”), & 16 x 500 lb HE. On the back of my chart are several diagrams showing what the displays looked like on the GEE-BOX, and an indication of the curves on our GEE Charts. [page break] NIGHT. 5-1-45 HOUFFALIZE. 10 of 467, 8 of 463, of 131 from 5 Group, with 9 Mosquitos attacked supply bottleneck at Houffalize in the Ardennes. Target was hit with great accuracy. No loss. (Main force of 664 attacked Hannover, losing [underlined] 4.7%. [/underlined]) [circled 28] 7-1-45 MUNICH. 11 of 467, 16 of 463, of 645 Lancs. and 9 Mosquitos. This was the last major raid on Munich by Bomber Command; the industrial area was severely damaged. 467 lost F/O W. McNamee & crew (all KIA) … Severe icing caused high fuel consumption … they ran out of fuel and baled out over the sea 5 mi. from Eye, but were not found. V 8h 45m. 1 x 4000 + 6 J clusters. (The winds on this trip were forecast at about 80 mph from NW, so the route to the target was direct across Germany, then home south of Switzerland. (Usually, on Munich trips, we’d go out south of Switzerland, hiding from radar behind the mountains – maybe – then come home, faster across Germany.) The winds, in places, exceeded 100 mph. We were forced to ‘waste time’ on the way to the target (dangerous over Germany!). We took 3 hours to reach Munich loaded, then 6 hours to come home empty!) [inserted] I haven’t got my log & chart for this trip – mislaid when I was teaching ATC cadets at Forest Hills [/inserted] NIGHT 13-1-45 POLITZ. 17 of 467, 14 of 463, of 218 Lancs & 7 Mosquitos from 5-Group, attacked the oil plant near Stettin. Intended to be [inserted] a [/inserted] blind H2S attack, but the target was clear and the 5-Group low-level-marking was used in an accurate attack. Photo-reconnaissance stated that the oil plant was reduced to rubble. No loss from Waddington. [page break] NIGHT 14-1-45 MERSBERG-LEUNA. 14 of 467, 14 of 463 of 573 Lancs & 14 Mosquitos attacked the synthetic oil plant at Leuna. Albert Speer wrote … “this was the most damaging raid on the synthetic oil industry”. (The remainder of Bomber Command raided Grevenbroich & Dulmen … a total of 1214 sorties.) [circled 29] 16-1-45 BRUX. 16 of 467, 12 of 463 of 231 Lancs & 6 Mosquitos of 5-Group, attacked the synthetic oil plant in western Czecho-slovakia [sic] (the plant had P.O.W. camps quite close by). The raid was a complete success. Speer also mentions this raid “as a particularly severe setback to oil production”. (Bomber Command attacked 4 other targets this night with a total of 1238 bombers. All were successful … the loss rate was 2.4% (about 30). No loss from Waddington. D 10h. 0m. 1 x 4000 + 12 x 500 (Not dropped – bomb circuit U.S.) 14250’ (The bombing circuit was faulty – we made 3 orbits of the target, taking 20 mins, but could not remedy the trouble. We set out for home with bombs aboard and flew home at fairly low altitude – varying between 4500’ & 8500’, our airspeed 15 – 20 mph slower than the rest of the force. Then we had to make a diversion into the North Sea jettison area to manually release one bomb fitted with anti-handling fuse. The result was that we were last home, nearly an hour late. As this was our last trip we were ‘expected’ to come home faster than usual & be ‘first home’ … many thought we were unlucky enough to ‘get the chop’ on our last trip. The aircraft had severe problems (besides the bomb circuit and resulted in a tragic crash on 2.2.45, killing all but one of the crew … included were T. Paine & W. Robinson from Mudgee.) [page break] I met Chris Jarret at a University conference in the 60’s and heard from him what happened to them in ‘D’ on the night of 2-2-45. He was lucky to survive, although it was easy for the Bomb-Aimer to be first out when told to “Bale-Out”. The next man out would have been Tom Paine, the Rear Gunner, & he told me that he was the only other one to get out & open his ‘chute in time to avoid death, but that Tom landed over the crest of a hill & was killed by the plane crashing & bombs exploding near him, while Chris had landed on the other side of the hill. Tom Paine was in my classes at Mudgee High right from 1st year in 1936. Bill Robinson must have started in 1935 as he was a year ahead of us; but I can remember him as the school was rather small (about 400) compared to the 1000+ when I taught there in the ‘60s. [page break] NIGHT 22-1-45. GELSENKIRCHEN. 0 from 467, 1 from 463. (photographic) JANUARY SUMMARY. The month ended with heavy snow and bad visibility. 467 did 90 sorties losing 3 crews (7 KIA, 14 Ev.) 4 crews ‘tour-expired’. NIGHT 1-2-45 SIEGEN (Railway Yards) 21 of 467, 19 of 463 of 271 from 5-Group. 467 lost one crew – the navigator was our A-flight commander, Des Sands DFM, an Australian in the RAF on his second tour … he survived, parachuted, captured. NIGHT 2-2-45 KARLSRUHE. 19 of 467, 16 of 463, of 250 from 5-Group. 467 lost 2 crews (14 KIA (incl. a ‘second dickie’ pilot) 1 POW. ‘D’ was one of the two. F/O A. Robinson [inserted] (pilot) [/inserted] and Rear Gunner – Tom Paine – went to school with me at Mudgee High – Tom was in the same class. (See extract from ‘The Bulletin’ for story by Bomb-Aimer survivor, whom I met accindentally [sic] at an external studies school at UNE (Armidale) in the ‘60’s.) NIGHT 7-2-45 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL (near LADBERGEN) 13 from 467. 467 lost c.o. W/C J. K. Douglas & crew (+ second dickie Bomb-aimer) … 3 KIA, 4 POW, 1 Ev. NIGHT. 8-2-45 POLITZ. 15 of 467, 16 of 463 of 163 total (5-Group was 1st ‘Wave’, other groups followed and put this important oil plant out of action for the remainder of the war. 1020 bombers attacked other targets including Krefeld. [page break] 13-2-45 DRESDEN. 17 of 467, 19 of 463 of 144 Lancs and 9 Mosquitos from 5-Group attacked Dresden as the 1st wave of a 2-part attack, dropping 800 tons. The second wave, 3 hours later, dropped 1800 tons, mostly incendiaries, causing a devastating fire-storm. German report says that more than 50000 people died. 14-2-45 ROSITZ. 16 of 467, 16 of 463 of 224 Lancs + 8 Mosquitos from 5-Group, attacked the oil refinery near Leipzig. The rest of Bomber Command attacked 4 other targets – a total of 1316 ‘heavies’, loss rate 1.7%. 19-2-45 BOHLEN. 19 of 467, 16 of 463 of 254 Lancs and 6 Mosquitos from 5-Group. Raid was unsuccessful. The Master Bomber, W/C E.A. Benjamin DFF + Bar, was shot down by flak & killed. Only superficial damage was caused. 20-2-45 MITTLELAND CANAL near GRAVENHORST. 10 of 467, 10 of 463, of 154 Lancs & 11 Mosquitos of 5-Group … raids on the canal by now were called “the milk run”. A comment (in the Waddington report) … “5-Group had bombed the canal so often that the Germans could leave their guns aimed ready for the next raid”. The Master Bomber abandoned this raid when it could not be marked properly due to heavy low cloud. (The Main Force – of B.C. – did 4 raids using H2S. Total of 1283 sorties, loss rate 1.7%) 21-2-45 MITTLELAND CANAL (again). 10 of 467, 10 of 463 of 165 Lancs & 12 Mosquitos from 5-Group. Weather was clear, and the canal was breached. [page break] The Main Force raided 4 other targets, 1110 sorties; losses 3.1%. 463 Sq. lost their C.O. W/C Forbes on his last trip of 2nd Tour … shot down by German nightfighter ace, Major H.W. Schnaufer. NIGHT 23-2-45. PFORZHEIM. 1 of 463 (Photo) 367 Lancs of 1, 6 & 8 groups. 1825 tons of bombs dropped … “The 3rd most effective raid of the war … killed 17000, and 83% of the town destroyed by a fire-storm. DAY 24-2-45 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL. 18 of 467, 11 of 463, of 166 Lancs & 4 Mosquitos from 5-Group … The target was obscured by cloud and the raid abandoned. No Loss. FEBRUARY SUMMARY. The weather was often bad. 467 did 158 sorties, lost 5 crews + 3 who baled out + 3 “2nd dickies”. (25 KIA, 15 POW, 1 Ev.) 3 tours expired. 1 Crew crashed in training. NIGHT 3-3-45. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL. 15 of 467, 15 of 463, of 212 Lancs + 10 Mosquitos of 5-Group breached the aqueduct near Ladbergen in 2 places, putting it out of action until after the war’s end. 467 lost F/O R.T. Ward and crew (7 KIA); F/O R.B. Eggins & crew (6 KIA, 1 POW), and the C.O. W/C E. Langlois & crew (5 KIA, 2 POW) … he had only become C.O. on 9th Feb. 8 Lancs lost over Ger. 20 over U.K.[inserted] loss [/inserted] 3.6% (This night the Luftwaffe mounted “Operation Gisela” sending 200 night fighters to follow various bomber forces into England (& so not being detected). They took the British defences by surprise and they shot down 20 bombers over England (some were Lancaster training planes … a couple at Wigsley, where I was Duty Navigator in the control tower!) The bomb dump at Waddington was attacked but wasn’t blown up. 3 German fighters crashed flying too low. [page break] NIGHT 5-3-45 BOHLEN 15 of 467, 15 of 463 of 248 from 5-Group, attacked synthetic oil refinery. Target was cloudy but some damage. Bomber Command made 1223 sorties for 31 lost over Germany and 10 crashed in England … “visibility had detiorated [sic] for returning aircraft”. (Percy Jobson, of Wagga Wagga, a friend of hockey years, was shot down, parachuted, on this trip … a big write up given.) NIGHT 6-3-45. SASSNITZ - - a port on the Baltic Sea. NIGHT 7-3-45 HARBURG. oil refinery (5-Group). Bomber Command total (on various targets): 1276, loss 41 (3.2%) DAY 11-3-45 ESSEN by 1079 bombers … the largest day raid by B.C. … “paralysed Essen until the Americans entered. 467 lost 1 crew (all KIA) on collision with a Hurricane near base in F.A. training. DAY 12-3-45 Dortmund. 1108 planes, record tonnage 4851 tons … with fighter escorts, over 2000 planes … “put the city out of the war”. NIGHT 14-3-45 LUTZKENDORF. 5-Group attack on oil refinery, losing 18 (7.4%). Main Force of 568 attacked Zweibrucken & Homburg & other minor targets … 2.8% loss NIGHT 16-3-45 WURZBURG. 5-Group, 225 Lancs & 11 Mosquitos, dropped 1207 tons with great accuracy in 17 minutes … 89% of industrial part of city destroyed. 467 lost F/O Thomas & crew (6 KIA, 1 POW). Main force attacked NUREMBERG with 480 planes, losing 28 (4.2%), due to night-fighters joining the bomber stream before the target [page break] DAY 19-3-45 ARNSBERG RAILWAY VIADUCT. 37 Lancs of 617 and 9 Sqdns (and 1 photo Lanc. from 463) dropped 6 ‘Grand Slam’ 10-ton bombs … the ‘earthquake-effect’ collapsed the viaduct … the film was spectacular. NIGHT. 20-3-45 BOHLEN. 5-Group. The main force was on Hemingstedt with 675 planes, loss rate 1.9%. DAY 22-3-45 BREMEN. 5-Group. Rail bridge. NIGHT. 23-3-45 WESEL. 5-Group. 1000 tons in 9 minutes from 9000’ … as close army support … “British Army crossed the river before the bombers had left the area”, and Wesel was in British hands before midnight (the bombing ended at 2239). Wesel claims it was the most heavily bombed town in Germany … 97% of buildings destroyed in main town area; population reduced from 250000 at outbreak of war, to 1900 in May ’45. DAY 27-3-45 FARGE Oil Storage, 5-Group plus 2 of 617 attacking U-Boat shelters with 23’-thick concrete roof. 2 of the Grand-Slam bombs penetrated the roof and brought down thousands of tons of concrete and rubble, rendering the shelter ineffective. MARCH SUMMARY 467 flew 185 sorties, lost 4 crews (24 KIA, 4 POW), 4 crews completed tours. [page break] DAY 4-4-45 NORDHAUSEN. 5-Group … Military barracks Many ‘forced labourers killed’. DAY 6-4-45 IJMUIDEN … on ships … raid abandoned due to bad weather. NIGHT 7-4-45 MOLBIS. Benzol plant … “all production ceased”. NIGHT 8-4-45 LUTZKENDORF. 5-Group. Oil refinery. ‘Put out of action until end of war’. Main force was on Hamburg 440 planes, & other targets, total of 918 planes … 1.3% loss. DAY 9-4-45 HAMBURG .. oil storage (5-Group) and 617 Sq attacked U-Boat shelters with Grand Slam bombs, and Tallboy bombs. Both raids successful. On this raid German ME 152 & 153 jet fighters attacked the Lancs for the first time. NIGHT 16-4-45 PILSEN 5-Group. Rail Yards. NIGHT 18-4-45 KOMOTAU 5-Group. DAY 23-4-45 FLENSBURG Railway yards. (Abandoned – cloud) NIGHT 25-4-45 TONSBERG Oil Refinery & U Boat pens (Norway) 463 Sq. lost the last Lancaster of the war (crew survived) 3300 Lancasters lost in the whole war. 467 Sq from Nov ’42 to 26 Apr ’45 – flew 4188 sorties, used 214 Lancs. lost 110 by enemy action, 4 damaged – crashlandings but recovered. 590 KIA. 117 POW. 8E Ev. 5 DSO, 146 DFC. 2 CGM. 36 DFM [page break] [underlined] 467 SQUADRON – R.A.A.F. [/underlined] 467 Squadron was formed at SCAMPTON, LINCOLNSHIRE 7-11-42. Moved to BOTTESFORD by 30-11-1942. Moved to WADDINGTON 11-11-1943. Bottesford Station Commanding Officers: G/C. SWAIN, F.R.O: OBE: DFC. From 3.3.43. – G/C. McKECKNIE, W.N: DFC. [underlined] 467 SQAUDRON moved to WADDINGTON 12.11.43 [/underlined] Waddington Station Commanding Officers: 16.4.43. G/C. S.C. ELWORTHY, CCB, CBE, DSO, MVO, DFC, AFC, MA. 31.3.44. G/C. D.W. BONHAM-CARTER, CB, DFC. 14.4.45. G/C. E.D. McK. NELSON, CB. 1.8.45 G/C. D.D. CHRISTIE, AFC. 24.8.45. G/C. A.E. TAYLOR. 467 SQUADRON COMMANDERS: 7.11.42. W/C. C.L. COMM, DSO, DFC. _ _ _ KIA 16.8.43. 19.8.43. W/C. J.R. BALMER, DFC, OBE. _ _ _ KIA 11.5.44. 12.5.44. W/C. W.L. BRILL, DSO, DFC & Bar _ _ _ Died 1964. 12.10.44. W/C. J.K. DOUGLAS, DFC, AFC. _ _ KIA 8.2.45. 9.2.45. W/C. E. le P. LANGLOIS _ _ KIA 3.4.45. 4.3.45. W/C. I.H. HAY, DFC. _ _ To disbandment. 467 STATION ADJUTANTS: F/L. BURFIELD_CARPENTER. F/L. A.D. McDONALD (A18121): F/L. J.M.W. LOVE. 467 SQUADRON moved to RAF METHERINGHAM 16.6.45 and were disbanded there October, 1945. [underlined] 467 STATISTICS COMPILED FROM OPERATIONAL RECORD BOOKS [/underlined]. First Operational Sortie – 2/3.1.1943 – To FURZE _ Minelaying. Last Operational Sortie – 26/26.4.45 – to TONSBURG. [underlined] OPERATIONAL SORTIES ATTEMPTED [/underlined]: No. of a/c actually took off on operations: 3977 No. of Operational sorties completed: 3795 No. of Operational sorties failed: 182 [underlined] REASON FOR FAILURE OF SORTIE [/underlined]: a/c failed to return – listed missing 105 a/c early return due to Engine Failure: 28 a/c early return due to Electrical Failure: 10 a/c “ “ “ to Armament Failure: 9 a/c “ “ “ to Oxygen Failure: 9 a/c “ “ “ to Instruments, radio, intercom failure: 12 a/c “ “ “ to Ice in flight & ice damage: 6 a/c “ “ “ to Navigational Error: [underlined] 3 [/underlined] [underlined] 182 [/underlined] No. of Sorties completed in a/c damaged by Enemy Action: 230 No. of Aircrew listed in Operational Record Books as flown on ops from 467 Sqdn, RAAF: (inc. RAF, RNZAF, RCAF): 1814 No. of Aircrew listed in ORB’s as War Casualty from 467 Sq: (includes) RAAF, RAF, RNZAF, RCAF): 760 No. of whole crews posted to 467 Sq. for Ops: 258 No. of whole crews finished tour of ops – 30 or more: 74 No. of whole crews lost on Ops: 115 No. of whole crews still operating when hostilities ceased 8.5.45. and not tour expired: 31 No. of whole crews posted to other Squadrons during tour: 34 No. of whole crews with no Ops. before hostilities ceased: 4 No. of crews from 53 Base who flew on ops from 467 Sqdn and not listed as posted to 467 Sqdn. 6 [page break] [inserted] Extract of “WAR” List for an Operation … late 1944. [/inserted] F/S J.W. Singer (Can) – Sgt A. Carson – [missing name] PB. 193 ‘W’ – F/O R.J. Harris – P/O J.T. Adair – Sgt T. Andrews – Sgt R. Walker P/O H.F.C. Parsons – F/L R.W. Cook – Sgt S. Saunders EE.136 – F/O A.L. Keely – F/S W. Chorny (Can) – Sgt A.E. Wotherspoon – Sgt C.H. Connwell F/S L.W. Tanner – Sgt S.D. Chambers – Sgt J.E. Johnson LM.713 – F/O C. Newton (Can) – Sgt P. Grant – Sgt W. Gregory – Sgt E.H. Cooper (Can) Sgt R. Flynn (Can) – Sgt L.G. Kelly – Sgt R.S. Stevens (Can) LM.715 ‘O’ – F/O R.W. Ayrton (Aus) – Sgt M.J. Herkes – Sgt H.K. Huddlestone – Sgt D.K. Chalcraft F/S N. Bardsley – Sgt W. Scott – Sgt J.A.W. Davies ME.809 – F/O R.C. Lake – P.O J.A. Peterson (Can) – Sgt R.W. Baird – Sgt R.A. Morton W/O G.B. Watts (Can) – F/S G.E. Parkinson – P/O R.D. Kerr (Can) No. 467 Squadron, Second Wave NF.908 ‘C’ – F/L J.K. Livingstone – F/L D.O. Sands – F/O E.G. Parsons – F/O R.N. Browne P/O W.D. McMahon (Aus) – F/O J. Pendergast – F/O T.C. Taylor PB306 – F/O R.J. Mayes (Aus) – F/O L.J. Hart (Aus) – Sgt D.H. Hamilton – F/S J. Manning F/S A.R. Edgar (Aus) – F/S J.G. Muir (Aus) – F/S K.W. Cary (Aus) LM.100 ‘D’ – F/O P.R. Gray-Buchanan (Aus) – F.S. H.G. Adams (Aus) – Sgt D.M. Coutts – F/S J.R. Giles (Aus) F/S B.J. Payne (Aus) – F/S E.J. Taylor (Aus) – F/S K. Nichols (Aus) PD.215 ‘F’ – F/O L. Landridge (Aus) – F/S D.G. Beverley (Aus) – Sgt J. Halstead – Sgt D.J. Allen F/S K.C. Woollam (Aus) – F/S W.C. Denny (Aus) – Sgt B.A. Davies LM.542 ‘K’ – F/O T.A. Gummersall (Aus) – F/S L.C.C. Chalcraft (Aus) – Sgt J. Clemons – F/S E.R. Baldwin (Aus) F/O F.A. York (Aus) – F/S S.J. Anders (Aus) – F/S W.H. Bradbury (Aus) LM.233 ‘M’ – F/O J.J. Sheridan (Aus) – F.S G.W. Gould (Aus) – Sgt B.J. Ambrose – Sgt J. Hodgson F/S A. Raymond (Aus) – F/S W. Branagh (Aus) – Sgt R. Ward LM.677 – F/O J.J.J. Cross (Aus) – F/S D.F. Edwards (Aus) – Sgt K.M. Pope – F.S W.K. Perry (Aus) F/O V.L. Drouyn (Aus) – F/S W.V. Maurer (Aus) – F/S M.D. Wilkie (Aus) NF.910 – F/O G.H. Stewart (Aus) – F/O R. Faulks (Aus) – Sgt G. Hopwood – F/S D.J. Morland (Aus) F/S R. Galov (Aus) – F/S M.J.H. West (Aus) – F/S F.H. Skuthorpe (Aus) NF.917 ‘Q’ – F/O R.S. Forge (Aus) – F/O H.M. Bissell (Aus) – Sgt W.C. Bradley – Sgt H. R. Harvey F/O R.H. Darwin (Aus) – F/S E.J. O’Kearney (Aus) – Sgt R. Haire ND.473 – F/O R.H. Mellville (Aus) – F/S J.L. Klye (Aus) – Sgt R.J. Brady – F/S D.D. Suter (Aus) F/S J.F. Tongue (Aus) – F/S B.T. Hoskin (Aus) – F/S R.C.M. Newling (Aus) NF.908 – F/O L.R. Pedersen (Aus) – F/S J.S. Hodgson (Aus) – Sgt D.R. Ba.dry [sic] – Sgt E.W. Durrant F/S P.K. Garvey (AUS) – F/S V.J.M. McCarthy (AUS) – Sgt A.E. Dearns NN.714 – F/O E.B. Rowell (Aus – F/S R.L. Morris (Aus) – Sgt A.J. Halls – Sgt. A Thomson F/S D.J. Taylor (Aus) – F/S A.S. Smith (Aus) – Sgt A. Thomson F/S D.J. Taylor (Aus) – F/S A.S. Smith (Aus) – Sgt J. Hodge No. 463 Squadron, Third Wave ND.133 ‘X’ – W/C W.A. Forbes (Aus) – F/O J.A. Costello – P/O W.A. Martin – F/S A.J. Norman F/O W.J. Grime – P/O W. McLeod – P/O K.L. Worden PD.311 ‘O’ – F/O P.J. Bowell (Aus) – F/S E.A. Petersen (Aus) – Sgt W. Forster – F/S W.H.J. Butcher (Aus) F/S W. Plumb (Aus) – W/O J.R. Williams (Aus) – F/S I.D. Dutfiield [sic] (Aus) LM.130 ‘N’ – F/O A.G. Stutter (Aus) – F/S P.L. Wilkinson (Aus) – Sgt H. Walsh – F/S M.F. Woodgate (Aus) F/S P. O’Loughlin (Aus) – F/S D.J. Browning (Aus) – F/S H.R. Holmes (Aus) PD.337 ‘L’ – F/O F.H. Smith (Aus) – Sgt E. Moss – ? F/S B.A. Donaghue (Aus) – F/S R.T. Simonson (Aus) – F/S E.R. Cameron (Aus) ND.977 – F/O G.T. White (Aus) – F/S G.D. Smith (Aus) – Sgt C. Jackson – Sgt V.G. Dunn F/S H. Robinson (Aus) – F/S J.J.B. Middleton (Aus) – Sgt W. S. Bayne PD.330 ‘F’ – F/O K.P. Brady (Aus) – F/S E.D. Rees – Sgt C.R. Levy – F/S G. Berglund (Aus) F/S G.W. Boyes – F/S J.D. Stevens (Aus) – F/S J.E. Cox (Aus) MD.332 – F/O B. Ward-Smith (Aus) – F/O R.W. Markham (Aus) – Sgt E. Taylor – F/S A.J. Tyson (Aus) [page break] [underlined] 5 Group, [/underlined] the biggest of 6 in Bomber Command. Our 467 squadron was one of 18 Lancaster squadrons the Group. They were:- 9 at Bardney 227 at Balderton [missing number] 4 (Rhod.) “ Spilsby [underlined] 463 & 467 “ Waddington [/underlined] 49 “ Fulbeck 619 at Strubby 50 & 61 “ Skellingthorpe 630 “ East Kirkby 57 “ East Kirkby 617, 627 “ Woodhall Spa [symbol] Mosquitos 83 & 97 (Pathfinders) Coningsby 106 Metheringham 189 Fulbeck 207 Spilsby [underlined] Some notable raids [/underlined]: 1944 Sept. 12/13. First operational use of [underlined] Loran [/underlined]. “ 23/4. Dortmund-Ems canal breached by [underlined] Tallboy [/underlined] (12000 lb bomb, designed by Barnes Wallis). Oct. 3 Sea wall at Westkapelle (Walcheren Is) breached. “ 14/5 Biggest night ops by Bomber Command of the war. “ 23/4. Part of 1055 plane raid on Essen. “ 25 “ “ 771 “ “ “ “, finishes it. Nov. 2/3 “ “ 992 “ “ “ Dusseldorf. “ 4/5. 174 Lancs breach Dortmund-Ems canal again. “ 12 Tirpitz sank at Tromso by 9 & 617 Sqdns. 1945 Jan 1/2. 157 Lancs breach Mittleand canal. “ 4/5. raid on Royan kills many French civilians. “ 7/8. Part of 654 a/c; last raid on Munich. Mar 14. Bielefeld aquaduct [sic] broken using Barnes Wallis’s new 22000 lb Grand Slam bomb. by 617 Sqdn. “ 27. U-boat shelter at Farge blown up using the Grand Slam bomb, by 617 Sqdn. Feb. 20/21 First of 36 consecutive night raids on Berlin by Mosquitos of 627 Sqdn. [page break] [circled 8] [underlined] 5 Group [/underlined] Sqdns. As at 22.3.45. Lanc I, III 9 Bardney 44 (Rhod.) Spilsby 49 Fulbeck. 50 Skellingthorpe 57 East Kirkby 61 Skellingthorpe 106 Metheringham 189 Fulbeck. 207 Spilsby 227 Balderton 463 [brackets] RAAF Waddington 407 RAAF Waddington [/brackets] 619 Strubby 630 East Kirkby [symbol] 617 Woodhall Spa. [brackets] 83 PFF Coningsby 97 PFF Coningsby [/brackets] 627 Woodhall Spa. Mosquito IV, XX, 25. (83, 97 & 627 on loan from 8 Group.) [inserted] [underlined] 1944. [/underlined] [/inserted] Sept 12/13 First operational use of LORAN. “ 23/4. Dortmund Ems canal breached by Tallboy (12000 lb). Oct 3. Sea wall at Westkapelle (Walcheren Is) breached. 14/15 BC. biggest night ops of war. 23/24. 1055 raid on Essen. 25th 771 on Essen finishes it. Nov 2/3. 992 on Dusseldorf. 4/5. 174 breach Dortmund Ems canal again. 12. Tirpitz sank at Tromas by 9 & 617 Sq. Jan 1/2. 157 breach Mittleand Canal. [inserted] 1945 Jan 4/5 Royan – many French casualties. 7/8 Last raid on Munich 654 a/c Mar 14. Bielefeld aqueduct broken … Grand Slam 22000 lb. 27 U boat shelter at Farge successful using “ “ “ Feb. 20/21 first of 36 consecutive night raids on Berlin by mosquitos. [/inserted] [page break] Extracts from “The Hardest Victory – RAF Bomber Command in WW II by Dennis Richards. (Hodder & Stoughton, 1944.) 1944. March to June. The Transportation Plan, preparatory to OVERLORD … the invasion in Normandy. As part of the plan to convince the Germans that the landing would be in the Pas de Calais, far more bridges and railway workshops and marshalling yards were attacked North of the Seine than South of it. In this phase Bomber Command dealt with 37 of the railway centres, 8th American Air Force heavies 26, & AEAF (fighters, fighter-bombers, light & medium bombers, & recon. aircraft, a mixture of RAF & USAAF squadrons) 20. Bomber command dropped nearly 45000 tons on these centres, twice the tonnage of the other 2 put together. Harris in “Bomber Command” wrote:- “Bomber Command’s night bombing proved to be rather more accurate, much heavier in weight & more concentrated than the American daylight attacks, a fact which was afterwards clearly recognised by SHAEF when the time came (later) for the bombing of German troop concentrations within a mile or so of our own troops.” In this phase, Bomber Command made 69 attacks, 9000 sorties & lost 198 planes (1.8%). They did enormous damage. In the end about 2/3 of the 37 centres were classed as completely out of action for a month or more, and the remainder as needing only some further “attention” from fighter-bombers. Unhappily, the toll of friendly civilian lives was sometimes more than the “prescribed” limit of 100 – 150 per raid … (Coutrai 252, Lille 456, Ghent 482), but overall the total was much less than the 10000 “limit”. The attacks on rail centres by all 3 air forces proved catastrophic for the Germans. Only about 12% of rolling stock was fit for use. A division from Poland took 3 days to get to West Germany, then 4 weeks to the Normandy battlefront! [page break] [duplicate page] [page break] [circled 2] A particularly important raid, both in technique & results, was that on 5/6 Apr. (’43) on the Gnome et Rhône aero-works at Toulouse. 144 Lancs from 5 Group, with Leonard Cheshire of 617 SQN doing the initial marking at low level from a Mosquito. 2 Lancs of 617 reinforced the marking with great accuracy & this led to a raid which completely destroyed the factory. Thenceforth, Harris normally entrusted 5 Group (the largest in the Command) with its own marking, independent of the Pathfinder Force. Bomber Command’s biggest task just before the invasion was to help silence the enemy’s coastal batteries … most nights since 24/25 May, & for deception purposes many of them outside the intended invasion area. But as D-Day neared, so the assault stepped up. On 2/3 June, 271 bombers attacked 4 batteries in the Pas de Calais (where the Germans most expected the invasion). On 3/4 June, 135 bombers attacked batteries at Calais & Winereux. On 4/5 June, 257 a/c attacked … this time in the invasion area. On 5/6 June (when invasion fleet was under way) Bomber Command put on max. effort … 1136 a/c (1047 attacked) [inserted] 5000 + tons of bombs. [/inserted] against [deleted] the [/deleted] 10 of the main batteries on the invasion coast. Other air formations & naval bombardment also attacked there & between them 9 of the 10 batteries were made incapable of sustained fire against the invasion forces. In the week after D-Day, B.C. flew 3500 sorties to prevent reinforcements getting to the front. In the most skilful attack, 8/9 June. Lancs of 83 Sqn lit up railway tunnel at Saumur, then marked by Mosquitos, then 25 Lancs of 617 Sqn. dropped new 12000 lb “Tallboys” [inserted] [symbol] designed by Barnes Wallis. [/inserted] blocked the tunnel & delayed the Panzers. [page break] [circled 3] During the struggle in Normandy, B.C. operated in strength close to battlefield. 14/15 Jun, 337 vs troops & vehicles at Aunay & Évrecy (near Caen). 30 Jun first B.C. daylight there … 266 Lancs & Halis & a few Mosquitos & Spitfire escort bombed a road junction at Villers-Bocage from 4000’ & frustrated a panzer attack. Of B.C.’s 5 other attacks in close support the biggest was 18 Jul .. GOODWOOD (max effort) … 1056 from B.C., 863 of AEAF & 8th A.F. to help the push SE of Caen towards Falaise …. but had bad weather & unsubdued anti-tank guns stopped the offensive (only 6 miles max.). But it impressed the Germans … Von Kluge who’d just replaced Rommel, wrote to Hitler on 21 Jul:- “There is no way by which, in the face of the enemy air forces’ complete command of the air, we can discover a form of strategy which will counterbalance the annihilating effects [underlined] unless we withdraw [/underlined] from the battlefield. Whole armoured formations allotted to counter-attack were caught beneath bomb carpets of the greatest intensity so that they could be got out of the torn-up ground only by prolonged effort … The psychological effect of such a mass of bombs coming down with all the power of elemental nature on the fighting forces, especially the infantry, is a factor which has to be taken into very serious consideration. It is immaterial whether such a carpet catches good troops or bad. They are more or less annihilated, and above all their equipment is shattered ...” (He suicided a month later when Hitler wouldn’t allow a withdrawal) On 7/8 Aug. 1019 a/c of B.C. raided 5 points in advance of Allied troops … helping Canadian 1st Army to open the way to Falaise. Allies had 14000 a/c against German 1000 in those weeks. 25 Aug. Paris was free. 3 Sept. Brit 2nd Army in Brussels. Resumption of oil targets delayed by V-1 threat. [page break] [circled 4] Jan (1944) Hitler had hoped to begin V-1s vs London as ‘New Year present’ but damage to ‘ski” sites, & Fiesler works at Kassel & their own trouble with getting the bomb to operate reasonably – caused set-backs. Allied bombing of railways held up delivery of launchers & bomb components. 12/13 Jun first V-1 attacks. 7 of 55 sites managed to fire total of 10 … of which 3 reached England. But they improved. Bet. 15/16 & 16/17 Jun. 144 crossed Kentish coast & 73 reached London. Operation CROSSBOW … B.C. + AEAF + 8th A.F. attacked V-1 sites from mid June to mid-August … using 40% of B.C. strength Targets were the modified launch sites, supply depots, & ‘large sites’ (V-2 rockets [deleted] maybe [indecipherable word] [/deleted]. B.C. attacked these day & night. B.C. flew 16000 sorties, 59000 tons vs the V-1 targets only losing 131 a/c ([symbol] 1%). By mid-Aug, less need [symbol] defences (AA & fighters redeployed & more effect … + proximity fuses [symbol] [symbol] 20% reaching target; + balloons + finally our armies overrunning the launching sites. Every day but one from 5 to 11 Sept Harris sent out 300 or more a/c to bomb [deleted] h [/deleted] [underlined] Le Havre [/underlined] area. (We did our [underlined] first trip [/underlined] on 10 [deleted] 8 [/deleted] Sept. