2
25
286
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Valentine, John
John Ross Mckenzie Valentine
J R M Valentine
Description
An account of the resource
674 Items. Collection concerns navigator Warrant Officer J R McKenzie Valentine (1251404 Royal Air Force). The collection contains over 600 letters between JRM Valentine and his wife Ursula. It also contains his log book, family/official documents, a book of violin music studies and other correspondence. Sub-collections contain family photographs, prisoner of war photographs and a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings of events from 1942 to 1945.
He joined 49 Squadron in April 1942 and flew 10 operations on Hampdens. The squadron converted to Manchester in May when he completed two further operations. His aircraft was shot down on the Thousand Bomber raid of 30/31 May 1942. Five crew, including him bailed out successfully and became prisoners of war. The pilot and one air gunner were killed when the aircraft rolled over and crashed.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Frances Zagni and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-09-06
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Valentine, JRM
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
JOHN AND URSULA VALENTINE
29/10/1939 John & Ursula became engaged
06/01/1940 Married in St Mary's Church, Hendon
15/05/1940 John joined RAF Volunteer Reserve
18/10/1940 John called up - reported to RAF Depot in UXBRIDGE
John's letters begin On 18/10/40 and continue until Ursula joins him in Aberystwyth ( 1-44)
18/10/40 25/01/41) Unfortunately there are no further letters kept from him until he is a prisoner of war. None of Ursula's letters to him until January 1941 have survived So her letters begin in January 1941 (Nos 1-17) 0I/01 /41 - 28/01/41, and continue until she joins John in Aberystwyth at the end of January. They start again at the end of April (Nos 18—32) 26/04/41-15/05/41 continuing until she joined him in Monkton at the end of May Her letters start again when he goes to IO.M. at the end of July, (Nos. 33-124) 26/07/41-30/12/41 and continue until she joined him at Stoke Lyne ( near Upper Hcyford) until he completed his training on 15/03/42 After leave John became operational and was posted to Scampton (Lincolnshire) Ursula returned to the Lido, (Hendon) and her letters to John are continuous from this point ( Nos 125-162) 29/03/42 - 29/05/42
Ursula joined John in Aberystwyth on 01/02/41 On April 26 1941 John was posted to Scotland, where he was in digs with Mr & Mrs Howie, Fairfield Mains, Monkton, Ayreshire While there John qualified as an Air Observer navigator on 19/07/41. The course ran from 23/04/41 to 19/07/41
Ursula joined him there towards the end of May 1941 and they stayed with the Howies until John was posted to Jurby, Isle of Man Ursula then returned to Lido, Tenterden Grove, Hendon
John took the AB INITIO BOMBING COURSE in Jurby from 28/07/41-24/08/41 flying in Blenheim & Hampden planes Then from 25/08/41 - 20/09/41 he took the AB INITIO GUNNERY COURSE flying in Blenheims Unfortunately none of his letters to Ursula during this time survive. Her letters to him arc from 26/07/41 - 18/09/41 (nos 33-82)
John then had 17 days leave before being posted to Upper Heyford for his final training before going on ops Ursula's letters are from 08/10/41 - 30/12/41 (Nos 83-124) after which she moved to Stoke Lyne near Hcyford on 0l/0l/42 until 15/03/42
Having completed his training John was posted to Scampton in Lincolnshire to begin operational flying Ursula's letters to him arc from 29/01/42 - 29/05/42 (nos, 125-162)
Until John became a Prisoner of War there is only the brief period in January 1941 when there are letters going both ways No letters either way for February, March and the first part of April as they were together in Aberystwyth Then there are a few letters from Ursula from Aberystwyth until she joined him in Scotland When John was posted to Jurby, I O M Ursula returned to the Lido where she remained except for the two months when she was able to join him in Stoke Lyne from 01/01/42 15/03/42 John then had a brief period of leave until he was posted to Scampton at the end of March 1942. On 30/05/42 John was shot down during the 1,000 bomber raid over Cologne and Ursula finally heard that he was alive on 19/06/42 Letters both ways have been preserved until toward the end of the war when postal conditions deteriorated and John's letters of the last 6 months of war are missing
Most of Ursula's letters to him have survived. The last to reach him was No 127 (35) of 17/10/44. What happened to the remainder. up to No 140 (6) 25/03/45 is unclear - were they returned to the RAF & so to him in hospital or back to Ursula undelivered? After re-patriation John was very ill and was in hospital on and off for most of the year. Family life only really resumed in April 1946.
After John was repatriated he spent most of the rest of 1945 in hospital, mainly RAF Cosgrove (?) near Wolverhampton, although also in Loughborough. Ursula stayed with him until early July when she returned to Felmersham after collecting Frances from Gable End. She wrote to him daily when she was not with him, so letters 144 – 164 were written during July 1945. Letters 165 – 176 during August; 177 – 187 in September. 188 -192 in October. Then he had a period of 6 weeks at home before further hospitalisation. Letters 193 – 210 were written during December 1945 and 211 – 216 during January 1946.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
John and Ursula Valentine
Description
An account of the resource
Provides dates and family history from their engagement to after the war including John's time as prisoner of war and in hospital after his return. Lists letters and dates and provides locations of where they were written.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Frances Zagni
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Five page printed document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SValentineJRM1251404v20001
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Shropshire
England--Bridgnorth
England--Lincolnshire
England--Grantham
England--Warwickshire
England--Stratford-upon-Avon
Wales--Dyfed
Wales--Aberystwyth
Scotland--South Ayrshire
Scotland--South Ayrshire
Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man
England--Oxfordshire
England--London
England--London
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
aircrew
bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942)
observer
prisoner of war
RAF Jurby
RAF Scampton
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Uxbridge
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Allen, Derrick
Derrick Allen
D J Allen
Description
An account of the resource
75 items. The collection covers the career of Flight Sergeant Derrick John Allen (1880966 Royal Air Force) who was a mid-upper gunner on 467 Royal Australian Air Force Squadron at RAF Waddington in 1944-45. Collection contains his logbook, Royal Air Force documentation, notes on air gunners course and photographs of various aircrew. Collection also contains maps and photographs covering the loss of his Lancaster near Spa in Belgium from which he successfully bailed out on 2 November 1944. There is also an oral history interview with his family.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Judy Hodgson and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-08-30
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Allen, DJ
Access Rights
Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.
Permission granted for commercial projects
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Trajectoire supposee du Lancater DV396B Du 467 Sqaudron Royal Austrailian Air Force
Description
An account of the resource
1:20,000 map showing the area to the west of Spa, Belgium with the possible track of Derrick Allen's Lancaster to the crash site near Vieux Pre marked in red. It is annotated with an arrow to Dusseldorf at the top and with figures 1 to 5. Captioned '1: Football ground, 2: the meadow of my adopted father, 3: Promenade Meyerbeer (Mr Halotead?), 4: Creppe (Report of Mr Piette), 5: Vieux Pre (Mr Allen) Villa Matelot', Francois Bourotte'.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Francois Bourotte
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One page map
Language
A language of the resource
eng
fra
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Map
Text. Personal research
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MAllenDJ1880966-150702-300001
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Belgium
Belgium--Spa
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-11-02
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
467 Squadron
crash
Lancaster
shot down
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Royal Air Force ex-Prisoner of War Association
Description
An account of the resource
97 items. The collection concerns Royal Air Force ex-Prisoner of War Association and contains items including drawings by the artist Ley Kenyon.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Robert Ankerson and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-01-29
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
RAF ex POW As Collection
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III
Description
An account of the resource
An account of the Great Escape with maps, sketches and photographs. Details of the three tunnels are set out and the night of the escape. The tunnel construction is detailed as is the team of organisers, engineers, escape kit manufacturers and forgers. Finally there is a poster warning prisoners of war not to try escaping.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
FS Kev Hannaford "Dick" Head
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-03-24
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
United States Army Air Force
Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Artwork
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Five printed sheets
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-630001, MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-630002, MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-630003, MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-630004, MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-630005
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Poland
Poland--Żagań
aircrew
Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Order
escaping
evading
Goering, Hermann (1893-1946)
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945)
Military Cross
prisoner of war
Red Cross
Stalag Luft 3
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1450/43606/MKeelingGW2217141-151002-01.2.pdf
115d4634cc8af3733d01291792ddaae8
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Keeling, George
G W Keeling
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-10-02
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Keeling, GW
Description
An account of the resource
One item. The collection concerns George W Keeling and contains 'The Short History of 640 Squadron’, including photographs records and newspaper clippings.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by George Keeling and catalogued by Trevor Hardcastle.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
A short history of 640 Squadron
Description
An account of the resource
A number of stories, recollections and events remembered by George who was part of the ground crew on the squadron. It also includes press coverage and a programme from an amateur dramatics production Georg appeared in post war.
There is also a copy of the Operational Order for Operation Chastise by 617 Squadron. There are also crew lists, and a copy of the squadron 540 for the operation.
It also has the pages from Flight Sergeant Stalley's Log book for the period July to October 1944. He was the rear gunner on Flight Lieutenant Melrose's crew on No 9 Squadron at Bardney. During this period the squadron attacked the Tirpitz twice, once from Archangel.
There is also the Memories and Reflections of the German civil engineer that was in charge of the rebuilding of the dams damaged in the Dams Operation.
There are two newspaper cuttings from 2005 regarding the military burial of a 640 Squadron crew that had been shot down on the 24 March 1944. One was from The Daily Telegraph from 2 September 2005. There is also a letter George wrote to the Times giving some background to the story.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
George Keeling
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-01-07
1945-04-07
1944-03-24
2005-09-02
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Yorkshire
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text. Memoir
Text. Personal research
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
57 printed sheets
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MKeelingGW2217141-151002-01
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending text-based transcription
4 Group
617 Squadron
640 Squadron
9 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
bomb aimer
bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942)
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bouncing bomb
debriefing
Eder Möhne and Sorpe operation (16–17 May 1943)
entertainment
final resting place
flight engineer
Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944)
ground crew
ground personnel
Halifax
Halifax Mk 3
love and romance
memorial
navigator
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
nose art
operations room
pilot
RAF Leconfield
RAF Lissett
superstition
tactical support for Normandy troops
Tirpitz
wireless operator
-
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Gorfunkle, Norman
N Gorfunckle
N Gorfunkle
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-08-01
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Gorfunckle, N
Description
An account of the resource
14 items. The collection concerns Sergeant Norman Gorfunkle (1920 - 1942, 1260360 Royal Air Force) and contains photographs and documents. He flew operations as an observer with 76 Squadron and was killed 7/8 November 1942. <br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Lester, Russell Gellman and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on Norman Gorfunkleis available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/210756/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
1st Allied Airplane Crashed in Haute-Marne, Bomber Halifax Mk II DT515
Description
An account of the resource
An account of the crash written by the pilot, George Thom. The report includes part of a police report.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
George Thom
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Italy--Genoa
Great Britain
England--Yorkshire
France--Dunkerque
Belgium--Ostend
France--Reims
France--Chaumont (Haute-Marne)
France--Aube
Switzerland
France--Perpignan
France--Paris
France--Vosges Mountains
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Wehrmacht
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Three printed sheets
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MGorfunckleN1260360-170801-030001,
MGorfunckleN1260360-170801-030002,
MGorfunckleN1260360-170801-030003
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending text-based transcription
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942-11-07
207 Squadron
4 Group
76 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
anti-aircraft fire
bomb aimer
bombing
Cheshire, Geoffrey Leonard (1917-1992)
crash
escaping
evading
final resting place
flight engineer
Halifax
Halifax Mk 2
Lancaster
navigator
pilot
RAF Linton on Ouse
Resistance
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/194/27209/MAdamsHG424504-170215-01.2.pdf
1081940cd3d5fc25972f96a05b4902d4
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Adams, Herbert
Herbert Adams
H Adams
Herbert G Adams
Description
An account of the resource
88 items. Collection concerns Herbert George Adams DFC, Legion d'Honour (b. 1924, 424509 Royal Australian Air Force). He flew operations as a navigator with 467 Squadron. Collection contains an oral history interview, photographs of people and places, several memoirs about his training and bombing operations, letters to his family, his flying logbook and notes on navigation.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Herbert Adams and catalogued by Nigel Huckins and Trevor Hardcastle.
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IBCC Digital Archive
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2017-02-15
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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.
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Adams, HG
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[inserted] (There is some duplication of notes for Ops [symbol] 1 to [symbol] 14 as I wrote something at different times (years apart.)) [/inserted]
[inserted] [symbol] Soon after we feathered that engine over “A” Flight commander flew up on our wing top & feathered 3 engines & kept up with us! He was giving us some assurance that a lightly loaded Lancaster could fly level (for a while) on 1 engine … reassurance for a new crew [/inserted]
My navigation Logs & Charts of our operations with 467 (RAAF) Squadron at Waddington, near Lincoln, from 10.9.44 to 16.1.45, with extracts from a publication giving some details of every operation by 467 & 463 Squadrons from 10.9.44 to 25.4.45.
[circled 1] [underlined] LE HAVRE, 10.9.44 [/underlined] 21 from 467, 20 from 463 as part of 992 bombers on 8 different German strong points outside of Le Havre. The targets were accurately marked and bombed, with no losses from Waddington. We took off at 1522, flew to Syerston (nearby), then did a radius of action on a track of 260oT so as to be back at Syerston at 1604 at 8000’. The winds were about what was forecast, 025/15; we bombed at 1723 at 12100’, bomb load was 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb H.E. Two minutes after we dropped our bombs our Port Outer motor stopped (stray AA – fire?), we feathered the prop & flew home OK on 3 engines, airborne for 3h 55 min.
[symbol] On 11.9.44, 218 bombers from 5 Group attacked the German positions still holding out at Le Havre, with no losses. 2 British divisions were attacking Le Havre & the German garrison surrendered a few hours after the raid. The British wished to capture the port intact, but the German garrison had laid mines, and blown up most of the docks, and so it was several weeks before the port could be used.
DAMSTADT, 11.9.44. 226 Lancasters from 5 Group bombed at night, losing 1 crew (all K.I.A.) from 463 Sqdn. Our pilot, Peter Gray-Buchanan, did his “Second Dickie” on this raid.
[circled 2] [underlined] STUTTGART, 12.9.44. [/underlined] 20 from 467, 14 from 463, of 204 from [underlined] 5 Group [/underlined]. (On the same night 378 Lancasters bombed Frankfurt with success.) Post-war, a German expert – Heinz Bardau – wrote that the northern & western parts of Stuttgart city were erased in this concentrated attack… a [underlined] fire-storm resulted [/underlined], with 1171 people killed, the city’s highest fatality figure for the war.
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STUTTGART (Con’t)
467 Sqdn lost 2 crews (F/L D. Brown, 5 KIA, 2 POW, F/O Bright. 5 KIA, 2 POW.)
We took off at 1916 & set course at 1919, staying at 2500’ until 2137 when we began climbing, to 16000’ by 2233. Our last GEE fix was at 2232 and the next (after bombing OK at 2316) at 0022… so nearly 2 hours of Dead Reckoning with some map reading. (The Germans jammed our GEE receiver so that the screen was filled with “Grass”). The actual winds were about as forecast 160/15 at the target. Our bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb “cookie” & 13 J clusters (of incendiaries). Two minutes after bombing our gunners saw a fighter (they think a Do217) at about 400 yards, so we began to “corkscrew”. We continued corkscrewing until 2329, seeing one plane (unidentified) at about 50 yards! and another with a light on (!). We were airborne for 6h 51 min.
[circled 3] [underlined] BOULOGNE. 17.9.44. [/underlined] We took off at 0806 & flew to Syerston, then did a Radius of Action (on track of 260oT) to return to Syerston at 0837 at 6000’, where we did a circuit to port to lose height & get into formation at 3000! We had an uneventual [sic] trip to the target where we bombed at 8100’, dropping 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb. We were airborne for 3h 26 min. 19 Lancs from each of 467 & 463 joined 762 bombers dropping more than 3000 tons of H.E. bombs on German positions around Bologne in preparation for an attack by Allied troops. The German garrison surrendered soon after the raid.
[circled 4] [underlined] BREMERHAVEN 18.9.44. [/underlined] 19 Lancs from each of 467 & 463 were part of a total of [underlined] 206 from 5 Group [/underlined], with no losses from Waddington. The post-war assessors found that this 5-Group attack, with less than 900 tons of bombs, started a [underlined] fire-storm [/underlined] which destroyed 2750 buildings in the main port area, & that [underlined] 30000 [/underlined] people were made homeless & had to live in the open until evacuated several days later.
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Extracts from a publication giving some details of every wartime operation by 467 & 463 Squadrons (loaned by Sam Nelson) RED = Daylight. BLACK = Night BLUE = We weren’t on it.
[circled 1] 10-9-44 LE HAVRE 21 from 467, 20 from 463 as part of 992 bomber raid on 8 different German strongpoints outside Le Havre. The targets were accurately marked and bombed. No losses.
D. 3h 55m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 12000’ (We lost P.O. engine during bomb-run).
Day 11-9-44. LE HAVRE. 218 bombers from 5 Group attacked German positions still holding out at Le Havre. Two British divisions were now attacking Le Havre and the German garrison surrendered a few hours later. The British wished to capture the port intact as a supply port for the armies, but the German garrison had proved spiteful – they had mined and blown up most of the docks, and it was a number of weeks before the port could be used.
[inserted] Night [/inserted] 11-9-44 DAMSTADT. 226 Lancasters of 5 Group.
Our pilot (Peter Gray-Buchanan) did his “second dickie”. 1 A/C from 463 lost (7 KIA).
[circled 2] 12-9-44 STUTTGART. 20 of 467, 14 of 463, of 204 from 5 Group. (Same night 378 Lancasters on Frankfurt … with success.) Post war, a German expert, Heinz Bardau, wrote that the Northern + Western parts of the city were erased in this concentrated attack, & that a fire-storm resulted … 1171 people killed. Stuttgart’s highest fatality figure for the war. 467 lost 2 crews: F/L D. Brown .. 5 KIA, 2 POW; F/O Bright … 5 KIA, 2 POW.
F 6h 50m 1 x 4000 + 13 J clusters. 15750’
[circled 3] 17-9-44. BOULOGNE. 19 from 467, 19 from 463, of 762 bombers dropping more than 3000 tons of H.E. bombs on German positions around Boulogne in preparation for an attack by Allied troops. The German garrison
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surrendered soon afterwards.
D. 3h 25 m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 8100’
[circled 4] 18-9-44 BREMERHAVEN. 19 of 467, 19 of 463, of 206 from 5-Group. No losses from Waddington. The post-war assessors found that this 5-Group attack, with less than 900 tons of bombs, started a fire-storm which destroyed 2750 buildings in the main port area, & that 30000 people were made homeless & lived in the open until evacuated several days later.
D 4h 45m. 18 cans (incendiaries – 150 per can). 15250’
[circled 5] [inserted] 19-9-44 [/inserted] RHEYDT/MUNCHEN-GLADBACH. 19 of 467, 16 of 463, of 227 Lancasters of 5-Group bombing the twin towns. German reports state that only between 267 and 271 people were killed. 467 lost one Lanc, crashing on returning (4 KIA, 1 POW, 2 evaded, including pilot, F/O Findlay) Master Bomber was W/C Guy Gibson, VC, DSO, DFC (of Dambusters fame) flying a Mosquito … which crashed in flames near the Dutch coast. He and his navigator (S/L J.N. Warwick, DFC) were killed and buried at Steenbergen-en-Kriesland. (Orbited target for 17mm – marking delay). 11000’
D 5h 5m 1 x 2000 + 12 J clusters.
[circled 6] 23-9-44 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL (Aqueduct). 19 of 467, 17 of 463, of 136 Lancs. from 5-Group mounting a special attack on the aqueduct at Ladbergen on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The canal was breached, but losses were heavy 10% of the force were lost. 467 lost F/O G.A. Brown and crew. (5 KIA. 2 POW). (Orbited target losing height for 15 min extra there. Meant to bomb 14000’ but 6400’ due to cloud)
C 5h 25m 14 x 1000
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[inserted] On the unused back of one of the logsheets are some sketches (rough) of GEE BOX & the kind of blips, scales etc, displayed [/inserted]
(BREMERHAVEN, Con’t).
We took off at 1832, orbited base until 1844, when we set course at 2000’. At 1915 we needed to alter course southwards to regain our track as the winds were from about 085oT rather than 060oT (forecast). Our last GEE fix (before jamming) was on track near turning point A, and we’d climbed to 15000’, from which height we bombed at 2103. Our bomb load was 18 cans of incendiaries. The Lancaster bomb-bay, (quite long & wide, under the floor) had 14 ‘hooks’, so to use 18 cans, 3 of the hooks had a framework added to hold 3 cans side by side. The bomb-aimer could select all 14 hooks to release independently, usually at fairly short time intervals to produce a “stick” of bombs usefully spread. Each can of incendiaries released 150 small bombs about 5 cm diameter & about 40 cm long, each capable of starting a fire.
