XV Squadron Lancaster NG358

XV Squadron Lancaster NG358

The story of a Lancaster, NG358, LS-H. There are details of 12 operations during 1944/5. Dennis details the operations and his crew.

1997-01-01

One printed sheet

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[underlined] XV SQUADRON LANCASTER NG 358 [/underlined]

Lancaster NG 358 Mark B1 No XV (15) Squadron Coded LS - H

Aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth at their Baginton Factory and was one of 400 delivered to the RAF between July 1944 & February 1945. The previous LS - H was HK 648 and NG 358 first appeared on the squadron in Mid-December 1944. It was finally 'Struck off charge' on 19/10/1945

Dates actually flown in this Aircraft :

30/12/1944 Day 1450 'GH' Bombing Exercise
1-2/01/1945 Night 1601 6.05 VOHWINKEL 146 a/c 3 missing
03/01/1945 Day 1250 4.45 DORTMUND 50 a/c
16-17/01/1945 Night 2307 5.05 WANNE EINCKEL 138 a/c 1 missing
27/01/1945 Day 1005 Air Test
02/03/1945 Day 1200 5.30 KOLN - Led 32 BASE 531 a/c 6 missing
04/03/1945 Day 0946 4.45 WANNE EINCKEL 128 a/c
05103/1945 Day 0940 5.35 GELSENKIRCHEN - Led 3 GROUP 170 a/c 1 missing
11/03/1945 Day 1200 6.05 ESSEN - Led 32 BASE 750 a/c 3 missing
29/03/1945 Day 1230 7.05 HALLENDORF - Led SQUADRON 130 a/c
09-10/04/1945 Night 2000 6.10 KIEL BAY MINING 70 a/c
14-15/04/1945 Night 1825 8.55 BERLIN (POTSDAM) 500 a/c 2 missing

The crew of 'H' - 'HOWE" on the above flights was:

Pilot Squadron Leader Pat Percy
Navigator Flying Officer Dennis Moore
Bomb Aimer Flying Officer Tom Butler (Canadian)
F/Engineer Pilot Officer Johnnie Forster
Wireless Op. F/Sgt. Dennis Evans
Mid Upper F/sgt Jimmy Bourke
Rear Gunner F/Sgt Nobby Clarke

Explanations:-

Bomber Command split into GROUPS (Mainly 3 & 5 Group) - Each GROUP split into 3 BASES and each BASE comprised 2 or 3 Airfields on which there were usually 2 SQUADRONS. Each Squadron was normally split in two FLIGHTS although sometimes they had three. 3 GROUP BASES were Nos 31;32;33 - 31 BASE comprised STRADISHALL & WRATTING COMMON plus one other; 32 BASE comprised MILDENHALL, LAKENHEATH & METHWOLD. 33 BASE comprised WATERBEACH, WITCHFORD & MEPAL. The other SQUADRON at MILDENHALL at this time was No 622 (Australian) SQUADRON. Each Squadron normally had 24 aircraft and a 'MAXIMUM EFFORT' was achieved when all of them flew on an 'op' (OPERATION)

All daylight trips were in tight FORMATION and Bombing was done on 'GH' -which was operated by the Navigator who actually 'Pressed the button'. The Bombing Leaders were distinguished by the double Yellow Bars on the Tailfin/Rudder.(as in this picture). All others in the flight bombed on the Leader. A limited number of Squadrons & Aircraft in No 3 Group were fitted with this equipment which was extremely accurate,

Other 'OPERATIONS' in other aircraft were flown with Wing Commander N.G. Macfarlane as Pilot.

[underlined] Dennis Moore [/underlined]
[underlined] 01/01/1997 [/underlined]