Leonard William Fairbank's service history
Title
Leonard William Fairbank's service history
Description
Detailing Leonard's birth in Biggleswade, his training history, squadrons served with and aircraft flown in and continued service following 1945. Completed by Leonard's daughter Jean Carter and her husband Clive.
Temporal Coverage
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Two page printed document
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
MFairbanksLW10611800-180215-050001, MFairbanksLW10611800-180215-050002
Transcription
[underlined] RAF SERVICE HISTORY OF Flt Lt LEONARD WILLIAM FAIRBANKS [/underlined]
Born in Biggleswade 30th October 1911
Joined RAF in 1941 No: 1061800
Qualified as Wireless Operator at Number 2 E & W.S. (Electrical & Wireless School – Yatesbury?) on 22nd January 1941 and continued radio training until 14th August 1941.
lying time during this period was on De Havilland Dominie and Percival Proctor training aircraft.
From 16th August 1941 until 6th September 1941 trained & qualified as ‘Air Gunner’, with A.C.2 (Aircraftsman 2nd Class) rank, at Number 7 Air Gunnery School (Stormy Down).
Flying time was on the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.
26th September 1941, posted to ‘A’ Flight, 25 OTU at RAF Finningley.
Flying time was on the Handley Page Hampden.
From 4th October 1941 to 22nd October 1941, served with ‘B’ Flight, 25 OTU from RAF Balderton.
Flying time was on H P Hampdens and Vickers Wellingtons.
From 31st October 1941 to 26th November 1941, with ‘A’ Flight, 25 OTU at RAF Finningley.
Flying time was on Hampdens, Wellingtons and Airspeed Oxfords.
14th December 1941 made ‘Operational’ and posted to ‘A’ Flight, 408 (Canadian) ‘Goose’ Squadron at either RAF Balderton or RAF Syerston, (both near Newark, Notts).
Flying time on Hampdens.
2nd January 1942 moved to ‘C’ Flight 408 Squadron.
1st June 1941 rejoined ‘A’ Flight 408 Squadron.
1
[page break]
Around 16th October 1942 408 Squadron moved to RAF Leeming and converted onto the Handley Page Halifax.
27th March 1943 completed ‘First Tour of Operations’ with 28 bombing sorties.
Flying time was on the Hampden and Handley Page Halifax.
On 25th June 1943 posted to 20 OTU at Lossiemouth on ‘rest’ and to train as ‘Screen Wireless Operator’.
Flying time was on Wellingtons.
19th September 1944 until hostilities ceased, ‘Second Tour of Operations’ started with posting, as ‘Special Operator’, to ‘B’ Flight, 223 (Special Duty) Squadron 100 Group at RAF Oulton, Norfolk (Officer’s Mess at Blickling Hall).
Flying time was mainly on the Consolidated B24 Liberator but also the Boeing B17 Flying Fortress. Both these types were heavily modified to carry much extra radio equipment for airborne radio counter measures.
Total operations flown on both tours = 48
Left the RAF in 1947(?) as Flight Lieutenant (having possibly stayed on for demobilisation administration duties).
SEE ENCLOSED CD FOR COPY OF FLYING LOG & PHOTOGRAPHS
Information supplied by
Clive & Jean (daughter) Carter
[censored]
2
Born in Biggleswade 30th October 1911
Joined RAF in 1941 No: 1061800
Qualified as Wireless Operator at Number 2 E & W.S. (Electrical & Wireless School – Yatesbury?) on 22nd January 1941 and continued radio training until 14th August 1941.
lying time during this period was on De Havilland Dominie and Percival Proctor training aircraft.
From 16th August 1941 until 6th September 1941 trained & qualified as ‘Air Gunner’, with A.C.2 (Aircraftsman 2nd Class) rank, at Number 7 Air Gunnery School (Stormy Down).
Flying time was on the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.
26th September 1941, posted to ‘A’ Flight, 25 OTU at RAF Finningley.
Flying time was on the Handley Page Hampden.
From 4th October 1941 to 22nd October 1941, served with ‘B’ Flight, 25 OTU from RAF Balderton.
Flying time was on H P Hampdens and Vickers Wellingtons.
From 31st October 1941 to 26th November 1941, with ‘A’ Flight, 25 OTU at RAF Finningley.
Flying time was on Hampdens, Wellingtons and Airspeed Oxfords.
14th December 1941 made ‘Operational’ and posted to ‘A’ Flight, 408 (Canadian) ‘Goose’ Squadron at either RAF Balderton or RAF Syerston, (both near Newark, Notts).
Flying time on Hampdens.
2nd January 1942 moved to ‘C’ Flight 408 Squadron.
1st June 1941 rejoined ‘A’ Flight 408 Squadron.
1
[page break]
Around 16th October 1942 408 Squadron moved to RAF Leeming and converted onto the Handley Page Halifax.
27th March 1943 completed ‘First Tour of Operations’ with 28 bombing sorties.
Flying time was on the Hampden and Handley Page Halifax.
On 25th June 1943 posted to 20 OTU at Lossiemouth on ‘rest’ and to train as ‘Screen Wireless Operator’.
Flying time was on Wellingtons.
19th September 1944 until hostilities ceased, ‘Second Tour of Operations’ started with posting, as ‘Special Operator’, to ‘B’ Flight, 223 (Special Duty) Squadron 100 Group at RAF Oulton, Norfolk (Officer’s Mess at Blickling Hall).
Flying time was mainly on the Consolidated B24 Liberator but also the Boeing B17 Flying Fortress. Both these types were heavily modified to carry much extra radio equipment for airborne radio counter measures.
Total operations flown on both tours = 48
Left the RAF in 1947(?) as Flight Lieutenant (having possibly stayed on for demobilisation administration duties).
SEE ENCLOSED CD FOR COPY OF FLYING LOG & PHOTOGRAPHS
Information supplied by
Clive & Jean (daughter) Carter
[censored]
2
Collection
Citation
Jean Carter and Clive Carter, “Leonard William Fairbank's service history,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 24, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/41492.
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