It was an easy trip for navigation, with GEE only jammed for about 1/2 hr before & after the target. We were airborne for 4h 46 min.
[circled 5] [underlined] RHEYDT/MUNCHEN-GLADBACH. 19.9.44 [/underlined] 19 Lancs from 467, & 16 from 463 were part of a total of 227 from 5 Group bombing the twin-towns. German reports state that only between 267 & 271 people were killed. 467 Sqdn lost one Lanc. crashing on returning (4 KIA but pilot, F/O Findlay, & one other evaded, & the 7th was imprisoned). The Master-Bomber was W/C Guy Gibson VC, DSO, DFC, of Dambuster fame, flying a Mosquito which crashed in flames near the Dutch coast. He and his navigator (S/L J.N. Warwick, DFC) were killed and buried at Steenbergen-en-Kriesland. We took off at 1856 and did a Radius-of-Action (track 260oT) to arrive back at Base at 1913, at 2000’. The winds were about as predicted, we kept close to track & time, and arrived at target at 2139 at 11000’, but were told to [underlined] orbit [/underlined] (to port) due to marking problems. At 2148 we were told to [underlined] orbit again, [/underlined] until, at 2151 we we [sic] told to “attack Green spot fires direct”, which we did at 2155, at 11000’.
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[photograph] D-Dog at Waddington, 1944
[photograph] [symbol] Peter at pilots window
[photograph] Our gunners
Left: Ken Nicholls, Rear Gunner
Right: Ray Giles, Mid-Upper Gunner
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RHEYDT/MUNCHEN-GLADBACH (Con’t).
At 2159 1/2 I logged “a/c hit ground – explosion – flame & smoke”
At 2201 1/2 I logged “a/c on ground, bears 000o, 2 min (51o23’, 05o51’E).
At 2211 we saw an unidentified fighter so went into the corkscrew routine, at about 51o30’N 05o00’E.
At 2213 1/2 , while in starbord [sic] turn saw unidentified fighter above us, at about 51o31’N 04o53’E, so continued to corkscrew.
At 2221, I logged “possible a/c hit ground 3 mi on port beam, about 51o32 1/2’N 04o19’E. Our bomb-load was 1 x 2000 lb & 12 “J” clusters. We were airborne for 5h 5 min.
[circled 6] [underlined] DORTMUND-EMS CANAL [/underlined]. 23.9.44. 19 from 467 & 17 from 463 of total 136 Lancs from 5 Group mounted a special attack on the aquaduct at Ladbergen. The canal was breached, but losses were heavy … 10% of the force. 467 Sqdn lost F/O G.A. Brown & crew (5 KIA, 2 POW).
We took off at 1906, did the usual Radius-of-Action to be back at Base at 1931 at 2000’. We crossed the Channel at 4000’ then climbed to 6000’, keeping nicely to track until 2047. GEE was being jammed, and the next 2 fixes showed us 10 & 20 mi North of track … they may have been wrong. We continued by dead-reckoning through cloud climbing to 14000’ and arriving at the target on time at 2148. (We were told by Master-Bomber at 2146 “to bomb 150 ft N.W. of Red Target Indicator (flare)” J. But we were in thick cloud, so [underlined] orbited to port [/underlined] losing height … very dangerous in cloud. At 2155 the Master-Bomber said “cloud base is 8000’, come in and bomb”, but we were still in cloud & had to do [underlined] another orbit [/underlined], losing height to 6300’, so that finally we could see the target at bombed at 2203 from 6400’.
At 2205 I logged “a/c hit ground & exploded 8 mi S.E. of [symbol], (at about 51o59’N 07o53’E.”
At 2228 1/2 I logged “crossed river; a/c hit ground, port beam, 3 mi.”
At 2229 “a/c directly under us hit ground, 52o15’N 06o11’E.”
At 2231 1/2 I logged “a/c hit ground ahead about 10 mi” [brackets]
At 2236 1/2 I logged “a/c (same one?) on port beam, 5 mi [brackets] 52o10’N 06o00’E
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DORTMUND-EMS CANAL (Con’t).
After leaving the target area, the winds must have been stronger than predicted from the South.
At 2253 I logged “Strong searchlights ahead … Bomb-Aimer thinks its Rotterdam” (about 10 mi North of desired track). So we immediately turned 40o to port, but copped some flak.
At 2303 we saw searchlights over the OVER FLAKKEE area, and at 2304 got our first GEE fix since our last good one at 2047 putting us about 11 mi north of track.
Our bomb-load was 14 x 1000 lb. We were airborne for 5h 25 min.
[underlined] CALAIS. 24.9.44. [/underlined] 8 from 467, & 7 from 463 of a total 188 from 5 Group. 8 were shot down, including 1 from 467 Sqdn, F/O R.A. Jones (3 KIA & 4 POW).
[circled 7] [underlined] KARLSRUHE 26.9.44 [/underlined]. 17 from 467, 14 from 463 of a total 227 from 5 Group. A short German report states “that there was damage throughout the city & lists several important buildings destroyed”. 467 Sqdn lost F/O K. Miller (1 KIA, 6 POW).
We took off at 0055 & did the usual radius-of-action to be back at base at 0113 at 3000’. The winds were much as predicted and we kept close to track & timing, our last reliable GEE fix was at 0337; we arrived at target at 0408 and Master-Bomber told us to “bomb direct on mixed Red & Green T.1’s” But we had 10/10 cloud below us, so we “went round again” & managed to bomb at 0414 from 11500’. Our first reliable GEE fix on the way home was at 0444, only just over 1 hour of jamming.
Our bomb-load was 18 cans of incendiaries, and we were airborne for 6h 50 mins.
[circled 8] [underlined] KAISERLAUTERN 27.9.44 [/underlined] 16 from 467, 15 from 463 of a total of 217 from 5 Group, did the only major raid of the war by Bomber Command. 909 tons of bombs were dropped causing widespread damage to this medium-sized city. A local German report complained that the town was not a military objective, but went on to list a catalogue of small factories destroyed. We took off at 2205,
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24-9-44. CALAIS. 8 of 467, 7 of 463, of 188 from 5-Group. 8 were shot down. 467 lost F/O R. A. Jones & crew (3 KIA, 4 POW)
[circled 7] 26-9-44 KARLSRUHE. 17 of 467, 14 of 463, of 227 from 5-Group. A short German report states that there was damage throughout the city & lists several important buildings destroyed. 467 lost F/O K. Miller & crew (1 KIA, 6 POW).
J 6h 50m 18 cans incendiaries 11500’
[circled 8] 27-9-44 KAISERLAUTERN. 16 of 467, 15 of 463, of 217 from 5-Group on Kaiserlautern, a medium-sized city, in the only major raid on it by Bomber Command during the war. 909 tons of bombs were dropped a widespread damage was caused. A local German report complains that the town was not a military object, but goes on to list a catalogue of small factories destroyed.
H 6h 20m 18 cans incendiaries 4000’
(Sept. Summary: 467 flew 199 sorties; lost 6 crews (23 KIA, 17 POW, 2 Ev.) 4 tours completed.)
[circled 9] 5-10-44 WILHELMSHAVEN 17 of 467, 16 of 463, of 227 from 5-Group. 10/10 cloud, marking by H2S. The Wilhelmshaven Diary states that only 12 people died and one bomber was shot down. 467 lost 1 crew (they ditched … hadn’t got to the target … at about 11 am. They were finally rescued about 5pm next day. After short leave, they returned to ‘ops, and were all Killed-in-Action on the Harburg raid.
(This was the only ‘trip’ on which we were allowed to use H2S (they thought enemy fighters could use its transmission to find us). We couldn’t see the markers, so bombed by H2S.)
C. 5h 5m. 18 cans incendiaries. 15000’ (We flew to target in formation escorted by long-range Mustangs
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did a Radius of Action to be back at base at 2228 at 3000’. We stayed at 3000’ until 0010, then climbed to 4500’ and stayed at 4500’ until close to target, when told to bomb from 4000’, which we did (1 1/2 min early), dropping 18 cans of incendiaries. We kept close to track all the way and only lost GEE for an hour. We were airborne for 6h 20 min.
[circled 9] [underlined] WILHELMHAVEN. [/underlined] 17 of 467, 16 of 463, of 227 from 5-Group, a daylight raid flying in formation to the target, escorted by long-range Mustang fighters. The met. forcast [sic] was for considerable cloud at the target, and we were given the most unusual priorities for bombing:-
(i) drop them visually if target is clear;
(ii) use H2S if target is obscured; or (!)
(iii) drop when you see another bomber drop its load.
We took off at 0755, did a Radius of Action to be back at base at 0811 to join formation at 1500’. My GEE set was not working, but being in formation I didn’t have to navigate anyway. Ted Pickard, the new assistant Nav. Officer, criticised my lack of effort to have some practice. At 1010 we began to climb to 15000’ at the target where at 1106 there was 10/10 cloud below. Our Bomb Aimer & I operated the H2S and aimed at the NW corner of the town and dropped our bombs at 1110 and noticed two other Lancasters dropped theirs immediately after. We flew home independently, but other Lancs were visible so we followed the stream. At 1212 I took over flying a plane for the first & only time, keeping straight & level without much trouble for half an hour. We did a bit of map-reading for the last 1/2 hour, and landed at 1306, being airborne for 5h 5 min. Our bomb-load was 18 cans of incendiaries. The Wilhelmshaven Diary states that only 12 people died and that 1 bomber was shot down. 467 lost 1 crew … they ditched before the target at about 11 am & were (finally) rescued about 1700 the next day. After short leave they resumed ops., but were all K.I.A. on the HARBURG raid on 11.11.44. Our bomb-load was 15 cans of incendiaries
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[circled 10] [underlined] BREMEN [/underlined] 17 of 467 Sq., 18 of 463 Sq., of 246 from 5 Group, a night raid on 6.10.44, with bomb-load 18 cans of incendiaries dropped from 17250’. Air borne at 1736 & did Return of Action arriving back at base at 1753 at 5000’. A good navigation trip keeping close to desired track, but winds were lighter than expected, so, despite reducing air-speed twice (10 mph each time) we did a 60o – 120o triangle to lose 7 min. This was the last of 32 major Bomber Command raids on Bremen of the war. This raid, based on the 5 Group marking method, was an outstanding success. 1021 tons of bombs were dropped, of which 868 tons were incendiaries. A detailed report (local) is available which was compiled by an official who stated that: “the night was clear, with 3/4 full moon. A huge fire area was started. Classed as destroyed were 4859 houses, 42 factories, 2 shipyards, the Focke-Wulf works & the Siemens-Schubert electrical works. The transport network was seriously disrupted.” This raid, by no more than 1/4 of Bomber Command (& hardly mentioned in the British War History) had finished Bremen … it was not attacked again in the war.
We landed at 2233 after a trip of 4hr 55 min.
[circled 11] [underlined] FLUSHING [/underlined] (WEST DYKE on WALCHEREN ISLAND in the Scheldt Estuary.) 12 of 467, & 11 of 463 of a total of 121 of 5 Group, a daylight raid on 7.10.44. We each did 2 runs dropping a stick of 7 each run (all 1000 lb HE bombs). The sea-wall was breached and virtually all the island was flooded except the rest of the sea-wall, the central tour (Middleburgh) & the town of Flushing. English newspapers had a photo of the flooded island the next day. We had no losses despite plenty of A.A. [inserted] [two indecipherable words] [/inserted]. On the same day 846 of Bomber Command attacked Kleve-Emerich & Kembs Dams. 617 Sqn. used Tallboys (12000 lb bomb) on Kembs to destroy the floodgates to [underlined] prevent [/underlined] the Germans flooding the valley in the face of the American & French advance.
We were airborn for 3h 10 min.
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[circled 10] 6-10-44 BREMEN. 17 of 467, 18 of 463, of 246 from 5-Group. This was the last of 32 major Bomber Command raids on Bremen during the war. The raid, based on the 5-Group marking method, was an outstanding success. 1021 tons of bombs were dropped of which 868 tons were incendiaries. A detailed local report is available which was compiled by an official who stated that the night was clear with 3/4 full moon … A huge fire area was started. Classed as destroyed were 4859 houses, 42 factories, 2 shipyards, the Focke-Wulfe works and the Siemens Schubert electrical works. The transport network was seriously disrupted. This raid, by no more than 1/4 of Bomber Command (and hardly mentioned in British (War) History, had finished Bremen and the city was not attacked again by Bomber Command.
D 4h 55m 18 cans incendiaries 17250’
[circled 11] 17-10-44 FLUSHING (WALCHEREN ISLAND – WEST DYKE)
12 of 467, 11 of 463, of 121 from 5-Group to successfully breach the sea-wall near Flushing. No losses. (The same day 846 of Bomber Command attacked Kleve Emerich & Kembs Dams … 617 Squadron used ‘Tallboy’ bombs on Kembs. (The idea was to destroy the floodgates to [underlined] prevent [/underlined] the Germans flooding the Rhine valley in the face of French & American advances … this was done OK.)
D 3h 10m 2 sticks of 7 x 1000 6100’ Extra 6 min. orbit for 2nd stick.
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DAY 11-10-44 FLUSHING. 14 of 467, 20 of 463, of 115 from 5-Group attacked gun positions on N. bank of Scheldt Estuary near Flushing. No losses from Waddington.
[deleted] NIGHT [/deleted] [inserted] DAY [/inserted] 14-10-44 DUISBURG Bomber command sent 1013 heavy bombers, and 473 fighters, Americans sent 1251 heavy bombers and 749 fighters … the raid was carried out on a directive from Allied H.Q. to show the Germans the power of Bomber Commands.
NIGHT 14-10-44 BRUNSWICK 19 of 467, 20 of 463 to join 233 of 5 Group. The most effective of numerous raids on Brunswick. Using the 5-Group low-level marking method, Brunswick was finally destroyed. A German report simply lists the number of hectares burnt out. 23000 people were rescued from air-raid shelters and only 200 perished. A special train was sent from Bavaria to help feed the 80000 homeless.
DAY 17-10-44 WESTKAPELLE 2 of 467, 9 of 463 of 47 from 5-Group attacking sea-wall at Westkapelle. Bombing appeared to be accurate but no report is available. No losses.
[circled 12] 19-10-44 NUREMBERG (& DUISBURG) 20 of 467, 20 of 463, of 263 from 5-Group with 7 Mosquitoes in a special low-level-marked attack on Nuremberg. The target was completely cloud-covered and low-level marking could not be used. The raid was effective but not the ‘knockout’ as hoped. (There were 103 bombers from another Group on Stuttgart and other targets, losing only 0.9%). 467 lost F/O E. Rodwell & crew (7 KIA)
D 8h 10m 1 x 2000 + 12 J clusters. 17400’
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On 11-10-44, 16 of 467, 20 of 463 of total 115 (all 5 Group) attacked big gun positions on the bank of [underlined] Scheldt Estuary [/underlined], near Flushing. The big guns prevented a sea attack to open the Estuary for Allied supply shipping (a minefield had to be cleared too), and they menaced the Canadian Army who were attacking south of the Estuary, but couldn’t match these big guns for range. I think the weather was bad, poor visibility maybe no great harm done to the guns.
On 14-10-44 there was a big daylight raid on [underlined] Duisberg [/underlined], carried out as a directive from Allied H.Q. to show the Germans the power of Allied Air Power. Bomber Command sent 1013 heavies & 413 fighters, the Americans sent 1251 heavies & 749 fighters.
That night, (14-10-44) 5 Group sent 19 of 467 Sq & 20 of 463 Sq of a total of 233, to [underlined] Brunswick [/underlined], using the 5 Group low-level marking method, Brunswick was finally destroyed. A German report simply lists the number of hectares burnt out. 23000 people were rescued from air-raid shelters & only 200 perished. Special train sent from Bavaria to help feed the 80000 homeless.
On 17-10-44, 2 of 467, & 9 of 463 Sq. of total of 47 of 5 Group attacked the sea-wall again near Westkapelle on Walcheren Island. Bombing appeared to be accurate but no report was available.
[circled 12] [underlined] NUREMBERG [/underlined]. 5 Group sent 20 of 467 Sq. & 20 of 463 Sq of a total of 263 with 7 Mosquitos to do low-level marking. There was total cloud cover which prevented the low-level marking. The raid was effective but not the knock-out hoped for. The rest of Bomber Command raided Stuttgart & other nearby targets, only losing 0.9%. 467 Sq. lost F/O Rodwell & crew (7 KIA). We took off at 1713, did a Radius of Action coming back to base at 1718 at 2000’. We reduced speed to 150 mph but still had to lose 6 min doing 60oL, 120oR, then got to [symbol] OK but had to orbit as directed.
Bombed 15 min late at 17400’ on Red & Green Target [deleted] [indecipherable word] flares [/deleted]
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Our bomb-load was 1 x 2000 lb HE, and 12 ‘J’ clusters (incendiary). After leaving the target we descended to 6000’, & flew on dead-reckoning, south of Stuttgart & Strasbourg for 2 hours until I got the first GEE fix, nearly 20 miles north of our track, but safely over France. Sid discovered that we had one of the ‘J’ bombs “hung-up”. We went to the jettison area in the Channel & tried to release it manually … did 2 orbits as we kept trying, but without success. So we flew on home to base at 4000’, landing after 8hr 9 min airborne, by far our longest flight so far.
[page break]
[inserted] [symbol] Don Coults (Engineer went to Ireland to visit his parents there. [/inserted]
After our 11th Op at Flushing we went on the usual 6-day leave, after only about 4 weeks after we started our tour. The crews were put on a roster for leave, usually each 6 weeks, but you could go earlier if a few crews before you on the list went missing.
A few items from a diary I kept then … 7th Oct: On our return from the Flushing op, we “shot-up” the ‘drome (low level) for W/C. Brill who was going home to Australia. Wrote up log book. Went to a dance with Jackie from our Mess.
8th:- Applied for leave passes. Got paid. Packed.
9th:- Collected subsistence money, & petrol coupons for bike, [symbol] got leave passes. Caught train to London, missed by Ken. Booked in at A.C.F. Club for the night. Ken arrived at 10 pm. We booked in for the rest of the leave. Nice room.
10th. Had breakfast at the Boomerang Club. I looked around & spotted Kirk Beddie from Mendooran. I’ll just go back in time to our first couple of operations to relate a coincidence. When our 8 new crews arrived together, our Nav. Leader, F/Lt Arnold Eastman, was still doing Ops himself, yet was responsible for in-service training of the navigators (especially us new ones). So he delegated the checking of log & charts, and giving advice to some of his senior navigators (Who’d lasted, say 10 ops or more). The first one who helped me twice was called Scotty – I didn’t find out his surname, it was strictly teacher & pupil, especially as he looked elderly … moustache & bald patch … (actually he was about 26). I didn’t see him again at Waddington – we had about 300 air-crew Flight sergeants there.
Anyway, at the Boomerang club, I said good-day to Kirk, we told each other what we’d been doing … he was well into a tour as captain of Sunderland crew – doing Atlantic patrols.
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I remarked that it was a coincidence that the only two fliers [sic] from Mendooran should be on leave at the same place & time. He said ‘-“Oh no, there’s another Mendooranite over here, Vernon Gall, who was the teller at the Bank of NSW there.” I replied that I didn’t know him. Kirk said:- “Well you might not have met him as you were at High School at Mudgee when your parents came to Mendooran, then you worked in Sydney, went into the Army, then the Air Force – you rarely were in Mendooran. Well, what do you know – there he is, I’ll bring him over & introduce you.” Kirk came back with Scotty. We laughed about that coincidence! After the war, when I bought the sports depot in Mudgee & transferred my bank a/c to the Bank of NSW there, Scotty was the teller.
[symbol] At the Club I also met Joe Barber & Eric Gentle who’d been with me at Cootamundra. Ken saw 4 chaps he knew at Lichfield, and I met Rupe Brown the Australian ground-crew corporal who looked after the 3 Lancs & ground crews at our dispersal corner. We went to a play, but didn’t enjoy it - - too serious. Back at A.C.F. played table-tennis with Ken & darts with Sid.
11th: Got some free theatre tickets with Sid & the play was quite enjoyable. Cinema after lunch .. Red Skelton in “Bathing Beauty”, very funny. Game of darts at the Club. Met Jack Freer, who played the saxophone on the ship across the Pacific.
12th. Ken & I got tickets for a play … a good comedy. Darts at the club after supper.
13th Got tickets for a show on Monday. Bought a wireless for £12/3/4.
[symbol] After the war, I found that Ray Meers (Rear Gunner) & Lindsay Francis (Wireless-Operator-Gunner, of Mendooran had both done tours with B.C. about the same time as I.
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14th. Bought more Xmas cards. Had lunch with Peter Dunn from Mudgee at the Club. Saw a newsreel, went to the Windmill theatre, a few beers with Ken, Supper, then table-tennis.
15th. Rupe left to return to Waddington (he’d shared our room
Visited Mme Tussauds waxworks Museum .. very good.
