Sorties Flown by Crew of Lancaster ED908 in 156 Squadron

Sorties Flown by Crew of Lancaster ED908 in 156 Squadron

A summary of sorties flown by Lancaster ED908.

One printed sheet

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Sorties flown by crew of Lancaster ED908 (60-Z) in 156 Squadron

The Operations Record Book of 156 Squadron [AIR 27/1041 and 1042] does not generally report the arrival of individual crew members, but on 30 October 1943 it shows that Sergeant MacArthur reported from 1656 CU (Conversion Unit) for aircrew duties, and that on 26 November Warrant Officer F.P.E. Purnell (Pilot) was posted from 83 Squadron. On 7 February 1944 Purnell was appointed to Commissioned Rank. He became the crew's regular pilot from 20 December 1943, but he did not join the rest of the crew when they moved to 582 Squadron. He relinquished his commission because of ill health on 21 July 1944, and died of tuberculosis on 13 March 1946, aged 30.

On 1 April 1944 the Squadron was reorganised on a two-flight basis, losing "C" Flight. A new Squadron (582) was formed at Little Staughton from "C" Flight of 156 Squadron, and another flight from 7 Squadron.

The crew who were eventually to join Squadron Leader Ben Weightman in 582 Squadron seem to have come together at 1656 CU. They first flew together operationally in 156 Squadron. They can be identified from the daily reports of the Detail of Work Carried Out. The missions they flew are listed below. They would occasionally act as replacement crew when needed on other aircraft. From 1 March 1944, Scrivener and Cole swapped crews.

[a] Date [b] Aircraft [c] Target [d] Pilot [e] Navigator [f] Aungiers [g] Bower [h] Gresty [i] MacArthur [j] Pratt

[a] 03/11/43 [b] JA925 [c] Koln [d] Blamey [j] [symbol]
[a] 18/11/43 [b] JA975 [c] Berlin [d] Blamey [j] [symbol]
[a] 22/11/43 [b] JA975 [c] Berlin [d] Blamey [j] [symbol]
[a] 25/11/43 [b] JB216 [c] Frankfurt [d] Palmer [f] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[a] 26/11/43 [b] JA697 [c] Berlin [d] Wicks [e] Scrivener
[a] 03/12/43 [b] JA941 [c] Leipzig [d] Stewart [f] [symbol]
[a] 20/12/43 [b] JB317 [c] Frankfurt [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 02/01/44 [b] JA941 [c] Berlin [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 05/01/44 [b] EE108 [c] Stettin [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 14/01/44 [b] ND340 [c] Braunschweig [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol]
[h] [symbol] [i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 20/01/44 [b] ND340 [c] Berlin [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 21/01/44 [b] ND340 [c] Magdeburg [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol] [i] [symbol] [j] Baxter
[a] 27/01/44 [b] ND340 [c] Berlin [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 28/01/44 [b] ND340 [c] Berlin [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 30/01/44 [b] ND340 [c] Berlin [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 20/02/44 [b] ND340 [c] Stuttgart [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 24/02/44 [b] ND340 [c] Schweinfurt [d] Purnell [e] Scrivener [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 24/02/44 [b] ND446 [c] Schweinfurt [d] Goodwin [e] Cole
[a] 25/02/44 [b] JB349 [c] Augsberg [d] Baker [i] [symbol]
[a] 25/02/44 [b] ND477 [c] Augsberg [d] Cameron [j] [symbol]
[a] 25/02/44 [b] ND559 [c] Augsberg [d] Walbourn [e] Scrivener
[a] 01/03/44 [b] ND340 [c] Stuttgart [d] Purnell [e] Cole [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 15/03/44 [b] ND340 [c] Stuttgart [d] Purnell [e] Cole [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 18/03/44 [b] ND340 [c] Frankfurt [d] Purnell [e] Cole [f] [symbol] [g] [symbol] [h] [symbol]
[i] [symbol] [j] [symbol]
[a] 22/04/44 [b] ND577 [c] Laon [d] Doyle [h] [symbol]
[a] 24/04/44 [b] JB30 [c] Karlsruhe [d] Doyle [h] [symbol]
[a] 24/04/44 [b] ND875 [c] Karlsruhe [d] Slade [g] [symbol]
[f] 16 [g] 15 [h] 17 [i] 15 [j] 17

Edgar Pratt had flown 17 missions before the crew transferred to 582 Squadron. When added to the 17 sorties he flew in 582 Squadron, this made a total of 34 missions. He died on his 35th mission.