Service history
Title
Service history
Description
Joined in 1942 and then details training and tour on 115 Squadron, gunnery course, tours as gunnery instructor. Further tour with 625 Squadron, crashed twice before another instructors tour. Mentions 14 ops on first tour and 20 on second. Comments on operation to Berlin when aircraft was attacked by fighter, wireless operator killed, four crew injured. Immediate award of Conspicuous Gallantry Medal to navigator Jack Meek and two Distinguished Flying Crosses to other crew members. Left service in 1946. Lists operations from March 1943 to 27 April 1944.
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Spatial Coverage
Language
Type
Format
Two page printed document
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Contributor
Identifier
MBakerWB1392752-161128-21
Transcription
In reply to your request for service details, I trust the following will suffice. They are, to my knowledge as near correct as I can muster, although one or two items may appear to be a little vague. However, take your pick.
(Q's)
(1) Joined sometime during 1942 at the ripe old age of 29/30 years.
(2 St. John's Wood, London. Brighton. Blackpool. Bridlington.
33 Dec. 1942. No. 7. A.G.S., Stormy Downs. Whitleys & Defiants.
& Gunnery Instructor – Kent Walton, now B.B.C., wrestling commentator.
4) Feb' 1943. No. 1483, Gunnery Flight. ? Wellingtons.
Feb' 1943. No. 1651 Conversion Unit. Waterbeach. Sterling.
March 1943. No. 115 Squadron. East Wretham. Lancaster.
Remainder of crew completed tour. Screened for Gunnery Instructors' course.
July. 1943. One more trip with new crew whose rear gunner went absent just before take-off. Should have had my bumps read. This crew went missing the following night.
August 1943. No. 28 O.T.U., Screened for Gunnery Instruction. Joined new crew looking for a gunner. Considered this much safer than instructing, after trying to persuade trainees not to try leaving the turret whilst on the beam -- whilst still airborne. Wellington.
Oct' 1943. No. 1481 Gunnery Flight. Binbrook. Wellington.
Oct' 1943. No. 1662 Conversion Flight. Blyton. Halifax.
Nov' 1943. No. 626 Squadron. Wickenby. Linc's. Lancaster.
Dec' 1943. Crashed at Wittering, following trip to Berlin. No casualties.
Jan' 1944. Crashed at Docking, after being shot up by fighters over the Big City.
Aircraft flown in:- Whitley, Defiant, Sterling, Halifax, Wellington, Lancaster & Oxford.
July 1944. No. 28 O.T.U., Wymeswold instructing.
On completion of flying duties posted to Nairn, Scotland for rehabilitation. Other stations graced with my attendance:- R.A.F. School of Administration, Hereford. Melksham Admin. Hendon Admin. Finally 100 P.D.C.
(5) 14 Op's on first tour. 20 Op's on second tour.
(6) Commissioned January, 1944.
(7) & (8) On night of Jan' 30 1944, involved in a rather one sided argument with a fighter over Berlin. Wireless Operator killed and four other crew members injured. Immediate awards, C.G.M., to Jack Meek, Navigator and two D.F.C's to other crew members. (see continuation sheet).
(9) Left Service about May., 1946.
[page break]
Continued:- (2)
Records of incident of January 30th 1944.
February 22nd. 1944. London Gazette.
January 30/31. 1944. Station narrative report.
February 5 1944. Squadron report. Combat report No. 17. Ref: 626S/S/5/6/Air.
January 30 1944. Operations Records Book.
January 1944. Recommendations for Honours and Awards. Immediate. OB.
[underlined] Operations [/underlined]
First Tour.
29/3/ 43. Berlin. Aborted. Aircraft U/S.
2/4/ 43. La Rochelle. Gardening.
3/4/ 43. Essen.
4/4/ 43. Keil.
8/4/ 43. Duisburg.
11/4/ 43. Frankfurt.
16/4/ 43. Pilson. Skoda Arms Works. Czechoslavakia.
13/5/ 43. Duisburg. 1X8,000olb. [sic]. cookie.
14/5 43. Bochum.
24/5 43. Dortmund.
25/5 43. Dusseldorf.
27/5 43. Essen.
29/5 43. Elberfeld-Wuppertal & Barman.
25/7 43. Essen.
Operations. Second Tour.
16/12/43. Berlin. Crashed landed at Kelstern.
23/12/43. Berlin.