Walked through the Zoo. Saw a newsreel.
16th. At Boomerang Club met Ken Vidler’s crew (I think they were killed a bit later.) Walked the Embankment, saw Cleopatra’s Needle, down Whitehall, got a glimpse of 10 Downing St (cordoned off by Police). Saw the show we’d booked “Happy & Glorious”, easily the best show we’d been to. Had a few drinks with 2 girls who sleep in the railway station at Gloucester Road to be safe from air raids – they’d been doing that for years!
17th: Rain all day. Went cinema that featured 3 films … 4 1/4 hours. Had a steak (!) for 5/- then another film; couldn’t find the ‘steak’ cafe again.
18th. Packed, Sid came back from Exeter & Bristol. Played crib on the train with Sid, all the way to Lincoln. Lunch at 3, collected bike & rode back to camp.
19th. Flew at once for high-level-bombing practice … too much low cloud, so we got a fighter & did some affiliation practice. Then lunch & briefing at 1.30 for a “trip” to Nuremberg, the scene of one of B.C.’s worst losses sometime earlier, when about 500 heavies were caught below high cloud, searchlights lit them up & (from memory) nightfighters, mainly, & flak brought down 49 for a loss rate of 9%. This time it was cloud below us and 467 only lost 1 crew, F/O Rodwell’s … all KIA.
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[circled 13] 23-10-44 FLUSHING. 21 of 467, 20 of 463 of 121 from 5-Group attacked gun positions near Flushing. Visibility was bad and the bombing scattered.
D 3h 20m. 14 x 1000. Briefed to bomb at 6500’ but forced to descend (bad visibility). Bombed at 4000’
[circled 14] BERGEN 28-10-44. 20 of 467, 15 of 463, of 237 from 5-Group, to attack U-boat pens at Bergen. Target was cloud-covered and master-bomber called off the attack after only 47 planes had bombed … from below 5000’ (Mountains within 10 miles of track nearly 4500’!)
D 7h 30m. 12 x 1000 Briefed to bomb at 9000’. Orbited once [inserted] extra 6 min there [/inserted] and lost height using GEE to avoid mountains … bombed at 3800’ Diverted to Marston Moor on return (fog over Waddington). Returned next day.
[inserted] (On our final run there was AA fire from [underlined] above [/underlined] us (mountains) as well as below!) [/inserted]
[circled 15] 30-10-44 WALCHEREN ISLAND. 13 of 467, 13 of 463, of 102 from 5-Group attacked gun positions near Walcheren. The attack was successful and the Allied ground forces commenced their attack on 31st. No losses
Briefed to bomb at 6000’. Cloud over target. Two orbits made – 20 min over target area – bombed at 3500’.
D 3h 20m. 14 x 1000.
OCT ’44 SUMMARY: 467 flew 157 sorties, lost 2 crews (7 KIA, 7 Ev): 5 tours completed, incl. (C.O.) W/C. Brill completing his 2nd tour. 1 crew ditched, rescued & returned.
DAY 1-11-44 HOMBERG. 19 of 467, 17 of 463, of 226 from 5-Group attacked the Meerbeck oil plant at Homberg. Marking was scattered + only 159 planes attempted to bomb. No losses from Waddington.
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After nearly 2 hours on the way home we tried to jettison a J-Cluster (incendiary) which had “hung-up”. We turned back to try to realease [sic] it manually, but failed. So we brought it home & it was safely removed. We landed 1/2 hour late, time airborn was 8hr 9 min. Our bomb-load was 1 x 2000 lb HE & 12 ‘J’ clusters dropped from 17400’.
[circled 13] [underlined] FLUSHING [/underlined] 5 Group sent 121 incl. 21 of 467 Sq & 20 of 463, to attack big gun positions near Flushing on Walcheren Island on 23.10.44. Visibility was bad & the bombing was “scattered”. We took off at 1429, did a Radius of Action & got back to base at 1434 at 2000’. Had a good navigation trip but had to descent from 6500’ to 4000’ to see the target. 1 1/2 min before we bombed our gunners reported a Lanc. hit the sea behind us (I plotted it at 56o33’N, 03o27’E). Quite a few planes were lost and a lot of A.A. damage – we had many holes. Our bomb load was 14 of 1000 lb HE, and 1 of them “hung-up”. We tried to jettison it but couldn’t. We were airborn [sic] for 3h. 19 min.
[circled 14] [underlined] BERGEN (NORWAY) [/underlined] 5-Group sent 237 of which 20 from 467 Sq + 15 from 463, on 28-10-44 to attack U-boat pens at night. We took off at 2221 & did a Radius of Action & got back to base at 2250 at 1500’ which we maintained until 0120 (up till then we were over the N. Sea) when we climbed to 9000’ & increased speed to 180 mph as we were 3 min behind time. When we got to the target we were in cloud. The master bomber told us to come down to 5000’ … we had to orbit carefully as there were mountains East of Bergen over 4000’. I used GEE position lines to descend safely away from mountains to 3800’ when we bombed … about 10 min after the planned time. It was nice to have GEE all the way (no jamming like over Germany) & we kept nicely to track all the way. Our bomb load was 12 x 1000 lb HE. There was plenty of flak around Bergen … some from mountain tops nearly level with us! There was a lot of cloud (& maybe smoke-screen) at the target … master bomber cancelled the raid after only 47 of us bombed
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30.10.44. [symbol] 15 WALCHEREN ISLAND (FLUSHING). 13 from 467 Sqdn & 13 from 463 of 102 total (all 5 Group), daylight raid on big gun emplacements on the Southern edge of Walcheren Island. The Germans also held the Southern banks of the Scheldt Estuary. The Allies had always wanted to capture Antwerp (50 miles inland, the biggest port for unloading tanks & other heavy equipment). While ever these big guns covered both sides of the Estuary, the Allies couldn’t go in to clear the minefields. In fact the Canadian army trying to take the South bank was held up by bad weather (flooded terrain), lack of petrol & ammunition (Patton was partly to blame along with Eisenhower) for so long that eventually, [inserted] our [/inserted] [deleted] Armies [/deleted] [inserted] Marines [/inserted] took Antwerp from the East & finally [inserted] 8 NOV [/inserted] captured Walcheren Island by “sailing” through gaps in the sea-wall from the East! It then took [inserted] nearly [/inserted] another month to clear the mines & winter had set in … too late to use Antwerp for the big offensive they may have been able to mount had they cleared Antwerp 3 months earlier.
We took off at 1340, did a R. of A. & got back to base at 1356 at 1500’. The navigation was easy & we stayed on-track & on-time to the target. We’d been told to bomb at 6000’, but found cloud below, so had to orbit [inserted] twice [/inserted] lose height to 3500’, finally bombing 22 min later than planned. Our bomb load was 14 x 1000 lb HE. We had no losses. The attack was successful, and the Canadian army began their attack along the S. bank the next day.
We dropped 14 x 1000 lb HE; the flight took 3h 20 min. For October, 467 Sq. flew 157 sorties, lost 2 crews (7 KIA, 7 Evaded); 5 tours were completed; 1 crew ditched, were rescued & returned.
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Nov 1st. 226 Lancs of 5 Group (19 from 467 & 17 from 463), in daylight, raided the Meerbeck oil plant near Homberg. Weather was bad, the marking was scattered and only 159 attempted to bomb. No losses from Waddington.
2.11.44 [symbol] 16. DUSSELDORF. 5 Group was part of a big raid (992) by Bomber Command, 15 from 467, 15 from 463. Detailed German reports listed 5000 buildings destroyed, many of them industrial & production works. There were other raids that night too … a total of 1131 sorties. We took off at 1651, 15 min. late. We climbed to 17000’ & increased speed to 170 mph to catch up. At 1920 (at 18000’) we were “coned” by searchlights … very dangerous as ‘flak’ then could be fired visually. We shook them off & bombed at 1925, & I noted that an aircraft was hit about 10 mi ahead, our heading 220o.T. On the way home in the next 26 min, I made 12 more log entries of aircraft crashing to the ground with estimates of their bearing & distance from us.
The RAF had set up 2 more GEE “chains” based in Europe. I tried the RUHR chain, but found the readings “wouldn’t plot”.
Our bomb-load was 11 x 1000 lb & 4 x 500 lb HE.
The trip took 5h 20 min.
467 Sqdn lost F/O Langridge & crew (3 KIA, 5 evaded).
Dusseldorf taken (on Cook’s tour 19.6.45
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[circled 16] 2-11-44. DUSSELDORF. 15 of 467, 15 of 463 as part of 992 of Bomber Command. Detailed German reports list 5000 buildings destroyed, many of them industrial & production works. (There were other raids that night too … a total of 1131 sorties.) 467 lost F/O L. Langridge & crew (3 KIA, 5 evaded).
C. 5h 20m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 18000’
NIGHT 4-11-44 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL. 12 of 467, 12 of 463, of 174 from 5-Group attacked the canal near Munster. The banks of the canal were breached again. A report from Albert Speer to Hitler dated 11.11.44 was captured at the end of the war. Speer stated that the raids on the Dortmund-Ems canal, with attacks on the rail system, produced more serious setbacks to the German war industry at this time than any other type of bombing.
[circled 17] 6-11-44. EMS-WESER CANAL. 19 of 467, 16 of 463, of 235 from 5-Group attacked near the junction of the Ems-Weser and Mittland canals, near Gravenhorst. Markers had considerable difficulty in finding the junction due to ground haze, until a low-flying Mosquito (pilot: F/L L.C. de Vigne, and Aust. navigator, S/L. F. Boyle of 627 Sqdn) found and marked the target with such accuracy that the marker fell into the water and was soon extinguished. Only 31 planes bombed before the Master-Bomber ordered the raid be abandoned. 10 planes lost in the raid, 3 crews from 463 (all KIA). Waddington was fog bound on return & most planes were diverted to Seething. We were perhaps the last to land (in v. poor visibility).
D 5h 25m. 14 x 1000 (but did not bomb). Orbited target once, for extra 10 min. over it.
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4.11.44. 174 Lancs of 5 Group, 12 each from 467 & 463 Sqdns, attacked the Dortmund-Ems Canal, near Munster. The banks of the canal were breached again. A report from Albert Speer to Hitler dated 11.11.44 was captured at the end of the war. Speer stated then:- “that the raids on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, with attacks on the rail system, produced more serious setbacks to the German war industry, at this time, than any other type of bombing.” (In early 1945, the raids on oil targets may have been even more damaging to their war effort.)
6.11.44 [symbol] 17. EMS-WESER CANAL. 235 of 5 Group, 19 from 467, 16 from 463 attacked the Ems-Weser junction with the Mittland Canal, near Gravenhorst. The markers had considerable difficulty finding the junction due to ground haze, until a low-flying Mosquito (pilot: F/Lt L.C. de Vigne, & Australian navigator, S/Ldr F. Boyle of 627 Sqdn) found & marked the target with such accuracy that the marker landed in the canal & was soon extinguished. Only 31 planes bombed before the Master-Bomber abandoned the raid. 10 planes were lost, 3 of them from 463 Sqdn (all KIA).
We were supposed to take off at 1633 but actually took off 28 min late, so once we climbed to 11000’ we boosted our I.A.S. to 180 mph & were on-time by 1915. I logged a Lanc. crashing at 1923 1/2; we had to orbit twice [inserted] (12 min) [/inserted], at the target (due to the marking problem) … very dangerous. Logged 4 more planes crashing [deleted] at [/deleted] in the target area, & another at 1943, after we’d left the target without bombing. I couldn’t get any “joy” on either of the 2 new GEE chains. The trip took 5h. 25 min. We brought back our 14 x 1000 lb H.E. bombs.
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The weather deteriorated on the way back … the bumps were so bad that I had to hold all my navigation gear down to stop them hitting the roof, & brace my knees under the nav. table to avoid joining them there. The visibility at Waddington was bad due to fog, and most of our planes were diverted to Strubby; however, Peter did an abbreviated circuit (so he could actually keep the runway in sight) & then came in as if in a Tiger Moth, almost clipping the caravan stationed near the “funnel” (where they might use a Verey to send-you-round-again), but he landed safely … and then they closed the airfield.
Besides getting the 2 new GEE chains (RHEIMS & RHUR) to help with navigation over Germany, we now had LORAN fitted. It was similar in some ways to GEE, but depened [sic] on the radio signals being reflected from the ionosphere (only at night). The stations were widely separated … I think England, Norway, Italy … and each single reading had to be made & timed, then another [deleted] one [/deleted] tuned-in, read & timed … probably 2 min or more later, & the running -fix method used. On 9.11.44 we did at [sic] Cross-Country, using Loran, over England, ending with some high-level bombing practice … 3 1/4 hrs trip. The trailing aerial had to be used to receive Loran signals.
11.11.44 [symbol] 18. HARBURG. A 5-Group raid of 237 planes, + 8 marker Mosquitos, 19 from 467, 14 from 463 … a night raid on the Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery, near Hamburg. This refinery had been raided several times by American daylight bombers. We took off at 1627, did a R. of A. to be back a [sic] base at 1634 at 3000’.
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(HARBURG)
We climbed to 15000’ & later to 16000’ to get out of cloud, & kept nicely to track all the way to the target, getting a bit behind time all the way (no worries we were over the sea nearly all the way). We bombed 8 min late from 16000’. Our WOP (Eric) told us the Master Bomber said to bomb the centre of the Red Target Indicators (there were 4), but to ignore outside Indicators which were dummies (set up by the Germans). Half an hour before the target I wanted to use LORAN, but Eric (our WOP) said he’d been ordered not to use the trailing aerial. I relied on Dead-Reckoning from the target and got my first GEE fix 50 min later about 15 mi. N. of track.
Our bomb-load was 1 x 4000 lb “cookie”, 6 x 1000 lb, & 6 x 500 lb H.E. We could still see the plant burning from 100 mi away on our way back. Our squadron lost F/O Fedderson’s crew (7 KIA) & F/O Eyre’s crew (6 KIA, 1 POW) … one of these killed was Geoff (“Bushie”) Goodfellow, their navigator, one of my best friends … we played a lot of cards together & we bunked opposite each other in our room. He came from Tooraweenah (father ran the “Mountain View” hotel there), & he said I was the only person he’d met that had even heard of the place, let alone been there, which I had.
F/L Kynoch’s plane was hit & badly damaged, but he crash-landed it at Manston (an emergency ‘drome on the coast) & he & the crew survived.
The flight lasted 5h. 35 min.
On 13.11.44 we did our “20 SORTIE CHECK”, on a flight of 55 min. We’d only done 18 ops plus the 2 BULLSEYES at Lichfield & Swinderby.
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[circled 18] 11-11-44 HARBURG. 19 of 467, 14 of 463, of 237 from 5-Group, plus 8 Marker Mosquitos attacked the Rhenania-Ossag oil refinery at Harburg (near Hamburg). This had been attacked several times by American (day) bombers. Brunwig’s ‘History of Hamburg & Harburg’ (air-raids), gives the raid a brief mention. (We could still see the plant burning 100 miles away on our way home.)
467 lost F/O. M. Fedderson & crew (7 POW), and F/O. T. Eyre & crew [inserted] (G Goodfellow was the Nav) [/inserted] (6 KIA, 1 POW). F/L Kynoch’s plane was hit and badly damaged – he crash-landed at Manston (an emergency ‘drome on the coast).
D 5h 35m. 1 x 4000 + 6 x 1000 + 6 x 500 16000’
[circled 19] 16-11-44 DUREN. 15 of 467, 15 of 463, as part of 1188 from Bomber Command, attacked Duren, Julich & Heinsburg in support of the American 1st & 9th armies which were about to advance on this area. Raids were made by 1239 American heavy bombers on targets in the same area. (this was the biggest raid we took part in … there were planes to the horizon all the way, heaps of fighter escorts.) 9400 tons of bombs dropped. The result was disappointing. Heavy rain and wet ground prevented much of the tank assault and slowed the supplies of artillery ammunition and the armies’ advance was slow and costly. (For our part, the centre of Duren was reduced to rubble.) G/C. Bonham-Carter, O/C of Waddington led our Group, as ‘second dickie’ to the crew who had bombed the wrong target on a daylight raid on Flushing (23-10-44?), killing some Canadians.
D 5h 25m. 12 x 1000. 10500’
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16.11.44 [symbol] 19. DUREN (daylight). 15 planes from 467, & 15 from 463, were part of a big effort by Bomber Command (1188 planes) attacking Duren, Julich & Heinsburg in support of the 1st & 9th American Armies which were about to advance in this area. Raids were made on other targets in this area by 1239 American heavy bombers. This was by far the biggest raid we took part in … there were planes to the horizon all the way with heaps of fighter escort … [deleted] B [/deleted] 9400 tons of bombs were dropped, but the result was disappointing. Heavy rain & boggy ground prevented most of the tank attack and slowed supplies of artillery ammunition with the result that the advance was slow & costly. For our part, the centre of Duren was reduced to rubble – it may have needed bulldozers to clear a path through it! The base commander at Waddington, Gp/Capt Bonham-Carter, led 5 Group as ‘second dickie’ to one of our crews who had bombed the wrong “target” (a smoke-generator) on an earlier daylight raid near Flushing on 23.10.44, killing some Canadian army men.
The navigation was easy. Our bomb-load was 12 x 1000 lb H.E. dropped from 10500’. Flight time: 5h 25 min.
[two photographs]
Snaps of Duren taken on the “Cook’s Tour” I did on 19.6.45.
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Extracts from Diary –
18.11.44 navigators briefing at 1.30 for a v. long trip. Not enough time for preparation. Our crew just got out to the “kite” when the trip was “scrubbed” …joy! After tea we went down to the local Horse & Jockey (Hotel). Saw a bloke about his car, & bought it for £3 … a little Morris 8 HP Sedan
19.11.44 To navigation section before lunch for another briefing, to the same place as yesterday, more time for preparation & less to do. No lunch … sandwiches at briefing … then it was scrubbed again. Collected car.
20.11.44. Went to briefing for another daylight raid on the Dortmund-Ems canal, but it was scrubbed. Went to town with Ken Nichols & Ken (of ground crew) … wanted to go to the theatre, but all seats were sold, so we went to the cinema & saw “White Cliffs of Dover.”
21.11.44. Briefed again for the same canal raid as yesterday, chart was already done. [symbol] It was scrubbed at the 11th hour & we missed lunch … again had sandwiches in the briefing room.
21.11.44 [symbol] 20 DORMUND-EMS CANAL
We took off at 1726, did a R. of A. & got back to base at 1754 at 2000’. The winds were light & fairly consistently Westerly at first, then N.W. It was easy to keep on track & close on-time. At 2020 I logged “Lanc, crashed & blew-up 15 mi. astern”. We’d been at 10250’ until 2058 when WOP told us to descent to 3-4000’ … we did so, fast, and bombed at 2103. At 2108 I logged: “Aircraft crashed below us 3 mi. past other target.” At 2232 we jettisoned a hang-up bomb in the sea. Landed at base at 2337, time airborne 6h 11 min. Our bomb-load was 13 x 1000 lb H.E.
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21.11.44. [symbol] 20. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL, near LADBERGEN.
15 from 467, 15 from 463 bombed Dortmund-Ems & Mittland Canals; as part of Bomber Command maximum effort of 1345 heavy bombers attacking 6 targets in this general area.
No losses for 5-Group.
We took off at 1726, did a R. of A. getting back to base at 1754 at 2000’. I had a good navigation trip, GEE from England lasted until 2020, then the RUHR chain worked to the target area. I logged a Lanc. blowing-up 15 mi astern at 2020. We were briefed to bomb at 10500’ but, 5 min before out T.O.T our W.O.P. (Eric) got word that we descend to 3 – 4000’ to get below cloud. We descended quickly & bombed 5 min later at 4500’; then began climbing again into the clouds. Tried Loran for fixing without success. We had a bomb hang-up, but jettisonned [sic] it in the sea at 2222.
Our bomb load was 13 x 1000 lb H.E.
The trip took 6h 10 min.
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This is an enlargement of the smaller print of the area bombed repeatedly … DORTMUND EMS CANAL.
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[photograph] Open bomb-bay of a Lanc. loaded with 1000 lb H.E. bombs. Bomb-aimer could select each one to drop separately at predetermined intervals (usually close together as a “stick”.)
[photograph] Our Mid-upper gunner Ray Giles, near his turret – 2 Browning .303 machine guns
[photograph] Lanc’s in formation on a daylight raid. Nearest is PO-J
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On a low-level “Cooks Tour” from Wigsley on 19th June, 1945 (after war’s end in Europe), I took some photos with the old box Kodak.
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The Dortmund Ems canal where it was built above a stream, shown clearly in the left photo. The embankments here were bombed repeatedly, 8 times I think. We did 3 of Ops there and one at the nearby Ems-Weser canal.
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Broken bridges over the Rhine at Duisberg – we didn’t bomb there, but 5 Group did.