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb.) that day 992 sorties. Total for the week 2500 sorties, 9750 tons … the ground attack after the last air raid on 11 Sept. succeeded & only c. 50 fatalaties [sic]. [inserted] (our 3rd) [/inserted] [underlined] Boulogne [/underlined] [inserted] we dropped 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb. [/inserted] had become the next objective. We were in big raid on 17 Sept. by 762 a/c, opening the way for attack by Canadian army, … garrison gave in on 22 Sept, in diary of captured German officer: “Sometimes one could despair of everything if one is at the mery [sic] of the RAF without any protection. It seems as if all fighting is useless & all sacrifices in vain.” [page break] [circled 5] Germans still held Dunkirk & Ostend … it became clear that key to faster supply to our armies was Antwerp, 40 miles up R. Scheldt. Allies captured Antwerp on 4 Sept. but Germans still held river banks, South Beveland & [underlined] Walcheren Is. [/underlined] dominating its approach from the sea. Allies tried, MARKET GARDEN, airborne troops to capture bridges over Maas, Wasl & lower Rhine … a disaster, losing 1st Airborne Div’n. [symbol] Try to open the Sheldt Estuary. B.C. began attacks on Walcheren Is. in 3rd week of Sept. Hitting batteries proved difficult. Canadian army told to capture Is. … their C.O. suggested bombing might breach its sea-walls & flood some low-lying batteries. Oct 2nd .. leaflets & broadcast to locals. Oct 3. .. Pathfinder Mosquitos in waves of 30 created a big gap in wall 60’ thick at top & 204’ at base. (617 Sqn with Tallboys not needed … took ‘em home!) Many parts of Is. now flooded, but no surrender. Further attacks on walls on Oct 7, 11 & 17. We did our [underlined] 11th op [/underlined] [inserted] on 7 OCT. [/inserted] on [underlined] Flushing dyke [/underlined] walls, 2 sticks of 7 x 1000 lb, 2 runs at fairly low alt. & achieved a good breach. We also bombed gun batteries on [underlined] Walcheren [/underlined] Is again on Oct. 23 (14 x 1000 lb) and Oct 30 (14 x 1000 lb) … [underlined] our 13th op [/underlined]. The plan was to take Wal. Is by amphibious assault & to ‘soften it up’, B.C. raided c 277 on Oct 28; then on Oct 29 with 358 a/c, then on [underlined] Oct 30 with 110 a/c [/underlined]. [inserted] [underlined] our 15th [/underlined] [/inserted] (us). On 1 Nov. Canadian & Scottish troops began a week of hard fighting … Royal marines sailed landing craft through the gaps in the sea-walls. B.C. flew 2000+ sorties in 14 raids there, 9000 tons of bombs … only lost 11 a/c ([symbol] 0.4%). Antwerp not used for another 19 days … time taken to clear the estuary of mines. [page break] [circled 6] B.C. continued to attack towns in Germany & coastal targets in the autumn & winter of 1944. On [inserted] 12th [/inserted] Sept. we did our [underlined] 2nd trip [/underlined] on [underlined] Stuttgart [/underlined] (1 x 4000 lb + 13 J clusters). (Our skipper had been [deleted] there [/deleted] [inserted] to [underlined] Danstadt [/underlined] [/inserted] the previous night as “2nd-dickie”). Then our [underlined] 4th [/underlined] on Bremerhaven on 18 Sept. (18 cans). & 5th on Munchen-Gladbach the next night 19 Sept (1 x 2000 lb + 12 J clusters) on which Guy Gibson as master bomber went missing (KIA). Our [underlined] 6th on [/underlined] 23 Sept. was our first of 4 raids on [underlined] Dortmund [/underlined] Ems canal “the vital link between the Ruhr & North Sea”. (14 x 1000 lb). B.C. did about 10 raids on the canal, “each time draining the canal for several miles & leaving scores of barges stranded. And this was not simply a one-off piece of temporary damage. As soon as, by the effort of 4000 (Todt) labourers, the canal was once more fully working, B.C. breached it again - & went on doing so as required until the end of the war.” (It was a fairly “dicey” target – they [underlined] knew [/underlined] we’d be coming & [underlined] where [/underlined] (where the aqueduct was above ground level.) Sept 26. Op [symbol] 7 on Karlsruhe (18 cans) “ 27 [symbol] 8 “ Kauserlauten (18 cans). Oct 6 [symbol] 10. Bremen (18 cans) Oct 5. Daylight formation (!) on Wilhelmshaven (18 cans). - - cloud obscured target & we (& others) bombed by H2S … the only time we used it on ops … mostly we were denied its use because they reckoned German fighter &/or flak could pick us up from its transmission. Oct. 19. Op [symbol] 12. Nuremburg (1 x 2000 lb + 12 J clusters). Oct 28 op 14 Bergen (Norway) U-boat pens … but brought bombs back due to smokescreen over target. Had to descend to near mountain tops to clear cloud – did so safely using GEE. [page break] [circled 7] “In the last quarter of 1944, nearly half the tonnage dropped by B.C. was aimed at Urban areas in general rather than on more specific targets. … eg. Stuttgart, Nuremburg; [underlined] Dusseldorf (our 16th [/underlined] on Nov 2nd, 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500) Munich our [underlined] 23rd [/underlined] on Dec. 17 (1 x 4000 + 9 cans + 1 monroe). & [underlined] Munich [/underlined] again our 28th on Jan 7th (1 x 4000 + 6 J clusters). Our [underlined] 18th [/underlined] on 11 Nov. on Harburg oil refinery (near Hamburg) caused huge fire visible 100 miles on way home (1 x 4000+ 6 x 1000 + 6 x 500 lb). 16 Nov, Our 19th a daylight on [underlined] Duren [/underlined], part of a huge effort to react to battle of bulge destroyed the town to rubble. (12 x 1000 lb). Our 24th Gdynic .. Dec 18, on Pocket Battleship ‘Lutzow’ (also there the P.B. Admiral Von Sheer) … may have caused enough damage to have Latzow towed (?) to Swinemunde where 617 Sqn finished it off on 16/17 April ’45 (10 x 1000 SA.P.). 5 Group. HQ Grantham, then Moreton Hall, near Swinderby. [underlined] AOC’s [/underlined] Harris 11.9.39. Bottomley 22.11.40. Slessor 12-5-41. Coryton 25.5.42. Cochrane 28.2.43 Constantine 16.1.45. A/C. Hampdens, Manchesters, Lancasters, Mosquitos. [underlined] B.C. casualties, Aircrew [/underlined] Operational K. 47120 Died as POW 138 Missing now safe. 2868 POW “ “ 9784 Wounded. 4200 [underlined] Non-operational [/underlined] K. 8090 Wounded 4200 [page break] A brief summary of the Bache crew’s experiences after the Operation to the Dortmund-Ems Canal on 1st January 1945. A number of entries in the 160 pages that I wrote during 1945 in the second of my three war diaries refer to events connected with, or as a result of, the Bache crew’s experiences on 1st January of that year. (The three diaries contain a total of some 420 pages which cover only some sections of my overseas service in the RAAF, mainly while travelling to and while in Canada doing my navigator training, the Operation on 1st January 1945, that period which is summarised below and my trip back home from England. Unfortunately they do not cover any of the crew’s other Operational Sorties in detail but an amount of information on these is available from other sources in my possession) The following very short summary makes use of extracts from some of the entries in my second diary, (other than from the 17 pages which contributed to my chronicle of events directly associated with our 16th Operation on 1st January 1945). It then goes on to refer to information that I have received since from various members of our crew covering their individual moves after the crew broke up in May 1945, plus each one’s post war status. However, for the sake of brevity, this summary does not include any detailed references to those of our Operational Sorties which we flew between 19th February and 18th April 1945 – and some other of the events in which the crew were involved between January and May of that year – but which were not as a direct consequence of the Operation on 1-1-45 These matters may (possibly?) be covered at some future date. So, picking up this account from a point part way through January 1945 – My additional navigational duties during 1945. During the period early in 1945 when our crew was non-operational, while we waited for Ernie and Cec to recover from their injuries received on 1st January, I was employed in the squadron’s navigation section in various ways. Some of these duties continued after we returned to Ops – particularly on the occasions where our crew was not flying on that Op. Amongst other things, I had been requested by the squadron navigation leader to assist him by looking after the navigation Order Book, which covered matters such as changes in navigational procedures as these came through from No 5 Group Headquarters, as well as setting up an improved system for bringing this information to the notice of the navigators on the squadron. I was also asked to devise ways of drawing attention to cases or areas in which we should take steps to improve navigational performance. I “dreamed up” a cartoon type character of a navigator who I named “Ayling-Rouse” (who was something like a mixture of the infamous idiotic pilot character, P/O Prune and the well known ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius) to assist with this and it seemed to be quite successful in getting the guys’ attention! – the style being recommended for use elsewhere in the Group. I was also shown by the section’s navigation assessment officer how to assess the squadron navigator’s Operational flying log sheets and plotting charts – and learned how to get the navigators away on “cross-country” training flights etc. I was then introduced by the squadron navigation leader to Operational navigation briefing procedures and other of his duties – and taken to some of the pre-Operation navigational planning conferences, which were held via a Group telephone hook up between [page break] the various squadrons just prior to our squadron Navigators Briefing for the Op. concerned. As an upshot of all this, I was made deputy navigation leader and eventually stood in for the squadron navigation leader on occasions – including the conducting of the Navigators Briefing and the navigation specialist officer’s briefing contribution at the Main Briefing which followed, for those of No. 467 Squadron’s crews who were to participate in the daylight Bomber Command attack on “Hitler’s Hideout” at Berchtesgaden, in April 1945. As it turned out – like so many other planned attacks – this Operation had to be “scrubbed” (ie cancelled) at the last minute because of bad weather in the target area – but was carried out a day or so later by 359 Lancasters – of which some were from other squadrons in No 5 Group and some from Nos. 1 and 8 Groups. However it so happened that Nos. 463 and 467 Squadrons were not available to go there with them on that day due to our station’s involvement in an attack on Tonsberg in Norway which required take-off later in the same afternoon. (As a result of the additional navigation section work which I had carried out while our crew was “off Ops” waiting for the return of Cec and Ernie and also after we returned to Ops, the squadron navigation leader, when he was informed by the squadron commander early in May that the Bache crew had been selected as one of several crews for a voluntary posting from No. 467 Squadron to Transport Command, tried to convince me not to go with them. He indicated that I was being recommended for a navigation leader’s training course – and would then probably go with the squadron on its intended transfer to the Far East theatre of War. However, because of the close crew bonds developed during our earlier Operations – and particularly as a result of the events on 1st January 1945, I decided to stick with Merv, Sam and Cec in their transfer to Transport Command.) Ernie returns to the crew and we return to Operations. As events turned out, Ernie was declared fit for flying after several weeks and we resumed Ops with him back with us on 19th February, as by this time we were starting to “champ upon the bit” again. However we had to make use of the substitute wireless operators – Cec still being out of action. Merv’s promotion and his new role on the squadron. By then Merv had been promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and on occasions had acted as O/C of our “A” Flight, then as O/C “B” Flight, to which our crew was transferred some time in March. Cec returns to the crew for our trip in “S Sugar” According to my diary, Cec – who had been recovering from his ankle injury in the RAF hospital at Wroughton, near Crewe, (as was Ernie after they were both transferred from the hospital in Holland) – was flown back to the squadron by Merv and I when he has discharged from there on 22nd February. However he did not stay, but went to a convalescence place near Liverpool and remained unfit for flying for the remainder of our Operational Sorties – rejoining the crew just in time for our flight to Jouvincourt in France in PO-S on 6th May to bring a planeload of ex-prisoners of war back to England. Page 2 [page break] End of the war in Europe and its effects on No. 467 Squadron. Hostilities in Europe ceased on 7th May 1945 and No. 467 Squadron was one of the Bomber Command squadrons selected for transfer to the Far East theatre of War. Part of the Bache crew transfer to Transport Command. Cec then joined Merv, Sam (who had been commissioned in February) and I, in our transfer on 11th May from No 467 Squadron of Bomber Command to Transport Command – to which we were posted as one of five “part-crews” from Waddington. (These crews were taken from those who were apparently classified as “nominally tour expired” – ie those who had carried out 28, but in our case 25, Operations). We went to the recently transferred RAAF No. 466, ex No. 4 Group Bomber Command Halifax squadron at Driffield for Transport Command flying training. Sam’s Departure from Driffield. We thought that the bomb-aimers who were transferred with us to No. 466 Squadron would have been trained as load masters for Transport Command flying crew “cargo supervision etc”, but were informed shortly after arrival on No. 466 Squadron that it had been decided they were now not required. So Sam was to leave us! However the blow was softened considerably when he received notification that, because of his long period of service in the RAAF (including time served as a medical orderly in ground staff in the New Guinea theatre of war), he was to be repatriated back to Australia where he would be eligible for discharge from the Service. He was first of all transferred to the Australian Aircrew Holding Centre at Brighton, on the south coast of England – to await a draft back home aboard a troopship. Merv, Cec and I continue Transport Command training on No. 466 Squadron. Merv, Cec and I continued on with No. 466 Squadron at Driffield – where we picked up an Australian Second Pilot (Merv becoming Senior Pilot) – and then converted to and flew in their Halifax bombers. We then went with the squadron when it relocated to RAF Bassingbourn in September. From Halifaxes to Liberators. At Bassingbourne the squadron converted from Halifaxes to 4 engine Liberator bomber type aircraft – American designed and built – and a somewhat different aircraft from the 4 engine British designed and built heavy bombers in which we had previously flown. (It was not long before I christened the Liberator “the Flying Brick” after comparing its flying characteristics with those of our beloved Lancasters). After we had completed a number of familiarisation exercises in the UK we were scheduled to undertake training flights and later, service transport operations, between UK and India. The end of World War II in the Far East and the disbanding of 466 Squadron. We were about to carry out our first training flight to India when the war in the Pacific area suddenly ended – resulting in the squadron being disbanded on 26th October 1945. Page 3 [page break] So the four of us, including the Australian Second Pilot, were transferred to Brighton for repatriation back home and discharge from the RAAF. Our return to Australia. As things turned out, all the Australian members of our crew, except for Sam, who had left England much earlier – finished up finally going back to Australia together on the same ship – the Athlone Castle. Our return by sea to Australia is another story – including us becoming involved in a Mutiny aboard the first ship, the Orion, on which we were embarked – and from which we were later disembarked again, back in England, after it broke down in the Bay of Biscay! Return Home and Post War Sam Sam, who received his promotion to Flying Officer in August, returned to Sydney in NSW for discharge from the RAAF. He and his wife, Valda, now live in Wagga, N.S.W. Merv Merv returned to Adelaide in South Australia for discharge as a Flight Lieutenant. He and his wife, Ethel, continued to live there until he died in 1974. Cec Cec returned to Brisbane in Queensland, for discharge, by which time he had been promoted to the rank of Flying Officer. He married Dawn there and they continued to live in Brisbane, but later moved northwards to Caloundra, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland – where he died from a war related complaint in 1997. Les Les, Jim and Ernie remained at Waddington – Les transferring to No 463 Squadron to join Jack Blair’s crew (also ex 467 Squadron, on which they had done 24 Ops prior to the end of the war in Europe). They subsequently moved with the squadron to RAF Skellingthorpe in July. Here he remained until the war in the Pacific concluded, after which No. 463 Squadron was disbanded on 25th September 1945 and all of its RAAF personnel were repatriated back to Australia. He had the rank of Pilot Officer when he was discharged. Les married and he and his wife, Norma, now live at Seymour, Victoria. Jim Jim remained on No. 467 Squadron at Waddington after Merv, Sam, Cec and I left for Transport Command – and while there joined F/O C F Stewart’s crew (which had done 6 Ops on 467 Squadron prior to the end of hostilities in Europe) – as mid upper gunner. They were posted to No. 463 Squadron, which was also located at Waddington, on 4th June – and went with this squadron when it was relocated to RAF Skellingthorpe on 3rd July. They remained with No. 463 Squadron until it was disbanded on 25th September 1945 – after which Jim was transferred to Brighton along with all its other Australian members and then returned to Australia for discharge from the RAAF. He was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer sometime during this period. Jim married and he and his wife, June, live in Sydney, N.S.W. Page 4 [page break] Australian War Memorial Page 1 of [missing number] No. 467 Squadron No. 467 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force was formed at Scampton in the United Kingdom on 7 November 1942. Although intended as an Australian squadron under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme, the majority of its personnel were originally British. The replacement of these men with Australians was a gradual process and it was only towards the end of the war that the squadron gained a dominant Australian character. The squadron relocated to Bottesford on 23 November 1942 and commenced operations on 2 January 1943. A year later it moved to Waddington, which remained the squadron’s home until the end of the war. Equipped with Avro Lancaster heavy bombers, and forming part of 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command, the squadron’s operational focus for much of the war was the strategic bombing offensive against Germany. Bombing almost entirely by night, it participated in all of the major campaigns of the offensive including the battles of the Ruhr, Berlin and Hamburg. In addition to Germany, the squadron also attacked targets in France, Italy, Norway and Czechoslovakia. On 20 June 1943, 467 was the first Bomber Command squadron to participate in the “shuttle service” where aircraft would leave the United Kingdom, bomb a European target, and then fly on to an airfield in North Africa. There they would refuel and rearm and then bomb another target on their return flight to Britain. The German port of Friederichshafen was the outbound target, and the Italian port of Spezia the inbound one. In addition to the strategic bombing offensive, 467 Squadron was also employed in support of ground operations prior to, and during the D-Day landing, during the drive out of the Normandy beachhead in mid-1944, and during the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945. The squadron also participated in the offensive to remove the threat posed by Germany’s terror weapons and participated in raids on the weapons research facility at Peenemende, and on V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket assembly and launch sites in France. 467 Squadron’s last bombing raid of the war was an attack on the oil refinery and tankerage at Vallo in Norway. Even before the cessation of hostilities, the squadron was employed to ferry liberated Allied prisoners of war from Europe to Britain and it continued in this role after VE Day. The squadron was one of several identified to form “Tiger Force”, Bomber Command’s contribution to the strategic bombing campaign against Japan. It relocated to Metheringham to prepare for this role, but the war against Japan ended before “Tiger Force” was deployed. 467 Squadron disbanded on 30 September 1945. Between January 1942 and April 1945, 467 Squadron flew 3,833 sorties and dropped 17,578 tons of bombs. It suffered heavily in the course of its operations – 760 personnel were killed, of whom 284 were Australian, and 11 [missing number] aircraft were lost. References AWM 64, RAAF formation and unit rolls [2 symbols] ORMF 0118, Roll 95 [2 symbols] 1/426 December 1942 – December 1943 [2 symbols] 1/427 January – December 1944 [2 symbols] 1/428 January – October 1945 [2 symbols] 1/435A December 1942 – March 1945; Units of the Royal Australian Air Force; a concise history. Volume 3, bomber units, (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995).; H.M. Blundell, They flew from Waddington! 463 – 467 Lancaster Squadrons, Royal Australian Air Force, (Sydney: W. Homer, 1975). Category Unit http://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U59451/ 4/10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 463 & 467 Squadron Notes on Ops Description An account of the resource Extracts from publications giving details of all operations by 467 and 463 Squadrons from 10 September 1944 to 25 April 1945. Details include number of aircraft, target, bombloads and losses. Interspersed are details of operations carried out by Herbert Adam's crew on 467 Squadron between 10 September 1944 and 16 January 1945 which include many extracts from his diary describing operations and daily activities. Included are photographs of aircraft, crew members, air to ground views, targets, cook's tour and a map diagram. Details of 5 Group Squadrons, Extracts from books and a summary of Bache crew's experiences after operation to Dortmund Ems canal. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource H G Adams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Seventy eight page handwritten book Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Memoir Text. Personal research Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MAdamsHG424504-170215-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Royal Australian Air Force Conforms To An established standard to which the described resource conforms. Pending review Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Lincolnshire France France--Le Havre France--Boulogne-sur-Mer France--Pas-de-Calais Atlantic Ocean--English Channel Germany Germany--Darmstadt Germany--Stuttgart Germany--Bremerhaven Germany--Rheydt Germany--Mönchengladbach Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal Germany--Karlsruhe Germany--Kaiserslautern Germany--Wilhelmshaven Germany--Bremen Germany--Duisburg Germany--Braunschweig Netherlands Netherlands--Walcheren Netherlands--Vlissingen Germany--Nuremberg Norway Norway--Bergen Atlantic Ocean--North Sea Germany--Hamburg Norway--Trondheim Germany--Munich Germany--Heilbronn Germany--Düsseldorf Germany--Harburg (Landkreis) Germany--Giessen (Hesse) Germany--Euskirchen (Kreis) Poland Poland--Gdynia Belgium Belgium--Houffalize France--Royan Germany--Merseburg Czech Republic Czech Republic--Most Germany--Gelsenkirchen Germany--Siegen Germany--Dresden Germany--Leipzig Germany--Pforzheim Germany--Sassnitz Germany--Essen Germany--Dortmund Germany--Halle an der Saale Germany--Würzburg Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia) Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia) Netherlands--IJmuiden Germany--Flensburg Norway--Tønsberg Germany--Düren (Cologne) Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie) Czech Republic--Plzeň Germany--Herne (Arnsberg) Germany--Ruhr (Region) France--Évrecy Netherlands--Overflakkee Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-09 1944-10 1944-11 1944-12 1945-01 1945-02 1945-03 1945-04 1944-04-05 1944-04-06 1944-06-14 1944-06-15 1944-06-30 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tricia Marshall Maureen Clarke 463 Squadron 467 Squadron 5 Group air gunner aircrew bombing bombing of Toulouse (5/6 April 1944) Cook’s tour Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944) Grand Slam H2S killed in action Lancaster Mosquito Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944) nose art RAF Waddington searchlight tactical support for Normandy troops Tallboy https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1417/26487/MCrompton[Ser -DoB]-150605-040001.jpg f2629ddf0cf547ed133c1317dd8159a8 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1417/26487/MCrompton[Ser -DoB]-150605-040002.jpg 895174380eebd90fc610e7ccf0c56ec0 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1417/26487/MCrompton[Ser -DoB]-150605-040003.jpg 269317dda5db4a0953ae7835fe45c0c6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Crompton, Norman John Russel N J R Crompton Description An account of the resource 15 items. Collection contains correspondence between Lieutenant C L Fackrell and his daughter, identity and coupon documents and a photograph of Pilot Officer N J Compton's officers refresher course. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Norman Russell John Crompton and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-26 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Crompton, NJR Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource National identity card A M Hodel Description An account of the resource Personal details of Annie M Hodel Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10-13 1946-04-17 1943-05-24 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource four sides printed booklet and cover Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MCrompton[Ser#-DoB]-150605-04 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Oxfordshire England--Oxford England--Kent England--London Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1943-05-24 1944-10 1944-10-13 1946-03-17 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive home front https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1576/25903/PDentonDH20034.1.jpg 214da365f396837493025ace1ca6dca4 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1576/25903/PDentonDH20035.1.jpg e2596de22f419244884e3e4e0ebc359d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Denton, Dennis Hugh D H Denton Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-01-14 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Denton, DH Description An account of the resource 59 items. The collection concerns Dennis Hugh Denton (b. 1920, 1256316 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents, album and photographs. He flew 62 daylight operations with 21 and 226 Squadrons. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Angela Sadler and Pamela Hickson and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sid Moulds and ground crew Description An account of the resource One aircrew and three ground crew standing in front of left rear centre section of Mosquito On reverse 'October 1944 21 Squadron (Thorney Island) with Sid Moulds and ground crew P.S. Sid died in 1981'. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One b/w photograph Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PDentonDH20034, PDentonDH20035 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive 21 Squadron ground crew ground personnel Mosquito RAF Thorney Island https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1627/25336/BThickettPSaundersEJv10016.2.jpg bc2a563b83bffc94c51b3c77b20f43ea Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Saunders, Ernest John. Album 1 Description An account of the resource A history of Sam Saunders RAF experiences complete with a biography. It is presented in an album. