Thomas Sproulle’s Royal Canadian Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book

Thomas Sproulle’s Royal Canadian Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book

Thomas Sproulle’s Flying Log Book from 12th August 1941 until 23rd June 1944 as an Air Bomber. Trained at 4 Air Observers’ School then 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, 2 Air Navigation School, 3 Advanced Flying Unit, before being posted to 11 Operational Training Unit in June 1942 as a Bomb Aimer/Air Bomber. Posted to 466 Squadron (Royal Australian Air Force) in November 1942. Further training with No. 1484 Bombing and Gunnery Flight before carrying out operations with 466 Squadron. Attended No. 1 Air Armament School June/July 1943. Continued operations with 466 Squadron until posted to 640 Squadron in February 1944. Completed tour of operations in June 1944.

He served at RCAF London, RCAF Fingal, RCAF Pennfield Ridge, RAF Steeple Morden, RAF Oakley, RAF Driffield, RAF Leconfield, RAF Manby.

Aircraft flown were Anson, Battle, Wellington, Oxford, Blenheim, Halifax.

He flew 24 night bombing and minelaying operations with 466 Squadron. Targets included Lorient, Cologne, St. Nazaire, Essen, Scharhörn, Duisburg, Bochum, Kiel, Mannheim, Kiel Bay, Dortmund, Hamburg, Brest, Dutch Coast, Terschelling, Helgoland Bight. His pilots during this time were Warrant Officer Body, Flying Officer Macfarlane, Sergeant Illingworth, Wing Commander Bailey, Flight Sergeant Martin, Squadron Leader Belton and Pilot Officer Hicks.
With 640 Squadron he flew 6 bombing operations (1 day and 5 night) (total-day-night) to Le Mans, Nuremberg, Villeneuve St. Georges, Dusseldorf, Masalines and Siracourt. His pilots were Wing Commander Radford and Pilot Officer Cotter.

During an operation on 14 February 1943 encountered a JU-88 which was claimed as “probably destroyed”. On a Bullseye training exercise in March 1943, an engine failure occurred which result in failing to maintain height and eventually crashing 3 miles from aerodrome.

One booklet

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