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The Krupps works at Essen, which was regularly bombed by the RAF during most of the war. Including some 1000 – bomber raids.
[photograph] Wrecked bridges at Cologne, another regular RAF target; somehow the Cathedral survived.
[photograph] The railway marshalling yards at Hamm received plenty of “attention”
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Dusseldorf was regularly bombed … we did our 16th Op. there
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[circled 20] 21-11-44. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL, (near LADBERGEN). 15 of 467, 15 of 463 as part of 1345 Bomber Command heavies attacked 6 targets in this general area. 5-Group targets were the Mitteland and Dortmund-Ems canals … without loss.
D 6h 10m. 13 x 1000. Briefed to bomb at 10250’, got 5 min warning by radio to descend to cloud base … bombed at 4500’.
[circled 21] 23-11-44. TRONDHEIM. 16 of 467, 4 of 463 of 171 from 5-Group, incl. 7 Mosquito Markers, to attack U-boat pens at Trondheim. The target was covered b y a smokescreen and could not be marked. The Master Bomber ordered the raid abandoned. No losses. (The weather was bad; big wind changes. Many jettisoned bombs in North Sea or diverted to North Scotland due to fuel shortage … we were the only one to return to Waddington with bombs still aboard.)
D 10h 55m. 9 x 1000 (brought home).
26-11-44 MUNICH (Our rear gunner, K. Nickols, went on this trip as ‘spare bod’.) 270 Lancs from 5-Group, 467 lost F/O Findlay & crew (crashed – out of fuel … their Nav. vomited and blocked his oxygen supply, went unconscious and they got lost in cloud. But all survived the crash and were flown home by the Americans on 1.12.44.
NOVEMBER SUMMARY 467 did 148 sorties, lost 4 crews (9 KIA, 8 POW, 11 Ev) 8 tours expired. 2 were badly wounded.
NIGHT 4-12-44 HIELBRONN. 282 from 5-Group (Main force attacked Karlsruhe). 467 lost F/O J. Plumridge & crew (6 KIA. 1 POW). F/L Bill Kynock & crew attacked by fighter, rear gunner killed (F/S R. Steele), and plane badly damaged (we think it was ‘D’.), crash landed at Manston (emergency airfield).
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23.11.44 [symbol] 21. TRONDHEIM (Norway). 5-Group sent 171 planes (including 7 Mosquito markers) to attack the U-boat facilities there. This was a very long trip mostly over the North Sea at low-level (1000’) in bad weather, rain & severe wind-changes. Tankers topped us up with petrol at the end of the runway before we took off at 1609, 12 min late. GEE ran out at 1848 … over 2 hours before we’d reach the target. We were unable to identify where we crossed the coast, so we continued on northwards and at 2050 saw the target lit up by flares to our left. A wind velocity to use for bombing was received by radio, and at 2055 we saw yellow Target Indicators about 10 mi to Port. We turned to a Westerly course. At 2102 we were told to abandon the raid as a smoke-screen obscured the target. We continued by Dead Reckoning & B.A. (Sid) identified a pin-point at 2112. We descended from 9000’ to 1000’, and at about 2130 discovered that the earlier pin-point was wrong, giving a new one near Smolen Island. At 2248 I got my first GEE fix (after 1 1/2 hr since the target) … about 50 mi NW of where we thought we’d be … big wind change. Pilot (Peter) & I decided to aim to land at LEUCHARS (Nth Scotland) as we had a head-wind. Then, at 0024 I got a good fix & found the wind had eased & changed to NE, and by 2130 was from the NW & getting faster. Pilot & Engineer consulted with me & we decided to try for Waddington, cutting our speed back from 190 to 170 mph. The wind held about NW & increased to about 45 mph, so we reached base OK & landed at 0302, with only about 80 gallons left. Most of our planes jettisonned [sic] bombs in the North Sea, or landed at Leuchars. We were the sole plane to bring our bombs home to Waddington. Trip-time 10h 53 min.
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26.11.44. 5-Group sent 270 heavies to MUNICH. Our rear-gunner, Ken Nicholls went as a “spare-bod” in place of a sick crewman. One of the 467 crews crashed, out of fuel. Their navigator had vomited and blocked his oxygen supply, he went unconscious, and they were lost in cloud. They all survived the crash-landing and were flown back by the Americans on 1.12.44.
November summary for 467 Sqdn: 148 sorties, 4 crews lost (9 KIA, 8 POW, 11 Evaded); 8 tours expired. 2 men were badly wounded.
4.12.44 (night). HEILBRONN was attacked by 282 from 5 Group, while the main force of Bomber Command attacked Karlsruhe. 467 Sqdn lost F/O Plumridge & crew (6 KIA, 1 POW). F/Lt Bill Kynoch’s plane was attacked by a fighter, his rear-gunner killed (F/Sgt R. Steele) & the plane badly damaged … we think it was our favourite “D”. They crash landed at the emergency ‘drome, Manston, & we heard that “D” was a write-off.
6.12.44. GIESSEN (night) attacked by 255 of 5-Group (19 from each of 467 & 463 sqdns) while the rest of Bomber Command bombed Osnabruck & Leuna (oil plant).
8.12.44 URFT DAM [symbol] 1. 205 of 5-Group (10 of 467, 15 of 463). 9/10 cloud over target, no result observed. No loss.
10.12.44 URFT DAM [symbol] 2. 5-Group (15 [inserted] each [/inserted] of 467 & 463). All were recalled before the target due to bad weather & visibility.
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More extracts from Diary.
23.11.44. No operations on. Went to Lincoln with Peter & Don in my car to see about getting Peter’s car fixed. Went to the pictures.
Feeling very crook … terrible cough.
24.11.44. Went on sick parade. The Dr. reckoned I was OK for flying … I didn’t. had heard there was to be a long trip that night & saw the Dr. again .. he put me into Sick Quarters & I slept!!! about 20 hours a day. Our crew wasn’t listed for the operation that night, but our rear-gunner, Ken Nichols, opted to go with Bill Kynock’s crew … but the trip was scrubbed anyway. Ken visited me.
25.11.44. Still in sick-quarters. No ops. Ken, Don & Rupe came to see me, then they went to an ENSA concert on the base.
26.11.44. Out of sick-quarters. Ken went with Kynoch’s crew to MUNICH in crook weather. It was OK at the target, quiet & a good ‘prang’. Went over to [deleted] 3 Sqdn [/deleted] SICK QUARTERS to see Ted Pickerd who’d been our Navigation analysis ‘joker’ for some months. Played pontoon, won 10/- Kynoch’s crew were diverted to Langham.
27.11.44. Went to Swinderby & got 3 gal of petrol in the car. Ken & Kynocks crew came back from Langham.
28.11.44. No ops. Made up a list of comments on ops that had to be done … big job. Flew to Thornaby [deleted] to bring [/deleted] & back in ‘D’ [deleted] back [/deleted] with a ferry crew for their plane.
Navigators party on tonight … too bad Ted Pickerd is still in sickquarters. Des Sands (o i/c A flight … Sqn Ldr, DFM on 2nd or 3rd tour) Lionel Hart & I took others in cars, the rest used bikes. Wionderful show. Bags of beer & fun.
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NIGHT 6-12-44 GIESSEN 19 of 467, 19 of 463, of 255 from 5-Group. (Main force attacked Osnabruck & Leuna).
DAY 8-12-44. URFT DAM [symbol] 1. 10 of 467, 15 of 463 of 205 from 5-Group. 9/10 cloud over target and no result observed. No loss.
DAY 10-12-44 URFT DAM [symbol] 2. 15 of 467, 15 of 463 … 5-Group. All recalled before reaching target due to bad weather and visibility.
[circled 22] 11-12-44 URFT DAM [symbol] 3. 15 of 467, 15 of 463, of 233 from 5-Group, with Mosquito Markers. Hits observed but no breach seen. (We brought our bombs home, despite doing an orbit … (hoping for gap in clouds) … against orders … extra 7 min. in target area. Very accurate radar-directed flak; we lost P.O. motor.).
F 6h 5m. 14 x 1000 (brought home) (9750’)
[circled 23] 17-12-44 MUNICH. 22 of 467, 19 of 463 of 280 from 5-Group, with 8 Mosquito Markers. (Main force attacked Duisburg, Ulm and Munster … a total of 1310 heavies, 1.1% loss.) Reconnaissance showed severe damage. 467 lost F/O T. Evans & crew (all 7 Ev) … they collided after bombing with an engine on fire.
M 9h 45m 1 x 4000 + 9 cans + 1 MONROE 11750’
[circled 24] 18-12-44 GDYNIA. 19 of 467, 15 of 463 of 236 from 5-Group. 2 crews from each flight attacked 2 pocket Battleships anchored near the port (which was the main target) … we hit “Lutzow” with 3 of our bombs (& 1 v. close in water) nicely near funnel area. Considerable damage to port area.
M 9h 45m. 10 x 1000 S.A.P.
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29.11.44. No ops. Went into Lincoln to try to register car … no joy; had to go to Sleaford, but no time. Tore around garages [inserted] for [/inserted] a battery & brake adjusters, but no joy. Finished off the navigation comments from yesterday. Decided to sell my autocycle & got a buyer. Played pontoon, won 3/-.
30.11.44. No ops. Went to Sleaford, got car registered & oil changed. Got coupons for petrol to go on leave, packed up, got leave pass, laundry & shoes. Went into Lincoln with Ken & got petrol & a new battery. Saw about trains for Ray & Eric for tomorrow.
1.12.44. Went out to our dispersal where mechanics helped get new battery in & working after a lot of trouble … bludged a couple of gallons of petrol from Ken (ground crew). Left at 10.10, had lunch at Nottingham & then went on to Birmingham, getting to where Don was staying at 3.30. had tea there, played solo until 1.30 am, went down to “Old Farm” at [inserted] ? Wesley [/inserted] Westly Castle for the night.
2.12.44. Duck eggs for breakfast! Lunch at Police Station (don had been a policeman in Birmingham before he enlisted for air crew.) Then tea at Mrs Benlays (friend of Don). Met Ken & Mrs Smith & Margaret from next door. Played solo. Went to Police Club for drinks. More solo ‘till 2 am. Slept next door at Smiths.
3.12.44. Breakfasts on both at Smiths & Benlays. Called at jewellers for Ken’s watch, but no luck. Set off for Swindon. Lunch at Swan’s Nest in Stratford. Looked over Shakespeare’s birthplace, got postcards & saw Home Guard parade. Went on to “Stow-in-the-Wold” & stayed the night in a nice little pub. Played darts, crib & drank beer.
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[photograph] Engineer Don Coutts & Mid Upper Gunner Ray Giles, Birmingham
[photograph] Rear Gunner, Ken Nichols, & Ray Giles at Benlay’s place at Birmingham where we stayed on leave 1/2 Dec ’44.
[photograph] Ray Giles, at Benlays’ place, Birmingham
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More from the Diary.
4.12.44. Rachel Swindon for dinner. Found our way out to Clyffe-Pyhard & saw Bunty Duff & got back just before dark. Had tea at fish & chip shop & went to pictures – saw Jon Hall & Maria Montez in ‘Cobra Woman’.
5.12.44 After breakfast towed an Engineers car to get it started. Bought side-lamp for car. Reached Slough via Reading for lunch & called [deleted] on [/deleted] at Margaret Vyner’s place … she was in London meeting Hugh Marlowe, home from France on 72-hours leave. Saw Mrs Vyner & Hugo, had afternoon tea & went to Slough, booked in at Salthill Hotel & had tea. At pub, picked up 2 girls & took them home but got lost on the way back. Turned in at 12.30.
6.12.44. Looked around a lot of shops in Slough & finally got some bulbs for dash-lights. Met an old Aussie-Scot, Macintosh for yarn & drinks; he showed us his home at 26 Windsor Rd. Slough. Drove to Windsor & looked over Eton College on Founders Day, … going for 504 years. Saw Windsor Castle & had tea there. Played cards with Ken, before & after tea.
7.12.44. After breakfast caught train to London & booked in at A.C.F. Club. Met Scottie Gall & Kirk Beddie again; had steak (!) & mushrooms at Athens Cafe; went to pictures & saw “Casanova Brown”. More steak with onions then a variety show at the Empire in Finsbury Park. Went back tp pub at Gloucester Rd & saw girls we knew from last leave in London. Also ran into Syd & Peter.
8.12.44. Arranged to meet Peter on the way to Cambridge. Got car at Slough & was 1 hr late in meeting Peter. Had lunch at Cambridge Arms. Saw a good picture “Love Story”. Met a navigator I knew at Brighton … Cameron, who’d done 35 ops in Mosquitos. More steak & onions for supper.
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9.12.44. Looked at some of Cambridge University … not much to see. Had lunch at roadside pub and got to Lincoln about 4.30. collected photos, had drinks at the Saracens head & went to a show at the Royal Theatre. Peter’s car had a flat tyre. Got battle-dress from cleaners & put overcoat in. A good leave
10.12.44. Welcomed back to nav. section. No ‘war’ today. had an interview for commission with Group-Captain Bonham-Carter. W/Cdr Bill Brill had told us not to apply for a commission until we’d done about 20 “trips”. But after he left, in October, the new C.O. W/Cdr J.K. Douglas invited anyone interested in a commission to apply, regardless of the number of ops. I did, but didn’t impress him with my answers (especially when I said “probably not” to his question “would I be more use to the air force with a commission?”. He didn’t recommend me. But Bonham-Carter said something like this: “I have 2 W’ Cdrs here, at 467 & 463; one C.O. recommends virtually all applicants after they’ve done 20 trips; the other (Douglas) likes to interview them at depth & knocks a few back. I have to make the final decision. You seem to be doing well. I’ll look at you again next month.” (He saw me in Mid-January with only one Op (Brux) to go, and recommended me without any further questioning.)
11.12.44. Took laundry & boots down but didn’t have time to check them in … there’s “war” on. Went to briefing room & sorted out Gee charts. The briefing was hurried; the plane we got, (F), was slow, climbed poorly, and we were late getting to the target.
(con’t on next page)
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11.12.44 [symbol] 22. URFT DAM No 3. Daylight raid by 233 from 5-Group (15 each from 467 & 463 Sqdns), with Mosquitos doing the marking. Hits were observed but no breach seen. We brought our bombs back despite doing an orbit (against orders) hoping for a gap in the clouds … we spent 7 minutes extra over the target, and experienced very accurate radar-directed flak just after leaving. We lost our Port-Outer motor.
We took off at 1205, did a R. of A. returning to base at 1219, at 6000’. We climbed to 12000’ & “cruised” at 170 mph, but gradually got behind time (5 min late at 1350) but only 3 min. late at the target. This plane, F, would not go any faster with our bomb-load of 14 x 1000 lb. H.E. Pilot feathered our Port Outer motor at 1554 (maybe some flak damage). Jettisonned [sic] 2 bombs at 1645 which took extra time … ending up 47 min. late home. Flight time 6h 5 min.
17.12.44 [symbol] 23. Night-raid on MUNICH by 280 from 5-Group, (22 from 467, 19 from 463), with 8 Mosquito markers. The rest of Bomber Command attacked Duisberg, Ulm & Munster, a total of 1310 ‘heavies’, for a 1.1% loss rate. Reconnaissance showed severe damage. 467 lost F/O T. Evans & crew (all 7 Evaded) … they collided after bombing with an engine on fire; they baled out before the plane crashed.
We took off at 1636, 3 min late, and immediately began climbing on course, south for Reading, then into France near Le Havre, mostly at 4000’, very bumpy, tried 5000’ to get out of cloud, then down to 3000’ & back to 4000’. As we neared the SW corner of Switzerland we climbed to 15000’ & skirted its southern border, seeing lights on in some villages.
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We had a good navigation trip to the target, keeping close to track & timing OK. We used GEE until 2026, then some LORAN fixes (some inaccurate) but sighted target at 2152, descended to 12000’ to bomb at 2211.
At 2214 I logged “air-to-air firing up – qr. to beam”
At 2215 1/2 “ “ “aircraft went in 40 mi ahead”.
We began descending in steps to 5500’ & continued to use LORAN until 2350 when GEE came good.
I got very airsick about 2250 (first time since Cootamundra!), and at about 2310 saw flak coming up from Mulhouse, so we turned to Port to avoid it. At 0110, the GEE box went unserviceable (U/S), and we read PUNDITS back to base where we landed at 0220. Flight time was 9h 45 min, bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb “cookie” & 9 cans of incendiaries & 1 Monroe.
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18.11.44. [symbol] 24. GYDNIA (“A” Target: Pocket Battleship LUTZOW).
A 5-Group raid, 236 planes, 19 of 467 & 15 of 463 Sqdn, on the Naval base. Considerable damage to the port area was reported. Two crews from each flight of both squadrons were to arrive at their targets … two pocket battleships, 9 min before the rest of the Group were to start bombing; the markers & the accompanying flare-force (they dropped lots of long-burning flares to light up the area for the Markers) arrived then too. We were supposed to see the battleships in the light of the flares & do our bombing between 2151 & 2156. Our bomb-load was 10 x 1000 S.A.P (Semi-Armour Piercing) bombs … unlikely to be really damaging, although the decks of the pocket-battleships were much thinner than on “real” battleships (although they had 16” guns, the same.)
We took off at 1712, already 10 min later than planned, & flew at about 3 – 4000’ at 180 mph until 2000, when we climbed to 11500’. GEE had given out at 1850, but LORAN was OK & I got good signals at 1920, but we hadn’t been given Loran charts that covered beyond 56oN. So it was dead-reckoning & the hope of a pin-point later. Then, at 2055 1/2, I got a Loran fix, on track, just below the 56oN latitude, which could be plotted. I got another dubious fix at 2105 1/2, about 5 mi Sth of track, then another good one at 2122 1/2, on track again. I got another good Loran fix at 2133 which allowed me to estimate the wind velocity at 190/23. We turned on dead-reckoning 3 min late at point E, & arrived at point F, on dead-reckoning 2 min late, and steered visually for our target. At 2150, Syd, our Bomb-Aimer, reported a smoke screen starting over the battleships area. The flares went down at 2150 1/2, but didn’t penetrate the smokescreen. At 2153 our Pilot, Peter, decided to “go-round” again. As we turned Syd saw the Lutzow, [indecipherable word] behind us now. We flew North East
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for a while, did a timed run, using his stop-watch, to be back over our target at 2158. But again, the smoke-screen obscured our target. We turned Northwards & repeated the timed run. All this time we experienced a lot of radar-predicted flak, close enough to keep rocking our plane. While we were doing this 3rd orbit, Peter said: “If we can’t bomb this time, we’ll go round again and lose height to bomb at low-level.” Syd said: “Geez, that would be bloody dangerous.” At 2206, the target was clear & we bombed accurately. On the photograph which we saw back at base the next day, 3 of our bombs hit the deck amidships, one very close to the funnel, and a 4th bomb right alongside in the water. We’d actually bombed from 11750’ at 150 mph (I.A.S.), heading 260oT. At 2208 I logged: “Lanc. crashed Stb. Bow, 20 mi.” We crossed the coast at 2216 and got a Loran fix at 2222 1/2, only 3 mi. S. of track. The rest of the trip home was uneventful, we kept close to track and landed at 0303, flight-time 9h 51 min.
[drawing of area map]
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I did some research about the Lutzow & Admiral von Sheer. They were both damaged and the Lutzow was towed to Swinemunde, the Admiral von Sheer to Keil, where, on the night of 9/10 April ’45, a raid using 591 planes, sank the von Sheer, and so severely damaged the light cruised Emden & the heavy cruiser Hippo, that their crews then scuttled them … they were unable to put to sea. Then on the night of 16/17 April, 617 Squadron attacked Swinemunde, & effectively disposed of Germany’s last pocket battleship, Lutzow, although I read that its crew also finally scuttled it, as it was beyond repair
[symbol] [underlined] 25 [/underlined]. 27-12-44. 5-Group sent 200 planes (15 of 467 & 12 of 463) to bomb [underlined] RHEYT [/underlined] (our [symbol] 25 trip), the railway yards there, part of Munchen-Gladbach, where we’d done our 5th trip. We took off at 1204, did a R. of A. to be back at base at 1220 at 6000’. We were supposed to fly in formation but there was a lot of confusion … we finally flew individually until 1309 when we joined the formation. Near the target, the other planes began turning towards the target long before reaching the GEE lattice line we were told to follow. We did as we’d been told, and bombed at 1505 1/2 from 17200’. The trip home was uneventful, the navigation easy, as we had GEE all the way, using the RHUR chain over Germany. We had some flak going close just after the target at 1512 1/2. We landed at 1705, flight-time was 5h., bomb-load was 14 x 1000 lb. H.E.
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[deleted] [circled [indecipherable number]] [/deleted] NIGHT 21-12-44. POLITZ. 17 of 467, 17 of 463, of 207 from 5-Group attacked synthetic oil plant. 3 Lancs lost over Europe, but 5 crashed in England on return … 90% of airfields were fogbound … most were diverted to Scotland, but some were so short on fuel they had to try to land in fog. (F.L. Kynoch crashed ‘M’ at Waddington, but no injuries.)