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Penny Thicket Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-02-13 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Saunders, EJ Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document In September Daddy moved to 128 Squadron, carrying out Operations 98 to 100 with this Light Night Striking Force. This squadron was re-formed in September 1944, at Wyton, Huntingdonshire, as a Mosquito light-bomber squadron of No. 7 (Pathfinder) Group, RAF Bomber Command. It formed part of the PFF's Fast Night Striking Force and during the remainder of the war in Europe made many nuisance raids on important industrial centres in Germany. The last operation was a 5000lb bomb over Kassel. Flying out of White Waltham. Total Flying [sic] hours to date were 828 by day and 677 by night. In October two night raids and practises were carried out with Loran navigational aid to bombing. This meant using two transmitters and low wave frequency emissions for triangulation. An in November 'Blind Loran' navigation was used for bombing over Berlin with a 4000lb bomb. At this point he gained a 'Bar' for his DFC, recognising his length of service and number of Operations. In December, after a year with Bomber Command, there were Operations 104 and 105. There were exercises with formation flying and low level bombing with 2 x 4000lb bombs being dropped on Duisberg and Mannheim. Then in January 1945 came his most demanding flight. There had been a number of exercises for low level bombing and then on 1st of January there was a low level attack on a railway tunnel south of Cochem in the Moselle Valley using 1 x 4000lb bomb. For the next two weeks, over Magdeburg, they were “stoking fires of heavy attack from night before”. Squadron Leader E J Saunders was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 27th of February 1945. [page break] [black and white photograph] This is Commander in Chief 'Bomber' Harris and on the 17th January 1945 he sent a telegram to Daddy, which stated. “My warmest congratulations on the award of your Distinguished Service Order”, Air chief Marshall A t (Bomber) Harris. Amongst the paperwork is also a note from King George VI who apologised for not being able to personally give the award. At the end of February 1945, after 846.45 hours of daytime flying 697.15 hours by night, on this occasion Daddy signed his own logbook as Officer commanding. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sam Saunders 128 Squadron Description An account of the resource Details of Sam's time with 128 Squadron at RAF Wyton and RAF White Waltham. There is a photo of Arthur Harris giving the salute. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Penny Thickett Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One printed sheet and one b/w photograph Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Text Text. Personal research Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BThickettPSaundersEJv10016 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Germany--Kassel Germany--Berlin Germany--Duisburg Germany--Mannheim Germany--Magdeburg Germany--Cochem Germany Germany--Ruhr (Region) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-09 1944-10 1944-12 1945-01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jan Waller 128 Squadron bombing Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Service Order George VI, King of Great Britain (1895-1952) Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984) RAF White Waltham RAF Wyton https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1376/24337/MFordTA1585520-170411-32.jpg e029e757a8a0e4a4cdff31026c9600b7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ford, Terry Ford, T Description An account of the resource 135 items. The collection concerns Terry Ford. He flew operations as a pilot with 75 Squadron. It contains photographs, his log book, operational maps, letters home during training, and documents including emergency drills. There are two albums of photographs, one of navigation logs, and another of target photographs. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Julia Burke and catalogued by Barry Hunter. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-13 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Ford, T Access Rights Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies. Permission granted for commercial projects Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summary of Terry Ford's Operations Description An account of the resource A list of 35 operations undertaken by Terry Ford, including dates and aircraft used. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-12 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One typewritten sheet Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Text. Memoir Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MFordTA1585520-170411-32 Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. France--Abbeville Netherlands--Eindhoven France--Le Havre Germany--Dortmund Germany--Emmerich Germany--Duisburg Germany--Bonn Germany--Stuttgart Netherlands--Vlissingen Germany--Essen Germany--Solingen Germany--Koblenz Germany--Gelsenkirchen Germany--Cologne Germany--Osterfeld Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf) Germany--Merseburg Germany--Frankfurt am Main Germany--Saarbrücken Germany--Homberg (Kassel) Poland--Szczecin Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia) Netherlands--Walcheren Poland France Germany Netherlands Germany--Ruhr (Region) Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-08 1944-09 1944-10 1944-11 1944-12 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Maureen Clarke 75 Squadron bombing https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1375/23783/PEdgarAG19010134.1.jpg cf30908edef5b0660044a8db5cb8c827 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Edgar, Alfred George Edgar, A G Description An account of the resource 83 items. The collection concerns Pilot Officer Alfred George 'Allan' Edgar DFC (b. 1922, 172180 Royal Air Force) He flew operations as a pilot with 49 Squadron. The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by Pip Harrison and Sally Shawcross nee Edgar, and catalogued by Barry Hunter. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-04 2019-10-01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Edgar, AG Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document [R.A.F. crest] [photograph] Gale & Polden Ltd. Aldershot No. 23 O.T.U. (7 F.I.S.), R.A.F., UPAVON, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER, 1944 [italics] Back Row [/italics] – P/O. S.G. Coole, D.F.M. P/O. E.G. Vaughan. P/O. T.H. Burford. F/Lt. Coates. F/O. J.C. Lumsden. F/O. R.A. Jones. P/O. Marjoram, D.F.C. P/O. P. Maxwell. P/O. T.F. Cook, D.F.C. P/O. H.A. Kirkby. P/O. McHattie. P/O. F.R. Edmondson, D.F.C. F/O. D.J. Carmichael. [italics] Centre Row [/italics] – F/Lt. Hazelhurst. F/O. R.W. Johnson, D.F.C. F/O. D.G. Gibson. F/O. A.G. Edgar, D.F.C. F/O. J.H. Watson, D.F.C. P/O. D. Cooper. F/O. H.W. Coulson, D.F.C. F/O. W.G. O’Brien. W/O. Batcher. F/O. Hitchman, D.F.C. F/Lt. C.A. Sullings. F/O. A.S.H. Chalmers. [italics] Front Row [/italics] – F/O. A.J. Angus. F/O. A.W. Culff. F/O. A.C. Howeson. S/L. E.B.J. Langhorne. S/L. J.L. Hubbard. G/Capt. E.A.C. Britton, D.F.C. S/L. J.H. Sanderson. F/Lt. G.W. Couzins. P/O. L. Prior. F/Lt. R. Whitehead. F/Lt. R.F. Sellers, A.F.C. F/Lt. T.J. Bishop, D.F.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 23 Operational Training Unit RAF Upavon Description An account of the resource 37 airmen arranged in three rows. Underneath is captioned 'No 23 O.T.U. (7 F.I.S.), RAF, Upavon, September-October, 1944' Each individual is listed underneath. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One b/w photograph Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PEdgarAG19010134 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Great Britain England--Wiltshire Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Steve Baldwin 23 OTU aircrew Operational Training Unit RAF Upavon training https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/739/23664/PChubbWF1805.1.jpg 5e5d486515a48e258d97305f24ab099e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Chubb, William Frederick W F Chubb Description An account of the resource Twelve items. An oral history interview with Flight Sergeant William Chubb (b. 1925, 1890485 Royal Air Force) his log book and photographs. He served as a flight engineer with 432 Squadron RCAF. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by William Chubb and catalogued by Barry Hunter. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-04-17 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Chubb, WF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bill Chubb and his crew Description An account of the resource A group of seven airmen in flying kit, arranged in front of a Halifax 'Q'. Additional information about this item has been kindly provided by the donor. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-12 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One b/w photograph Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PChubbWF1805 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Royal Canadian Air Force Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Germany Great Britain Germany--Duisburg Germany--Ruhr (Region) Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 432 Squadron aircrew bombing Halifax https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/19/23361/MAutonJ[Ser -DoB]-170119-11.jpg 711e1d6f0997172a9ee538cf2f621867 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Auton, Jim J Auton Description An account of the resource 26 items. The collection relates to Sergeant Jim Auton MBE (1924 - 2020). He was badly injured when his 178 Squadron B-24 was hit by anti-aircraft fire during an operation from Italy. The collection contains an oral history interview and ten photographs. The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Jim Auton and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-07-30 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Auton, J Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document [List] [William Cross flights to and from Warsaw] PILOT 206788. LT. W. NORVAL 2nd PILOT 2nd/LT. R. BURGESS. NAV. LT. Noel SLEED. BOMB AIMER. SGT. A. BATES. WIRELESS OPP. SGT Stan PAYNE. TOP GUNNER SGT Taffy LEWIS. REAR GUNNER SGT W. CROSS BEAM GUNNER. GUNNER S. APPLEYARD. [dividing line] WB. CELONE – BRINDISI [ticked] 13/8/44 13.35 – 14.35 WB BRINDISI. – WARSAW – UKRAINE [ticked] 19.20 – 05.30 DW [indecipherable word] – POLTAVA [ticked] 15-8-44 14.30 – 16.00 [?] POLTAVA – REST HOME [ticked] 15-8-44 16-30 – 16-55 REST HOME – POLTAVA [ticked] 19-8-44 11-30 – 11-55 D.C.3 POLTAVA – MOSCOW [ticked] 19-8-44 12-30 – 15-45 DC3 MOSCOW – STALINGRAD [ticked] 4-9-44 07-20 – 11-10 DC3 STALINGRAD – BAKU [ticked] 4-9-44 12-05 – 16-40 DC3 BAKU – TEHERAN 5-9-44 07-40 – 10-05 LOD TEHERAN – BAGDAD 7-9-44 03-15 – 10-30 LOD BAGDAD – DAMASCUS 7-9-44 11-00 – 13-30 LOD DAMASCUS – CAIRO 7-9-44 14-20 – 16-35 DC3 CAIRO – MALTA 1/11/44 09-25 – 15-40[?] DC3 MALTA – SARDINIA 2/11/44 05.30 – 08.00 DC3 SARDINIA – LYNEHAM 2/11/44 09-00 – 15-40 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource William Cross' Flights to and from Warsaw Description An account of the resource A list of 15 flights to and from Warsaw and aircrew. They cover from 13 Aug 1944 to 2 Nov 1944. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource One handwritten sheet Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MAutonJ[Ser#-DoB]-170119-11 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Azerbaijan Azerbaijan--Baku Egypt Egypt--Cairo Italy Italy--Brindisi Iraq Iraq--Baghdad Iran Malta Poland Poland--Warsaw Russia (Federation) Russia (Federation)--Moscow Russia (Federation)--Volgograd Syria Syria--Damascus Ukraine Ukraine--Novohrad-Volynsʹkyĭ Ukraine--Poltava North Africa Italy--Sardinia Iran--Tehran Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource William Cross Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-08 1944-09 1944-10 1944-11 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Sue Smith air gunner aircrew B-24 bomb aimer C-47 navigator pilot RAF Lyneham Warsaw airlift (4 August - 28 September 1944) wireless operator https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22142/PHopgoodPD16010048.2.jpg 361933d9c7c9bc658e8c438a53f07a12 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hopgood, Philip David. Album Description An account of the resource Photographs of Philip Hopgood's family and friends and then his training in Canada and Great Britain. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Hopgood, PD Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Quebec, Flying and Brooklyn Description An account of the resource Four photographs on an album page. Photos 1 and 2 are a sunset, captioned 'St Lawrence River at Levis November 1944' and 'Quebec Sunset'. Photo 3 is a pilot in the cockpit of an aircraft, captioned 'Saskatoon to Dauphin October 1944, Charlie Warner driving'. Photo 4 is a house with two people standing outside, captioned 'Brooklyn, NY November 1944. A few late arrivals. Mrs and Ritchie Boatke'. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 1944-11 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Four b/w photographs Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PHopgoodPD16010048 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Royal Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Canada Québec--Lévis Saskatchewan--Saskatoon United States New York (State)--New York New York (State) Québec Saskatchewan North America--Saint Lawrence River Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 1944-11 aircrew pilot training https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22139/PHopgoodPD16010038.2.jpg a49ab3b0c73ae5702e07fff7a3fd6a60 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22139/PHopgoodPD16010039.2.jpg 863edc91953b6af6ff35c7a947bd4a35 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hopgood, Philip David. Album Description An account of the resource Photographs of Philip Hopgood's family and friends and then his training in Canada and Great Britain. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Hopgood, PD Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Senlac October 1944 Description An account of the resource Ten photographs from two album pages: Page 32: Photo 1 is a street scene, captioned 'Main Street'. Photo 2 is of several grain elevators, captioned 'Grain Elevators'. Nearest one has 'Searle' on outside. Photo 3 and 5 are of a woman and two different men captioned 'Mrs Trodd, Dave and I'. Photo 4 is a hut two people and a car, captioned 'Evelyn, Dave and jalopy outside Bill Anderson's shack'. Page 33: Photo 6 is a man and an old car captioned 'Lizzie and Me'. Photo 7 is a woman sitting on a wooden walkway, captioned 'Shiela [sic] - the town's telephone operator'. Photo 8 is a man sitting in an old car (reg: 90413), captioned 'Liz and Dave'. Photo 9 is a man using a starting handle on the same car, captioned 'Winding'. Photo 10 is a view of an empty gravel road taken out of a window, captioned 'Main Road'. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Ten b/w photographs on two album pages Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PHopgoodPD16010038, PHopgoodPD16010039 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Royal Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Canada Saskatchewan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22138/PHopgoodPD16010036.1.jpg 20422cccd9a55c696308fd666cb61647 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22138/PHopgoodPD16010037.1.jpg d1653a47dd12935c21813b535c609975 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hopgood, Philip David. Album Description An account of the resource Photographs of Philip Hopgood's family and friends and then his training in Canada and Great Britain. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Hopgood, PD Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Saskatoon Description An account of the resource Three vertical aerial photographs on two pages: Photo 1 is a grain elevator, captioned 'Government Grain Elevator'. Photo 2 is a bridge crossing a river, captioned 'Main rail bridge over S Sask R'. Photo 3 is a railway and town, captioned 'Sutherland CPR Roundhouse and marshalling yards September 1944'. Photo 4 is of two men standing outside a wooden building, captioned 'Senlac October 1944 Dave and self'. Additional information kindly provided by Donald Klippert. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-09 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Four b/w photographs on two album pages Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PHopgoodPD16010036, PHopgoodPD16010037 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Civilian Royal Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Canada Saskatchewan--Saskatoon Canada--South Saskatchewan River Saskatchewan Canada Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-09 1944-10 Conforms To An established standard to which the described resource conforms. Geolocated aerial photograph training https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22137/PHopgoodPD16010034.2.jpg aed24afaa05ee8b94243d79cbffdb3a9 https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/files/original/1344/22137/PHopgoodPD16010035.1.jpg 063687dddc5445f258372b3e4658c4d6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hopgood, Philip David. Album Description An account of the resource Photographs of Philip Hopgood's family and friends and then his training in Canada and Great Britain. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Hopgood, PD Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Saskatoon to Dauphin October 1944 Description An account of the resource Eight photographs from two pages of an album. Page 28: Photo 1 is an airman in the cockpit of an aircraft, captioned 'Self "driving" '. Photo 2 is an air to air shot of a Cessna Crane, captioned 'Cessna Crane'. Photo 3 and 4 are aerial views of a town, captioned 'The "Typhoon Town" Kamsack'. Page 29: Photo 5 is fields from the air, captioned 'Fields and things'. Photo 6 is a town from the air, captioned 'Dauphin and one of the Winnipeg Lakes'. Photo 7 is a town from the air, captioned 'Yorkton'. Photo 8 is a view of a lake from the air, captioned 'Quill Lakes'. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Eight b/w photographs on two album pages Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PHopgoodPD16010034, PHopgoodPD16010035 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Canada Saskatchewan--Saskatoon Manitoba--Dauphin Saskatchewan--Yorkton Saskatchewan--Big Quill Lake Saskatchewan Manitoba Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Conforms To An established standard to which the described resource conforms. Geolocated Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 aerial photograph aircrew pilot training Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Stephenson, Stuart Stuart Stephenson MBE S Stephenson Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stephenson, S Description An account of the resource 84 items. An oral history interview with Stuart Stephenson MBE, Chairman of the Lincs-Lancaster Association, and issues of 5 Group News. The collection was catalogued by Barry Hunter. In accordance with the conditions stipulated by the donor, some items are available only at the International Bomber Command Centre / University of Lincoln. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Transcribed document A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Transcription Text transcribed from audio recording or document V GROUP NEWS NOVEMBER 1944 No 28 [Drawing] [9 and 617 Squadron Crests] TIRPITZ [Page break] [Blank Page] [Page break] Foreword by A.O.C. In sending Christmas greetings to all ranks of 5 Group, I do so with the greater pleasure because through their combined efforts over the past months, the hitting power of the Group has been raised to a new high level, and greater harm inflicted on the enemy than ever before. In November the Group completed the destruction of the Tirpitz, an event which brought in messages of congratulations from all branches of the Service and from many of our Allies. In November also, the Group again cut the Dortmund Ems and Mitteland canals thus ensuring that an overwhelming burden of traffic should continue to be thrown on the German railways. While to ensure that this task should be made even more difficult the Group also took part in the general campaign against railway centres, achieving highly satisfactory results. These results were made possible by the steady improvement in the efficiency with which attacks are undertaken, and in the greater numbers of aircraft available. To give two examples of this improved efficiency. In November last year, the average Squadron error in practice bombing from 20,000 feet was 310 yards; this November it is 160 yards. This means that the number of bombs which may be expected to fall within the central area of a target is now four times as great as it was a year ago, and this is borne out by photographs. Similar improvements in airmanship and crew discipline are shown by the reduction in landing times and in the lower accident rate. A year ago the average interval between aircraft landing at night was 3.18 minutes, and the best Station in November, 1943, only achieved 2.56 minutes. These times have now been halved, with a consequent reduction in the hazards of landing after an operation in conditions of poor visibility or low cloud, or when intruders are active. Improvements on a like scale have been achieved in all other branches and sections and the serviceability rate is now higher than ever before, while the percentage of technical failures leading to early returns has been halved. These are most gratifying results deserving the highest praise; yet in no branch of Group activity have we yet reached the summit of our abilities or fulfilled our maximum expectations. It is clear that the War will not now be over by Christmas although we can be fairly confident that this will be the last Christmas of the War in Europe. What is required therefore is a firm resolve to do everything in our power to reduce the number of days during which the War will continue to drag on. As a start I would ask air crews to aim at a reduction of the bombing error from 160 yards to 120 yards, and ground crews to determine that no aircraft shall remain on the ground if it can possibly be got ready in time to take off on operations. Although the ultimate release of the bombs is the province of the aircrew, the scale of their effort depends “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] FOREWORD BY A.O.C. [/underlined] upon the exertions of everybody on each Station, and it is to everyone, aircrew and ground crew, that I send this Christmas message urging them to put forward their every endeavour so that in spite of all that winter weather means, we continue to increase our pressure on the enemy, and thus hasten on his collapse. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] THE END OF THE TIRPITZ [Drawing] That moment when the Admiral Von Tirpitz was suddenly enveloped in smoke and flame and spray, from a cascade of Tallboy bombs was not merely the T.O.T. of an operations; it was the culmination of two months planning, training, toil and patience. After the abortive attacks on 15th September, and the 13th October, there was universal determination to try again. Statistical analysis of bombing results showed thatthree [sic] hits, and several near misses, could be anticipated, if the Bomb Aimers could get their graticules on the ship; the designers and users of the Tallboy were confident that the weapon would sink any battleship. Time and the weather were the chief adversaries. Tromso is in the Gulf Stream, and the prevailing Westerly wind causes persistent Stratus cloud. The sky is only clear when the wind is Easterly, and about five such days could be expected in November. The end of November was the expiration of the time limit for a daylight attack this year. On the 26th of November, the sun does not rise above the horizon, and for a few days after, there would be enough twilight at mid-day to bomb. After that there would be no light until the Spring. It was obvious that there was a nice problem of long range weather forecasting, and that the slightest opportunity could not be wasted. On the 5th of November, there was a false start, because the fickle weather set fair, and then deteriorated, but on the 11th the force once more flew to its advance bases. As this was the third week-end in succession that this avalanche had descended upon them, the inhabitants if the advanced bases had mixed feelings, which they courteously concealed. The force consisted of 36 Tallboy Lancasters, the Film Unit Lancaster, a meteorological reconnaissance Mosquito, and Transport aircraft. The Lancasters had been specially modified for the previous attempt. After the experience of the Russian operation, it was clear that the all up weight could safely be increased to 70,000 lbs. Merlin 24 power units, and extra tanks in the fuselage to bring the petrol capacity up to 2,400 gallons, had been installed. Mid-turrets, and every removeable item of equipment not needed for this operation, had been taken out. The all-up weight for take-off was then between 68,000 and 69,000 lbs. This was a most formidable striking force - - - 36 aeroplanes which could attack a target 1100 miles away, with 12,000 lb bombs. The force took off to attack the Tirpitz for the third time at 03.00 hours on 12th November. The preliminary forecast had been poor, threatening convection cloud over the Norwegian coast, with a low freezing level, and high icing index, while there was no guarantee of the target being clear of Strato-cumulus, the meteorologists’ hoodoo. The met. reconnaissance Mosquito landed at Lossiemouth two hours before take-off, and improved this forecast, but not much. There was no convection cloud, but there were patches of Stratus. Remembering how they were cheated by the weather on the previous occasion, crews were determined, but not optimistic. The flight plan was to fly low, less than 2,000 feet above the water, to a turning point at 65.00N 06.47E, then turn due East and climb to cross the Norwegian mountains, then lose height and turn North, flying “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE END OF THE TIRPITZ [/underlined] East of the mountains. It was expected that this would prevent detection by the German radar system along the Norwegian coast. The weather was fine and clear for take-off, in pleasant contrast to the previous occasion, when it had poured with rain. This was to prove an omen. The force was distributed over three airfields to avoid congestion, and aircraft set course without delay for the rendezvous point at North Unst. All aircraft burned navigation lights to assist keeping together, and flew at 185 R.A.S., the most economical cruising speed for the first part of the flight. The engine settings were 1800 R.P.M. and about 4 1/2 lbs boost, giving a consumption of almost exactly 1 A.M.P.G. The route was studded with flame floats, which crews were using diligently for checking drift. It was twilight at the Norwegian coast and map reading, after a long period of D.R. navigation, soon put all aircraft back on track. By the time the mountains were crossed, it was broad daylight, and large areas of Strato-cumulus were depressingly evident, while every lake was covered with Stratus. Map reading in the mountains, particularly when they are snow-covered, and the lakes are frozen, is tricky. The rendezvous, Akka Lake, was only recognisable because the sheet of cloud which covered it conformed exactly to its shape. The first view of Tromso therefore, with no cloud and no smoke, and of the Tirpitz in her anchorage, massive, black and unmistakeable, was better than any crew had dared to hope for, and the job was then as good as done. Flak was plentiful but inaccurate, and there were no fighters. The only impediment to the bombing was the smoke which hung, black and brown over the ship from the first bomb strikes, and the guns. It was impossible to be certain of results through that smoke, but fairly late in the attack, a plume of white smoke shot up two or three hundred feet like a jet. The last aircraft to leave watched the ship heel slowly on to one side. The Film Unit aircraft was able to take photographs of the ship throughout the entire action, and the last photographs showed that the attack had been a complete success, and that the Tirpitz had capsized. This was confirmed by a reconnaissance aircraft, less than two hours after the attack, who reported the bottom of the ship just above the water. Why the Tirpitz was not adequately protected by fighters, the only protections against high level bombing, can at present be only a matter for conjecture here, and may be being more thoroughly investigated by the German High Command. The ship must have been aware of the approach of the force, at least half an hour before the attack, once the climb to bombing height was commenced from the rendezvous. It may be that the German Navy did not rate the bombing accuracy of the Royal Air Force as high as it does now, or that fighters were despatched to intercept, but too late. After the attack, which was delivered by 29 aircraft, 18 of 617 Squadron and 11 of 9 Squadron, all aircraft dived towards the sea, and until well out of range of Norwegian fighter bases, flew low. No fighters were seen at all on this operation, or for that matter on the two previous ones. All aircraft landed without incident with the exception of one, of which the crew is known to be safe. Thus was brought to an end the inglorious career of one of the largest and most heavily armed and armoured ships afloat. The following gives a brief outline of the career of the Tirpitz:- (i) April 1st, 1939. Launched at Wilhelmshaven. