Details from log book of Henry Townsley DFM

Details from log book of Henry Townsley DFM

While on 97 Squadron, lists 55 operations over two tours from January 1943 to September 1944, with date, pilot, aircraft and target. Goes on to mention award of DFM and lists aircraft flown with their history. His pilots on operations were Pilot Officer Munro and Flight Lieutenant Baker.

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MTownsleyH994575-180615-02

[inserted][underlined] LOG BOOK VARIANCES FROM WEB-SITE DETAILS (FIRST TOUR ONLY) [/underlined][/inserted]

[underlined] EXTRACT FROM THE LOG BOOK OF No 994575 W.O. HENRY TOWNSLEY, D.F.M. Flight Engineer – Number 97 Squadron: [/underlined]

[underlined] [a] Op No [b] Date [c] Take off [d] Pilot [e] Aircraft [f] Target [/underlined]

[a] 1 [b] 14 Jan 43 [c] 17:25 [d] Sgt Munro [e] [underlined] ED323(E) [/underlined] [f] Gironde Estuary (Mining)

[a] 2 [b] 27 Jan 43 [c] 17:45 [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5559(W) [f] Dusseldorf

[a] 3 [b] 30 Jan 43 [c] 23:59 [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Hamburg

[a] 4 [b] 2 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.03 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Cologne

[b] 3 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.07 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5889(V) [f] Hamburg (Boomerang) [inserted] u/s Kite [/inserted]

[a] 5 [b] 13 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.45 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Lorient (TOKEN)

[a] 6 [b] 14 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.27 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Milan (TOKEN) (9 Hours)

[a] 7 [b] 18 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.32 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5552(P) [f] Wilhelmshaven

[a] 8 [b] 25 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 19.54 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5552(P) [f] Nuremberg

[a] 9 [b] 26 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.22 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Cologne (3 engines)

[a] 10 [b] 28 Feb 43 [c] [underlined] 18.33 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5552(P) [f] St Nazaire

[a] 11 [b] 1 Mar 43 [c] 18:45 [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Berlin

[a] 12 [b] 3 Mar 43 [c] 19:20 [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Hamburg

[a] 13 [b] 5 Mar 43 [c] 17:55 [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Essen (Krupps)

[b] 8 Mar 43 [c] 19:20 [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5915(Q) [f] Nuremberg (Boomerang) [inserted] u/s Kite [/inserted]

[a] 14 [b] 9 Mar 43 [c] 20:40 [d] Sgt Munro [e] W4200(W) [f] Munich

[a] 15 [b] 26 Mar 43 [c] 19:05 [d] Sgt Munro [e] W4355(T) [f] Duisburg

[page break]

[b] 27 Mar 43 [c] 20:30 [d] Sgt Munro [e] W4200(W) [f] Berlin (Boomerang)

[a] 16 [b] 29 Mar 43 [c] 22:00 [d] Sgt Munro [e] ED323(O) [f] Berlin

[a] 17 [b] 3 Apr 43 [c] [underlined] 19.27 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] R5609 (S) [f] Essen

[a] 18 [b] 4 Apr 43 [c] [underlined] 21.01 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] [underlined] R5917(K) [f] Kiel

[a] 19 [b] 10 Apr 43 [c] 00:15 [d] Sgt Munro [e] [underlined] ED323(O) ]/underlined] [f] Frankfurt

18 Apr 43 – 97 Squadron moves from Woodhall Spa to Bourn (PFF) in 8 Group

[a] 20 [b] 4 May 43 [c] [underlined] 22.11 [/underlined] [d] Sgt Munro [e] [underlined] ED870(T) [/underlined] [f] Dortmund

[a] 21 [b] 23 May 43 [c] 23:30 [d] Plt Off Munro [e] ED938(J) [f] Dortmund

[a] 22 [b] 25 May 43 [c] 23:30 [d] P/O Munro [e] ED938(J) [f] Dusseldorf

[a] 23 [b] 29 May 43 [c] 22:10 [d] P/O Munro [e] ED938(J) [f] Wuppertal

[a] 24 [b] 11 Jun 43 [c] [underlined] 23.35 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro [e] ED938(J) [f] Dusseldorf

[a] 25 [b] 12 Jun 43 [c] [underlined] 22.56 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro [e] ED938(J) [f} Bochum

[a] 26 [b] 20 Jun 43 [c] [underlined] 21.45 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro [e] ED868(A) [f] Friedrichshaven (Scampton [inserted] [underlined] ?? [/underlined] [/inserted]

[a] 27 [b] 23 Jun 43 [c] [underlined] 19.40 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro [e] ED836(A) Spezia (North Africa)

[a] 28 [b] 28 Jun 43 [c] [underlined] 23.04 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro [e] [underlined] ED938(J) [/underlined] [f] Cologne

[a] 29 [b] 3 Jul 43 [c] [underlined] 22.47 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro [e] ED938(J) [f] Cologne

[a] 30 [b] 27 Jul 43 [c] [underlined] 22.00 [/underlined] [d] P/O Munro (DFC) [e] ED938(J) [f] Hamburg

[underlined] 1st TOUR COMPLETED [/underlined]

On 18th April 1944 No 97 Squadron was re-located to RAF Coningsby, and Henry re-joined after volunteering for a second tour on “operations” . . . . . . .