[circled 25] 27-12-44 RHEYDT. 15 of 467, 12 of 463, of 200 from 5-Group, attacked railway yards at Rheydt. No loss
C 5h 0m. 14 x 1000. 17200’
DAY 28-12-44 MOSS SHIPPING (OSLO FIORD). 4 of 467, 6 of 463 of 67 from 5-Group attacked a large naval unit off Oslo Fiord. No direct hits claimed.
30-12-44 HOUFFALIZE. 12 of 467, 12 of 463 of 166 from 5-Group attacked the German supply bottleneck at Houffalize. Cloud obscured target. (Main force of 500 heavies attacked Kalh-Nord railway yards near Cologne … results obscured by cloud.)
DEC ’44 SUMMARY. December ended in a long spell of cold, fog & snow which restricted operations and serviceability. 467 flew 172 sorties, losing 2 crews + 1 gunner. (7 KIA, 1 POW, 7 Ev) 8 crews finished tours. 1 crew crashlanded [sic] and were rescued.
(The 2 Lanc. Squadrons (467 & 463) had learnt that the 5-Group method of marking was the most cost-effective way of striking heavy flows to the enemy. From 17.8.44 (when Bomber Command returned to attacks on Germany proper, after the many short trips for 2nd Front, a total of 72881 sorties from which 696 aircraft were lost (… about 1%). In this period of 137 days [deleted] 467 & 463 [/deleted] [inserted] Bomber Command [/inserted] made 530 sorties per day (av.) & lost 5.1 planes per day (av.) … 265708 tons of bombs were dropped.
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[circled 26] 1-1-45. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL 18 of 467, 5 of 463 of 102 from 5-Group, breached the canal near Ladbergen, (the Germans had repaired the canal again.) They were using an enormous number of slave labourers (‘Todt’ workers … 40000 we heard) to repair these vital links in their transport system. (And so when the barges began to run again they ‘knew’ the Lancs would soon come, and they were ready with AA & fighters … it was a hot spot.)
(On this trip F/O Merv Bache got an immediate DSO … their B/A. was Sam Nelson (WaggaWagga) … onfire, [sic] crashed just inside Allied lines … they’d all baled out in time. F/S Thompson of 9 Sqdn. got a posthumous VC also.)
B 6h 40m. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500. 10900’
Landed at STRUBBY on return, due to fog.
NIGHT 1.1.45 MITTELLAND CANAL (GRAVENHORST). 4 of 467, 6 of 463, of 152 from 5-Group with 5 Mosquitos. No loss. During all this period, Waddington, and most of England, was deep in snow. Aircraft were buried in snow, and runways could not be kept open for them. Landing on icy runways was difficult. (On 1.1.45, Bomber Command flew 598 sorties day & night, and 5 planes crashed trying to land.)
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More about the DORTMUND-EMS on 1/1/45.
Many years after the war I got to know Sam Nelson, (also a golfer), who was the Bomb Aimer in Merv Bache’s crew. He told me that his navigator was in the process of writing a small book covering their ‘troubles’ that day. I mentioned that I still had my logs & charts, including for that day, so I posted them to him, with the result that parts of my log & chart were photocopied (reduced size) and included in his book … and I received a copy; later a few more pages were sent about what happened to their crew members thereafter. Several of their crew had a reunion in Canberra just at the time when they refurbished the Lancaster display in the War Museum. They told the staff of their “trouble” on 1/1/45, and were given the privilege of going inside the Lanc, even though it was not then open to the public.
I’ve made a “pocket” at the back of this folder for that book.
On pages 33/4 of that book is some details about a major German air attack on Allied aircraft & airfields on the same morning as our daylight raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. It may have been fortunate for us that most of their fighters were otherwise-occupied that morning.
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[circled 27] 4.1.45. ROYAN (S. France).
8 of 467, 16 of 463, of 344 Lancs & 7 Mosquitoes. F/O R. Eggins (467) had a mid-air collision with another Lanc., they baled out & were rescued.
Stubborn German garrison holding out at Royan prevented Allies from using Bordeaux as a port. (the Americans had kept a big force in that area, hoping to capture Bordeaux much earlier.) Bomber Command was ordered to bomb the town. It appears that the order was cancelled, but that order not received by the Squadrons concerned. But the French people there were told of the cancellation. As a result 700 French people were killed & soured relations with Britain.
We took off at [deleted] 0122 [/deleted] 0104, did the usual Radius of Action to be back at base at 0140 at 2000’. We flew southwards crossing the coast near Portsmouth. We had GEE all the way 7 so kept nicely on-track; the winds mainly from NNE varied between 35 & 60 mph.
When just short of the target we got a message at 0359 1/2 “do not bomb for 2 min.” We were due there in about 1 min. I wrote “Have to orbit I think.” Then at 0400 1/2 we were told “Come in & bomb”, which we did at 0401 without having to orbit, at 6250’.
We had an easy trip home, airborne for 6h. 30m. Our bomb load was 1 x 4000 (“Cookie”), & 16 x 500 lb HE.
On the back of my chart are several diagrams showing what the displays looked like on the GEE-BOX, and an indication of the curves on our GEE Charts.
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NIGHT. 5-1-45 HOUFFALIZE. 10 of 467, 8 of 463, of 131 from 5 Group, with 9 Mosquitos attacked supply bottleneck at Houffalize in the Ardennes. Target was hit with great accuracy. No loss. (Main force of 664 attacked Hannover, losing [underlined] 4.7%. [/underlined])
[circled 28] 7-1-45 MUNICH. 11 of 467, 16 of 463, of 645 Lancs. and 9 Mosquitos. This was the last major raid on Munich by Bomber Command; the industrial area was severely damaged. 467 lost F/O W. McNamee & crew (all KIA) … Severe icing caused high fuel consumption … they ran out of fuel and baled out over the sea 5 mi. from Eye, but were not found.
V 8h 45m. 1 x 4000 + 6 J clusters.
(The winds on this trip were forecast at about 80 mph from NW, so the route to the target was direct across Germany, then home south of Switzerland. (Usually, on Munich trips, we’d go out south of Switzerland, hiding from radar behind the mountains – maybe – then come home, faster across Germany.) The winds, in places, exceeded 100 mph. We were forced to ‘waste time’ on the way to the target (dangerous over Germany!). We took 3 hours to reach Munich loaded, then 6 hours to come home empty!)
[inserted] I haven’t got my log & chart for this trip – mislaid when I was teaching ATC cadets at Forest Hills [/inserted]
NIGHT 13-1-45 POLITZ. 17 of 467, 14 of 463, of 218 Lancs & 7 Mosquitos from 5-Group, attacked the oil plant near Stettin. Intended to be [inserted] a [/inserted] blind H2S attack, but the target was clear and the 5-Group low-level-marking was used in an accurate attack. Photo-reconnaissance stated that the oil plant was reduced to rubble. No loss from Waddington.
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NIGHT 14-1-45 MERSBERG-LEUNA. 14 of 467, 14 of 463 of 573 Lancs & 14 Mosquitos attacked the synthetic oil plant at Leuna. Albert Speer wrote … “this was the most damaging raid on the synthetic oil industry”. (The remainder of Bomber Command raided Grevenbroich & Dulmen … a total of 1214 sorties.)
[circled 29] 16-1-45 BRUX. 16 of 467, 12 of 463 of 231 Lancs & 6 Mosquitos of 5-Group, attacked the synthetic oil plant in western Czecho-slovakia [sic] (the plant had P.O.W. camps quite close by). The raid was a complete success. Speer also mentions this raid “as a particularly severe setback to oil production”. (Bomber Command attacked 4 other targets this night with a total of 1238 bombers. All were successful … the loss rate was 2.4% (about 30). No loss from Waddington.
D 10h. 0m. 1 x 4000 + 12 x 500 (Not dropped – bomb circuit U.S.) 14250’
(The bombing circuit was faulty – we made 3 orbits of the target, taking 20 mins, but could not remedy the trouble. We set out for home with bombs aboard and flew home at fairly low altitude – varying between 4500’ & 8500’, our airspeed 15 – 20 mph slower than the rest of the force. Then we had to make a diversion into the North Sea jettison area to manually release one bomb fitted with anti-handling fuse. The result was that we were last home, nearly an hour late. As this was our last trip we were ‘expected’ to come home faster than usual & be ‘first home’ … many thought we were unlucky enough to ‘get the chop’ on our last trip. The aircraft had severe problems (besides the bomb circuit and resulted in a tragic crash on 2.2.45, killing all but one of the crew … included were T. Paine & W. Robinson from Mudgee.)
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I met Chris Jarret at a University conference in the 60’s and heard from him what happened to them in ‘D’ on the night of 2-2-45.
He was lucky to survive, although it was easy for the Bomb-Aimer to be first out when told to “Bale-Out”. The next man out would have been Tom Paine, the Rear Gunner, & he told me that he was the only other one to get out & open his ‘chute in time to avoid death, but that Tom landed over the crest of a hill & was killed by the plane crashing & bombs exploding near him, while Chris had landed on the other side of the hill.
Tom Paine was in my classes at Mudgee High right from 1st year in 1936.
Bill Robinson must have started in 1935 as he was a year ahead of us; but I can remember him as the school was rather small (about 400) compared to the 1000+ when I taught there in the ‘60s.
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NIGHT 22-1-45. GELSENKIRCHEN. 0 from 467, 1 from 463. (photographic)
JANUARY SUMMARY. The month ended with heavy snow and bad visibility. 467 did 90 sorties losing 3 crews (7 KIA, 14 Ev.) 4 crews ‘tour-expired’.
NIGHT 1-2-45 SIEGEN (Railway Yards) 21 of 467, 19 of 463 of 271 from 5-Group. 467 lost one crew – the navigator was our A-flight commander, Des Sands DFM, an Australian in the RAF on his second tour … he survived, parachuted, captured.
NIGHT 2-2-45 KARLSRUHE. 19 of 467, 16 of 463, of 250 from 5-Group. 467 lost 2 crews (14 KIA (incl. a ‘second dickie’ pilot) 1 POW. ‘D’ was one of the two. F/O A. Robinson [inserted] (pilot) [/inserted] and Rear Gunner – Tom Paine – went to school with me at Mudgee High – Tom was in the same class. (See extract from ‘The Bulletin’ for story by Bomb-Aimer survivor, whom I met accindentally [sic] at an external studies school at UNE (Armidale) in the ‘60’s.)
NIGHT 7-2-45 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL (near LADBERGEN)
13 from 467. 467 lost c.o. W/C J. K. Douglas & crew (+ second dickie Bomb-aimer) … 3 KIA, 4 POW, 1 Ev.
NIGHT. 8-2-45 POLITZ. 15 of 467, 16 of 463 of 163 total (5-Group was 1st ‘Wave’, other groups followed and put this important oil plant out of action for the remainder of the war. 1020 bombers attacked other targets including Krefeld.
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13-2-45 DRESDEN. 17 of 467, 19 of 463 of 144 Lancs and 9 Mosquitos from 5-Group attacked Dresden as the 1st wave of a 2-part attack, dropping 800 tons. The second wave, 3 hours later, dropped 1800 tons, mostly incendiaries, causing a devastating fire-storm. German report says that more than 50000 people died.
14-2-45 ROSITZ. 16 of 467, 16 of 463 of 224 Lancs + 8 Mosquitos from 5-Group, attacked the oil refinery near Leipzig. The rest of Bomber Command attacked 4 other targets – a total of 1316 ‘heavies’, loss rate 1.7%.
19-2-45 BOHLEN. 19 of 467, 16 of 463 of 254 Lancs and 6 Mosquitos from 5-Group. Raid was unsuccessful. The Master Bomber, W/C E.A. Benjamin DFF + Bar, was shot down by flak & killed. Only superficial damage was caused.
20-2-45 MITTLELAND CANAL near GRAVENHORST. 10 of 467, 10 of 463, of 154 Lancs & 11 Mosquitos of 5-Group … raids on the canal by now were called “the milk run”. A comment (in the Waddington report) … “5-Group had bombed the canal so often that the Germans could leave their guns aimed ready for the next raid”. The Master Bomber abandoned this raid when it could not be marked properly due to heavy low cloud. (The Main Force – of B.C. – did 4 raids using H2S. Total of 1283 sorties, loss rate 1.7%)
21-2-45 MITTLELAND CANAL (again). 10 of 467, 10 of 463 of 165 Lancs & 12 Mosquitos from 5-Group. Weather was clear, and the canal was breached.
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The Main Force raided 4 other targets, 1110 sorties; losses 3.1%. 463 Sq. lost their C.O. W/C Forbes on his last trip of 2nd Tour … shot down by German nightfighter ace, Major H.W. Schnaufer.
NIGHT 23-2-45. PFORZHEIM. 1 of 463 (Photo) 367 Lancs of 1, 6 & 8 groups. 1825 tons of bombs dropped … “The 3rd most effective raid of the war … killed 17000, and 83% of the town destroyed by a fire-storm.
DAY 24-2-45 DORTMUND-EMS CANAL. 18 of 467, 11 of 463, of 166 Lancs & 4 Mosquitos from 5-Group … The target was obscured by cloud and the raid abandoned. No Loss.
FEBRUARY SUMMARY. The weather was often bad. 467 did 158 sorties, lost 5 crews + 3 who baled out + 3 “2nd dickies”. (25 KIA, 15 POW, 1 Ev.) 3 tours expired. 1 Crew crashed in training.
NIGHT 3-3-45. DORTMUND-EMS CANAL. 15 of 467, 15 of 463, of 212 Lancs + 10 Mosquitos of 5-Group breached the aqueduct near Ladbergen in 2 places, putting it out of action until after the war’s end. 467 lost F/O R.T. Ward and crew (7 KIA); F/O R.B. Eggins & crew (6 KIA, 1 POW), and the C.O. W/C E. Langlois & crew (5 KIA, 2 POW) … he had only become C.O. on 9th Feb. 8 Lancs lost over Ger. 20 over U.K.[inserted] loss [/inserted] 3.6%
(This night the Luftwaffe mounted “Operation Gisela” sending 200 night fighters to follow various bomber forces into England (& so not being detected). They took the British defences by surprise and they shot down 20 bombers over England (some were Lancaster training planes … a couple at Wigsley, where I was Duty Navigator in the control tower!) The bomb dump at Waddington was attacked but wasn’t blown up. 3 German fighters crashed flying too low.
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NIGHT 5-3-45 BOHLEN 15 of 467, 15 of 463 of 248 from 5-Group, attacked synthetic oil refinery. Target was cloudy but some damage. Bomber Command made 1223 sorties for 31 lost over Germany and 10 crashed in England … “visibility had detiorated [sic] for returning aircraft”. (Percy Jobson, of Wagga Wagga, a friend of hockey years, was shot down, parachuted, on this trip … a big write up given.)
NIGHT 6-3-45. SASSNITZ - - a port on the Baltic Sea.
NIGHT 7-3-45 HARBURG. oil refinery (5-Group). Bomber Command total (on various targets): 1276, loss 41 (3.2%)
DAY 11-3-45 ESSEN by 1079 bombers … the largest day raid by B.C. … “paralysed Essen until the Americans entered. 467 lost 1 crew (all KIA) on collision with a Hurricane near base in F.A. training.
DAY 12-3-45 Dortmund. 1108 planes, record tonnage 4851 tons … with fighter escorts, over 2000 planes … “put the city out of the war”.
NIGHT 14-3-45 LUTZKENDORF. 5-Group attack on oil refinery, losing 18 (7.4%). Main Force of 568 attacked Zweibrucken & Homburg & other minor targets … 2.8% loss
NIGHT 16-3-45 WURZBURG. 5-Group, 225 Lancs & 11 Mosquitos, dropped 1207 tons with great accuracy in 17 minutes … 89% of industrial part of city destroyed. 467 lost F/O Thomas & crew (6 KIA, 1 POW). Main force attacked NUREMBERG with 480 planes, losing 28 (4.2%), due to night-fighters joining the bomber stream before the target
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DAY 19-3-45 ARNSBERG RAILWAY VIADUCT. 37 Lancs of 617 and 9 Sqdns (and 1 photo Lanc. from 463) dropped 6 ‘Grand Slam’ 10-ton bombs … the ‘earthquake-effect’ collapsed the viaduct … the film was spectacular.
NIGHT. 20-3-45 BOHLEN. 5-Group. The main force was on Hemingstedt with 675 planes, loss rate 1.9%.
DAY 22-3-45 BREMEN. 5-Group. Rail bridge.
NIGHT. 23-3-45 WESEL. 5-Group. 1000 tons in 9 minutes from 9000’ … as close army support … “British Army crossed the river before the bombers had left the area”, and Wesel was in British hands before midnight (the bombing ended at 2239). Wesel claims it was the most heavily bombed town in Germany … 97% of buildings destroyed in main town area; population reduced from 250000 at outbreak of war, to 1900 in May ’45.
DAY 27-3-45 FARGE Oil Storage, 5-Group plus 2 of 617 attacking U-Boat shelters with 23’-thick concrete roof. 2 of the Grand-Slam bombs penetrated the roof and brought down thousands of tons of concrete and rubble, rendering the shelter ineffective.
MARCH SUMMARY 467 flew 185 sorties, lost 4 crews (24 KIA, 4 POW), 4 crews completed tours.
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DAY 4-4-45 NORDHAUSEN. 5-Group … Military barracks Many ‘forced labourers killed’.
DAY 6-4-45 IJMUIDEN … on ships … raid abandoned due to bad weather.
NIGHT 7-4-45 MOLBIS. Benzol plant … “all production ceased”.
NIGHT 8-4-45 LUTZKENDORF. 5-Group. Oil refinery. ‘Put out of action until end of war’. Main force was on Hamburg 440 planes, & other targets, total of 918 planes … 1.3% loss.
DAY 9-4-45 HAMBURG .. oil storage (5-Group) and 617 Sq attacked U-Boat shelters with Grand Slam bombs, and Tallboy bombs. Both raids successful. On this raid German ME 152 & 153 jet fighters attacked the Lancs for the first time.
NIGHT 16-4-45 PILSEN 5-Group. Rail Yards.
NIGHT 18-4-45 KOMOTAU 5-Group.
DAY 23-4-45 FLENSBURG Railway yards. (Abandoned – cloud)
NIGHT 25-4-45 TONSBERG Oil Refinery & U Boat pens (Norway)
463 Sq. lost the last Lancaster of the war (crew survived)
3300 Lancasters lost in the whole war.
467 Sq from Nov ’42 to 26 Apr ’45 – flew 4188 sorties, used 214 Lancs. lost 110 by enemy action, 4 damaged – crashlandings but recovered. 590 KIA. 117 POW. 8E Ev. 5 DSO, 146 DFC. 2 CGM. 36 DFM
[page break]
[underlined] 467 SQUADRON – R.A.A.F. [/underlined]
467 Squadron was formed at SCAMPTON, LINCOLNSHIRE 7-11-42.
Moved to BOTTESFORD by 30-11-1942. Moved to WADDINGTON 11-11-1943.
Bottesford Station Commanding Officers: G/C. SWAIN, F.R.O: OBE: DFC.
From 3.3.43. – G/C. McKECKNIE, W.N: DFC.
[underlined] 467 SQAUDRON moved to WADDINGTON 12.11.43 [/underlined]
Waddington Station Commanding Officers:
16.4.43. G/C. S.C. ELWORTHY, CCB, CBE, DSO, MVO, DFC, AFC, MA.
31.3.44. G/C. D.W. BONHAM-CARTER, CB, DFC.
14.4.45. G/C. E.D. McK. NELSON, CB.
1.8.45 G/C. D.D. CHRISTIE, AFC.
24.8.45. G/C. A.E. TAYLOR.
467 SQUADRON COMMANDERS:
7.11.42. W/C. C.L. COMM, DSO, DFC. _ _ _ KIA 16.8.43.
19.8.43. W/C. J.R. BALMER, DFC, OBE. _ _ _ KIA 11.5.44.
12.5.44. W/C. W.L. BRILL, DSO, DFC & Bar _ _ _ Died 1964.
12.10.44. W/C. J.K. DOUGLAS, DFC, AFC. _ _ KIA 8.2.45.
9.2.45. W/C. E. le P. LANGLOIS _ _ KIA 3.4.45.
4.3.45. W/C. I.H. HAY, DFC. _ _ To disbandment.
467 STATION ADJUTANTS: F/L. BURFIELD_CARPENTER.
F/L. A.D. McDONALD (A18121): F/L. J.M.W. LOVE.
467 SQUADRON moved to RAF METHERINGHAM 16.6.45 and were disbanded there October, 1945.
[underlined] 467 STATISTICS COMPILED FROM OPERATIONAL RECORD BOOKS [/underlined].