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE END OF THE TIRPITZ [/underlined] (ii) March, 1942. Attacked off the Loften Islands by Naval aircraft of H.M.S. Victorious. (Unserviceable for four months) (iii) July, 1942. Attacked by a Russian submarine. (Undergoing repairs at Trondheim until December). (iv) After a complete refit, the earlier months of 1943 were spent in trials, cruises, and the training of the crew for naval operations. (v) September 9th, 1943. Tirpitz raided the Island of Spitzbergen in the face of negligible opposition. (vi) September 22nd, 1943. Midget submarines of H.M. Navy attacked and badly damaged the Tirpitz in Alten Fiord. (Next six months spent in Alten Fiord undergoing repairs). (vii) April, 1944. Tirpitz once again ready to go to sea, when she was attacked by Naval aircraft and once again sent into retirement. (viii) July 17th, August 22nd, 24th and 29th, 1944. With signs of completion of repairs, Tirpitz was once again attacked by Naval aircraft, this time by Barracudas, and was again rendered unseaworthy. (ix) September 15th, 1944. Attacked by 5 Group Lancasters flying from Russian bases. Damaged by at least one hit. (x) October 29th, 1944. Attacked by 5 Group Lancasters. On this occasion cloud over the target rendered the attack inconclusive. (xi) November 12th, 1944. Attacked in clear weather by Lancasters of No. 5 Group carrying Tallboy bombs, and capsized at her berth West of Tromso. The coup-de-grace was delivered without the loss of a single life of the attacking force. The success of this attack cannot be measured in terms of the thousands of gallons of fuel used, hundreds of hours flown, or the number of 12,000 lb bombs dropped. The mere existence of the Tirpitz in her Northern berth has threatened all our convoys to and from Russia and North Atlantic shipping, and has cost the lives of a number of Fleet Air Arm crews who have attacked her, and has tied down a not inconsiderable force of the British Home Fleet in Northern Bases. As the Commander-in-Chief himself has said, there was no doubt about the ultimate fate of the Tirpitz once the crews were able to draw a bead on her, and those who took part have received many congratulations on their magnificent achievement. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] gardening German Ports and their approaches have been the main target for our Gardeners this month; the remainder of the Command effort continued to be directed against the Kattegat area. Penetrations to the enemy’s door step were evenly shared by all squadrons, and P.P.I. photographs reveal neat patterns of well planted vegetables in their allotted positions. 126 vegetables were successfully laid, and it is already known that great disturbances were caused off a certain German harbour; shipping came to a stand still for several days, while the local harbour master was at pains to find a safe channel “out” or “in” for his concentrated shipping traffic jam. No.627 Squadron have now joined the Group Gardening Force, and were most unfortunate in their first sortie, owing to unexpected weather conditions in the target area. But like true Gardeners they returned to base with their valuable load. Well done, and better luck next time. [Tables Showing Command and Group Summaries of Vegetables Planted] [Underlined] NEWS EXTRACTS OF ALLIED OPERATIONS AGAINST SHIPPING. [/underlined] Some German captains of coal ships are reported to have opposed successfully attempts to make them sail to Western Norwegian ports from Oslo. Colliers sent from Germany cannot be unloaded – as the coal dumps in the Oslo area are full, and therefore lose valuable time while waiting for discharge. This shows weakness in administration if ships are in fact allowed to leave Germany for places where coal is either not wanted or cannot be discharged. It is reported that in various ports, Norwegian crews have refused to sail, and in some cases foreign crews have left their ships. The enemy has been short of crews for his merchant ships for some time. There is little chance of his being able to find substitutes for crews which refuse to sail. If these reports are true, then dislocation to shipping must be considerable. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] operations [Underlined] HOMBERG – 1ST NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- S/Ldr. Smith Operations opened with a daylight attack by 226 aircraft on the synthetic oil plant at Homberg, a few miles to the North West of Duisburg. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] By the time the main force reached the target area, the target itself was covered by a layer of 10/10ths cloud, 8,000 – 10,000 feet. Gee reception was poor, and the wind-finding was consequently not up to the usual standard. The first wave arrived over the target about two minutes before the Wanganui flares went down, and were unable to attack. This illustrates the importance and the difficulty of accurate timing when marking is by Oboe. They brought their bombs back. 158 main force aircraft bombed the sky markers, which were reported as scattered. 54 were abortive, and twelve bombed alternative or last resort targets. [Underlined] REMARKS [/underlined] (i) The chances of success of this operation were still further prejudiced by an aircraft which had its V.H.F. transmitter switched on during the entire period of control. The Master Bomber’s orders were jammed, and very few crews were able to hear his instructions. The pilot of the aircraft concerned, was gripping the press-to-speak switch continuously in the target area. Arrangements are now in hand to substitute the bombing switch on the control wheel for the existing press-to-speak switch. The bombing switch cannot possibly be operated accidentally. Incidentally on each occasion on which intercom. has been inadvertently radiated during an operation, much unnecessary chatter has been heard, and the crews have addressed each other by their Christian or nick-names. This not only displays a low standard of crew discipline, but is also contrary to Ni.5 Group Air Staff Instruction TRG/18 which reads as follows:- “To obviate the risk of confusion over the aircraft intercommunication system, members of aircrews are to address each other according to their duty in the aircraft, viz:- Captain Navigator Bomb Aimer Wireless Operator Engineer Mid-upper Tail Gunner” (ii) Fighter Command reported that the formation was good, reasonably compact, and easy to escort. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] OPERATIONS. [/underlined] [Underlined] DUSSELDORF – 2/3RD NOVEMBER. [/underlined] 187 aircraft of the Group took part in a combined Command attack on Dusseldorf, the chief administrative centre of the Ruhr. An undamaged portion of the built-up area on the eastside of the Ruhr was selected for attack. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] Marking was to be carried out by Oboe aircraft of the P.F.F. using both ground and skymarkers. Crews were to use their own navigation winds for bombing. A mixed load of H.E. and incendiaries was carried. Possible cloud cover of as much as 6/10ths – 9/10ths cu. and strato cu. was forecast in the target area, and crews were given separate aiming instructions for attacking the Wanganui flares. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] The weather over the target proved to be clear, with the normal industrial ground haze. 177 aircraft attacked the primary target, aiming at the ground markers. Marking was reported as accurate, and the bombing was believed to have been well concentrated, with the exception of a few aircraft whose photographs showed that they bombed short. The sorties of these crews have been cancelled. Reconnaissance has revealed that a very heavy concentration of bombs fell in the Northern suburbs which were the target, and the whole area was virtually destroyed. This practically completes the entire destruction of Dusseldorf. In addition, all the important industrial plants in this area, including the large Rheinmetal-Borsig armament works, were severely damaged, and scarcely a building has escaped either complete destruction or heavy damage. [Underlined] DORTMUND-EMS CANAL – 4/5TH NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- S/Ldr Smith Deputy:- S/Ldr Churcher The importance which the Germans attach to the Dortmund-Ems Canal as one of their main transport arteries was amply demonstrated by the fact that both branches of the canal, breached and emptied by the 5 Group raid on 23/24th September, were repaired within less than six weeks, and in full working order. The same stretch of canal was therefore attacked for a second time, by 176 main force aircraft on 4/5th November. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] The aiming point, on the narrow island separating the two branches of the canal, was to be marked direct by Mosquitoes of No.54 Base with Red T.I’s. All aircraft carried a bomb load of 14 X 1,000 G.P’s and crews were ordered to aim the centre bomb of the stick at the red T.I’s. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] There was no cloud in the target area, and visibility was good. Illumination and marking was punctual, but the markers fell some two hundred yards N.N.E. of the marking point and these, together with the T.I’s dropped by the backers up, formed a concentration at which the main force aimed their bombs. The resulting concentration was the best the Group has yet achieved. An analysis shows that all but 5% of the bombs are contained in a circle radius 530 yards about the M.P.I. This works out at 25 bombs per acre per 1,000 bombs dropped around the M.P.I. and far exceeds any previous results. Both branches of the canal were once again breached and drained, and where the eastern arm crosses the river Glane bombs have penetrated through the bed of the canal. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] OPERATIONS. [/underlined] [Underlined] REMARKS [/underlined] This attack pulverised the Eastern subsidiary channel but only the fringe fell over the Western area with the result that the damage was soon repaired. It draws attention to the serious effect of even a slight vector or marking error when attacking such small targets. [Underlined] MITTELLAND CANAL – 6/7TH NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- S/Ldr. Smith. This canal, which joins the Dortmund-Ems canal at Gravenhorst, connects the Ruhr with Osnabruck, Hanover, Brunswick, Magdeburg and Berlin. A section of it near Gravenhorst was selected for an attack by 248 aircraft on 6/7th November. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] Mosquitoes were given a point to mark up against the embankment on the Northern side of the canal. A tolerance of 200 yards to either side of the embankment was allowed. Winds were to be found by aircraft of the flare force, and a vector broadcast to the main force by this Headquarters, to shift the bombing some 300 yards along the canal to the North East. With a surface wind from the West, it was hoped to lay a lozenge shaped concentration across the canal at an angle of approximately 30°. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] Owing to a combination of unforeseen circumstances, this attack was abortive, and the Master Bomber ordered the force to return to base with their bombs. This operation is an example of how things can go wrong, in spite of careful planning. The snags encountered are listed below:- (i) There were 7 H.2.S. failures amongst the aircraft of the Blind Marker and Flare Forces, an altogether exceptional number. (ii) The target area winds were found to be much stronger than forecast, although accurate in direction. The flares were consequently scattered and too far to the East, and although two Mosquitoes found the canal junction there was insufficient illumination for them to identify the marking point. (iii) One of the Mosquito markers eventually identified the marking point, and succeeded in dropping a Red T.I. close to the bridge nearby, but it unfortunately fell into the canal, and was extinguished before any backing up could take place. An additional cause of confusion was the choice of Green T.I’s for both the route markers and the Primary Blind Markers, and in future different colours will be used. [Underlined] HARBURG – 11/12TH NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- W/Cdr. Woodroffe. A force of 245 aircraft was despatched to attack the oil refinery and storage installations and the town centre at Harburg, on the South side of the River Elbe, opposite Hamburg. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] OPERATIONS. [/underlined] [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] There were four aiming points, A, B, C, and D, the first three in the dock area to the North-West of the town and the fourth (D) in the town centre. All aircraft were to approach on a heading of 143° T. Approximately 70% of the force carried on H.E. load: (those attacking the oil plant) and 30% an incendiary load (for the town area). A suitable marking point was selected, upwind of the target area. At H – 11, blind markers were to drop T.I. Green on the target, these were to be followed by flares, in the light of which Mosquitoes were to drop T.I. Red on the marking point. [Underlined] Primary Method. [/underlined] Aircraft on aiming points A, B and C were to aim the centre bomb of the stick at the T.I’s releasing without any delay. False vectors were to be applied to the bombsight to bring the bombs onto the aiming points. Aircraft on aiming point D were to aim the centre bomb of the stick at the T.I. Red, on the ordered heading, delaying the release for 26 seconds. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] The weather was clear, except for a thin layer of stratus at 8,000 feet, and the Master Bomber decided on the primary plan. The flares were rather late, but they were dropped accurately, and Marker 2 dropped a Red T.I. estimated as 80 yards West of the aiming point. These were backed up by further Red T.I’s in positions assessed as 200 yards North and 200 yards South. The actual positions of the markers cannot be identified on the night photographs. The main force was instructed to attack the resulting concentration of Red T.I’s according to plan. Bombing in the early stages was reported as rather scattered, but a good concentration developed later, and at the end of the attack, both target areas were well alight. [Underlined] REMARKS [/underlined] Both these targets had previously been attacked on daylight by aircraft of the U.S.A.A.F. on three recent occasions previous to the 5 Group attack, and although considerable damage by H.E. is seen in the oil refinery area, and damage to residential and business property, and the marshalling yards in the Northern half of the town, no precise statement of the damage inflicted by this night attack can at present by [sic] given. [Underlined] DUREN – 16TH NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber provided by P.F.F. Duren lay on the main road between Aix la Chappelle and Cologne, and therefore on the direct route of the Allies’ advance to the Ruhr in that sector. The entire town was a fortified area containing troops, munitions and other supplies. A force of 214 aircraft, was despatched to destroy the buildings, their contents, and the defences, and in addition to block the roads and crossings. No.1 Group also provided a force of over 200 aircraft to attack the same target. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] In view of the weather conditions en route, Bases were ordered to form up in “gaggles” on a time basis, and a leader was appointed for each pair of Squadrons. Marking for the attack was controlled musical parramatta, provided by No.8 Group. Primary markers were to mark the aiming point with Red T.I’s and other P.F.F. aircraft were to keep the aiming point marked with T.I. Red and Green throughout the attack. If the T.I’s became obscured, the Master Bomber was to give aiming instructions with reference to the upwind edge of the smoke. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] OPERATIONS. [/underlined] In view of the proximity of American troops, very strict orders were given that bombs were not to be dropped unless:- (i) The T.I’s could be clearly seen. (ii) The target could be positively identified. (iii) A timed run could be made from a positively identified position not more than 3 miles from the target. The Master Bombing Switch was used on this occasion, as an additional precaution against the premature release of bombs. Aircraft were also ordered to home on Gee along the ‘B’ lattice line on the last leg into the target, with the release-point co-ordinated set up. [Underlined] RESULTS [underlined] The weather was clear over the target, but there was ground haze and smoke from a previous attack. The attack was carried out according to plan. Marking was accurate and the bombing very concentrated; crews bombed either the T.I’s or the upwind edge of the smoke, according to the instructions of the Master Bomber whose controlling was reported to have been excellent. The centre of Duren was entirely devastated, only a few walls being left standing. To the South and East, scattered buildings were largely gutted or destroyed, and all roads were rendered impassable. The town marshalling yards, previously damaged in a U.S.A.A.F. raid, received a further severe mauling. [Underlined] DORTMUND-EMS CANAL – LADBERGEN – 21/22 ND NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- S/Ldr. Stubbs. Reconnaissance revealed that the Germans were making strenuous efforts to repair the damage inflicted on this canal by 176 of the Group on 4/5th November. It was decided to attack this target in the same place once again, to prevent this repair work from being carried out and if possible to add to the damage caused in the previous attacks. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] Illumination and marking in normal sequence. Mosquitoes to mark aiming point with Red T.I. Main force crews to aim the first bomb of the stick at the Red T.I. or as ordered by the Master Bomber. Bomb load maximum load 1,000 lb. A few aircraft carried 6 X 1,900 lb G.P. bombs. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] 123 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes attacked. The weather in the target area was 6 – 9/10ths strato cu. base 4,000 feet, with good visibility below. Flares were accurate and on time, and the Mosquitoes were able to identify and mark the aiming point. The Master Bomber called the main force in to bomb as planned and the attack was concluded without a hitch. A very satisfactory concentration was achieved round the markers, and subsequent reconnaissance shows that very great damage has been done. Both branches of the canal have been breached where they cross the River Glane, and both arms have once again been drained, flooding considerable areas of surrounding countryside, and leaving many barges high and dry. The Western embankment of the main canal has been breached in one position for about 150 feet. The subsidiary arm of the canal has been so heavily cratered that its outline can scarcely be recognised. Once again a long stretch of this important canal has been drained, many barges have been destroyed, and others lie with their cargoes high and dry on the canal bed. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] OPERATIONS. [/underlined] [Underlined] MITTELLAND CANAL – GRAVENHORST – 21/22ND NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- W/Cdr. Woodroffe. The Mittelland canal, which runs from East to West from Berlin to the Ruhr, joins the Dortmund-Ems canal (which runs South to North, to connect the Ruhr with the North Sea) a few miles East of Rheine. A section of this canal, just East of its junction with the Dortmund-Ems, was selected for attack with the intention of severing both these important arteries. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] A bridge across the canal was selected as the aiming point and a suitable position near the bank some 500 yards to the S.W. as a marking point. The illumination and marking plan was as usual, but in this case the markers were not to be attacked direct, but crews were to aim the centre bomb of the stick at the Red T.I’s dropped by the Mosquitoes, and a false vector set on the bombsight was calculated to bring the bombs onto the aiming point. Ordered bombing height was 8 – 9,500 feet. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] Illumination and marking were punctual and accurate, but 8/10ths to 10/10ths strato cu, base about 4,000 feet, was encountered in the target area, and the Master Bomber ordered the main force to bomb below cloud. 137 Lancasters and 6 Mosquitoes attacked. A good concentration developed, but there was some undershooting, which was inevitable owing to the change in height and the difficulty of vectoring when so low. Nevertheless, the canal has been breached on the West side for a distance of some 50 feet immediately South of the bridge, which was the aiming point. The canal itself has been almost emptied in this stretch and many barges are stranded. In addition many barges have been damaged by direct hits, and both banks of the canal have been heavily cratered. [Underlined] TRONDHEIM – 22/23RD NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- S/Ldr. Stubbs. A force of 178 aircraft took off to attack the submarine pens. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] A suitable marking point was selected near the pens. The usual blind marker and flare sequence was ordered, and in the light of the flares, Mosquitoes were to drop Red T.I’s to mark the marking point. A false wind vector was to be used to shift the bombs onto the aiming point. Bombing heights, 9,000 to 12,000 feet. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] Weather conditions favoured a precision attack such as this: the target area was located without difficulty, and flares and two blind marker Green T.I’s were dropped accurately. Unfortunately the enemy was able to put a smoke screen into operation, which effectively obscured both the marking and aiming points, and the Mosquitoes were unable to mark. Unfortunately the target lay immediately outside a Norwegian town, thus precluding blind bombing, and the Master Bomber was reluctantly obliged to order the force to return to base with their bombs. [Underlined] MUNICH – 26/27TH NOVEMBER. [/underlined] Master Bomber:- S/Ldr. Stubbs. Weather conditions over the target promised to be ideal for an attack on Munich, during the night of 26/27th November, so a maximum “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] OPERATIONS. [/underlined] effort was ordered. The weather at bases and en route was very tricky, and the decision to go ahead with the attack was not made until the last possible moment. 278 aircraft took off, many with a visibility in the region of 1,000 yards and cloud base 600 feet. A fine achievement. [Underlined] PLAN [/underlined] Two major sectors of the town were selected, one radiating between 019° T. and 060° T, from the marking point, and the other between 081° T. and 150° T. The aircraft in the first sector to carry 1 X 1,000 MC/GP plus maximum ‘J’ incendiary clusters, and those in the second sector 4 lb incendiary clusters, with 50% of them carrying 1 X 4,000 lb bomb. The two major sectors were sub-divided, and sector headings and appropriate delays were allotted in the usual way. No. 9 Squadron aircraft each carrying 1 X 12,000 lb H.C. bomb were spread throughout all sectors. Illumination and marking in the normal sequence, bombing heights 16,000 – 20,000 feet. With freezing level at 2,000 feet and a front lying approximately over the English Channel with tops generally at 20,000 feet, with occasional cu. nimb. Up to 25,000 feet, the flight plan presented a difficult problem. It was eventually decided that, after take off, aircraft should fly South over England below 2,500 feet, maintaining this height until the front had been crossed. Aircraft were to fly over the top of the front on the homeward route, losing height behind it. The route to the target was chosen to give the enemy as little warning as possible: it lay South of Switzerland, crossed Lakes Maggiore and Como, and then went N.N.E. to the target, across the Alps. This plan was entirely successful, and the defences did not come to life until the attack was well under way. [Underlined] RESULTS [/underlined] The Master Bomber was delayed taking off, so Marker I, who was the deputy, conducted the opening phases of the attack. Illumination and blind marking went as planned. At H – 7 a Red T.I. was dropped, and assessed as almost on the marking point. At this moment the Master Bomber arrived, assumed control, and confirmed the accuracy of the Red T.I. Backers-up were called in, and marking was completed by H – 1. One Red T.I. which was assessed as wide to the North was cancelled by a Yellow T.I. The main force was then ordered to attack as planned. Pilot’s reports were very enthusiastic about the success of this attack, but a large proportion of the night photographs plotted show ground detail to the South of the target, and it is now clear that the point marked was some 2/3,000 yards too far South. Nevertheless at least half of the attack went into the town and Southern suburbs and considerable damage should have been caused. [Underlined] REMARKS [/underlined] This was the first occasion on which the Group as a whole has used Loran, and the results were very satisfactory. The concentration on the return route showed a marked improvement on the degree of concentration previously achieved. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] signals [Underlined] WIRELESS OPERATOR (AIR). [/underlined] [Underlined] CONTROLLED OPERATIONS. [/underlined] W/T operating by the W/T link operators throughout November maintained a fairly high standard, and reception of their transmissions by the Main Force operators was also of a high order. 