[page break]

[a] 31 [b] 20 Apr 44 [c] 23:25 [d] Flt Lt Baker (DFC) [e] ND813(Q) [f] Paris (La Chappelle)

[a] 32 [b] 24 Apr 44 [c] 20:40 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND813(Q) [f] Munich

[a] 33 [b] 26 Apr 44 [c] 21:35 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND813(Q) [f] Schweinfurt

[a] 34 [b] 28 Apr 44 [c] 21:15 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND862(L) [f] Oslo

[a] 35 [b] 29 Apr 44 [c] 21:15 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND862(L) [f] Clermont Ferrand

[a] 36 [b] 1 May 44 [c] 21:40 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND862(L) [f] Toulouse

[a] 37 [b] 7 May 44 [c] 20:45 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND451(R) [f] Tours

[a] 38 [b] 22 May 44 [c] 22:25 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] Brunswick

[a] 39 [b] 24 May 44 [c] 22:55 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] Eindhoven

[a] 40 [b] [underlined] 6 Jun 44 [c] 03:20 [/underlined] [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] [underlined] St Pierre du Mont [/underlined]

[a] 41 [b] [underlined 6 Jun 44 [c] 23:20 [/underlined] [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] [underlined] Argentan [/underlined]

[a] 42 [b] 9 Jun 44 [c] – [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] Etampes (Railway)

[a] 43 [b] 12 Jun 44 [c] – [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] Poitiers

[a] 44 [b] 21 Jun 44 [c] 23:10 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] Gelsenkirchen

[a] 45 [b] 24 Jun 44 [c] 22:50 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] ND501(Q) [f] Prouville [underlined] (JU 88 attack) [/underlined]

[a] 46 [b] 20 Jul 44 [c] 23:10 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Courtral

[a] 47 [b] 24 Jul 44 [c] 22:45 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Donges (St Nazaire)

[a] 48 [b] 25 Jul 44 [c] 21:25 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Stuttgart

[a] 49 [b] 1 Aug 44 [c] 14:50 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Siracourt [underlined] (Rocket site) [/underlined]

[a] 50 [b] 2 Aug 44 [c] 14:34 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] L’Isle Adam [underlined (Rocket site) [/underlined]

[page break]

[a] 51 [b] 3 Aug 44 [c] 11:35 [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Trossy St Maximim [underlined] (Rocket site) [/underlined]

[a] 52 [b] 9 Aug 44 [c] – [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Foret de Chatellerault

[a] 53 [b] 26 Aug 44 [c] – [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Koningsberg

[a] 54 [b] 29 Aug 44 [c] – [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB157(Q) [f] Koningsberg

[a] 55 [b] 11 Sep 44 [c] – [d] Flt Lt Baker [e] PB422(P) [f] Darmstadt

[underlined] 2nd TOUR COMPLETED – Awarded D.F.M. [/underlined]

[underlined] Aircraft flown: [/undelined]

January 1943 (1) ED425€ To 622 Squadron via 1660 CU & 1654CU (This operation shown in 97 Sqn Ops as ED323(E)

January 1943 (1) R5559((W) [sic] Mark I issued to 97 Sqn Jan 42 – Completed over 30 Operations – to 1662OCU in February 1943

January 1943 (7) R5915(Q) From 9 Squadron – to 622 Squadron via 166OCU Missing 21 Jan 44 after 693 hours

February 1943(1) R5889(V) From 49 Squadron – to 1661CU (Burnt in crash on 9th July 43 after 519 hours

February 1943(3) R5552(P) New Mark I issued to 97 Squadron – To 166 Squadron and went missing on 21st December 1943

March 1943(2) W420O(W) [sic] Issued new to 9 Squadron in May 42, to 97 Sqn in January 1943 – to 1656CU and crashed 28 Jul 43

March 1943(1) W4355(T) Issued new to 97 Sqn, then to 15 Squadron – and was lost on 23 Feb 44 after 795 hours

March 1943(1) ED323(O) To 15 Squadron in Dec 43 via 1661CU, and went missing on 28 Jan 44 after 745 hours

April 1943 ED232(?) No recorded details (a/c does not exist) Shown on 97 Squadron Operations as ED323(O)