First Operational Sortie – 2/3.1.1943 – To FURZE _ Minelaying.
Last Operational Sortie – 26/26.4.45 – to TONSBURG.
[underlined] OPERATIONAL SORTIES ATTEMPTED [/underlined]:
No. of a/c actually took off on operations: 3977
No. of Operational sorties completed: 3795
No. of Operational sorties failed: 182
[underlined] REASON FOR FAILURE OF SORTIE [/underlined]:
a/c failed to return – listed missing 105
a/c early return due to Engine Failure: 28
a/c early return due to Electrical Failure: 10
a/c “ “ “ to Armament Failure: 9
a/c “ “ “ to Oxygen Failure: 9
a/c “ “ “ to Instruments, radio, intercom failure: 12
a/c “ “ “ to Ice in flight & ice damage: 6
a/c “ “ “ to Navigational Error: [underlined] 3 [/underlined]
[underlined] 182 [/underlined]
No. of Sorties completed in a/c damaged by Enemy Action: 230
No. of Aircrew listed in Operational Record Books as flown on ops from 467 Sqdn, RAAF: (inc. RAF, RNZAF, RCAF): 1814
No. of Aircrew listed in ORB’s as War Casualty from 467 Sq: (includes) RAAF, RAF, RNZAF, RCAF): 760
No. of whole crews posted to 467 Sq. for Ops: 258
No. of whole crews finished tour of ops – 30 or more: 74
No. of whole crews lost on Ops: 115
No. of whole crews still operating when hostilities ceased 8.5.45. and not tour expired: 31
No. of whole crews posted to other Squadrons during tour: 34
No. of whole crews with no Ops. before hostilities ceased: 4
No. of crews from 53 Base who flew on ops from 467 Sqdn and not listed as posted to 467 Sqdn. 6
[page break]
[inserted] Extract of “WAR” List for an Operation … late 1944. [/inserted]
F/S J.W. Singer (Can) – Sgt A. Carson – [missing name]
PB. 193 ‘W’ – F/O R.J. Harris – P/O J.T. Adair – Sgt T. Andrews – Sgt R. Walker
P/O H.F.C. Parsons – F/L R.W. Cook – Sgt S. Saunders
EE.136 – F/O A.L. Keely – F/S W. Chorny (Can) – Sgt A.E. Wotherspoon – Sgt C.H. Connwell
F/S L.W. Tanner – Sgt S.D. Chambers – Sgt J.E. Johnson
LM.713 – F/O C. Newton (Can) – Sgt P. Grant – Sgt W. Gregory – Sgt E.H. Cooper (Can)
Sgt R. Flynn (Can) – Sgt L.G. Kelly – Sgt R.S. Stevens (Can)
LM.715 ‘O’ – F/O R.W. Ayrton (Aus) – Sgt M.J. Herkes – Sgt H.K. Huddlestone – Sgt D.K. Chalcraft
F/S N. Bardsley – Sgt W. Scott – Sgt J.A.W. Davies
ME.809 – F/O R.C. Lake – P.O J.A. Peterson (Can) – Sgt R.W. Baird – Sgt R.A. Morton
W/O G.B. Watts (Can) – F/S G.E. Parkinson – P/O R.D. Kerr (Can)
No. 467 Squadron, Second Wave
NF.908 ‘C’ – F/L J.K. Livingstone – F/L D.O. Sands – F/O E.G. Parsons – F/O R.N. Browne
P/O W.D. McMahon (Aus) – F/O J. Pendergast – F/O T.C. Taylor
PB306 – F/O R.J. Mayes (Aus) – F/O L.J. Hart (Aus) – Sgt D.H. Hamilton – F/S J. Manning
F/S A.R. Edgar (Aus) – F/S J.G. Muir (Aus) – F/S K.W. Cary (Aus)
LM.100 ‘D’ – F/O P.R. Gray-Buchanan (Aus) – F.S. H.G. Adams (Aus) – Sgt D.M. Coutts – F/S J.R. Giles (Aus)
F/S B.J. Payne (Aus) – F/S E.J. Taylor (Aus) – F/S K. Nichols (Aus)
PD.215 ‘F’ – F/O L. Landridge (Aus) – F/S D.G. Beverley (Aus) – Sgt J. Halstead – Sgt D.J. Allen
F/S K.C. Woollam (Aus) – F/S W.C. Denny (Aus) – Sgt B.A. Davies
LM.542 ‘K’ – F/O T.A. Gummersall (Aus) – F/S L.C.C. Chalcraft (Aus) – Sgt J. Clemons – F/S E.R. Baldwin (Aus)
F/O F.A. York (Aus) – F/S S.J. Anders (Aus) – F/S W.H. Bradbury (Aus)
LM.233 ‘M’ – F/O J.J. Sheridan (Aus) – F.S G.W. Gould (Aus) – Sgt B.J. Ambrose – Sgt J. Hodgson
F/S A. Raymond (Aus) – F/S W. Branagh (Aus) – Sgt R. Ward
LM.677 – F/O J.J.J. Cross (Aus) – F/S D.F. Edwards (Aus) – Sgt K.M. Pope – F.S W.K. Perry (Aus)
F/O V.L. Drouyn (Aus) – F/S W.V. Maurer (Aus) – F/S M.D. Wilkie (Aus)
NF.910 – F/O G.H. Stewart (Aus) – F/O R. Faulks (Aus) – Sgt G. Hopwood – F/S D.J. Morland (Aus)
F/S R. Galov (Aus) – F/S M.J.H. West (Aus) – F/S F.H. Skuthorpe (Aus)
NF.917 ‘Q’ – F/O R.S. Forge (Aus) – F/O H.M. Bissell (Aus) – Sgt W.C. Bradley – Sgt H. R. Harvey
F/O R.H. Darwin (Aus) – F/S E.J. O’Kearney (Aus) – Sgt R. Haire
ND.473 – F/O R.H. Mellville (Aus) – F/S J.L. Klye (Aus) – Sgt R.J. Brady – F/S D.D. Suter (Aus)
F/S J.F. Tongue (Aus) – F/S B.T. Hoskin (Aus) – F/S R.C.M. Newling (Aus)
NF.908 – F/O L.R. Pedersen (Aus) – F/S J.S. Hodgson (Aus) – Sgt D.R. Ba.dry [sic] – Sgt E.W. Durrant
F/S P.K. Garvey (AUS) – F/S V.J.M. McCarthy (AUS) – Sgt A.E. Dearns
NN.714 – F/O E.B. Rowell (Aus – F/S R.L. Morris (Aus) – Sgt A.J. Halls – Sgt. A Thomson
F/S D.J. Taylor (Aus) – F/S A.S. Smith (Aus) – Sgt A. Thomson
F/S D.J. Taylor (Aus) – F/S A.S. Smith (Aus) – Sgt J. Hodge
No. 463 Squadron, Third Wave
ND.133 ‘X’ – W/C W.A. Forbes (Aus) – F/O J.A. Costello – P/O W.A. Martin – F/S A.J. Norman
F/O W.J. Grime – P/O W. McLeod – P/O K.L. Worden
PD.311 ‘O’ – F/O P.J. Bowell (Aus) – F/S E.A. Petersen (Aus) – Sgt W. Forster – F/S W.H.J. Butcher (Aus)
F/S W. Plumb (Aus) – W/O J.R. Williams (Aus) – F/S I.D. Dutfiield [sic] (Aus)
LM.130 ‘N’ – F/O A.G. Stutter (Aus) – F/S P.L. Wilkinson (Aus) – Sgt H. Walsh – F/S M.F. Woodgate (Aus)
F/S P. O’Loughlin (Aus) – F/S D.J. Browning (Aus) – F/S H.R. Holmes (Aus)
PD.337 ‘L’ – F/O F.H. Smith (Aus) – Sgt E. Moss – ?
F/S B.A. Donaghue (Aus) – F/S R.T. Simonson (Aus) – F/S E.R. Cameron (Aus)
ND.977 – F/O G.T. White (Aus) – F/S G.D. Smith (Aus) – Sgt C. Jackson – Sgt V.G. Dunn
F/S H. Robinson (Aus) – F/S J.J.B. Middleton (Aus) – Sgt W. S. Bayne
PD.330 ‘F’ – F/O K.P. Brady (Aus) – F/S E.D. Rees – Sgt C.R. Levy – F/S G. Berglund (Aus)
F/S G.W. Boyes – F/S J.D. Stevens (Aus) – F/S J.E. Cox (Aus)
MD.332 – F/O B. Ward-Smith (Aus) – F/O R.W. Markham (Aus) – Sgt E. Taylor – F/S A.J. Tyson (Aus)
[page break]
[underlined] 5 Group, [/underlined] the biggest of 6 in Bomber Command.
Our 467 squadron was one of 18 Lancaster squadrons the Group. They were:-
9 at Bardney
227 at Balderton
[missing number] 4 (Rhod.) “ Spilsby
[underlined] 463 & 467 “ Waddington [/underlined]
49 “ Fulbeck
619 at Strubby
50 & 61 “ Skellingthorpe
630 “ East Kirkby
57 “ East Kirkby
617, 627 “ Woodhall Spa [symbol] Mosquitos
83 & 97 (Pathfinders) Coningsby
106 Metheringham
189 Fulbeck
207 Spilsby
[underlined] Some notable raids [/underlined]:
1944 Sept. 12/13. First operational use of [underlined] Loran [/underlined].
“ 23/4. Dortmund-Ems canal breached by [underlined] Tallboy [/underlined] (12000 lb bomb, designed by Barnes Wallis).
Oct. 3 Sea wall at Westkapelle (Walcheren Is) breached.
“ 14/5 Biggest night ops by Bomber Command of the war.
“ 23/4. Part of 1055 plane raid on Essen.
“ 25 “ “ 771 “ “ “ “, finishes it.
Nov. 2/3 “ “ 992 “ “ “ Dusseldorf.
“ 4/5. 174 Lancs breach Dortmund-Ems canal again.
“ 12 Tirpitz sank at Tromso by 9 & 617 Sqdns.
1945 Jan 1/2. 157 Lancs breach Mittleand canal.
“ 4/5. raid on Royan kills many French civilians.
“ 7/8. Part of 654 a/c; last raid on Munich.
Mar 14. Bielefeld aquaduct [sic] broken using Barnes Wallis’s new 22000 lb Grand Slam bomb. by 617 Sqdn.
“ 27. U-boat shelter at Farge blown up using the Grand Slam bomb, by 617 Sqdn.
Feb. 20/21 First of 36 consecutive night raids on Berlin by Mosquitos of 627 Sqdn.
[page break]
[circled 8]
[underlined] 5 Group [/underlined] Sqdns. As at 22.3.45.
Lanc I, III
9 Bardney
44 (Rhod.) Spilsby
49 Fulbeck.
50 Skellingthorpe
57 East Kirkby
61 Skellingthorpe
106 Metheringham
189 Fulbeck.
207 Spilsby
227 Balderton
463 [brackets] RAAF Waddington
407 RAAF Waddington [/brackets]
619 Strubby
630 East Kirkby
[symbol] 617 Woodhall Spa.
[brackets] 83 PFF Coningsby
97 PFF Coningsby [/brackets]
627 Woodhall Spa. Mosquito IV, XX, 25.
(83, 97 & 627 on loan from 8 Group.)
[inserted] [underlined] 1944. [/underlined] [/inserted]
Sept 12/13 First operational use of LORAN.
“ 23/4. Dortmund Ems canal breached by Tallboy (12000 lb).
Oct 3. Sea wall at Westkapelle (Walcheren Is) breached.
14/15 BC. biggest night ops of war.
23/24. 1055 raid on Essen. 25th 771 on Essen finishes it.
Nov 2/3. 992 on Dusseldorf.
4/5. 174 breach Dortmund Ems canal again.
12. Tirpitz sank at Tromas by 9 & 617 Sq.
Jan 1/2. 157 breach Mittleand Canal.
[inserted] 1945
Jan 4/5 Royan – many French casualties.
7/8 Last raid on Munich 654 a/c
Mar 14. Bielefeld aqueduct broken … Grand Slam 22000 lb.
27 U boat shelter at Farge successful using “ “ “
Feb. 20/21 first of 36 consecutive night raids on Berlin by mosquitos. [/inserted]
[page break]
Extracts from “The Hardest Victory – RAF Bomber Command in WW II by Dennis Richards. (Hodder & Stoughton, 1944.)
1944. March to June. The Transportation Plan, preparatory to OVERLORD … the invasion in Normandy. As part of the plan to convince the Germans that the landing would be in the Pas de Calais, far more bridges and railway workshops and marshalling yards were attacked North of the Seine than South of it. In this phase Bomber Command dealt with 37 of the railway centres, 8th American Air Force heavies 26, & AEAF (fighters, fighter-bombers, light & medium bombers, & recon. aircraft, a mixture of RAF & USAAF squadrons) 20. Bomber command dropped nearly 45000 tons on these centres, twice the tonnage of the other 2 put together. Harris in “Bomber Command” wrote:- “Bomber Command’s night bombing proved to be rather more accurate, much heavier in weight & more concentrated than the American daylight attacks, a fact which was afterwards clearly recognised by SHAEF when the time came (later) for the bombing of German troop concentrations within a mile or so of our own troops.”
In this phase, Bomber Command made 69 attacks, 9000 sorties & lost 198 planes (1.8%). They did enormous damage. In the end about 2/3 of the 37 centres were classed as completely out of action for a month or more, and the remainder as needing only some further “attention” from fighter-bombers.
Unhappily, the toll of friendly civilian lives was sometimes more than the “prescribed” limit of 100 – 150 per raid … (Coutrai 252, Lille 456, Ghent 482), but overall the total was much less than the 10000 “limit”.
The attacks on rail centres by all 3 air forces proved catastrophic for the Germans. Only about 12% of rolling stock was fit for use. A division from Poland took 3 days to get to West Germany, then 4 weeks to the Normandy battlefront!
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[duplicate page]
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[circled 2]
A particularly important raid, both in technique & results, was that on 5/6 Apr. (’43) on the Gnome et Rhône aero-works at Toulouse. 144 Lancs from 5 Group, with Leonard Cheshire of 617 SQN doing the initial marking at low level from a Mosquito. 2 Lancs of 617 reinforced the marking with great accuracy & this led to a raid which completely destroyed the factory. Thenceforth, Harris normally entrusted 5 Group (the largest in the Command) with its own marking, independent of the Pathfinder Force.
Bomber Command’s biggest task just before the invasion was to help silence the enemy’s coastal batteries … most nights since 24/25 May, & for deception purposes many of them outside the intended invasion area. But as D-Day neared, so the assault stepped up. On 2/3 June, 271 bombers attacked 4 batteries in the Pas de Calais (where the Germans most expected the invasion). On 3/4 June, 135 bombers attacked batteries at Calais & Winereux. On 4/5 June, 257 a/c attacked … this time in the invasion area. On 5/6 June (when invasion fleet was under way) Bomber Command put on max. effort … 1136 a/c (1047 attacked) [inserted] 5000 + tons of bombs. [/inserted] against [deleted] the [/deleted] 10 of the main batteries on the invasion coast. Other air formations & naval bombardment also attacked there & between them 9 of the 10 batteries were made incapable of sustained fire against the invasion forces.
In the week after D-Day, B.C. flew 3500 sorties to prevent reinforcements getting to the front. In the most skilful attack, 8/9 June. Lancs of 83 Sqn lit up railway tunnel at Saumur, then marked by Mosquitos, then 25 Lancs of 617 Sqn. dropped new 12000 lb “Tallboys” [inserted] [symbol] designed by Barnes Wallis. [/inserted] blocked the tunnel & delayed the Panzers.
[page break]
[circled 3]
During the struggle in Normandy, B.C. operated in strength close to battlefield. 14/15 Jun, 337 vs troops & vehicles at Aunay & Evrecy (near Caen). 30 Jun first B.C. daylight there … 266 Lancs & Halis & a few Mosquitos & Spitfire escort bombed a road junction at Villers-Bocage from 4000’ & frustrated a panzer attack. Of B.C.’s 5 other attacks in close support the biggest was 18 Jul .. GOODWOOD (max effort) … 1056 from B.C., 863 of AEAF & 8th A.F. to help the push SE of Caen towards Falaise …. but had bad weather & unsubdued anti-tank guns stopped the offensive (only 6 miles max.). But it impressed the Germans … Von Kluge who’d just replaced Rommel, wrote to Hitler on 21 Jul:- “There is no way by which, in the face of the enemy air forces’ complete command of the air, we can discover a form of strategy which will counterbalance the annihilating effects [underlined] unless we withdraw [/underlined] from the battlefield. Whole armoured formations allotted to counter-attack were caught beneath bomb carpets of the greatest intensity so that they could be got out of the torn-up ground only by prolonged effort … The psychological effect of such a mass of bombs coming down with all the power of elemental nature on the fighting forces, especially the infantry, is a factor which has to be taken into very serious consideration. It is immaterial whether such a carpet catches good troops or bad. They are more or less annihilated, and above all their equipment is shattered ...”
(He suicided a month later when Hitler wouldn’t allow a withdrawal)
On 7/8 Aug. 1019 a/c of B.C. raided 5 points in advance of Allied troops … helping Canadian 1st Army to open the way to Falaise.
Allies had 14000 a/c against German 1000 in those weeks.
25 Aug. Paris was free. 3 Sept. Brit 2nd Army in Brussels.
Resumption of oil targets delayed by V-1 threat.
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[circled 4] Jan (1944)
Hitler had hoped to begin V-1s vs London as ‘New Year present’ but damage to ‘ski” sites, & Fiesler works at Kassel & their own trouble with getting the bomb to operate reasonably – caused set-backs. Allied bombing of railways held up delivery of launchers & bomb components.
12/13 Jun first V-1 attacks. 7 of 55 sites managed to fire total of 10 … of which 3 reached England. But they improved. Bet. 15/16 & 16/17 Jun. 144 crossed Kentish coast & 73 reached London.
Operation CROSSBOW … B.C. + AEAF + 8th A.F. attacked V-1 sites from mid June to mid-August … using 40% of B.C. strength Targets were the modified launch sites, supply depots, & ‘large sites’ (V-2 rockets [deleted] maybe [indecipherable word] [/deleted]. B.C. attacked these day & night. B.C. flew 16000 sorties, 59000 tons vs the V-1 targets only losing 131 a/c ([symbol] 1%).
By mid-Aug, less need [symbol] defences (AA & fighters redeployed & more effect … + proximity fuses [symbol] [symbol] 20% reaching target; + balloons + finally our armies overrunning the launching sites.
Every day but one from 5 to 11 Sept Harris sent out 300 or more a/c to bomb [deleted] h [/deleted] [underlined] Le Havre [/underlined] area. (We did our [underlined] first trip [/underlined] on 10 [deleted] 8 [/deleted] Sept. 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb.) that day 992 sorties. Total for the week 2500 sorties, 9750 tons … the ground attack after the last air raid on 11 Sept. succeeded & only c. 50 fatalaties [sic]. [inserted] (our 3rd) [/inserted] [underlined] Boulogne [/underlined] [inserted] we dropped 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 lb. [/inserted] had become the next objective. We were in big raid on 17 Sept. by 762 a/c, opening the way for attack by Canadian army, … garrison gave in on 22 Sept, in diary of captured German officer: “Sometimes one could despair of everything if one is at the mery [sic] of the RAF without any protection. It seems as if all fighting is useless & all sacrifices in vain.”
[page break]
[circled 5]
Germans still held Dunkirk & Ostend … it became clear that key to faster supply to our armies was Antwerp, 40 miles up R. Scheldt. Allies captured Antwerp on 4 Sept. but Germans still held river banks, South Beveland & [underlined] Walcheren Is. [/underlined] dominating its approach from the sea. Allies tried, MARKET GARDEN, airborne troops to capture bridges over Maas, Wasl & lower Rhine … a disaster, losing 1st Airborne Div’n. [symbol] Try to open the Sheldt Estuary. B.C. began attacks on Walcheren Is. in 3rd week of Sept. Hitting batteries proved difficult. Canadian army told to capture Is. … their C.O. suggested bombing might breach its sea-walls & flood some low-lying batteries. Oct 2nd .. leaflets & broadcast to locals. Oct 3. .. Pathfinder Mosquitos in waves of 30 created a big gap in wall 60’ thick at top & 204’ at base. (617 Sqn with Tallboys not needed … took ‘em home!)
Many parts of Is. now flooded, but no surrender. Further attacks on walls on Oct 7, 11 & 17. We did our [underlined] 11th op [/underlined] [inserted] on 7 OCT. [/inserted] on [underlined] Flushing dyke [/underlined] walls, 2 sticks of 7 x 1000 lb, 2 runs at fairly low alt. & achieved a good breach.
We also bombed gun batteries on [underlined] Walcheren [/underlined] Is again on Oct. 23 (14 x 1000 lb) and Oct 30 (14 x 1000 lb) … [underlined] our 13th op [/underlined].