54 Base again supplied all the W/T link operators and both squadrons are to be congratulated on their efficiency. This result has been accomplished by hard training. Two interesting incidents which took place on the night of the 11th and 22nd respectively are worthy of mention. On the night of the 11th, four minutes before the first bombing wind was due to be transmitted back to Group, sever ‘jostling’ was experienced on the frequency. Prompt action by the C.S.O. enabled this frequency to be cleared just in time for controlling to commence. We again realise just how effective this countermeasure is. On the night of the 22nd propagation conditions were such that reception at all the Group Ground Stations was practically impossible, yet when crews returned it was found that ait to air reception was perfect and 100% reception accomplished. The Link 1 and 2 operators who carried out control duties during the month were:- Night 4th F/O Booth 83 Squadron Link 1 F/O Chapman 83 Squadron Link 2 Night 6th F/Sgt Manderson 97 Squadron Link 1 F/Sgt Whitehead 97 Squadron Link 2 Night 11th W/O John 97 Squadron Link 1 F/Sgt Utting 97 Squadron Link 2 Night 12th F/O Ward 617 Squadron Link 1 )Tirpitz Sgt Morgan 9 Squadron Link 1 ) attack Night 22nd Sgt Smith 97 Squadron Link 1 Sgt Moroney 97 Squadron Link 2 Night 27th W/O John 97 Squadron Link 2 F/Lt Summerscales 83 Squadron Link 3 [Underlined] W/T CONTROLLERS’ TESTS. [/underlined] During the month 61 Wireless Operators took part in the test as detailed in 5G.S.I. No.13 and out of this number 54 passed as fit for W/T Link duties. Tabulated below are the number of operators per squadron who took part in these tests. [Table of Numbers of Wireless Operator Tests by Squadron] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] SIGNALS. [/underlined] [Underlined] GROUP W/T EXERCISE. [/underlined] The Group W/T Exercise during last month was disappointing, due to a number of squadrons not yet having all their equipment installed in their new training rooms, Signals Leaders are asked to exert pressure in the right direction to hurry along the completion of these training rooms so as to enable advantage to be taken of this organised and highly profitable training. We extend a hearty welcome to the Heavy Conversion Units of No.75 Base to take part in these exercises, and hope they will find the exercise interesting and of instructional value. [Underlined] POINTS FOR SIGNALS LEADERS. [/underlined] During regrading tests throughout the month it was distressing to find that very few Wireless Operators (Air) knew anything at all about the V.H.F. equipment TR.5043. Now this is definitely Signals equipment, and all Wireless Operators (Air) should know at least sufficient about the installation to enable them to rectify any simple fault which may occur in the air, such as the replacing of fuses, power leads, aerial connections etc. Particular instruction should be given to the drill for checking whether the set is on transmit or receive. The introduction of the Bomber Command Diversion Schedule has filled a long felt want, and will be much appreciated by all Wireless Operators (Air). Like all other publications it will only fulfil [sic] its rightful purpose if it is always kept amended up to date, and the responsibility for amending all copies lies with the Signals Leader. He should ensure that all “Wilmot” signals are received and any amendments to the Bomber Command Diversion Schedule are embodied immediately. [Underlined] SIGNALS FAILURES. [/underlined] The total percentage of Signals Failures against sorties flown for the month of November, was 1.82 which shows a decrease of 0.497 against the figure for October. It will be seen from the Signals Failure Monthly Circular that there was also a decrease during October, the percentage decrease for both months being 0.619. This achievement is really outstanding when one realises the unfavourable weather conditions the servicing personnel have encountered over this period. It all goes to show that IT CAN BE DONE – good show chaps! There is also a bouquet this month for the Wireless Operators (Air) – there were no manipulation failures; an excellent state of affairs. During the month not one sortie was cancelled (Class A) as the result of a signals defect. How many realise that this record has been maintained over the past 5 months? [Underlined] I.F.F. COURSES. [/underlined] Five courses involving 57 Wireless Mechanics drawn from all stations in the Group were held at Morton Hall during the month. Great keeness [sic] was shown and the instructor, Sergeant Ryder, reports very favourably on the standard attained. The Chief Signals Officer took the opportunity of discussing with each course the problems connected with aircraft servicing and was able to obtain some useful ‘gen’. The fact that a vast majority of our Group 1 tradesmen are still looking forward to an early return to civilian occupations was once more confirmed, and was countered by a graphic description of life in the peace-time airforce which it is hoped may have the effect of changing some of their minds. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] SIGNALS. [/underlined] [Underlined] V.H.F. R/T – TR.5043. [/underlined] [Underlined] SERVICEABILITY. [/underlined] The TR.5043 gave good serviceability during November, there were ten failures reported against more than 2,000 sorties. Four of the failures (all in one Base) were “NOTHING HEARD – NO FAULT FOUND”. Are Signals Officers doing all in their power to prevent this type of defect? There were two cases of Aerials Type 147 breaking; this is a decrease in comparison with the figure for October. During the month, exhaustive experiments were carried out at Metheringham by 3 R.A.E. specialists in connection with aerial breakages. The result of these experiments is, that [underlined] all [/underlined] Lancaster aircraft TR.5043 aerials (including H.2.S. aircraft) can safely be fitted in strict accordance with B.C.S.P. No.10. [Underlined] VOLUME CONTROLS. [/underlined] Three different types of volume controls for operation by the pilot are now undergoing test in various Lancaster aircraft in the Group. Results to date are somewhat varied, some pilots stating that the new control in ‘bang on’ whilst others aver that the minimum position still permits incoming V.H.F. R/T Signals to interfere with intercom. We are determined to find the ideal before launching a general fitting programme. [Underlined] V.H.F. R/T COURSES. [/underlined] No.1 Radio School, Cranwell, has undertaken to give all Signals Officers in the Group a four-day course on the V.H.F. R/T set TR.5043. The first two courses report enthusiastically on the efficiency with which this course is being run and they thoroughly enjoyed the brief opportunity to be immune from telephone calls and other diversions whilst learning all there is to know about this interesting set. [Underlined] INADVERTENT RADIATION ON INTERCOM. [/underlined] Yet another case has occurred of crew intercom. being radiated on V.H.F. R/T in the target area. This resulted in serious inconvenience by jamming to some extent the R/T traffic. It had been considered that all possible action had been taken to prevent this sort of thing happening. All Main Force aircraft have a switch fitted in the H.T lead to the V.H.F. Transmitter, and this switch is locked in the ‘Off’ position prior to take off. All aircraft which may be called upon to transmit on their V.H.F. R/T, have this switch in the ‘On’ position, but are equipped with a Neon light indicator positioned near the navigator which lights up whenever the V.H.F. set is transmitting. In spite of these precautions, however, an aircraft of the illuminating force inadvertently radiated intercom. on V.H.F. It seems that it will be necessary to reposition the neon indicator, and also make use of the pilot’s bomb release switch in lieu of the existing press-to-speak switch which unfortunately is in such a position on the control wheel that it can be gripped, and pressed, in the ‘On’ position accidentally. The Pilot’s bomb release switch is fitted on the control wheel in such a way that it cannot possibly be actuated accidentally. [Underlined] RADAR. [/underlined] [Underlined] LORAN. [/underlined] The closing days of the month saw the final stages of the Loran fitting programme. This fitting programme almost brought back reminiscences of the Monica Mark V days, and much credit must be accorded to the wholehearted efforts of the Engineering and Radar personnel who installed the bracketry and equipment in double-quick time. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] SIGNALS. [/underlined] The successful use of the equipment on the Munich operation on the night 26/27th gave a very useful fillip to enthusiasm, and effectively squashed the mutterings of the “doubting Thomases”. The serviceability figures, in view of the usual manipulation troubles and initial “bugs”, are promising. It has been found that the indicator becomes unusually temperamental when damp, but waterproof covers should clear this trouble. Shortage of the main boxes and lack of spare components were sources of complaints, but both will be cleared almost directly. [Underlined] A.G.L.(T). [/underlined] Despite the spring tides at Fulbeck which threaten to engulf the Radar workshop, the A.G.L.(T) situation is well in hand. No physical success has been claimed, and the shortage of equipped aircraft is acute, but much useful data has been brought to light, which should do much to assist the final development of this device. [Underlined] H.2.S. MARK III. [/underlined] Progress at Coningsby is steady. The scanner trouble has been cleared, gaps in the polar diagram have been filled in by a simple modifications [sic] which consists of strategically mounting a 16” X 6” sheet of perspex on the mirror. We [underlined] know [/underlined] it does the job all we want to know is [underlined] how [/underlined] it does it. Improvements to the scanner testing equipment have effected considerable economy in flying hours. [Underlined] MONICA. [/underlined] The addendum to Monica to defeat the Hun, reached its flying trials this month which were very encouraging, and earned official sanction for the Group to experiment with Monica. All credit for this device must go to F/O Tovey of 53 Base. His prototype made all Walt Disney’s conceptions look very ordinary but he continued to work on the idea tirelessly and patiently, and with T.R.E. assistance brought forth a very workable unit, of which we hope a lot more will be heard. [Underlined] SECURITY. [/underlined] This month has seen the introduction of the long awaited Bomber Command Diversion Schedule. As the tag has it “The mountains shall labour and bring forth a ridiculous little mouse”. In this case at least, an eighteen month gestation has produced a noble offspring. There is one note of ridicule, introduced we imagine by some frolicsome “printer’s devil”, and this defect in the Schedule required one of the three following ‘mods’ for its eradication:- (i) The Schedule to be mounted on a bracket and swivel fixed to the W/Op’s (Air) table. (ii) All W/Op’s (Air) to be fitted with swivel vertebrae above the shoulders. (iii) The even numbered pages of the Schedule to be printed “the other way up”. The last of these three ‘mods’ has been requisitioned, and until it appears we wish you good luck and happy diversions. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] SIGNALS. [/underlined] [Underlined] YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. [/underlined] The Field Security Police have a multitude of duties, And amongst other things these precious beauties Sit in post offices and monitor calls, And lap up every word that falls From the lips of Service folk; This is by no means a joke, Though it may seem to be at first. The police laugh simply fit to burst Whenever they hear some solemn voice say, “This is an Ops. circuit so we needn’t scramble, heh?” And the other bloke Says, “Oke!” When this happens you might guess, They take it down in shorthad, [sic] (more or less), And after a court-marital – To which they’re very partial – The perpetrators of the crime Do “time”, Or they may, it is feared, Be cashiered! It all depends upon the rank, AC Plonk or Flight Lieutenant Blank. The moral is by now quite clear, I’m sure. NO circuits can be trusted as secure. When secrets must be spoken, your preamble Must always be the magic words, “Please scramble!” Ops. circuits only give you what you need, And that is NOT security but Speed! “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] navigation [Underlined] WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD NAVIGATOR? [/underlined] A good navigator may be summed up as one who works hard all the time, uses his intelligence constantly and makes a conscious effort to be on track and on time throughout every operation. Do you think you fill that category? To assist you in answering the first question, below is a self analysis chart for you to complete. Be honest with yourself in answering these questions. [Underlined] SELF ANALYSIS CHART. [/underlined] [Underlined] QUESTIONS. [/underlined] (1) Do you [underlined] always [/underlined] work to a system, and a regular time interval? (2) Do you [underlined] always [/underlined] make a “snap” alteration of course immediately you ascertain you are off track? (3) Do you check your ETA’s [underlined] regularly [/underlined] every 15 minutes? (4) When coming into Gee range to you [underlined] always [/underlined] believe the first Gee fix you obtain and act on it? (5) When no fixing aids available, do you [underlined] always [/underlined] obtain a D.R. position every 15 minutes? (6) Do you [underlined] always [/underlined] “home” on your Southern or Eastern Lattice lines as instructed. (7) Do you [underlined] always [/underlined] check your compasses every 20 minutes? (8) Do you [underlined] always [/underlined] find a w/v over the ideal period of time, i.e. between 15 and 40 minutes. (9) When necessary to you [underlined] always [/underlined] dog leg or alter IAS so as to arrive at each turning point exactly on time? This is by no means a comprehensive list, but if you answer all the questions frankly, you will obtain a good assessment of your own ability. If you can say “Yes” to only 70% or less, you are below average; 80% you are average; 90% ad above you can consider yourself a good navigator. Make a note of the points on which you lose marks, then rectify them [underlined] immediately [/underlined]. Further lists will appear in the next two summaries, so keep a note of your results on this test and by January you will have a complete assessment of yourself. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] NAVIGATION. [/underlined] [Underlined] WINDFINDING. [/underlined] The importance of finding accurate w/v’s, [underlined] and using them, [/underlined] has been stressed constantly for the last five years. One would therefore think that, as a result of all this “binding” every Navigator would now realise the importance of windfinding. BUT, unfortunately this is not so, Why? We now have four “gen boxes” given us to assist in finding really accurate w/v., i.e. Gee, Loran, H.2.S. and A.P.I. All these instruments have been tested very thoroughly and have been proved accurate. All Navigators acknowledge the accuracy of these instruments and trust individual fixes and A/P’s obtained, but when it comes to joining two of these positions together, i.e. fix and Air Position, and obtained a w/v, many Navigators automatically become dubious. If the w/v obtained agrees fairly well with that forecast, or the last few w/v’s found, it is considered accurate. BUT, on the other hand if it differs by any appreciable amount, then in 7 out of every 10 instances a Navigator will say he got a “duff fix”, or else the A.P.I. is overreading!! In other words many Navigators just haven’t the confidence in themselves. Are YOU one of these? If you are, then reform yourself! It is not generally appreciated that, even with a so-called steady wind the direction is never constant to within 30°, and the speed is never constant to within 10 or 15 miles an hour, so how can you expect to find idential [sic] w/v’s, and in any case how are you to know that there hasn’t been a sudden wind change caused by an unpredicted front or other reason? Therefore in future, do not mistrust your fixes, A.P.I. readings and resultant w/v’s. Take great care in obtaining these readings and in plotting them accurately, but once you’ve got them treat them as correct – and [underlined] USE [/underlined] the resultant w/v! [Underlined] COMPASSES. [/underlined] Do [underlined] YOU [/underlined] always check your Compasses every 20 minutes? This question has been asked already, but it will bear repeating. There are now 3 instruments dependent on the serviceability of the D.R. Compass, namely H.2.S., A.P.I. and Mk.XIV Bombsight, besides of course the safety of the aircraft itself. It is, therefore, of paramount importance that the D.R. Compass is fully serviceable all the time. A recent analysis showed that very few Navigators ever pay sufficient attention to their compasses. Are YOU one of these people who take the Compasses for granted, or do you carry out your checks methodically. Do you for example, ever go out to your aircraft and assist in the swinging, or do you even ask the Compass Adjusters on their return how your compasses are? Do you always carry a compass key in your pocket? Have a look and make sure before you answer the last question. Are you thoroughly conversant with the symptoms of a toppled gyro, and do you know the procedure to be adopted to correct the gyro? [Underlined] But above all, [/underlined] do you know that you should never return early because one of your compasses is unserviceable? An analysis is carried out after every Group concentration plan has been completed to ascertain why certain aircraft are off track. On every occasion the answer for [underlined] AT LEAST ONE AIRCRAFT [/underlined] is that vague phrase “COMPASSES U/S”, which, on further examination, means nothing more than “Compasses desynchronised”. The safety of an aircraft and its crew was therefore jeopardised because the crew [underlined] forgot to check their compasses! [/underlined] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [NAVIGATION. [/underlined] Longer range targets will be the the priority this Winter and that means deep penetration into a heavily fortified Germany. Accurate Navigation will therefore be absolutely essential and this is directly dependent on the accuracy of your compasses. Be compass minded then – learn all you can about them, know your drills and manipulation procedures off by heart – and above all [underlined] CHECK YOUR COMPASS REGULARLY. [/underlined] Use the Astro Compass when there is any discrepancy between the P.4 and D.R. Compasses. Station and Squadron Navigation Officers must continue to drive hard on this subject, checking all new crews on their arrival See that they are thoroughly conversant with the drills, faults, remedies and manipulation procedures, and make it clear to them that on no account do they return early if one compass is unserviceable. [Underlined] PRACTICE BOMBING VECTOR ERRORS. [/underlined] The average vector error obtained by the squadrons this month is 3.8 m.p.h. This is excellent. This figure shows a decrease of .5 m.p.h. We have achieved our goal of an average vector error below 4 m.p.h. Can we now possibly reduce this error to below 3 m.p.h.? If we can then all navigators can truthfully say they are contributing to very largely to the high standard of bombing we are achieving. Go to it! and see what records you can break this month. [Table of Average Vector Errors by Squadron] It will be noted that three squadrons of No.53 Base occupy the first three places this month, the two “old faithfuls”, Nos. 9 and 50 Squadrons, still retaining their lead on the rest of the Group. No. 56 Base Squadrons are all down towards the bottom of the list. They can, and have, done very much better than this. Com on No.56 Base, let us see you at the top next month! Apologies to No. 57 Squadron for last month. Their average vector error was inadvertently shown as 4 m.p.h., whereas it should have read 3.5 m.p.h. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] NAVIGATION. [/underlined] [Drawing] THIS MONTH’S Bouquets [Drawing] The names of the eight navigators who submitted the best work this month as [sic] set out below. They have been chosen for their consistently accurate and methodical work, which includes good track-keeping and timing, constant wind velocity checks and checking of E.T.A’s and log and chart work of a very high order. F/O Hart – No.467 Squadron P/O Briggs No.83 Squadron F/O Martin No.106 Squadron F/O Skinner No.189 Squadron P/O Searle No.227 Squadron F/Sgt Shapman No.207 Squadron F/O Kay No.630 Squadron F/Sgt Murray No. 50 Squadron Note that P/O SEARLE appears for the second time. Good work SEARLE – keep it up! [Underlined] TIMING. [/underlined] In last month’s summary a long article was written on the slackness of timing on the return journey. Three causes of this “timing spread” were suggested and you were asked to eliminate them and so bring about a much needed improvement in the return journey concentration. Base, Station and Squadron Commanders and Navigation Officers were also asked to have a “drive” in this direction. Only one operation has been carried out since this letter was sent, and on this raid there was a very big improvement. In fact the concentration on the return journey was better than that going to the target!! This is good, keep it up, and make it your aim to achieve the concentration we desire, i.e. “an area covering not more than 50 miles in length and 10 miles in width” – and no more. [Underlined] UNION NEWS. [/underlined] F/Lt. Markham – No.463 Squadron to be Squadron Navigation Officer. F/Lt. Martin – No.61 Squadron to be Squadron Navigation Officer. F/Lt. Bennett, D.F.M. – No.617 Squadron Navigation Officer to be Station Navigation Officer, Woodhall. (now S/Ldr.). F/O Bayne, D.F.C. – No.617 Squadron to be Squadron Navigation Officer. F/Lt. De Boos, D.F.C. – No.627 Squadron Navigation Officer, tour expired, posted to No.7 Group. F/Lt. Tice – No.627 Squadron to be Squadron Navigation Officer. S/Ldr. Kelly, D.F.C. – Station Navigation Officer, Fulbeck, missing on operations. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] radar nav: [Underlined] LORAN. [/underlined] This new navigational aid has only been used to any great advantage on one operation this month. Despite the difficulties in training and the short time since the introduction of the Loran equipment, operators made full use of the facility it affords, and it has proved without doubt a useful addition to our navigational equipment. The fact that to the present time no interference has been encountered which would make fixing difficult does not imply that the Hun will not attempt to jam the equipment and with this fact in mind every possible operator must use Loran to its fullest advantage whilst it is still possible. There are one or two points which have arisen in the manipulation and use of this equipment which must be stressed. They are:- (i) Loran operators are not spending sufficient time in the recognition of signals – particularly differentiation between 1st and 2nd Hop E sky waves. Perseverence [sic] and close watch of the signals on Sweep Speed 3 will ascertain whether the signals are the correct ones. It is appreciated that very little, if any, training can be carried out on the S.S. Loran Chain and operators must endeavour to use time on operations for sky wave training. If you are uncertain as to the appearance of sky waves your obvious remedy is to visit the Radar Training Room after 1630 hours any day and you can get all the gen on the sky waves by using the S.S. or North Eastern Loran Chain on a bench set. Why not make this a nightly feature until you are sure in the identification of all signals. (ii) No system of taking position lines at regular intervals is being followed. It is no use taking a position line from one rate and keep transferring it along track for an undeterminable number of times to give you fixes with position lines from the other rate. Try taking position lines at regular intervals of say 10 minutes e.g.:- Rate 4 at 2010 and 2020 and so on. Rate 5 at 2011 and 2021 and so on. (iii) The time base readings are easily upset by movement of the fine strobe control during the switching of the Sweep Speed Control through position 5, 6 and 7. Watch this carefully or else you are going to get false fixes. If necessary use your left hand for switching the Sweep Speed Control. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] RADAR NAVIGATION. [/underlined] (iv) Several operators reported the four dividers out of alignment but a few using commonsense [sic] and initiative correctly aligned the dividers and obtained full use of the equipment. As the dividers, particularly A, B, C and D are very critical, alignment checks must be made:- (a) After switching on procedure has been carried out. (b) Every two hours when LORAN is in use. (c) After any large changes of temperature or pressure. An Aircraft Drill has been produced and is available at all units, detailing the alignment procedure. Loran operators must know this procedure fully and screwdrivers have been made a general issue to all navigators in order that alignment corrections can be made in the air. It is important, however, that operators should know the symptoms of incorrect alignment before they attempt any correction at all. Loran Instructors or Radar Officers will supply all the “gen” on this. A slight modification to the Loran set is being introduced shortly which enables operators to change the basic rate so that the new North Eastern Loran Chain can be used. This North Eastern Loran Chain the details of which will be available shortly, gives coverage over the whole of the North Sea and should be very useful on Northern trips. It is, however, emphasised that as this Chain is not as accurate as the Norther Gee Chain, Gee must be used to the limit of its coverage. The present charts are to a scale of one to three million and therefore hopeless for Bomber Command navigation. Representations have been made for larger scale charts and these will be distributed as soon as they are received at this Headquarters. [Underlined] GEE. [/underlined] Welcome changes have been made this month in the Continental Gee Chain frequencies with the intention of giving far better facilities from the Ruhr and Rheims Chains. However emphasis is placed upon the correct setting up of the R.F.27 tuning dial to obtain the best reception. Great care is therefore to be exercised in setting the dial correctly when changing from one frequency to another. The Rheims Chain continues to give excellent results with ranges reported as great as 0930E. Interference is slight and on most occasions non-existent. On the Munich operation the Chain could have been used to considerably greater advantage if suitable charts had been available in time. The Ruhr Chain is still producing disappointing results and below the standard of the Rheims Chain. A and C Station signal strengths are fairly good. The B and D signals are weak limiting the operational value of the Chain. Sine wave jamming and Heavy Grass has been reported in the Brunswick and Cologne areas. The Eastern Chain gave excellent results on the Harburg operation, many operators obtaining fixes in the target area. This indicates either the meteorological conditions were favourable for Gee that night, or that the enemy has transferred his jamming to other frequencies. Representatives have again been made for the production of miniature lattice charts for the Continental Chain as the navigator nowadays has to carry no less than eighteen topographical lattice charts if he is to be prepared for any emergencies. The total area covered by these topographical lattice charts can be reproduced on approximately four miniature lattice charts. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] RADAR NAVIGATION. [/underlined] [Underlined] H.2.S. [/underlined] H.2.S. silence is still being maintained on the Group with total restriction on the use of H.2.S. Mark II and part restriction on H.2.S. Mark III. With the risk of early warning of operations, and until the efficiency of the enemy night fighter equipment is definitely ascertained, it is the policy of this Group to give the enemy as little help from H.2.S. sources as is possible. H.2.S. operators are reminded that although the use of H.2.S. Mark II is almost totally restricted it may be possible that at some future date consent will be given to its use again. H.2.S. Mark II can be used from the enemy coast on the return journey. This relaxation of the restrictions is intended for training purposes and operators should make the best use of this time to raise their standard of efficiency. H.2.S. is and will remain the most efficient navigational aid over enemy territory because it cannot be jammed efficiently, and with the introduction of new Marks it will again come into general use. All Marks of H.2.S. are manipulated in a similar manner and thorough knowledge of Mark II will ensure more efficient use of the later Marks. 54 Base still continue to make great strides in the use of H.2.S. Mark III as an efficient bombing aid and trials are continuing to ascertain the accuracy of individual sets of H.2.S. equipment by means of ground Radar plots at positions of bombs gone on various targets. Complete analysis of every run is being made to ascertain the errors due to equipment and to the human element. Those due to the equipment can be eliminated. It is up to the individual operators to eliminate the inaccuracy due to human error. H.2.S. Photography is proceeding satisfactorily throughout the Group, although all main force photographs, except those from 106 Squadron, are of landmarks in this country. From these training photographs it is evident that the standard is improving, and operators are taking a little more time in the manipulation of the camera. There are, however, still one or two unsatisfactory details which can be overcome:- For instance, some operators still persist in having a 10 mile zero as big as a half crown thus distorting the photograph obtained. Remember is should be the size of a sixpence. Others persist in having lights on or letting the daylight into the compartment when taking the photographs thus wasting negatives and printing material. If you persist in making these mistakes during training, far more may be made during an operational sortie due to operational stress. 