24/1/44. Brunswick.
21/1/44. Madeburg. Landed West Raynham.
27/1/44. Berlin. Landed Wittering.
30/1/44. Berlin. Attacked by fighter. Crash landed Docking.
18/4/44. Rouen.
20/4/44. Cologne.
22/4/44. Dusseldorfe.
26/4/44. Essen. Coned over target area.
27/4/44. Friedrichshafen.
continued:-
(Q's)
(1) Joined sometime during 1942 at the ripe old age of 29/30 years.
(2 St. John's Wood, London. Brighton. Blackpool. Bridlington.
33 Dec. 1942. No. 7. A.G.S., Stormy Downs. Whitleys & Defiants.
& Gunnery Instructor – Kent Walton, now B.B.C., wrestling commentator.
4) Feb' 1943. No. 1483, Gunnery Flight. ? Wellingtons.
Feb' 1943. No. 1651 Conversion Unit. Waterbeach. Sterling.
March 1943. No. 115 Squadron. East Wretham. Lancaster.
Remainder of crew completed tour. Screened for Gunnery Instructors' course.
July. 1943. One more trip with new crew whose rear gunner went absent just before take-off. Should have had my bumps read. This crew went missing the following night.
August 1943. No. 28 O.T.U., Screened for Gunnery Instruction. Joined new crew looking for a gunner. Considered this much safer than instructing, after trying to persuade trainees not to try leaving the turret whilst on the beam -- whilst still airborne. Wellington.
Oct' 1943. No. 1481 Gunnery Flight. Binbrook. Wellington.
Oct' 1943. No. 1662 Conversion Flight. Blyton. Halifax.
Nov' 1943. No. 626 Squadron. Wickenby. Linc's. Lancaster.
Dec' 1943. Crashed at Wittering, following trip to Berlin. No casualties.
Jan' 1944. Crashed at Docking, after being shot up by fighters over the Big City.
Aircraft flown in:- Whitley, Defiant, Sterling, Halifax, Wellington, Lancaster & Oxford.
July 1944. No. 28 O.T.U., Wymeswold instructing.
On completion of flying duties posted to Nairn, Scotland for rehabilitation. Other stations graced with my attendance:- R.A.F. School of Administration, Hereford. Melksham Admin. Hendon Admin. Finally 100 P.D.C.
(5) 14 Op's on first tour. 20 Op's on second tour.
(6) Commissioned January, 1944.
(7) & (8) On night of Jan' 30 1944, involved in a rather one sided argument with a fighter over Berlin. Wireless Operator killed and four other crew members injured. Immediate awards, C.G.M., to Jack Meek, Navigator and two D.F.C's to other crew members. (see continuation sheet).
(9) Left Service about May., 1946.
[page break]
Continued:- (2)
Records of incident of January 30th 1944.
February 22nd. 1944. London Gazette.
January 30/31. 1944. Station narrative report.
February 5 1944. Squadron report. Combat report No. 17. Ref: 626S/S/5/6/Air.
January 30 1944. Operations Records Book.
January 1944. Recommendations for Honours and Awards. Immediate. OB.
[underlined] Operations [/underlined]
First Tour.
29/3/ 43. Berlin. Aborted. Aircraft U/S.
2/4/ 43. La Rochelle. Gardening.
3/4/ 43. Essen.
4/4/ 43. Keil.
8/4/ 43. Duisburg.
11/4/ 43. Frankfurt.
16/4/ 43. Pilson. Skoda Arms Works. Czechoslavakia.
13/5/ 43. Duisburg. 1X8,000olb. [sic]. cookie.
14/5 43. Bochum.
24/5 43. Dortmund.
25/5 43. Dusseldorf.
27/5 43. Essen.
29/5 43. Elberfeld-Wuppertal & Barman.
25/7 43. Essen.
Operations. Second Tour.
16/12/43. Berlin. Crashed landed at Kelstern.
23/12/43. Berlin.
24/1/44. Brunswick.
21/1/44. Madeburg. Landed West Raynham.
27/1/44. Berlin. Landed Wittering.
30/1/44. Berlin. Attacked by fighter. Crash landed Docking.
18/4/44. Rouen.
20/4/44. Cologne.
22/4/44. Dusseldorfe.
26/4/44. Essen. Coned over target area.
27/4/44. Friedrichshafen.
continued:-
Collection
Citation
“Service history,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 26, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/36032.
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