The plan was to take Wal. Is by amphibious assault & to ‘soften it up’, B.C. raided c 277 on Oct 28; then on Oct 29 with 358 a/c, then on [underlined] Oct 30 with 110 a/c [/underlined]. [inserted] [underlined] our 15th [/underlined] [/inserted] (us). On 1 Nov. Canadian & Scottish troops began a week of hard fighting … Royal marines sailed landing craft through the gaps in the sea-walls. B.C. flew 2000+ sorties in 14 raids there, 9000 tons of bombs … only lost 11 a/c ([symbol] 0.4%).
Antwerp not used for another 19 days … time taken to clear the estuary of mines.
[page break]
[circled 6]
B.C. continued to attack towns in Germany & coastal targets in the autumn & winter of 1944.
On [inserted] 12th [/inserted] Sept. we did our [underlined] 2nd trip [/underlined] on [underlined] Stuttgart [/underlined] (1 x 4000 lb + 13 J clusters). (Our skipper had been [deleted] there [/deleted] [inserted] to [underlined] Danstadt [/underlined] [/inserted] the previous night as “2nd-dickie”). Then our [underlined] 4th [/underlined] on Bremerhaven on 18 Sept. (18 cans). & 5th on Munchen-Gladbach the next night 19 Sept (1 x 2000 lb + 12 J clusters) on which Guy Gibson as master bomber went missing (KIA). Our [underlined] 6th on [/underlined] 23 Sept. was our first of 4 raids on [underlined] Dortmund [/underlined] Ems canal “the vital link between the Ruhr & North Sea”. (14 x 1000 lb). B.C. did about 10 raids on the canal, “each time draining the canal for several miles & leaving scores of barges stranded. And this was not simply a one-off piece of temporary damage. As soon as, by the effort of 4000 (Todt) labourers, the canal was once more fully working, B.C. breached it again - & went on doing so as required until the end of the war.” (It was a fairly “dicey” target – they [underlined] knew [/underlined] we’d be coming & [underlined] where [/underlined] (where the aqueduct was above ground level.)
Sept 26. Op [symbol] 7 on Karlsruhe (18 cans)
“ 27 [symbol] 8 “ Kauserlauten (18 cans).
Oct 6 [symbol] 10. Bremen (18 cans)
Oct 5. Daylight formation (!) on Wilhelmshaven (18 cans). - - cloud obscured target & we (& others) bombed by H2S … the only time we used it on ops … mostly we were denied its use because they reckoned German fighter &/or flak could pick us up from its transmission.
Oct. 19. Op [symbol] 12. Nuremburg (1 x 2000 lb + 12 J clusters).
Oct 28 op 14 Bergen (Norway) U-boat pens … but brought bombs back due to smokescreen over target. Had to descend to near mountain tops to clear cloud – did so safely using GEE.
[page break]
[circled 7]
“In the last quarter of 1944, nearly half the tonnage dropped by B.C. was aimed at Urban areas in general rather than on more specific targets. … eg. Stuttgart, Nuremburg; [underlined] Dusseldorf (our 16th [/underlined] on Nov 2nd, 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500) Munich our [underlined] 23rd [/underlined] on Dec. 17 (1 x 4000 + 9 cans + 1 monroe). & [underlined] Munich [/underlined] again our 28th on Jan 7th (1 x 4000 + 6 J clusters).
Our [underlined] 18th [/underlined] on 11 Nov. on Harburg oil refinery (near Hamburg) caused huge fire visible 100 miles on way home (1 x 4000+ 6 x 1000 + 6 x 500 lb).
16 Nov, Our 19th a daylight on [underlined] Duren [/underlined], part of a huge effort to react to battle of bulge destroyed the town to rubble. (12 x 1000 lb).
Our 24th Gdynic .. Dec 18, on Pocket Battleship ‘Lutzow’ (also there the P.B. Admiral Von Sheer) … may have caused enough damage to have Latzow towed (?) to Swinemunde where 617 Sqn finished it off on 16/17 April ’45 (10 x 1000 SA.P.).
5 Group. HQ Grantham, then Moreton Hall, near Swinderby.
[underlined] AOC’s [/underlined] Harris 11.9.39. Bottomley 22.11.40.
Slessor 12-5-41. Coryton 25.5.42. Cochrane 28.2.43
Constantine 16.1.45.
A/C. Hampdens, Manchesters, Lancasters, Mosquitos.
[underlined] B.C. casualties, Aircrew [/underlined] Operational K. 47120
Died as POW 138
Missing now safe. 2868
POW “ “ 9784
Wounded. 4200
[underlined] Non-operational [/underlined]
K. 8090
Wounded 4200
[page break]
A brief summary of the Bache crew’s experiences after the Operation to the Dortmund-Ems Canal on 1st January 1945.
A number of entries in the 160 pages that I wrote during 1945 in the second of my three war diaries refer to events connected with, or as a result of, the Bache crew’s experiences on 1st January of that year. (The three diaries contain a total of some 420 pages which cover only some sections of my overseas service in the RAAF, mainly while travelling to and while in Canada doing my navigator training, the Operation on 1st January 1945, that period which is summarised below and my trip back home from England. Unfortunately they do not cover any of the crew’s other Operational Sorties in detail but an amount of information on these is available from other sources in my possession)
The following very short summary makes use of extracts from some of the entries in my second diary, (other than from the 17 pages which contributed to my chronicle of events directly associated with our 16th Operation on 1st January 1945). It then goes on to refer to information that I have received since from various members of our crew covering their individual moves after the crew broke up in May 1945, plus each one’s post war status.
However, for the sake of brevity, this summary does not include any detailed references to those of our Operational Sorties which we flew between 19th February and 18th April 1945 – and some other of the events in which the crew were involved between January and May of that year – but which were not as a direct consequence of the Operation on 1-1-45 These matters may (possibly?) be covered at some future date.
So, picking up this account from a point part way through January 1945 –
My additional navigational duties during 1945.
During the period early in 1945 when our crew was non-operational, while we waited for Ernie and Cec to recover from their injuries received on 1st January, I was employed in the squadron’s navigation section in various ways. Some of these duties continued after we returned to Ops – particularly on the occasions where our crew was not flying on that Op.
Amongst other things, I had been requested by the squadron navigation leader to assist him by looking after the navigation Order Book, which covered matters such as changes in navigational procedures as these came through from No 5 Group Headquarters, as well as setting up an improved system for bringing this information to the notice of the navigators on the squadron. I was also asked to devise ways of drawing attention to cases or areas in which we should take steps to improve navigational performance.
I “dreamed up” a cartoon type character of a navigator who I named “Ayling-Rouse” (who was something like a mixture of the infamous idiotic pilot character, P/O Prune and the well known ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius) to assist with this and it seemed to be quite successful in getting the guys’ attention! – the style being recommended for use elsewhere in the Group.
I was also shown by the section’s navigation assessment officer how to assess the squadron navigator’s Operational flying log sheets and plotting charts – and learned how to get the navigators away on “cross-country” training flights etc.
I was then introduced by the squadron navigation leader to Operational navigation briefing procedures and other of his duties – and taken to some of the pre-Operation navigational planning conferences, which were held via a Group telephone hook up between
[page break]
the various squadrons just prior to our squadron Navigators Briefing for the Op. concerned.
As an upshot of all this, I was made deputy navigation leader and eventually stood in for the squadron navigation leader on occasions – including the conducting of the Navigators Briefing and the navigation specialist officer’s briefing contribution at the Main Briefing which followed, for those of No. 467 Squadron’s crews who were to participate in the daylight Bomber Command attack on “Hitler’s Hideout” at Berchtesgaden, in April 1945.
As it turned out – like so many other planned attacks – this Operation had to be “scrubbed” (ie cancelled) at the last minute because of bad weather in the target area – but was carried out a day or so later by 359 Lancasters – of which some were from other squadrons in No 5 Group and some from Nos. 1 and 8 Groups. However it so happened that Nos. 463 and 467 Squadrons were not available to go there with them on that day due to our station’s involvement in an attack on Tonsberg in Norway which required take-off later in the same afternoon.
(As a result of the additional navigation section work which I had carried out while our crew was “off Ops” waiting for the return of Cec and Ernie and also after we returned to Ops, the squadron navigation leader, when he was informed by the squadron commander early in May that the Bache crew had been selected as one of several crews for a voluntary posting from No. 467 Squadron to Transport Command, tried to convince me not to go with them. He indicated that I was being recommended for a navigation leader’s training course – and would then probably go with the squadron on its intended transfer to the Far East theatre of War.
However, because of the close crew bonds developed during our earlier Operations – and particularly as a result of the events on 1st January 1945, I decided to stick with Merv, Sam and Cec in their transfer to Transport Command.)
Ernie returns to the crew and we return to Operations.
As events turned out, Ernie was declared fit for flying after several weeks and we resumed Ops with him back with us on 19th February, as by this time we were starting to “champ upon the bit” again. However we had to make use of the substitute wireless operators – Cec still being out of action.
Merv’s promotion and his new role on the squadron.
By then Merv had been promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and on occasions had acted as O/C of our “A” Flight, then as O/C “B” Flight, to which our crew was transferred some time in March.
Cec returns to the crew for our trip in “S Sugar”
According to my diary, Cec – who had been recovering from his ankle injury in the RAF hospital at Wroughton, near Crewe, (as was Ernie after they were both transferred from the hospital in Holland) – was flown back to the squadron by Merv and I when he has discharged from there on 22nd February.
However he did not stay, but went to a convalescence place near Liverpool and remained unfit for flying for the remainder of our Operational Sorties – rejoining the crew just in time for our flight to Jouvincourt in France in PO-S on 6th May to bring a planeload of ex-prisoners of war back to England.
Page 2
[page break]
End of the war in Europe and its effects on No. 467 Squadron.
Hostilities in Europe ceased on 7th May 1945 and No. 467 Squadron was one of the Bomber Command squadrons selected for transfer to the Far East theatre of War.
Part of the Bache crew transfer to Transport Command.
Cec then joined Merv, Sam (who had been commissioned in February) and I, in our transfer on 11th May from No 467 Squadron of Bomber Command to Transport Command – to which we were posted as one of five “part-crews” from Waddington.
(These crews were taken from those who were apparently classified as “nominally tour expired” – ie those who had carried out 28, but in our case 25, Operations).
We went to the recently transferred RAAF No. 466, ex No. 4 Group Bomber Command Halifax squadron at Driffield for Transport Command flying training.
Sam’s Departure from Driffield.
We thought that the bomb-aimers who were transferred with us to No. 466 Squadron would have been trained as load masters for Transport Command flying crew “cargo supervision etc”, but were informed shortly after arrival on No. 466 Squadron that it had been decided they were now not required.
So Sam was to leave us! However the blow was softened considerably when he received notification that, because of his long period of service in the RAAF (including time served as a medical orderly in ground staff in the New Guinea theatre of war), he was to be repatriated back to Australia where he would be eligible for discharge from the Service.
He was first of all transferred to the Australian Aircrew Holding Centre at Brighton, on the south coast of England – to await a draft back home aboard a troopship.
Merv, Cec and I continue Transport Command training on No. 466 Squadron.
Merv, Cec and I continued on with No. 466 Squadron at Driffield – where we picked up an Australian Second Pilot (Merv becoming Senior Pilot) – and then converted to and flew in their Halifax bombers.
We then went with the squadron when it relocated to RAF Bassingbourn in September.
From Halifaxes to Liberators.
At Bassingbourne the squadron converted from Halifaxes to 4 engine Liberator bomber type aircraft – American designed and built – and a somewhat different aircraft from the 4 engine British designed and built heavy bombers in which we had previously flown. (It was not long before I christened the Liberator “the Flying Brick” after comparing its flying characteristics with those of our beloved Lancasters).
After we had completed a number of familiarisation exercises in the UK we were scheduled to undertake training flights and later, service transport operations, between UK and India.
The end of World War II in the Far East and the disbanding of 466 Squadron.
We were about to carry out our first training flight to India when the war in the Pacific area suddenly ended – resulting in the squadron being disbanded on 26th October 1945.
Page 3
[page break]
So the four of us, including the Australian Second Pilot, were transferred to Brighton for repatriation back home and discharge from the RAAF.
Our return to Australia.
As things turned out, all the Australian members of our crew, except for Sam, who had left England much earlier – finished up finally going back to Australia together on the same ship – the Athlone Castle.
Our return by sea to Australia is another story – including us becoming involved in a Mutiny aboard the first ship, the Orion, on which we were embarked – and from which we were later disembarked again, back in England, after it broke down in the Bay of Biscay!
Return Home and Post War
Sam
Sam, who received his promotion to Flying Officer in August, returned to Sydney in NSW for discharge from the RAAF. He and his wife, Valda, now live in Wagga, N.S.W.
Merv
Merv returned to Adelaide in South Australia for discharge as a Flight Lieutenant. He and his wife, Ethel, continued to live there until he died in 1974.
Cec
Cec returned to Brisbane in Queensland, for discharge, by which time he had been promoted to the rank of Flying Officer. He married Dawn there and they continued to live in Brisbane, but later moved northwards to Caloundra, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland – where he died from a war related complaint in 1997.
Les
Les, Jim and Ernie remained at Waddington – Les transferring to No 463 Squadron to join Jack Blair’s crew (also ex 467 Squadron, on which they had done 24 Ops prior to the end of the war in Europe). They subsequently moved with the squadron to RAF Skellingthorpe in July. Here he remained until the war in the Pacific concluded, after which No. 463 Squadron was disbanded on 25th September 1945 and all of its RAAF personnel were repatriated back to Australia. He had the rank of Pilot Officer when he was discharged.
Les married and he and his wife, Norma, now live at Seymour, Victoria.
Jim
Jim remained on No. 467 Squadron at Waddington after Merv, Sam, Cec and I left for Transport Command – and while there joined F/O C F Stewart’s crew (which had done 6 Ops on 467 Squadron prior to the end of hostilities in Europe) – as mid upper gunner.
They were posted to No. 463 Squadron, which was also located at Waddington, on 4th June – and went with this squadron when it was relocated to RAF Skellingthorpe on 3rd July.
They remained with No. 463 Squadron until it was disbanded on 25th September 1945 – after which Jim was transferred to Brighton along with all its other Australian members and then returned to Australia for discharge from the RAAF. He was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer sometime during this period.
Jim married and he and his wife, June, live in Sydney, N.S.W.
Page 4
[page break]
Australian War Memorial
Page 1 of [missing number]
No. 467 Squadron
No. 467 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force was formed at Scampton in the United Kingdom on 7 November 1942. Although intended as an Australian squadron under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme, the majority of its personnel were originally British. The replacement of these men with Australians was a gradual process and it was only towards the end of the war that the squadron gained a dominant Australian character.
The squadron relocated to Bottesford on 23 November 1942 and commenced operations on 2 January 1943. A year later it moved to Waddington, which remained the squadron’s home until the end of the war. Equipped with Avro Lancaster heavy bombers, and forming part of 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command, the squadron’s operational focus for much of the war was the strategic bombing offensive against Germany. Bombing almost entirely by night, it participated in all of the major campaigns of the offensive including the battles of the Ruhr, Berlin and Hamburg. In addition to Germany, the squadron also attacked targets in France, Italy, Norway and Czechoslovakia. On 20 June 1943, 467 was the first Bomber Command squadron to participate in the “shuttle service” where aircraft would leave the United Kingdom, bomb a European target, and then fly on to an airfield in North Africa. There they would refuel and rearm and then bomb another target on their return flight to Britain. The German port of Friederichshafen was the outbound target, and the Italian port of Spezia the inbound one.
In addition to the strategic bombing offensive, 467 Squadron was also employed in support of ground operations prior to, and during the D-Day landing, during the drive out of the Normandy beachhead in mid-1944, and during the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945. The squadron also participated in the offensive to remove the threat posed by Germany’s terror weapons and participated in raids on the weapons research facility at Peenemende, and on V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket assembly and launch sites in France.
467 Squadron’s last bombing raid of the war was an attack on the oil refinery and tankerage at Vallo in Norway. Even before the cessation of hostilities, the squadron was employed to ferry liberated Allied prisoners of war from Europe to Britain and it continued in this role after VE Day. The squadron was one of several identified to form “Tiger Force”, Bomber Command’s contribution to the strategic bombing campaign against Japan. It relocated to Metheringham to prepare for this role, but the war against Japan ended before “Tiger Force” was deployed. 467 Squadron disbanded on 30 September 1945.
Between January 1942 and April 1945, 467 Squadron flew 3,833 sorties and dropped 17,578 tons of bombs. It suffered heavily in the course of its operations – 760 personnel were killed, of whom 284 were Australian, and 11 [missing number] aircraft were lost.
References AWM 64, RAAF formation and unit rolls [2 symbols] ORMF 0118, Roll 95 [2 symbols] 1/426 December 1942 – December 1943 [2 symbols] 1/427 January – December 1944 [2 symbols] 1/428 January – October 1945 [2 symbols] 1/435A December 1942 – March 1945; Units of the Royal Australian Air Force; a concise history. Volume 3, bomber units, (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995).; H.M. Blundell, They flew from Waddington! 463 – 467 Lancaster Squadrons, Royal Australian Air Force, (Sydney: W. Homer, 1975).
Category Unit
http://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U59451/
4/10
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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463 & 467 Squadron Notes on Ops
Description
An account of the resource
Extracts from publications giving details of all operations by 467 and 463 Squadrons from 10 September 1944 to 25 April 1945. Details include number of aircraft, target, bombloads and losses. Interspersed are details of operations carried out by Herbert Adam's crew on 467 Squadron between 10 September 1944 and 16 January 1945 which include many extracts from his diary describing operations and daily activities. Included are photographs of aircraft, crew members, air to ground views, targets, cook's tour and a map diagram. Details of 5 Group Squadrons, Extracts from books and a summary of Bache crew's experiences after operation to Dortmund Ems canal.
Creator
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H G Adams
Format
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Seventy eight page handwritten book
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Memoir
Text. Personal research
Identifier
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MAdamsHG424504-170215-01
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Australian Air Force
Conforms To
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Pending review
Spatial Coverage
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Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
France
France--Le Havre
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Pas-de-Calais
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Germany
Germany--Darmstadt
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Bremerhaven
Germany--Rheydt
Germany--Mönchengladbach
Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Kaiserslautern
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Braunschweig
Netherlands
Netherlands--Walcheren
Netherlands--Vlissingen
Germany--Nuremberg
Norway
Norway--Bergen
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Germany--Hamburg
Norway--Trondheim
Germany--Munich
Germany--Heilbronn
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Harburg (Landkreis)
Germany--Giessen (Hesse)
Germany--Euskirchen (Kreis)
Poland
Poland--Gdynia
Belgium
Belgium--Houffalize
France--Royan
Germany--Merseburg
Czech Republic
Czech Republic--Most
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Siegen
Germany--Dresden
Germany--Leipzig
Germany--Pforzheim
Germany--Sassnitz
Germany--Essen
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Halle an der Saale
Germany--Würzburg
Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia)
Netherlands--IJmuiden
Germany--Flensburg
Norway--Tønsberg
Germany--Düren (Cologne)
Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)
Czech Republic--Plzeň
Germany--Herne (Arnsberg)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-09
1944-10
1944-11
1944-12
1945-01
1945-02
1945-03
1945-04
1944-04-05
1944-04-06
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-30
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
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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.
Contributor
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Tricia Marshall
463 Squadron
467 Squadron
5 Group
air gunner
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Toulouse (5/6 April 1944)
Cook’s tour
Gibson, Guy Penrose (1918-1944)
Grand Slam
H2S
killed in action
Lancaster
Mosquito
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
nose art
RAF Waddington
searchlight
tactical support for Normandy troops
Tallboy
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/194/27307/MAdamsHG424504-170215-12.2.pdf
6a8404dcfb160514dad854d71051a338
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/194/27307/MAdamsHG424504-170215-13.1.pdf
f6e1ba2a9557fc9cc5e6b4e269889bd5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Adams, Herbert
Herbert Adams
H Adams
Herbert G Adams
Description
An account of the resource
88 items. Collection concerns Herbert George Adams DFC, Legion d'Honour (b. 1924, 424509 Royal Australian Air Force). He flew operations as a navigator with 467 Squadron. Collection contains an oral history interview, photographs of people and places, several memoirs about his training and bombing operations, letters to his family, his flying logbook and notes on navigation.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Herbert Adams and catalogued by Nigel Huckins and Trevor Hardcastle.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2017-02-15
Rights
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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
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Adams, HG
Transcribed document
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Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
BERT ADAMS
Rank Sergeant ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE
467 LANCASTER SQUADRON NAVIGATOR
OPERATIONS
Le Havre – 10/9/44.
Stuttgart – 12/9/44.
Boulogne – 17/9/44.
Bremerhaven – 17/9/44.
Munchen-Gladbach – 19/9/44.
Dortmund-Ems – 23/9/44.
Karlsuhe – 26/9/44.