54 Base have produced some excellent operational photographs, particularly those taken on the operation to Munich. These photographs show the lakes and valleys in the Alps as clearly as on a relief map. The photographs also indicate that the target and lakes nearby are very well defined on the H.2.S. Mark III P.P.I. and will no doubt prove useful for any future attacks. Squadrons of 55 Base and 106 Squadron have carried out several mining sorties during the month, the results of which have been excellent. The importance of this work cannot be too highly stressed and H.2.S. training on these squadrons is being carried out with this type of operation in mind. There are several convenient landmarks on the East Coast which can be used for mining runs and the number of P.P.I. photographs which have been received indicate that some operators are making use of them during training. The important fact is that all operators on these squadrons must be able to release mines accurately on H.2.S. We cannot afford to lay them outside the normal channels, where they may be a danger to our own shipping. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] tactics This month the German Night Fighter Force has again failed to offer effective opposition to Bomber Command’s night offensive. The German fighter controllers have been bewildered by the profusion of Window spoofs, Mosquito raids and Intruders, combined with the main attacks, and have failed to intercept the bomber stream with an effective number of fighters. Night fighter are, however, still the biggest danger, and there is no reason to suppose that, once they have contacted the bomber stream, they are any less efficient than they were last Winter. A night fighter, particularly if equipped with upward firing cannon, is a formidable adversary, and a crew must be on the top line to combat it successfully. Good crew discipline is essential. In particular, intercommunications between the pilot and gunners must be clear and concise. Idle chatter and the use of Christian names on the intercom. may mean attending interrogation at Dulag Luft instead of Base. There are indications that the enemy may, in the very near future, send up fighters against our daylight attacks, particularly on the deeper penetrations we shall be making in the coming months. The fighter escort will deal with what it can, but crews must be prepared for small formations of enemy fighters to get through the escort. This will provide a quick and decisive answer to the ever recurrent problem of stragglers. The enemy may well use jet fighters for these attacks, but crews should remember that, although their speed is very high, there is nothing miraculous about these aircraft. In an attack they behave like conventional fighters and should be treated as such. Although they are armed with 30 m.m. cannon, these have such a low muzzle velocity that, for accurate shooting, they are not effective over 400 yards, which will give gunners a good chance of shooting back. A final warning. A case has come to light recently where a captain admitted letting his rear gunner leave his turret over France and the sea when returning from the target. This is criminal. German night fighters are often ordered to follow the bomber stream across friendly territory, and well out to sea, and captains must remember that an operation finishes in dispersal, and not a moment sooner. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] air bombing The activities of the Group in the operational sphere have mostly been intended to destroy small targets rather than to bomb areas of large cities. Despite unfavourable weather conditions on frequent occasions, the results have been reasonably satisfactory from the Air Bomber’s point of view and the necessity of maintaining a high standard of precision bombing must be apparent. Obtaining the best possible results on precision targets at night, when visual identification is impossible, necessitates a thorough knowledge of the tactical plan and the ability to carry it out to the letter. The plots of the incendiary attacks on sectors illustrate that the majority of Air Bombers are doing their best to guide the aircraft over the marking point, but it must be realised that after the dummy bombing run on to the marker, it is essential that the aircraft should be on the briefed track as quickly as possible. As soon as the marker comes into the intersection of the bombsight graticule and is reported by the Air Bomber, the immediate reactions of the bombing team are as follows:- (a) The Navigator commences to count off the required number of seconds consistent with the basic delay plus the delay for the incendiary bombs. (b) The Pilot turns on to the course given by the Navigator prior to reaching the target area, and confirms that he is on the correct course. (c) The Air Bomber does a last minute check of the bombing panel and releases the bombs on the executive word from the Navigator. The correct observance of this procedure will ensure that the required incendiary concentration falls in the areas where the maximum amount of damage can be caused. Now that Winter has arrived, all Air Bombers must be prepared for icing in the bomb-bay. The only preventative measure that can be undertaken is to see that the release slip heater for No.13 station is switched on at take-off, but by a careful examination of the bomb-bay after landing, it will be possible to see if any incendiaries have fallen from the S.B.C’s on to the doors and the ground crew will know what to expect when they open the bomb-doors. A careful examination of the bomb-bay after the aircraft has been flying below freezing level for some time will help to prevent any accidents on the ground after landing. It should be remembered that there will be no indication of bombs hanging-up due to icing, when the Air Bomber does his lights check. The importance of switch drill, and accuracy in bombsight settings, must be frequently stressed by Bombing Leaders at every possible opportunity. An error of one or two degrees in bombsight levelling will give a large error on the ground, and despite the difficulty in setting the correct levelling figure on the computor [sic] box, every effort must be made to see that it is correct to the nearest degree. Constantly check your switches and bombsight on the way to the target, and remember that your target is not a town or city, but a small area in that town or city, and to hit is successfully you must be accurate as if bombing a practice target. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] AIR BOMBING. [/underlined] [Underlined] NOVEMBER’S OUTSTANDING CREW ERRORS. [/underlined] [Underlined] SQDN. PILOT AIR BOMBER NAVIGATOR ERROR AT 20,000 FT. IN YARDS. [/underlined] 9 F/O Newton F/Sgt Flynn F/Sgt Grant 71 F/L Marsh F/O Carr F/Sgt Haydon 66 F/O Coater F/Sgt Boag F/Sgt Black 57 F/O Williams F/Sgt Gold Sgt Lockerbie 53 50 F/O Jones Sgt Jarmy Sgt Davis 77 F/O Ling F/Sgt Howard F/O Rutland 68 83 F/O Inniss F/O Morrison F/Sgt Dormer 73 F/L Weber Sgt Summers Sgt Thorn 76 97 F/O Greening Sgt Nutt F/Sgt Cairn 72 F/L Brooker F/O Pearce F/O Brown 42 F/O Ryan Sgt Kirkby F/O Sabine 56 F/O Royston-Piggott W/O Bate F/Sgt Madley 73 106 P/O May Sgt George F/Sgt Barling 61 207 F/O Rose Sgt Weaver Sgt Bell 75 617 F/O Ross P/O Tilby F/O O’Brien 63 F/O Gingles W/O Hazell F/Sgt Johnson 70 F/L Sayers P/O Weaver F/O Strom 73 F/O Martin F/Sgt Day F/Sgt Jackson 54 54 F/O Joplin F/Sgt Hebbard F/Sgt Fish 71 630 F/O Baker F/Sgt Leyden F/Sgt Taeuber 66 F/O Miller F/O Banks W/O Wildey 74 F/O Martin and crew, No.617 Squadron, have for the second successive month, obtained two crew errors of less than 60 yards at 20,000 feet. These results are obtained only by concentration on the part of Pilot and Air Bomber and are commendable efforts. F/L Brooker and crew, No.97 Squadron, obtained the excellent result of 42 yards using the Mark XIV Bombsight. [Underlined] BOMBING LEADERS. [/underlined] P/O Willmot, No.49 Squadron, obtained fifth place on the Bombing Leader’s Course, being awarded a “B” Category. There have been no changes in the squadrons during November. All Bombing Leaders are asked to make a point of seeing that their returns are forwarded to Group Headquarters as soon as possible after the end of each week and month. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] AIR BOMBING . [/underlined] [Underlined] SQUADRON BOMBING COMPETITION. [/underlined] [Underlined] SQUADRON AVERAGE ERROR [/underlined] 1 9 65 yards 2 ) 97 70 yards 2 ) 619 70 yards 4 630 71 yards 5 49 72 yards 6 83 73 yards 7 44 74 yards 8 207 86 yards 9 463 87 yards 10 57 88 yards 11 50 100 yards 12 467 114 yards 13 106 124 yards 14 61 125 yards 15 189 126 yards The top place in the Group Competition has again changed hands, 9 Squadron having improved on their last month’s entry by 8 yards, and they are well ahead of the next six Squadrons who submitted entries all within 6 yards. No. 9 Squadron are to be congratulated on their excellent bombing and it is hoped that they can hold their place against the strong opposition which will be provided by other squadrons during December. No.55 Base have repeated their recent consistently good bombing and all five squadrons are included in the first ten, 619 Squadron showing the greatest improvement with a decrease of 23 yards on their October result. [Underlined] CREW CATEGORISATION. [/underlined] [Table of Crew Categorisation by Base] Crews are categorised on the average crew error of their last three practice bombing exercises and the following limitations apply to the various categories:- A+ 85 yards or less A 140 yards or less B 210 yards or less C 280 yards or less D Over 280 yards. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28 NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] AIR BOMBING. [/underlined] [Underlined] HIGH LEVEL BOMBING PRACTICE. [/underlined] [Table of High Level Bombing Practice Results by Squadron] No. 627 Squadron dropped 409 bombs at heights lower than 1000 feet with an average error of 71 yards. 172 T.I’s were dropped producing an average error of 191 yards. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] AIR BOMBING. [/underlined] [Underlined] QUIZ. [/underlined] 1. If you find you are getting no air supply after switching on the air control what is the first thing to check? 2. Which pistol is liable to operate even though the bomb has been released “SAFE”? 3. What is used to indicate the presence of Allied troops during close support attacks on targets near the front line? [Underlined] BIGCHIEF COMPETITION. [/underlined] The two entries received in this competition have both been sent in from Strubby. G/Capt. Jeudwine – 138 yards at 20,000 ft. W/Cdr. Milward (619 Sqdn.) – 205 yards at 20,000 ft. [Underlined] LEADER COMPETITION. [/underlined] The solitary entry for this competition came from 55 Base. F/Lt. Linnett (57 Sqdn.) – 104 yards. F/Lt Rumgay (617 Sqddn.) has completed several excellent exercises using the S.A.B.S. which unfortunately, cannot be included in the competition. [Underlined] PRACTICE BOMBING. [/underlined] The total number of practice bombs dropped during November shows a considerable decrease when compared with October’s figures (2577 against 3898). Adverse weather conditions made practice bombing impossible on many days during the month, but some Squadrons made maximum use of the available opportunities. The average crew error, although slightly higher than last month, is very satisfactory and special mention must be made of 9 Squadron’s efforts which produced and average error of 122 yards. There are occasions when considerable congestion has been caused at Bombing Ranges because of the large number of aircraft attempting to bomb at the same time. It is only possible to allocate two targets to each Base and this congestion should be reduced with closer co-operation between Squadron Bombing Leaders, and the staggering of Bombing times allocated to each aircraft. Bombing Leaders are also reminded that night practice bombing programmes should be transmitted to Ranges before 1800 hours if possible. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] incendiary attacks [Underlined] BRUINSWICK – 14/15TH OCTOBER [/underlined] It is probable that with the limited time available before an operation, crews may not appreciate the complete picture of the plan of which each squadron forms a component part. It is proposed, therefore, to take one of the incendiary attacks which this Group has carried out, giving in broad outline the intention, plan and execution of the attack. The target chosen is Brunswick, which was selected for attack by this Group on the 14/15th October. Appended is a P.R.U. photograph of the town of Brunswick, showing the damage inflicted by the attack, bounded by the red line. The smaller areas bounded by green lines represent damage prior to the 14/15th October. The attack was highly successful but nevertheless illustrated how even small deviations from the agreed plan can jeopardise success. [Underlined] INTENTION. [/underlined] Brunswick has always been an important communications centre due to its position on the trade route from Hamburg to Southern Germany and its importance increased with the development of inland waterways and railways. Its pre-war major industries were swiftly placed on a war footing to supply the German armed forces and the beginning of the war also saw the rapid development of major aircraft and engineering industries in the town, particularly in the Northern and Southern suburbs. It is not surprising therefore that this town, lying as it does within range of bases in Great Britain, has received regular attention from the Allied Air Forces. Since the strategical bombing of Germany began, a total of 6129 tons of bombs have been reported as dropped on the town by Bomber Command alone. But in common with a few other towns, like STUTTGART and FRANKFURT, it bore an unusually charmed life. While bombing depended upon visual methods of target finding, this was partly explained by the lack of good water landmarks near the town, but the difficulty of finding and bombing the target persisted after the introduction of RADAR aids, as will be seen from the following summary of major Bomber Command raids this year, including two by this Group, which left the town almost unscathed. 14/15th January – 472 aircraft 22/23rd April – 256 aircraft 22/23rd May – 211 aircraft 13/14th August – 350 aircraft These raids are additional to several A.S.A.A.F. raids directed specific factories which were in the main successful. [Underlined] PLAN. [/underlined] There are two main alternative methods of carrying out an incendiary attack on a town of this nature. The first is to put the T.I’s on the centre of the town and to bomb these direct. This method “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] INCENDIARY ATTACKS [/underlined] has a number of disadvantages the most important being that T.I’s in a built up area will seldom show up as brightly as those dropped on open ground, so that any markers which may be wide of the target will almost certainly attract the bombing. This occurred on the first attack on Konigsberg. Moreover, as soon as bombing starts the markers become obscured by incendiaries and smoke, and have to be continually backed up, this adding to the risk of inaccurate markers falling outside the town. The alternative is to select a marking point which us likely to be easily recognisable by the marker force and located somewhere on the upwind side of the target. Provided visibility is reasonable all markers should fall within 300 yards of the marking point. If each crew is then given a heading on which to fly and a number of seconds to delay the release of bombs, the whole target area should in theory be covered with an even density of incendiaries and thus be totally destroyed. It should be noted that this system entails the most precise bombing by each crew otherwise some areas will receive too many incendiaries and others will be left unburnt. The method by which each crew is to pass precisely over the markers and thus get on to the exact heading is laid down in Air Staff Instructions, and must be known to all. [Underlined] NARRATIVE [/underlined] (i) [Underlined] Weather. [/underlined] The weather at the target was clear with slight ground haze. (ii) [Underlined] Marking. [/underlined] At H – 11 the first green T.I. dropped blind as a proximity marker, went down followed almost immediately by the first flares. At H – 8 the second flare wave dropped and by this time three more green T.I’s had gone down. Mosquito Marker No.3 gave a “Tallyho” and went in to mark, his T.I. being assessed as 200 yards to the North of the marking point. The Master Bomber ordered the remaining Mosquitos to back up 200 yards to the South. The backing up eventually resulted in 2 T.I’s roughly on the marking point, one 300 yards S.E. which probably fell in water and quickly went out, and one wide marker 800 yards to the West. This error was due to a variety of causes of which undue haste was probably the major. At H – 1 the markers were ordered off the target and the main force instructed to attack. The illustration shows the positions of the Red T.I’s in relation to the marking point as assessed from night photographs. [Diagram] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] INCENDIARY ATTACKS. [/underlined] (iii) [Underlined] Main Force Bombing. [/underlined] The attack went mainly according to plan although the Master Bomber had to instruct crews to steady down as there were some wide sticks in the early stages. These few loose sticks are a regrettable feature of all attacks, and it is hard to understand crews who have carried their loads all the way to the target can allow themselves to release them in open country on the edge of the target when a few more seconds would enable them to be placed on the aiming point. At H + 8 the main force were instructed to complete bombing and return to base. [Photograph – missing] This photograph is a still from film shot by a 463 Squadron Lancaster equipped with cine apparatus. The photograph was taken six minutes after the main force bombing started, and can be clearly picked out on the P.R.U. cover as the North East corner of the sector allotted to Nos. 50 and 61 Squadrons. [Underlined] DAMAGE ASSESSMENT [/underlined] The greater part of the central core of the town was contained in the central sector shown on the tracing overlay. The two boundary sectors also contain a portion of this central core, all of which was fully built up and therefore highly vulnerable to incendiary attack. Whilst the primary intention of the raid was to destroy the central core of the town, two squadrons were allotted to an area to the East and North East which is less fully built up, as a trial to see what damage could be achieved by a small force. An examination of photographs shows that of the three markers remaining after Marker D had become extinguished, only A showed up clearly, and that markers B and C became covered by incendiaries from a load released short, and may not have been clearly visible to bomb aimers. This left the extreme Westerly T.I. clearly visible throughout the attack and as a “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Photograph] [Page break] [Photograph with Overlay Showing Bombing Sectors] BRUNSWICK 14/15 OCTOBER. [Page break] [Underlined] INCENDIARY ATTACKS [/underlined] result all incendiary loads had a tendency to fall in the Westerly part of a central sector or else in the Western sector, or even West of this. There was also a tendency for loads to overshoot rather more than planned. As far as it is possible to estimate from available data about 90% of the loads other than those which were dropped loosely outside the area, fell within the central core of the town but only a few scattered sticks on the N.E. area. This was clearly due to crews using the Westerly marker as their datum point, thus shifting the whole area of attack some hundreds of yards to the West. [Underlined] CONCLUSION [/underlined] It can be seen that the greater part of the central core of the town has been completely destroyed, and that there has also been some damage in the more Northerly sectors. Damage in the North East sector is slight due to the shifting of the marking point. The attack therefore illustrates the manner in which any marker wide of the concentration will draw on itself undue attention. It also illustrates the harm that can be done by loads of incendiaries dropped on the markers thus making them difficult to see. Apart from these two points the attack was extremely well carried out, timings were accurate, winds found were excellent and the great majority of aircraft attacked exactly on the headings laid down. Incidentally one reason for the marker which went wide was the tendency on previous attacks for some crews before H hour. As a result of experience the Mosquito markers who are marking from below 1,000 feet like to be clear of the target with a minute or two in hand. It is obviously essential that the markers should not be hurried in their task and crews must on no account bomb before H hour unless the Master Bomber calls them in earlier. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] war effort [Table of Sortied Carried Out with Results by Squadron] [Underlined] NOTES: [/underlined] Squadrons are placed in the above table in order of “Successful sorties per aircraft on charge”. In view of their special duties, Nos. 9, 49, 83, 97, 617 and 627 Squadrons are shown separately. In cases where a crew has flown in an aircraft of another Squadron, the sortie is divided between the two Squadrons. Squadrons above establishment are calculate on an establishment of 20. [Drawing] training [Underlined] CATEGORISATION OF PILOTS. [/underlined] During the month the scheme for the Categorisation of Heavy Bomber pilots in the Group was issued. Full details are contained in this Headquarters’ letter reference 209/Trg. dated 18th November, 1944. The success of this scheme depends on co-operation between Squadron/Flight Commanders and the Squadron Instructors to see that crews are available for their initial and 10 and 20 Sortie Checks so that a Category can be awarded or revised. The Squadron Instructor has a vital responsibility. He must be thoroughly familiar with Pilots’ Notes for the Lancaster, relevant Air Staff Instructions and in particular No.5 Group Aircraft Drills. Some Squadrons have already completed a number of Category Tests, which incidentally are done in the New Crew Check and 10 and 20 Sortie Checks. No separate test is necessary. A preliminary examination shows that some of the Category Test Proformas have been completed accurately, others show a definite tendency to overmark. An [underlined] A+ [/underlined] Category should not be lightly awarded because it amounts to an “Exceptional” assessment. One proforma showed 100% marks for Captaincy! Section No.8 requires special care. A pilot scoring full marks for Captaincy must be faultless (and we’re all human). The number of pilots categorised in the ten days following the introduction of the scheme is as follows:- [Table of Pilot Categorisations by Base] A total of 177 New Crew and 10/20 Sortie Checks were done during the month (including the Category tests in the above table), leaving 101 checks outstanding. Nearly half the outstanding checks were in 56 Base, where a temporary shortage of aircraft, absence of dual sets and a deficiency of a Squadron Instructor, gave the Base more than its share of problems. Total squadron training hours amounted to 4,000 hours day, and 1,300 hours night – about 700 hours less than the previous month. (We blame the weather again). Now that the Winter is on us the old skeleton (“No training – aircraft are bombed-up”) is rattling its ancient bones. Lock it up. We’ve heard the jingle before. If the Met. gives half a chance of training, get a couple of aircraft per Flight de-bombed as soon as the operation is cancelled. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] TRAINING. [/underlined] [Underlined] FIGHTER AFFILIATION AND 1690 B.D.T. FLIGHT. [/underlined] Fighter affiliation results are encouraging. Squadrons did a grand total of 1105 exercises on 500 details – nearly two exercises per gunner in the Group. Night affiliation by squadrons continues to climb to higher figures. This time it totalled 314 exercises of which 76 were done with 100 Group Mosquitoes, and the remainder with 1690 B.D.T. Flight. This was the fourth successive month to show an increase. 1690 B.D.T. Flight during the month was reduced from 26 aircraft to 12 by the withdrawal of the Spitfires and Martinets. It continued, however, to assist No.7 Group with day and night details for 75 Base, and a few night details for 72 Base. The Flight flew 560 hours on 670 details. Pilots averaged 23 hours, the Hurricanes 33 hours, the Spitfires 16 hours and the Martinets 9 hours. Night affiliation by the Flight was the highest ever, rising from 94 details in October to 139 in November, thus exercising nearly 300 gunners in the hours of darkness; (a first rate performance bearing in mind the persistent bad weather). It is satisfying to hear on the hook-up that on one night the Flight booked 33 night details. They were not all done owing to the weather, but on the night of 28th November, 22 details were completed – a record night for the Flight. On five nights on the last week of the month, 89 details were done. This shows what can be achieved when the weather is fit. Incidentally, the moon was up. Bear in mind that affiliation on dark nights provide the real test. [Underlined] 5 L.F.S. TRAINING. [/underlined] Unusually bad weather during the month affected No.5 L.F.S. Only two days during the month were fit for full flying, but despite this, and repairs to the perimeter track, full advantage was taken on of every opportunity and 5 L.F.S. completed the training of 92 crews for squadrons and had 11 crews within a day of finishing their course at the end of the month. The total of 92 crews was 6 crews in excess of Command estimate. The Unit flew a total of 1344 hours. The average hours flown per aircraft on charge was 48. There were two avoidable accidents during the month. The rigorous policy of “quality and not quantity” is being followed and three crews have already been put up for disposal on the grounds of poor captaincy. The crews posted during the month averaged 12 hours 35 minutes training at the Unit, nearly 2 hours more than the previous month. This was largely due to extra time being given to the short cross country exercise to give additional navigational instruction. Loran training has also been introduced and crews are getting 7 hours ground training on their course. 12 Instructors were recategorized by E.C.F.S. during the month. Two obtained A2 Categories and the remainder B Categories ([Underlined] Note: [/underlined] These Categories have no relation to the Pilots’ Categorisation Scheme introduced by 5 Group). The Examining Flight expressed the opinion that the standard of instruction at 5 L.F.S. was slightly above the average for Four Engined Training Units. The next month’s commitment for 5 L.F.S. is 100 crews, less wastage. If the weather is reasonable, the Unit can do it as it always has in the past. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] TRAINING. [/underlined] [Underlined] INSTRUMENT FLYING (LINK). [/underlined] [Underlined] NEW EXERCISES. [/underlined] The exercises in the Instrument Flying Syllabus on the Link are being revised to include exercises designed to cover operational procedure, and to practice more thoroughly and stimulate the pilot’s interest in keeping his I.F. up to scratch. [Underlined] NEW LINK TRAINERS. [/underlined] When installation of the new Link Trainers is complete, there will be one available for each squadron in the Group. This will put the ideal squadron monthly total times for pilots (50 – 60 hours) within reach of every squadron. Many squadrons will have double the amount of Link Time available. This extra time can only be used efficiently if a Link Trainer Programme is organised and kept going by the officer detailed by the squadron for co-ordination of I.F. and Link Training (Air Staff Instruction TRG/3 refers). [Underlined] PRIMARY OBJECT OF THE LINK TRAINER. [/underlined] Units whose Flight Engineers have done double the time of the Pilots seem to have lost sight of the primary object of the Link Trainer; that is to keep pilots in constant practice in all forms of instrument flying. The ideal is for pilots and flight engineers times to be equal. [Underlined] LINK TIMES. [/underlined] Squadron Link hours generally are improving. The total pilot times were [underlined] DOUBLE [/underlined] the previous month. There are, however, still weak places in the chain, which are easily visible from the training return. Two squadrons in both 53 and 54 Bases and one in 55 Base have done less than 20 hours pilot time per month. [Table of Link Trainer Times by Base and Squadron] GRAND TOTALS: Pilots – 742 hours. Flight Engineers- 764 hours. Other Aircrew – 101 hours. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] gunnery [Underlined] “DECLINE AND FALL OF THE G.A.F.” [/underlined] [Underlined] DESTROYED. [/underlined] 2.11.44 – “D” – 207 Sqdn. – FW.190 C. 2.11.44 – “D” – 227 Sqdn. – JU.88 C. 4/5.11.44 – “L” – 227 Sqdn. – 2 Jet A/c. 6/7.11.44 – “R” – 630 Sqdn. – FW.190 C. 6/7.11.44 – “X” – 61 Sqdn. – JU.88 C. 6/7.11.44 – “X” – 61 Sqdn. – Jet A/c. 6/7.11.44 – “J” – 467 Sqdn. – Jet A/c. 6/7.11.44 – “R” – 227 Sqdn. – Jet A/c. [Underlined] PROBABLY DESTROYED. [/underlined] 4/5.11.44 – “S” – 207 Sqdn. – ME.109 C. [Underlined] DAMAGED. [/underlined] 6/7.11.44 – “B” – 189 Sqdn. – JU.88 C. Claims annotated ‘C’ have been confirmed by Headquarters, Bomber Command. From a total of 84 combats during the month, 7 were claimed to have been with jet propelled aircraft of which 5 were claimed as destroyed. The other claims stand at 4 destroyed, 1 probably destroyed, and 1 damaged, all of which have been confirmed by Headquarters, Bomber Command. The correct identity of the reported jet aircraft is now under consideration by the experts and no claims are being considered until a decision has been reached as to whether these phenomena are in fact jet propelled aircraft or some form of jet projectile. Two aircraft were surprised by under attacks. The first warning being when the aircraft was hit by cannon fire. In both cases the aircraft were extensively damaged and casualties to the crew incurred. The answer to these under attacks is 100% crew co-operation and correct and frequent “Banking Search”. [Underlined] RESULTS OF C.G.S. COURSES. [/underlined] W/O HANSON 97 Sqdn. Cat. ‘B’ F/O KETHRO 5 L.F.S. Cat. ‘B’. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] GUNNERY. [/underlined] [Underlined] AIR TRAINING. [/underlined] [Underlined] FIGHTER AFFILIATION. [/underlined] [Underlined] ORDER OF MERIT. [/underlined] [Tables of Fighter Affiliation Results by Squadron] Note: Figures in the above table represent “Points”. [Underlined] TOTAL OF AFFILIATION EXERCISES FOR NOVEMBER:- 1105. [/underlined] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] GUNNERY. [/underlined] The Order of Merit will, in future, be based on a points system, points being allotted as follows:- Night Affiliation with Camera and Infra Red Film 10 points Night Affiliation without Camera 8 points Day Affiliation with Gyro and Camera 5 points Day affiliation with Camera 3 points Day Affiliation without Camera 1 point The total of night affiliation exercises continues to increase and it is hoped that the Gunnery Leaders will co-operate with Squadron and Flight Commanders to ensure that the maximum number of details are flown whenever operations and weather permit. The importance of this exercise cannot be over emphasised and the aim of every Squadron should be to achieve at least one exercise per crew per month. It is apparent from the training returns that certain Squadrons are not making the maximum use of their Gyro camera assemblies during day affiliation exercises. These assemblies must be fitted on every possible occasion. Gunnery Analysis Officers are now established on each Squadron and it is their duty to assess the films taken during these exercises and to keep a proper for future reference for categorisation etc. No. 53 Base are to be congratulated on setting the pace as regards outdoor night vision training. Each Squadron within the Base has fitted up a simple obstacle course which has been in use regularly by Squadron gunners. Other Bases would be well advised to follow the lead of No.53 Base in this simple, but very effective, practical form of instruction. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] Leave it to Smith [Drawing] “Pass over yesterday’s fighter affil. reports will you Bill, and let’s see how some of those new crews are panning out. – Correct directions given – Range usually 800 yards – Range O.K. corkscrew appeared slow – Range 700 yards, corkscrew very good – Ranges generally good 600 to 650 yards – Range good – Range varied from 300 to 900 yards – gunners poor – corkscrew good. Who on earth was flying ‘N’ Nuts yesterday Bill – with two clueless gunners the crew can’t be anywhere near fit for operations?” “One moment Dick – ‘N’ Nuts – that Clarkson – a new crew with only a Mid-Upper, but we put old Smith in there as Rear Gunner as he wants to get finished and since his old skipper went sick he’s had no crew; he only needs a half dozen to finish his second tour.” “Smith always seems to have wads of clues, he’s certainly been operating for ages without getting himself bumped off. Quite a lot of the time as a spare too – the pilots seems to like to have him in the aircraft.” “I suppose Bill, that Smith is O.K. Somehow we always seem to have taken it for granted. I must say he seemed very rusty when we gave him that Sighting test, didn’t he, but as he said, he’d only just come out of Sick Quarters and wasn’t feeling at all himself. We were going to give him another shot later on but somehow we never have. Let’s do it right away and clear our consciences. See if you can find him in the Gunnery Section as he’s not down for D.I. this morning, and as you go you might hand down the questions!” Bill put his head into the Gunnery Section, W/O Smith, who was sitting by the fire greeted him enthusiastically. “Good morning, Sir, anything doing today?” “Haven’t heard of anything as yet Mr. Smith, but in the meantime the Gunnery Leader wants you in his office.” Mr Smith entered the Gunnery office not quite so enthusiastically. “Good morning Mr. Smith, come in and sit down. It seems a good morning to give you that sighting test again, but before we start that, what on earth happened in your fighter affil. show yesterday? – Look at this report – Range varied 300 to 900 yards. It’s appalling, isn’t it Mr. Smith?” “Very bad indeed Sir, very bad indeed. I’ll go and chase up that new gunner in the Mid Upper right away, tell him to pull his finger out, Sir. You leave him to me Sir, I’ll see he’s ‘bang on’ in a few days.” “But you know, Mr. Smith, he got a very good report from his Gunnery School, really a very good report. Of course, I know none of the crew have had any operational experience as yet, but that wouldn’t affect his range estimation would it?” “Well Sir, you know how they turn them out these days, they’re not trained like us old stagers were. You leave him to me, Sir – a couple of ops and he’ll be quite O.K., in fact if you don’t mind, Sir, I’d like to start on him right away, no time like the present, Sir!” – Brr - Brr – Brr – Brr – “One moment Mr. Smith while I answer the ‘phone” – “Gunnery Leader speaking – What – Maximum effort tonight – Flight planning at “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] LEAVE IT TO SMITH. [/underlined] twelve. Right you are, thank you. Sorry Mr. Smith, I’m afraid you’ll have no time to teach your other gunner to-day as your crew is sure to be on the battle order and I’m afraid we’ll have to leave your sighting test over to another day as well, as I’ve got plenty to get on with at the moment.” “Sorry about the sighting Sir, I was feeling just in the mood for a bit of sighting this morning. I’d have surprised you, Sir. Oh, and about that Mid Upper Sir, don’t you worry. I’ll be there myself Sir, and I’ll look after them all. You leave it to me, Sir. ‘N’ Nuts our aircraft again, Sir?” “Yes.” “Thank you Sir.” ‘N’ for Nuts was homeward bound. Her crew was feeling elated. They had bombed – they were well on the way back. The coast line showed ahead and beyond it the sea, pale in the moonlight. “O.K. Mid Upper?” “O.K. Pilot.” “O.K. Rear Gunner?” “On the job skip.” “Good – we’re trusting to you Smithy if we get in trouble!” “Skip, in this visibility, I could see a Jerry take off. Just leave it to me.” ‘N’ for Nuts was overdue. ‘N’ for Nuts was missing. In the Gunnery Section someone said “Poor old Smith, all the ops he’s done and then gets himself bumped off by flying with a sprog crew.” Far away Unterleutnant Hans Hoffman was buying beer. His Gruppen-Fuhrer was pleased with him. He stood in front of the fire, a tankard in his hand. “Three time before I chase Lancaster, Lancaster see me coming, Lancaster corkscrew, I fire, I miss. Lancaster fire back, sometimes he hit me, sometimes not but always I miss. I am sprog. But last night things different. I see Lancaster, I chase, range 800 yards, 600, 500, 400, 300 yards, Lancaster still no corkscrew, no nothing. I press the button, I cannot miss – Lancaster go ‘pouf’. Lancaster fall in the sea. I feel I am no longer sprog. Lancaster sprog. I give my Lancaster a name to remember it by, I think of an English name, very English, I call my Lancaster ‘Schmidt’.” “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] Second Thoughts for Pilots YOUR CHARTER AGAINST ACCIDENTS – 7 GOLDEN RULES I TAXY CAREFULLY – use the landing lamp at night. II ON TAKE OFF – open the throttle slowly, easily & smoothly. III NEVER BREAK CLOUD WITHOUT A FIX IV AVOID CUMULO-NIMBUS CLOUD – it’s the hazard of the overcast. V BEFORE LANDING – always get a corrected Q.F.E. VI WATCH THE APPROACH ACROSS THE BOUNDARY – 105 – 110 m.p.h. without bombs – 115 m.p.h. with bombs. VII DON’T HAVE ACCIDENTS – [/underlined] OF ANY KIND!! [/underlined] CUT THIS OUT & PIN IT UP IN YOUR FLIGHT OFFICE [Page break] [Blank Page] [Page break] [Drawing] accidents 26 aircraft were damaged in accidents in the Group during November. 11 were totally destroyed, 4 are CAT. B, 7 CAT.AC, while 4 were only CAT. A. There is the possibility that two of these aircraft were lost as a result of enemy action, but out of the remainder, 21 were either destroyed or damaged [underlined] in accidents which were avoidable. [/underlined] L.F.S. damaged 2, leaving 19 to be chalked up against the squadrons. October produced 14. The Group, therefore, damaged 7 more this month. Bad weather or not, this is going the wrong way. Here is the month’s list of avoidable accidents. Some of these accidents damaged more than one aircraft, so that the accident and damage totals do not tally:- [Tables of Accidents for Squadrons and L.F.S.] [Underlined] Q.F.E’S AGAIN. [/underlined] Last winter a number of Lancasters crashed on return from long trips because pilots took no account of the dangers attending a large drop in barometric pressure after take off. Altimeters not reset to the lower pressure engendered a false sense of security and the aircraft either hit the sea when returning at low heights or undershot in bad visibility. Consequent upon these accidents Air Staff Instruction FC/19 dated 17.1.44 was issued, but what was thought to be a bogey well and truly laid has popped up again this month. Two aircraft were damaged, one in fact totally destroyed, in accidents of this nature. One returned to a diversion airfield in very bad weather and crashed 300/400 yards short of the flarepath. The pilot says that just before hitting the ground his altimeter was reading 400 ft. He had tried to get a Q.F.E. by R/T but bad reception nullified his efforts. He then proceeded with his approach and good fortune alone prevented a fatal crash. No use was made of W/T to obtain the necessary Q.F.E., which on this particular night had dropped many millibars in a short time. The other aircraft hit the water while making a long sea crossing on return from an operation. The pilot had been briefed that at certain positions the barometric pressure would be much lower than at the target or at base, and details were given. He came down low beneath cloud (contrary to orders at briefing which stipulated a return height “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] ACCIDENTS. [/underlined] of 2500 ft) and hit the sea, with his altimeter still indicating some hundreds of feet. The pressure at the target was still on the instrument. Read Air Staff Instruction FC/19 and get this Q.F.E. business buttoned up. Remember that falling pressures spell trouble. Talk to the Met. Officer anyway. You can’t know too much. Incidentally, the second of these two accidents again shows the danger of ignoring the flight plan. [Underlined] COLLISIONS IN THE CIRCUIT. [/underlined] Two aircraft from the same airfield returned from operations one night last month, and collided at the entrance to the funnel. – Fourteen lives were lost. The evidence put forward at the subsequent investigation was sufficient to show that the aircraft which called up first either made a very wide circuit or contacted Flying Control before reaching the call up position. The second pilot likewise, called up at the wrong positions and, further was at the wrong height when he did so. These digressions led to tragedy. The moral needs no pointing. 5 Group Quick Landing Scheme must be followed [underlined] to the letter, [/underlined] and any pilot who disregards this instruction in any way is a menace to his colleagues, who are just as keen as he is to get down to “bacon and eggs”. The importance of good flying discipline on the circuit cannot be too strongly impressed on pilots. Keeping a good lookout until the aircraft is safely back in dispersal with engines stopped is part of it. [Underlined] TAXYING. [/underlined] It is apparently impossible for a month to go past without a serious taxying accident. A feature of such incidents recently has been the failure of pilots to warn Flying Control that they are about to leave dispersal. Consequently, as happened in one particular incident this month, Flying Control did not have the chance to control the traffic on an airfield at night. This, allied with disobedience of taxying instructions and the absence of taxying lights or aldis lamp led to a bad collision at night. Sever disciplinary action is bound to follow accidents of this kind. There can be no excuse. [Underlined] OBSCURE ACCIDENTS. [/underlined] There are four obscure crashes this month still under investigation. At present there is insufficient known about them for the cause to be commented upon. [Underlined] STAR AWARDS. [/underlined] The table below gives details of avoidable accidents by squadrons for November. This table is not final. It only contains those accidents which are known definitely to be avoidable. A few will remain undecided till the results of investigations now in progress are known. [Table of Avoidable Accidents and Star Awards by Squadron] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] armament [Underlined] A VISIT TO FRANCE. [/underlined] An account of the visit of a representative of this Headquarters to France will be of interest to all Armament personnel. This item under the heading “The Proof of the Pudding….” will give Armament personnel a very good idea of what devastation is wrought when bombs are delivered to the right place. [Underlined] ARMAMENT BULLETIN. [/underlined] The Armament Bulletin of December contains much valuable information, not only of interest to Armament personnel but also to Air Bombers and Air Gunners. In fact this issue contains much of particular interest to Air Bombers, so circulate your copy. [Underlined] BOMB STORE – SUPERVISION. [/underlined] Tour expired Aircrew Officers have become available for supervision work in bomb dumps. These officers have undergone a course of training and should be of great assistance to Armament Officers, and a further improvement in the general condition of the bomb dump is expected. [Underlined] INCENDIARY STORE HOUSE. [/underlined] The trials with the large incendiary store house which are being carried out at East Kirkby are now almost completed, and in the near future details of the most satisfactory lay-out will be available to Units. [Underlined] ARMAMENT FAILURES. [/underlined] The Armament failures table would have shown considerable improvement had it not been for Col. ‘C’ – ‘Icing’. Col. ‘F’ – ‘Obscure’ is however, still far too popular. An improvement has been shown over last month with 23 as against 29 obscure failures. These obscure failures are causing more concern to the armament staff at this Headquarters than failures which are classed under other headings, because steps can usually be taken to remedy a known fault, whereas if the fault remains obscure it may well recur frequently before it is finally diagnosed. It is, therefore, essential that greater efforts be made to obtain all possible information regarding these obscure failures, thus tracking the “gremlin” to his lair where he can be dealt with. Column ‘A’ tells its own tale and is a matter which should be brought to the attention of Bombing Leaders. [Underlined] CO-OPERATION. [/underlined] The armament staff at this Headquarters are always out to help the armament staffs at Bases and Stations in every way possible, but it is felt that many of the questions passed direct to this Headquarters concerning equipment and transport etc. could well be dealt with by the appropriate branch at Station and Base level. The equipment chapter of this number of well worth reading. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] ARMAMENT FAILURES TABLE [/underlined] [Table of Armament Failures by Squadron] A – MANIPULATION. B – MAINTENANCE. C – ICING. D – TECHNICAL. E – ELECTRICAL. F – OBSCURE. [Page break] the proof of the pudding…. We assembled at Headquarters, Bomber Command, for a final briefing on the programme we were going to carry out. The object of the visit was to examine French targets which had been subjected to concentrated bombing by Bomber Command aircraft. The targets visited included the following:- ISLE D’ADAM – storage site. ST. LEU D’ESSERENT – flying bomb storage site in limestone caves. WIZERNE – storage and probable firing site for flying bombs, situated in a chalk quarry. WATTEN – probably intended for the storage and manufacture of hydrogen peroxide. MIMOYECQUES – site tunnelled into solid chalk and probably intended for V2, or some other unknown weapon. JUVISY – Marshalling yard. TRAPPES – Marshalling tard. From Le Bourget we travelled to Paris by road in two cars which had been put at our disposal by S.H.A.E.F. and which were to remain with us for the rest of the visit. Our first job in Paris was to visit the Army Headquarters and obtain sufficient rations to tide us over for five or six days, since we were not permitted to purchase food from French cafes or restaurants. We then travelled to a very comfortable hotel situated near the Arc de Triomphe, where we were to be the guests of the American Forces for our first night in Paris, and although the majority of buildings in France are without any form of heating we were lucky enough to be billeted in a hotel which had all the comforts of home. The following morning at 0930 hours we loaded our kit in the cars and set off for Isle d’Adam. [Underlined] ISLE D’ADAM [/underlined] This site consisted of a number of wooden storage huts with reinforced brick chimney stacks and situated in thick woods. The huts were sunk approximately 12 to 15 feet below ground level and the surrounding earth had been reinforced with sloping brick walls. The whole site had been subjected to concentrated bombing with medium calibre bombs, all huts having been severely damaged. The majority in fact were completely demolished apart from the brick chimney stacks which were still standing. Approximately 3/4 of a mile from the storage huts was a large chateau reputed to have been used by the German officers controlling the site. This chateau had also received damage from several 1000 lb. bombs and although not entirely uninhabitable, a great deal of damage had been done to one side of the building exposing a maze of twisted steel girders and blasted concrete. The woods in which this site was situated were dotted with numerous one-man foxholes sunk approximately 4 feet deep, carefully boarded up to form a small firing aperture and provided with a small and very uncomfortable wooden seat. Having satisfied ourselves that no above-surface storage huts “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING… [/underlined] could withstand concentrated H.E. bombing, we ploughed our way back through the mud, and set off again for St. Leu d’Esserent. [Underlined] ST. LEU D’ESSERENT. [/underlined] This site had been constructed some years ago by tunnelling into the limestone and had been cleaned up in recent years and used for the storage of flying bombs. The whole cliff area had been excavated to form two main tunnels and numerous intercommunicating passages and storage bays covering many hundreds of yards. So complicated was the layout inside these tunnels that the Hun had found it necessary to number all passages and bays, and to paint arrows on the walls to prevent anyone from becoming lost; in spite of this, we did experience a certain amount of difficulty in finding our way into daylight again. Bomber Command’s attack had resulted in three separate subsidences of the tunnel roof, one by a Tallboy hit which had completely sealed one the main tunnel and crushed two flying bombs complete with warheads. The remaining two had apparently been caused by multiple hits with 1000 lb. bombs. Unfortunately it was not possible to make a complete examination of the damage due to the presence of mines. Many bomb trolleys and hydraulic jacks were found, the majority of which were badly damaged although there were some serviceable items. The entire area between the caves and the River Oise had been very heavily hit by H.E. and French labour was being employed in clearing up the devastation to railway lines, roads etc. The empty case of a 250 lb. Red T.I. was seen approximately 50 yards from the railway lines between the railway and the caves. Unfortunately the village of St. Leu d’Esserent was very close to the site and as must invariably happen, had received considerable damage. Having decided that we had seen enough for one day we set off again for Amiens where we were to be billeted for the night. The procedure for obtaining a billet is very simple. Each town in France has its Town Major who is responsible, amongst other things, for the billeting of all troops either staying in or passing through the town, and it was he who furnished us with the necessary chits to obtain a night’s lodging in the official hotel. Unfortunately Amiens is one of the towns without heating and those of us who had brought additional blankets found that they came in very useful. At first we were billeted two in a room and each pair had to toss up as to who would be the lucky one to sleep in the bed, the unlucky one having to spend the night on the floor!! Fortunately several rooms were vacated later in the day which enabled us all to spend the night in comparative comfort. No food was provided at the hotel and once again we had to resort to the use of our tinned rations – hash, meat and beans. We left Amiens at 0900 hours intending to visit the sites at Wiserne and Watten and push on to St. Omer for the night. On the way to Wizerne however, we came across a temporary flying bomb launching ramp at Crepy only 20 yards from the main road, so we took the opportunity of checking up on this structure. The ramp had been bombed and badly damaged by H.E. and, in addition, the Hun had taken the precaution of demolishing the loading end of the ramp. Nevertheless, it was possible to get a very good idea of what the finished job looked like. The ramp itself was approximately 2ft. 6 inches wide and mounted on small steel girders at an angle of approximately 35° to 40° to the horizontal. The ramp had been snapped in the centre and it was not possible therefore, to estimate to what height it had originally projected. A large crater some yards from the end of the launching ramp was mute evidence of a flying bomb which had “returned early” and two incomplete flying bombs were also seen some yards from the launching ramp. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING… [/underlined] [Underlined] WIZERNE. [/underlined] The Wizerne site situated in a chalk quarry, is reputed to have been constructed by several thousand prisoners assisted by Italian labour and work was commenced in the Summer of 1943. The centrepiece of the site is a large concrete dome approximately 300 feet in diameter and 12 feet thick on the circumference. This thickness was undoubtedly greater in the centre of the dome, and at the time of his departure, the Hun was in the process of dumping an additional layer of soil on top of the dome. Around the circumference of the dome was a collar approximately 25 feet wide reinforced by huge concrete buttresses. It is not known whether these buttresses supported this collar round its entire periphery or whether they were utilised as additional supports at the front of the quarry where the collar protruded slightly over the quarry edge. Three such buttresses were, however, plainly visible as the result of a Tallboy hit on the face of the quarry just below the collar, and which had brought down part of the cliff face. [Photograph] Just below and slightly to the left of the dome is a concrete structure (pointing in the direction of London) which was presumed to be a launching ramp as its vertical walls were grooved for the mounting of launching rails. This launching tunnel has been canted over several degrees by the Tallboy hit referred to above. A series of tunnels approximately 18 feet across, had been cut through the chalk and extended inside the quarry for approximately 500 yards. These tunnels formed the workings, the main entrance of which was along the railway track below and to one side of the dome at normal ground level. At the end of these tunnels a vertical shaft approximately 100 feet deep extended to the surface. This shaft was permanently reinforced with timber and may probably have been intended as a lift shaft. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING… [/underlined] It was in the neighbourhood of this shaft that a Tallboy had hit the edge of the quarry face and buried several hundred workers. Royal Engineers, who were making a survey of this site, were faced with the difficulty and unpleasant task of removing tons of rock and chalk to ascertain whether the bodies inside contained any useful information. The whole area outside the excavations, which was littered with railway lines, machinery, cranes and subsidiary buildings, had been very badly damaged by H.E. It was interesting to note that the concreting of the tunnels was in sections and no effort appeared to have been made to interlace the various sections. Consequently a hit by a 1000 lb. bomb upon the entrance had penetrated and blown one complete section of tunnelling (approximately 12 feet thick) several feet away from the rest of the tunnel. One member of the party was fortunate enough to have paid a previous visit to this site and was able to take us to a cottage nearby where the good lady heated up our rations for us and also provided a very welcome bottle of beer with our lunch and the usual bowl of black coffee. [Underlined] WATTEN. [/underlined] We left Wizerne soon after lunch for the site at Watten, a building which produced one of the biggest mysteries of the trip and provoked much argument as to its intended use. The site consisted of a reinforced concrete building located at the edge of a vastly wooded forest. The building is approximately 50 feet wide and contains four floors each divided into numerous rooms, and storage bays all heavily reinforced with concrete. The whole structure is built around a skeleton of steel girders supported internally by the numerous dividing walls. One Tallboy hit on top of the main structure had dislodged a huge piece of concrete reputed to weigh approximately 300 tons and had dropped it on to a small concrete outbuilding. Attempts had been made to repair the damage caused to the roof by this Tallboy hit, and the majority of the concrete had already been relaid. A Tallboy crater whose edge was only a few feet from the main building and which was approximately 100 feet in diameter, had apparently caused no damage to the structure. This site had to be approached on foot and the devastation on the way to the target was indescribable. Hundreds of trees had been torn up in the forests and large areas had been completely cleared of the timber as a result of this concentrated bombing. It was interesting to note that the Hun had made some effort to camouflage the entrance of this site, particularly over the rail track. We arrived at St. Omer in the early evening and once again the Town Major did his stuff and found us a billet in a French hotel, again without heating. Our first job was to hand over our rations to our landlady who served these up for us on a large table in the centre of what in this country would be the public bar, the locals sitting around in their chairs taking a very great interest in all that was going on. Our entertainment that evening was provided for us at the hotel, as luckily a dance had been laid on. We were amazed to see how much the French idea of dancing differs from ours. