A few statistics

A few statistics

Statistics for overall bomber command crew number, casualties and total number of Lancasters built. Breakdown of Don Briggs’s operations by type. Statistics for 156 PFF Squadron including numbers of sorties, casualties and aircraft lost. Concludes with list of Don Brigg’s notable highlights.

Two handwritten pages

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MBriggsDW56124-170523-01

[underlined]A FEW STATISTICS [/underlined
Most of you will have read books on the Bomber offensive & will know: -
55,573 bomber aircrews made the supreme sacrifice 125,000 aircrew served in B.C.
[symbol] 44% of those who flew, died.
8,400 wounded
9,800 P.O.W.
Almost 7,400 Lancasters built of which almost half were lost on operations.
[underlined]I have always considered myself incredibly lucky to survive[/underlined]
FRENCH TARG. — 24
GERMAN TARG. — 38
Daylight ops. — 21
Night ops. — 41
My crew flew 41 ops in [underlined] GT – J (our own Jane!) NE 120
RHUR[sic] TARG. — 10
(4 in daylight)
M/YDS OR RAILWAY — 4.
BATTLE FRONT SUPPORT — 5.
FLYING BOMB SITES — 5.
OIL TARG. — 3.
The two most concentrated months.
AUG. ’44 — 11 SORTIES
MARCH ’45 — 11 SORTIES
156 PFF SQD – CREDITED WITH 4,500 [inserted] SORTIES [/inserted] (HIGHEST IN P.F.F.).
ALMOST 1,000 CASUALTIES OF WHICH 85 POW.
A/C LOSSES 143 (114 LANCASTERS)
[page break]
2.
[deleted] BATTLE [/deleted] WAKEY-WAKEY PILLS & LONG FLIGHTS.
RHUR [sic] [symbol] RADAR PREDICTED FLAK
MASTER SEARCHLIGHT – CONES.
OIL PLANTS. – MENTION [underlined]AVGAS SHORTAGE [/underlined – LUFTWAFFE
ALLIED ADVANCE INTO GERMANY – NO MORE FRENCH [symbol] LAST 30 OPS ALL GERMAN.
DIVERTED TO TANGMERE – [underlined] FOG AT UPWOOD. [/underlined]
(HUNDREDS OF BOMBERS ON THE GROUND).
DUISBURG (RHUR) [sic] – 3 TIMES – TWICE IN ONE DAY.
HAMBURG TWICE.
STETTIN TWICE.
NURNBURG[sic] TWICE – 3 FIGHTER ATTACKS ON 2ND TRIP.
HANOVER TWICE.
FRANKFURT 3 X.
13TH FEB. ’45 — [circled] DRESDEN.
LAST OP. (RHUR [sic] DAYLIGHT) 24TH MARCH – WAR 6 WEEKS TO RUN.