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING… [/underlined] [Underlined] BOULOGNE. [/underlined] On Sunday morning we set off for Mimoyecques but made a slight detour on the way and inspected the docks at Boulogne. Destruction in the dock area was very heavy, some of which had been caused by bombing, but the majority by demolition. In spite of this several large unloading points had been established. The town of Boulogne was also very badly hit, presumably by shelling, and whole areas of the town had been completely flattened. Several concrete pill-boxes were seen in the dock area, all of which were marked with a large red cross and it was believed that they were used for the German wounded. [Underlined] MIMOYECQUES. [/underlined] Our next target, Mimoyecques, consisted of one main tunnel approximately 1000 yards long which runs from S.E./N.W. into the chalk hillside, and running throughout the full length of the tunnel is a railway track. Lateral tunnels branch off from this main tunnel at regular intervals, all of which are approximately 16 feet wide and have cemented dome shaped roofs. These lateral tunnels join up with a further passage parallel to the main tunnel and from this passage several inclined shafts led up to what was presumed to be the firing platform. On top of the hillside are six vertical shafts descending to the bottom floor, two of which had received direct hits from small calibre bombs (the tail unit of a 500 lb G.P. was found nearby) The general appearance on top of the hill was that of a ploughed field and it was almost impossible to define individual craters. Several Tallboy craters were, however, seen, one which had pierced and blocked the tunnel in which the labourers had been working. Here again the Major in charge of the surveying party informed us that several hundreds of workers were known to have been trapped in the tunnel, thinking that the safest place during a raid was this “bomb proof” excavation. Engineers had just commenced to survey this site and were busy collecting all papers etc. which had been left by the Hun. One of the papers discovered was a roll of personnel employed on the construction of the site and included Russians, Flemish, French and Spanish workers and it is understood that large numbers of Russian women were employed as slave labour on this site. Several of the rooms in the hillside had been used as dormitories and heavy locks on the doors suggested that some of the workers had been locked in at night to prevent their escape. A further room had been set aside for use as a sick quarters and it was interesting to see that crepe paper bandages had been in use. Our next two targets being Juvisy and Trappes marshalling yards both in the Paris area, we decided to return to Paris direct from Mimoyecques and not, as had previously been intended, to spend a second night at St. Omer. The fact that night life in Paris was in full swing and that our comfortable hotel was still at our disposal had nothing, of course, to do with our decision. [Underlined] JUVISY AND TRAPPES. [/underlined] Our first impression on visiting the marshalling yards at Juvisy and Trappes was that both targets had been very much saturated by bombing and it is impossible to give any idea of the complete devastation of the entire areas covered by the marshalling yards. It is estimated that it will take the very minimum of 12 months to bring any semblance of order into either of these targets. Locomotives had been hurled one on top of the other, lines had been turned up and flung against rolling “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING… [/underlined] [Photograph] JUVISY MARSHALLING YARDS stock, repair sheds, engine rooms and other buildings had been severely damaged. The French were rather annoyed to think that we had attacked the yards at an angle, resulting in severe damage to a neighbouring village, and not up and down the lines. Our French not being particularly good we did not make any effort to teach them the theory of bombing. The following day we were due to return to this country but were able to spend a few hours in the morning shopping in Paris. This may sound attractive but on looking at prices in the various shops a few thousand francs did not go very far. If one wishes to purchase any small gold object such as a brooch, it is first necessary to surrender the equivalent amount of gold by weight before the purchase can be made; thus you pay a very high price for workmanship involved and not for the quality of the gold. Transportation throughout France is very difficult. No issue of petrol is made to civilians and what few cars are seen all provide their own fuel (producer gas), and it is a common sight to see a car pull up and the driver get out and stoke up the fire before proceeding!! Taxis in Paris have completely disappeared and have been replaced by cycle taxis and handsome cabs, the cycle taxis consisting of a home made carriage of numerous designs and towed by a bicycle. Many of the famous monuments in Paris, including the Arc de Triomphe are badly bullet scarred from snipers who held out after the city had been occupied and several incidents of street to street fighting would be seen at several points. At 1530 hours we took off from Le Bourget for Croydon. This time the trip was far more interesting as the weather was comparatively good and we were able to get a final aerial view of bomb scarred France. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] aircrew safety Two known ditching incidents occurred this month – a Lancaster of 83 Squadron accidentally struck the sea in the Wash and finally came to rest on a sandbank, the crew of six being saved; a Mosquito of 627 Squadron having contacted Sundburg airfield in the Shetlands, on V.H.F. disappeared without trace. The Operational Research Section at Bomber Command Headquarters has been studying the incidents of ditching within the Command, and a copy of this report has been sent to each station under cover of letter reference 5G/251/26/ASR dated 20th November, 1944. The report, on very sound arguments, draws the conclusion that the proportion of Command’s losses over the sea to the total can be as high as 26%. It is clearly shown that many more rescues have been made of crews who have used radio than of crews who have not, but at the same time it is pointed out that more rescues could have been effected had the crews concerned carried out the [underlined] correct [/underlined] W/T procedure and started this procedure at the [underlined] first sign of trouble. [/underlined] The waste of valuable crews will continue until captains of aircraft realise the necessity of quick radio action when in trouble (this can always be cancelled should the emergency pass) and the need for more and more Dinghy Drill practice. There are no grounds to suppose that aircrew are any more prepared for emergency abandonment by parachute than they are for ditching, so that a large number of casualties must also occue [sic] through lack of practice in Parachute Drills. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] flying control American Hight Lighting is now installed at 15 U.S.A.A.F. stations and at a few stations in Bomber Command. It is essential that aircrews should be acquainted with the lay-out of this “high intensity lighting for low visibility”. Senior Control Officers should ensure that the information is given to aircrews at lectures, in case any station with the installation uses it on diversion. On this matter of diversion, keep up your lectures on the Bomber Command Standard procedure. There are still occasions when diverted aircraft are said to use “any method except the Standard procedure”. Local divergences create hazards. If even one reply on R/T is varied, if some unusual auxiliary lights are laid, if the Airfield Lighting is misused, hazards are created for visitors, and even greater hazards for your own aircrews. They become so accustomed to the local variations that, when they are diverted, a standard lay-out “foxes” them, reduces landing times and may even imperil other aircrews if the visibility is clamping down. Overhaul the whole of your local lay-out, ensure that it complies with A.P.3024, and Air Staff Instructions, and above all, see that even if it does comply, it has not little local “extras” which will deceive a visitor. If you have any ideas that, in your opinion, would help, submit them, but do not put them into practice until a test has been agreed upon. Remember, that however good and practical your idea may be [underlined] for local application [/underlined] it may be unsuitable for universal use and may be turned down on those grounds alone. Remember, too, that almost all existing lighting and power circuits are loaded to capacity. A few extra lights here or there may not seem much, but may turn the scales sufficiently to impair the use of the operational teleprinter at your Headquarters. Landing times for November, set out below, are based on returns received from Stations. “Dead” times have already been deducted in accordance with instructions from Headquarters, Bomber Command. [Underlined] LANDING TIMES FOR NOVEMBER [/underlined] [Table of Landing Times by Base and Station] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] equipment [Underlined] EQUIPMENT AND HOW TO GET IT. [/underlined] Once upon a time, a man, who laboured in the town of Wadd and was named Serg Armt, finding he lacked something for the machine he worked with, straightaway sent a message to his superiors at Wadd, his Overlords at Mort and the Kings of Wick, asking for this something which his machine lacked. But alas! – all Serg Armt received was a message from the Kings of Wick, saying “We are not a Maintenance Unit”. Nevertheless, the men at Mort, who received the original message, immediately spoke words to Equip of Wadd who as once went and gave Serg Armt the something he required. Thus the machine had been repaired before the message from the Kings of Wick arrived at Wadd. [Underlined] MORAL. [/underlined] They say two sides of a triangle are together longer than the third. So in future ask the Station Equipment Officer first. That’s why he’s there. [Underlined] RADIATOR SUPPLY. [/underlined] Equipment Officers will see that the Radiator Group Pool system is to continue. We hope now that Command have control of issues the difficulties in getting radiators will be lessened. [Underlined] URGENT DEMANDS. [/underlined] A.M.O. A.481/43 has been added to by A.M.O. A.1109/44. Equipment Officers should draw the attention of all Specialist Officers to this new A.M.O. [Underlined] NEW REGISTERS. [/underlined] This month sees the introduction, at two Bases, of the new Manifold Voucher Registers. It is too early to give any comments on these Registers, but we hope by the end of the year to sum up their usefulness, and to overcome any faults. Base Equipment Officers should keep a watchful eye on their use, and report to Group any major difficulties that might arise. [Underlined] LAUNDRY ARRANGEMENTS FOR AIRMEN ON POSTING. [/underlined] A considerable amount of unnecessary discomfort is being given to airmen who have been posted without their laundry. Equipment Officers are to make sure that an airman, when posted, has been issued with kit to replace items at the laundry. Bomber Command letter BC/3000/13/E.2 dated 18th August, 1944, deals with this type of issue in detail. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] education [Drawing] November 15th was the date by which the Air Officer Commanding required Discussion Groups to be “in full swing”. Most stations have reorganised their teams of Group Leaders which had been allowed to become somewhat out of during the Summer. It is on these leaders that the success or failure of the schemes depends, since, properly led discussion groups are popular. So often does it happen, that an officer claims that meetings are regarded by the airmen and airwomen as a ‘bind’, - when really it is his own inadequate leadership that has made his group a failure. Leaders must make some effort to find out what the scheme sets out to do, and the best way of achieving its aims. A great deal has been written about the object of the scheme, and if officers are still in doubt about how to set about running their group, they should contact their Education Officer and find out, rather than grope blindly into the work and only obtain average results. To new group leaders – your group will improve as they get to know you, and you learn by experience how to handle them, so don’t be discouraged if your first attempt is not as successful as you would have wished. On December 16th, there is a Group One Day Course at the Usher Art Gallery in Lincoln on “National Insurance”. Speakers are men and women who have theoretical and practical knowledge of the scheme and should provide a great deal of useful information. Leaders, apart from those detailed, are invited to attend providing they give their names to their Education Officer. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] engineering [Underlined] GENERAL. [/underlined] During the month of November only an average number of sorties was carried out by the Group but the hours flown were quite extensive, as also was the work carried out by the maintenance staffs. The outstanding achievement of the month was the manufacture and fitting of the necessary parts for the fitment of Loran, all aircraft being completed within three weeks. [Underlined] OPERATIONAL FIALURES. [/underlined] C.T.O’s are reminded that the signal reporting failures must be sent off the day following the operation, and when the signal stated that the defect is under investigation, this must be followed up by a further signal when the cause of failure is known. If C.T.O’s do the reporting correctly, much telephoning will be avoided. The operational failures increased over the previous month and were 1.77%. The ‘Big Hand’ goes to Nos.9, 50 and 617 Squadrons for having no operational failures due to engineering during November, this being their second trouble free month is succession. [Underlined] GROUND EQUIPMENT. [/underlined] An improvement is noticeable throughout the Group in the maintenance of Group Equipment, though in some instances the equipment is still far short of the desired standard. [Underlined] INSTRUMENTS AND ELECTRICAL. [/underlined] The introduction of the Gyro Gun Sight into general service has necessitated the training of Instrument Repairers in the maintenance of the sight. A short course was instituted at Fulbeck which was attended by representatives from all Bases who profited well from the experience gained by Fulbeck personnel during the past 3 – 4 months. Details of the test equipment necessary for efficient maintenance has been circulated to all Bases and Stations, and these test sets must be manufactured locally as they are not yet available from Service sources. The high light of the month was the sinking of the Tirpitz, and this cannot be allowed to pass without a special word of praise to those Instrument Repairers of Bardney and Woodhall who have tirelessly maintained the Bombsights. They can fell that they played their part with the aircrews in achieving this success. [Underlined] TRAINING UNIT SERVICEABILITY. [/underlined] [Table of 5 LFS Aircraft Serviceability] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] ENGINEERING. [/underlined] [Underlined] FLIGHT ENGINEERS. [/underlined] In the near future all Flight Engineers will be categorised on their ability in the air and on the ground. It is hoped that by this categorisation the standard of Flight Engineers will be improved. The categorisation will be divided into two parts – Air and Ground. The first part, Air, will consist of the 5 Group Lancaster Drills, log keeping, a technical examination and an examination on airmanship. The second part, Ground, will be a practical test on refuelling aircraft, Daily Inspection Airframe and Daily Inspection Engines. It is appreciated that many Flight Engineers have not had the opportunity to learn as much about their aircraft from the technical aspect as would be desired; to overcome this, instructions on Airframe and Engines will be given in each squadron. When Flight Engineers have completed the second part they will receive a Certificate of Proficiency. Keen competition is anticipated and it should be the desire of every Flight Engineer to obtain at least an ‘A’ pass; no doubt many will get the maximum – an ‘A+’ pass. Instructions have been issued by Headquarters, Bomber Command, with regard to the flap operation of a Lancaster. Now that a standard drill has been laid down, Flight Engineer Leaders must instruct all their Flight Engineers to use this drill on all occasions, at the same time advising them always to check the flap gauge when flaps are selected fully down; if there is a tendency for flaps to creep back, the flap control should be brought back to the neutral position, and then reselected to the fully down position. Under no circumstances should the flap control be taken to the “up” position on the final approach as this may cause the aircraft to sink. [Boxed] [Underlined] INTER-BASE SQUASH COMPETITION. [/underlined] A/Cdr. Pope, D.F.C., A.F.C., Base Commander. 56 Base, has very kindly offered a silver challenge cup to be contested for within the Group in an Inter-Base Squash Competition on the American system. Details of this latest 5 Group “Racquet” have already been circulated around the Bases, and it is hoped that the battles will be well under way early in the New Year, to decide who is to wrest the Trophy from the clutches of 56 Base. In the meantime decision of the Competition is in the lap of the Gods. But there is no doubt that, as the bridegroom said some years later “The Best Man always wins”. [/boxed] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] photography The failures this month for night photography increased to 13.18% as compared with 4.92% for the previous month. This is a serious increase and while it is fully appreciated that inclement weather, particularly the incessant rain, is bound to have caused a certain number of failures, it cannot be stated that the increase quoted above entirely resulted from this cause. During Winter months it is imperative that maintenance is thorough, and that efforts are made to eliminate all causes of technical failures, particularly those which are known as “avoidable”. Every photographer must bear in mind, that cameras are carried on operations for one purpose only, that is, to being back film which has been exposed over the target, and which, when processed, will result in plottable ground detail photographs from which the success of the raid can be assessed. Photographic personnel whether engaged upon camera maintenance or processing can, if they will make the necessary effort, reduce the number of technical failures to a much smaller figure. In vetting the photographic failure reports which pass through this Headquarters, it is noted that when aircraft have not operated for several days there is always an increase in the failure rate immediately after a Stand Down period; furthermore, there are still too many unexplained failures, and in many cases the report is so obscure that it is of little value, mainly because the photographic personnel have failed to assess the evidence of the film correctly. This results in misleading other specialist officers to whom the film is passed. It should be the effort of all concerned to produce a photographic result which will be useful to the Air Staff, and when failures occur, get down to the proper cause and report it accurately. “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] ANALYSIS OF PHOTOGRAPHY. [/underlined] [Table of Photographic Failures by Squadron] [Page break] [Drawing] decorations The following IMMEDIATE awards were approved during the month:- [Underlined] 9 SQUADRON [/underlined} F/L C.D. KEIR, DFC DSO [Underlined] 44 SQUADRON [/underlined] A/F/O D.T. IBBOTSON DFC F/SGT S.W. WALTERS CGM [Underlined] 83 SQUADRON [/underlined] S/L C.B. OWEN, DFC DSO [Underlined] 617 SQUADRON [/underlined] A/S/L G.E. FAWKE, DFC DSO [Underlined] 627 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/L P.F. MALLENDER DFC The following NON-IMMEDIATE awards were approved during the month:- [Underlined] 9 SQUADRON [/underlined] A/F/L R. REEVE DFC F/O M.E. ANDERTON DFC P/O G.A. SANGSTER DFC F/O H.F.S. MITCHELL DFC SGT C.L.S. WILLIAMS DFM P/O H.O. REDMOND DFC F/O A. BOSWARD DFC F/O H.C. CLARK DFC P/O H.T. FORREST DFC SGT T.W. POWELL DFM SGT W.F. BELBEN DFM [Underlined] 44 SQUADRON [/underlined] P/O C.E. BINION DFC P/O F.G. DAVEY DFC F/SGT F.W. STROUD DFM F/SGT A.O. KENNEDY DFM [Underlined] 49 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/L G.E. DICKSON DFC F/O D. BRADY DFC F/O W.F. EDWARDS DFC [Underlined] 50 SQUADRON [/underlined] P/O J.H.F. WHYTE DFC F/O J.D. MOUAT DFC P/O S.H.K. EYRE DFC F/O A. SLYWCHUK DFC P/O D.A.T. MILLIKIN DFC P/O L.W. PETHICK DFC F/SGT F.B. KNOTT DFM F/O R.H.W. LAWRENCE DFC F/SGT J.E. TAYLOR DFM F/O A.N. FRANKLAND DFC F/SGT K.H. SNEDDON DFM F/O D. EGGLESTON DFC F/O G.S. PYLE DFC [Underlined] 57 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/O J. CASTAGNOLA DFC F/SGT G.P. GAUWELOOSE DFM P/O E.C.W. ANDERSON DFC S/L D.I. FAIRBURN DFC [Underlined] 61 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/L G.L.P. DUNSTONE, DFC BAR TO DFC F/O R.K.W. GLOVER DFC F/O B.M. ACOTT DFC P/O F. NORTON DFC P/O R.A.E. DEAR DFC F/L W.E. JEAVONS DFC P/O D. STREET DFC P/O J.F. MILLS DFC SGT G.R. GILBERT DFM SGT D. BOOTHBY DFM F/O R.B. WARD DFC SGT P.T. HADDON DFM [Underlined] 83 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/L C.P. McDONALD, DFM, DFC BAR TO DFC F/SGT S.R. LAMBERT DFM F/O D.A. JENNINGS DFC F/O A.K. IRWIN DFC A/F/L D.W. WOOLLEY, DFM DFC W/O A.C. MATTHEWS DFC F/L A.R. GALBRAITH DFC F/O W. FITCH DFC A/F/L G. ROBINSON, DFM DFC “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Underlined] DECORATIONS. [/underlined] [Underlined] 97 SQUADRON. [/underlined] A/F/L F.P.L. BROOME DFC F/SGT K. FORREST DFM F/SGT H. WILSON DFM A/F/L T. CAMPBELL DFC F/O J. PEDEN DFC W/O J.J.H. MAXWELL DFC P/O W.R. DORAN DFC P/O C.A.P. THOMPSON DFC W/O E.H. HANSEN DFC P/O A.P. BOULTBEE DFC P/O A.J. TINDALL DFC F/SGT S. OSBORNE DFM P/O E.J. WATSON DFC P/O W.A. REFFIN DFC P/O W.D. KNOWLES DFC P/O C.W. HOWE DFC [Underlined] 106 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/O A.A. HARRIS DFC A/F/O P.C. BROWNE DFC A/F/O A.R. KITTO DFC A/F/O P.A. FYSON DFC F/O P.R.J.M. MAVAUT DFC A/F/O J.G. THOMPSON DFC A/F/O H. ARCHER DFC W/O R.E. CARMICHAEL DFC [Underlined] 207 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/L S.E. PATTINSON, DFC BAR TO DFC F/O D.M. GRANT DFC [Underlined] 463 SQUADRON [/underlined] A/F/L B.A. BUCKHAM DFC F/O A.B.L. TOTTENHAM DFC F/O N.W. SAUNDERS DFC [Underlined] 467 SQUADRON [/underlined] A/S/L L.C. DEIGNAN DFC P/O L.G. BURDEN DFC F/O T.C. TAYLOR DFC P/O H.R. GOODWIN DFC P/O J.W. WAUGH DFC F/O J.L. SAYERS DFC F/O E.G. PARSONS DFC [Underlined] 619 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/O R.A. MARSHALL DFC BAR TO DFC [Underlined] 627 SQUADRON [/underlined] F/O M.D. BRIBBIN, DFM DFC “V” GROUP NEWS. NO.28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Drawing] war savings [Table of War Savings by Station] NOTES: In column (a) above, A indicates the number of pence saved per head of strength. B indicates the percentage of personnel saving. and C indicates the total amount saved through the Unit Savings Group. In column (b) above, the sum indicated as saved by Syerston, also includes the savings by deduction from Pay Ledgers for Fulbeck and Balderton. In column (c) only stations with Class ‘A’ Camp Post Offices are included. [Underlined] GRAND TOTAL NATIONAL SAVINGS FOR NOVEMBER: £7,843, 17.10d. [Page break] [Drawing] volte face For day after day, and for year upon year Of this utterly futile inordinate war We’ve fought the unspeakable Gremlin; From aircraft and engines, wherever they were, We’ve harried and hounded and chased them galore, And prevent the brutes from assemblin’. Our aim was unvaried and clearly defined, No quarter or mercy was ever displayed; No cavilling, fear, or dissemblin’. Undeterred by defeat, in our ranks you would find A resurgence of effort – the foemen were made To cower in their shelters a-tremblin’. Yet with ultimate victory looming in sight, The powers that rule us have altered their stand And ordered a truce with the Gremlin; And the tribe’s C.in C. is respectably dight As a uniformed “wingco”, an officer grand, (Or something quite closely resemblin’). ANON. (CIRCA 1944). [Boxed] The cover for this month’s News has been designed by Sgt. Morley of this Headquarters. Suggested designs are still invited from all personnel within the Group. [/boxed] “V” GROUP NEWS. NO. 28. NOVEMBER, 1944. [Page break] [Blank Page] [Page break] [Blank Page] Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource V Group News, November 1944 5 Group News, November 1944 Description An account of the resource Five Group Newsletter, number 28, November 1944. Includes a foreword by the Air Officer Commanding, and articles on the end of the Tirpitz, gardening, operations, signals, navigation, this month's bouquetes, radar navigation, tactics, air bombing, incendiary attacks, war effort, training, gunnery, leave it to Smith, second thoughts for pilots, accidents, armament, the proof of the pudding, aircrew safety, flying control, equipment, education, engineering, photography, decorations, war savings, and volte face. In accordance with the conditions stipulated by the donor, this item is available only at the University of Lincoln. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available IBCC Digital Archive Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-11 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Anne-Marie Watson Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 75 printed sheets Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context MStephensonS1833673-160205-20 nov 44 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Royal Air Force Royal Air Force. Bomber Command Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. France Germany Great Britain Norway England--Lincolnshire France--Boulogne-sur-Mer France--Creil France--Juvisy-sur-Orge France--L'Isle-Adam France--Mimoyecques France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais) France--Soligny-la-Trappe France--Watten Germany--Braunschweig Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal Germany--Düren (Cologne) Germany--Düsseldorf Germany--Hamburg Germany--Homberg (Kassel) Germany--Hörstel Germany--Ladbergen Germany--Mittelland Canal Germany--Munich Norway--Tromsø Norway--Trondheim Germany--Ruhr (Region) France--Saint-Leu-d'Esserent France--Pas-de-Calais Temporal Coverage Temporal characteristics of the resource. 1944-10 1944-11 5 Group 617 Squadron 9 Squadron air gunner aircrew bomb aimer bombing bombing of the Boulogne E-boats (15/16 June 1944) bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944) bombing of the Mimoyecques V-3 site (6 July 1944) bombing of the Watten V-2 site (19 June 1944) bombing of the Wizernes V-2 site (20, 22, 24 June 1944) Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Medal flight engineer Gee gremlin H2S Lancaster Lancaster Finishing School mine laying navigator Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944) Oboe Operation Catechism (12 November 1944) pilot radar rivalry Tallboy Tirpitz training wireless operator