Kaiserslautern – 27/9/44.
Wilhelmshaven – 5/10/44.
Bremen – 6/10/44.
Knolle Dyke – 7/10/44.
Nuremnurg [sic] – 19/10/44.
Walcheren Is. – 23/10/44.
Bergen – 28/10/44.
Flushing – 30/10/44.
Dusseldorf – 2/1144.
Ems-Weser Canal – 6/11/44.
Harbourg – 11/11/44.
Duren – 16/11/44.
Dortmund-Ems Canel [sic] – 21/11/44.
Trondheim – 22/11/44.
Urft Dam – 11/12/44.
Munich – 17/12/44.
Gdynia – 18/12/44.
Rheydt – 27/12/44.
Dortmund-Ems – 1/1/45.
Royan – 4/1/45.
Munich – 7/1/45.
Brux – 16/1/45.
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BERT ADAMS
R.A.A.F. 424504
467 LANCASTER SQUADRON WADDINGTON
NAVIGATOR
10.9.44 Le Havre (France) 3.55 hrs 11 x 1000, 4 x 500 [inserted] lb bombs [/inserted] Had a good trip, except [deleted] part [/deleted] [inserted] PORT OUTER MOTOR [/inserted] packed up over target
12.9.44 Stuttgart 6.50 hrs night 1 x 4000 + 13 “J” clusters Bombed 3 mins late, saw 4 fighters Junkers 88, and unident, lots of coksrews. [sic]
14.9.44 Wainfleet 1.10 hrs night abandoned – poor vis, had to get down to 500 ft to get home
17.9.44 Boulogne 3.25 hrs day. 11 x 1000, 4 x 500
18.9.44 Bremerhaven 4.45 hrs night 18 cans incends no fighters after us, not much flak
19.9.44 Munchen-Gladbach 5.05 hrs night 1 x 2000 + 12 “J” clusters good trip to target, had to orbit 3 times for [deleted]sn[/deleted] [inserted]m[/inserted]arking, [inserted] delay [/inserted], very nearly collided, cloud very low on return T on edge of Ruhr.
23.9.44 Dortmund-Ems Canal 5.25 night 14 x 1000 crook trip for Nav – no aids & winds wrong had to orbit T, get down 6300’ to bomb, come home off track over Rotterdam, lots of flak
26.9.44 Karlsruhe 6.50 hrs night 18 cans incends saw no fighters, not much A/A, had to bomb on glare of fires
[page break]
467 Lancaster Squadron ….. Operations
27.9.44 Kaiserlautern 6.20 hrs night 18 cans incends hit target very well, saw no fighters plenty of small flak, but no hits
5.10.44 Wilhelmshaven 5.05 hrs day 18 cans incends
10/10 cloud over T, bombed on inst, got left behind formation on on [sic] the way home.
6.10.44 Bremen 4.55 hrs night 18 cans incends fairly well defended target, attack very effective
7.10.44 Knolle Dyke 3.10 hrs day 14 x 1000, 2 sticks of 7 out in formation, two bombing runs. no flak hit us, but there was a fair bit
19.10.44 Nuremberg 8.10 hrs night 1 x 2000 + 12 “J” clusters extremely quiet trip, no shearch [sic] lights or fighters.
23.10.44 Flushing 3.20 hrs day 14 x 1000 weather frightfully bad, bombed from min ht. 4000’ just under cloud, flak pretty accurate, most kites holed, 3 lost. come home at zero feet.
28.10.44 Bergen (Norway) 7.30 hrs night 12 x 1000 hard nav trip, flak very severe, monotonous sea trip, diverted to Marston Moor
30.10.44 Walcheren Is (Holland) 3.20 hrs day 14 x 1000 good trip except around Target, cloud crook, had to do 8 cicuits [sic] negligible flak, good nav trip
[page break]
467 LANCASTER SQUADRON …… OPERATIONS
2.11.44 Dusseldorf 5.20 hrs night 11 x 1000 + 4 x 500 got off late, but made up, flak inaccurate, but fighters very active, full moon no cloud. saw 13 kites go down, but din’t [sic] see any fighters ourselves.
6.11.44 Ems-Weser Canal 5.25 hrs night 14 x 1000 set course 10 mins late, marker got [inserted] no [/inserted] joy, had to bring bombs home. fighters active, few went down, weather extremly [sic] rough on way home
11.11.44 Harburg 5.35 hrs night 1 x 4000, 6 x 1000, 6 x 500 tactics changed twice, mess up all together. Got off o.k. & had fair trip – Nearly collided on way out – nearest escape yet! Frank Eyres crew missing (same billet as us) Bods came in two hours late, kept us awake!!!
16.11.44 Duren 5.25 hrs day 12 x 1000 Very nice nav trip. Ran into predicted flak 3 or 4 miles part of the track on way out, very close collected a few holes, none serious to kite or crew. vis very crook on return
21.11.44 Dortmund-Ems Canal 6.10 hrs night 13 x 1000 Fair trip had to come down to 3800’ to bomb because of cloud + nice bombing
[page break]
467 LANCASTER SQUADRON …. OPERATIONS
22.11.44 Trondheim (Norway) 10.55 hrs night 9 x 1000 Bombs brought home – target obscured by smoke screen. Off track on way home, loked [sic] as not enough juice, but wind changed and we just made it.
11.12.44 Urft Dam 6.05 hrs day 14 x 1000 Sorry we had to fly strange kite (F), very poor climber, got to target late. Did two runs but couldn’t bomb – clouds. Feathered engine on way home. Could only do 140 jettsoned [sic] 2 to land, back over an hour late.
17.12.44 Munich 9.45 hrs night 1 x 4000, 9 cans, 1 munroe
18.12.44 Gdynia (Special target – pocket battleship (“LUTZOW”) 10 x 1000 S.A.P. 9.40 hrs night
27.12.44 Rheydt 5.00 hrs day 14 x 1000
1.1.45 Dortmund-Ems Canal 6.40 hrs day 11 x 1000, 4 x 500 diverted to Strubby
4.1.45 Royan (France) 6.30 hrs night 1 x 4000, 16 x 500
7.1.44 [sic] Munich 8.45 hrs night 1 x 4000, 6 clusters
16.1.44 [sic] Brux 10.00 hrs night 1 x 4000 12 x 5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
List of Bert Adams operations
Description
An account of the resource
List of 29 operations as navigator on Lancaster of 467 Squadron between 10 September 1044 and 16 January 1945. Includes comments on each sortie with bomb load, flight times, fighters seen, weather, anti-aircraft fire, aircraft shot down.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Five page typewritten document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Text. Memoir
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MAdamsHG424504-170215-12, MAdamsHG424504-170215-13
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Australian Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Norway
Netherlands
France
Poland
Czech Republic
Germany
France--Le Havre
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
Germany--Bremerhaven
Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal
Germany--Mönchengladbach
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Kaiserslautern
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Germany--Bremen
Netherlands--Walcheren
Norway--Bergen
Netherlands--Vlissingen
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Mittelland Canal
Germany--Hamburg Region
Germany--Düren (Cologne)
Norway--Trondheim
Germany--Euskirchen Region
Germany--Munich
Poland--Gdynia
Germany--Rheydt
France--Royan
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Czech Republic--Most
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-09-10
1944-09-12
1944-09-17
1944-09-19
1944-09-23
1944-09-26
1944-09-27
1944-10-05
1944-10-06
1944-10-07
1944-10-19
1944-10-23
1944-10-28
1944-10-30
1944-11-02
1944-11-06
1944-11-11
1944-11-16
1944-11-21
1944-11-22
1944-12-11
1944-12-17
1944-12-18
1944-12-27
1945-01-01
1945-01-04
1945-01-07
1945-01-16
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
H G Adams
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
467 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
incendiary device
Ju 88
navigator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1515/28685/MDryhurstHG1332214-160608-08.2.pdf
5a7d58da37c0d3fb624247adc0ee5bd1
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Dryhurst, Harold Gainsford
H G Dryhurst
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-06-08
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Dryhurst, HG
Description
An account of the resource
42 items. The collection concerns Harold Dryhurst (1923 - 1967, 1332214 Royal Air Force) and contains his log books, letters, memoirs, documents, newspaper cuttings and photographs. He flew operations as a pilot with 103 Squadron before being shot down and becoming a prisoner of war.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Glen Dryhurst and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
HAROLD DRYHURST, RAF
Service No.: 1332214
Date of Birth: 07 JANUARY 1923
Joined the RAF in: AUGUST 1941 age 18 1/2.
[underlined] 17 EFTS [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] 17 EFTS [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Peterborough [/underlined] (Westwood): 27 AUGUST 1941
Started flying training at 17 EFTS on: 29 AUGUST 1941
Aircraft: De Havilland – DH 82A – Tiger Moth
Cross Country Solo Test Flight: 12 OCTOBER 1941
Aircraft: DH 82A Tiger Moth, T7356, 83666
Single Engined Training ended: 15 OCTOBER 1941
Left 17 EFTS, RAF Peterborough: 17 OCTOBER 1941
[underlined] RAF COLLEGE FTS [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] RAF College FTS [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Cranwell, [/underlined] (No. 2 Sqn): 24 OCTOBER 1941
Started flying training at RAF Cranwell FTS on: 27 OCTOBER 1941
Aircraft: Airspeed Oxford
RAF Cranwell FTS Training ended: 25 MARCH 1942
Left RAF Cranwell FTS: 27 MARCH 1942
[underlined] BAT CONINGSBY [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] BAT [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Coningsby, [/underlined] Lincolnshire: 12 APRIL 1942
Started flying training at BAT, RAF Coningsby on: 14 APRIL 1942
Aircraft: Airspeed Oxford
Twin Engined Training ended: 19 APRIL 1942
Left BAT, RAF Coningsby: 20 APRIL 1942
[page break]
[underlined] 26 OTU [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] 26 OTU [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Cheddington, [/underlined] Tring, Hertfordshire: 21 APRIL 1942
Started flying training at 26 OTU on: 03 MAY 1942
Aircraft: Vickers Wellington IC
Wellington Training ended: 06 JULY 1942
Left [underlined] 26 OTU, RAF Cheddington [/underlined]: 08 JULY 1942
[underlined] 12 SQUADRON [/underlined]
Joined 12 SQUADRON at RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire: 22 JULY 1942
Started flying at 12 SQN. on: 16 JULY 1942
Aircraft: Vickers Wellington II
Finished flying at 12 SQN. on: 26 JULY 1942
Left 12 SQN., RAF Binbrook: 07 AUGUST 1942
[underlined] 103 SQUADRON [/underlined]
Started flying at 103 SQN. on: 02 AUGUST 1942
Joined 103 SQUADRON at RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire: 07 AUGUST 1942
Aircraft: Handley Page Halifax II, BB214, PM-H (4 x Rolls Royce Merlin engines)
Finished flying at 103 SQN. on: 27/28 AUGUST 1942
Shot down near Koblenz, Germany by an NJG1 Bf 110 Night fighter at 0010 Hrs.
[underlined] PRISONER OF WAR [/underlined]
Sergeant Harold Gainsford DRYHURST, 1332214, POW No. 26826, Age 19 1/2.
Taken into captivity by civil police as a POW on 28 AUGUST 1942.
Detained at Dulag Luft (POW Air Force Transit Camp) on 1 SEPTEMBER 1942, 94 km from the crash-site. “Dulag-Luft” was located at Oberursel near Bad Homburg, 14 km NW of Frankfurt am Main.
Left Dulag Luft I (POW Camp) on 11 SEPTEMBER 1942.
Arrived at Stalag VIII-B (POW Camp) at Lamsdorf on 12 SEPTEMBER 1942.
[page break]
Notification of capture and detention sent by telegram on 14 SEPTEMBER 1942.
Later renamed Stalag Luft VIII-B for airmen, then later renamed Stalag 344.
Remained at Stalag VIII-B/Stalag 344 until January 1945. Evacuated westwards on the “Long March”. The Soviet Army arrived at Lamsdorf on 17 March 1945.
AIRCRAFT FLOWN BY HAROLD DRYHURST
29 Aug – 15 Oct 1941:
De Havilland DH82A – Tiger Moth II (1 engine)
49 Flights – T.7356, 83666, 1940, E-6, G-ASPZ, D-EDUM, G-EMSY (Photo)
40 Flights – T. 7355, 83665, 1940, Damaged beyond repair, Booker, 6.4.1945
40 Flights – T.6400, 84774, 1940 or later, Sold/disposed, 27.4.1952
17 Flights – N.9312, 82399, 1939 or 1940, Sold/scrapped, 28.3.1950
15 Flights – T.5855, 83591, 1940, Scrapped, Portsmouth, 28.3.1951, G-AMIR
8 Flights – T.6719, 84627, 1941 or later, G-ANKE, F-BHIP
6 Flights – T.5680, 83377, 1940, Damaged, Water Newton, 29.9.1941
4 Flights – T.6703, 85003, 1941 or later, Damaged, Barton, 7.4.1950
4 Flights – N.6803, 82073, Before 1939, Damaged, Holwell Hyde, 14.8.1942
3 Flights – T.7040, 83370, 1940, Sold, 1953
2 Flights – N.6934, 82178, Before 1939, Sold, 29.3.1951
2 Flights – N.6969, 82207, 1939, G-AMDK, Sold to Thai Navy
1 Flight – T.6125, 84592, 1941 or later, Damaged, 8.1943
27 Oct 1941 – 20 Apr 1942:
Airspeed AS.10 – Oxford I (2 engines) “Ox-box”
3 May – 6 July 1942:
Vickers – Wellington IC (2 engines)
16 July – 26 July 1942:
Vickers – Wellington II (2 engines)
2 Aug – 28 Aug 1942:
Handley Page – Halifax II (4 engines)
No aircraft accidents were sustained by Harold Dryhurst until shot down.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Harold Dryhurst Service biography
Description
An account of the resource
Covers personal details and dates of postings, training, aircraft flown. Details of capture and prisoner of war.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
H G Dryhurst
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Three page printed document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MDryhurstHG1332214-160608-08
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Hertfordshire
Germany
Germany--Koblenz
Poland
Poland--Łambinowice
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-08
1941
1942
1942-07-22
1942-08-02
1942-08-28
1945-03-17
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
103 Squadron
12 Squadron
26 OTU
aircrew
Dulag Luft
Flying Training School
Halifax
Halifax Mk 2
Me 110
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
prisoner of war
RAF Binbrook
RAF Coningsby
RAF Cranwell
RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Peterborough
Stalag 8B
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/621/10681/MParryHP2220054-161011-01.1.jpg
c619fc7b51c08c4436029288fdff1d59
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Parry, Hugh
Hugh Pryce Parry
H P Parry
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Parry, HP
Description
An account of the resource
20 items. Two oral history interviews with Hugh Parry (b. 1925, 2220054 Royal Air Force), his log book, photographs and newspaper cuttings. Hugh Parry flew operations as an air gunner with 75 Squadron and then as a photographer and air gunner with 90 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Hugh Parry and catalogued by Stuart Bennett.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-10-11
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
75NZ Squadron Mepal Cambs
Aircraft lost whilst I was there 11.2.45 to VG Day
Feb 14/15 AA-D Chemnitz POWs 1 ob. in captivity
Feb 25. AA-B Kamen POW.
I on this raid.
Feb 26 AA-W. [Deleted] [indecipherable] [/deleted] Dortmund 6 ob, crashed at Chatteris on return.
I on this raid.
Mar. 14 AA-G Hattingen. 7 ob.
Mar 21 JN-T. Munster 3 ob. 3POW. 1 evd.
AA-P Munster 7 ob.
[Deleted] * [/deleted] AA R Munster. 2 ob. 5pow. Broken in 2 by bombs. Witnessed by me
I on this raid
Apl. 13/14.* AA R. Kiel T/O. 2044, crashed @ Mepal 0225.
In the last 1000 bomber raid of the war, on Heligoland on Apl. 18th 7 aircraft lost – all Halifaxes.
We had this aircraft for a night raid on Kiel on Apl 11th We were on the battle order to do our 13th trip on Friday 13th April, but were taken off the raid. Never knew why.
The Muster raid on Mar 21, some 12 aircraft on the raid, 3 lost.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
List of operations and aircraft lost
Description
An account of the resource
List of operations between 11 February 1945 and VE day while Hugh Parry was serving with 75 New Zealand Squadron at RAF Mepal, Cambridgeshire. Operations are listed in chronological order with aircraft identification and losses.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
H P Parry
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One handwritten sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
ParryHP2220054
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
England--Cambridgeshire
Germany--Chemnitz
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Düren (Cologne)
Germany--Helgoland
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-02-14
1945-02-15
1945-02-25
1945-02-26
1945-03-14
1945-03-21
1945-04-13
1945-04-14
1945-04-18
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Anne-Marie Watson
75 Squadron
bombing
bombing of Helgoland (18 April 1945)
missing in action
RAF Mepal
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1165/34342/MTownsleyH994575-180615-02.2.pdf
fa03f4144b5b062bc0ff376672b00fbc
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Townsley, Henry
H Townsley
Description
An account of the resource
Four items. An oral history interview with Warrant Officer Henry Townsley DFM (b. 1920, 994575 Royal Air Force), a memoir, list of operations and artwork. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 97 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Henry Townsley and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-03-14
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Townsley, H
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Details from log book of Henry Townsley DFM
Description
An account of the resource
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.
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
H Townsley
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-01-14
1943-01-27
1943-01-30
1943-02-02
1943-02-03
1943-02-13
1943-02-14
1943-02-18
1943-02-25
1943-02-26
1943-02-28
1943-03-01
1943-03-03
1943-03-05
1943-03-08
1943-03-09
1943-03-26
1943-03-27
1943-03-29
1943-04-03
1943-04-04
1943-04-10
1943-05-04
1943-05-23
1943-05-25
1943-05-29
1943-06-11
1943-06-12
1943-06-20
1943-06-23
1943-06-28
1943-07-03
1943-07-27
1944-04-20
1944-04-24
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-05-01
1944-05-07
1944-05-22
1944-05-24
1944-06-06
1944-06-09
1944-06-12
1944-06-21
1944-06-24
1944-07-25
1944-08-01
1944-08-03
1944-08-09
1944-08-26
1944-08-29
1944-09-11
1944-06-05
1944-06-25
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
England--Cambridgeshire
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
France
Italy
Germany
Norway
France--Gironde Estuary
Germany
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Cologne
France--Lorient
Italy--Milan
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Germany--Nuremberg
France--Saint-Nazaire
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Essen
Germany--Munich
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Kiel
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Wuppertal
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Friedrichshafen
Italy--La Spezia
Germany--Schweinfurt
Norway--Oslo
France--Clermont-Ferrand
France--Toulouse
France--Tours
Germany--Braunschweig
Netherlands
Netherlands--Eindhoven
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
France--Argentan
France--Étampes (Essonne)
France--Poitiers
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
France--Somme
Belgium
Belgium--Kortrijk
Germany--Stuttgart
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Creil
France--Châtellerault
Russia (Federation)
Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)
Germany--Darmstadt
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Four page printed document
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MTownsleyH994575-180615-02
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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15 Squadron
166 Squadron
8 Group
9 Squadron
97 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Bombing of Trossy St Maximin (3 August 1944)
Distinguished Flying Medal
flight engineer
Ju 88
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Pathfinders
RAF Bourn
RAF Coningsby
RAF Woodhall Spa
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2198/40560/SAnkersonR[Ser -DoB]v10006.pdf
844d7bd04cfc22591b38dca10bcf3ec5
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Title
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Royal Air Force ex-Prisoner of War Association
Description
An account of the resource
97 items. The collection concerns Royal Air Force ex-Prisoner of War Association and contains items including drawings by the artist Ley Kenyon.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Robert Ankerson and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Date
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2018-01-29
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IBCC Digital Archive
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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.
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RAF ex POW As Collection
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Title
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Pilot Officer Scheidhauer - The Forced Landing and "The Great Escape"
Description
An account of the resource
A memoir of Bernard Scheidauer who was shot down over France but crashed on Jersey. He was a prisoner at Stalag Luft 3 and was involved in the tunnels used during The Great Escape.
Creator
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Ian Le Sueur
Spatial Coverage
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Germany--Landau in der Pfalz
Morocco
France--Alsace Region
France--Lorraine
France--Brest
France--Douarnenez
Great Britain
Wales--Milford Haven
England--Liverpool
England--Camberley
Canada
France--Dieppe
England--Kent
France--Somme
England--Shoreham-by-Sea
France--Normandy
France--Bayeux
Germany
Switzerland
France--Paris
France--Metz
Germany--Saarbrücken
Austria--Linz
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Poland--Żagań
Poland
Poland--Wrocław
Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Jersey
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Fighter Command
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Personal research
Format
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Six printed sheets
Identifier
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SAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]v10006
Conforms To
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Pending text-based transcription
Rights
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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.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
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1944-03-24
1944-03-25
601 Squadron
aircrew
bale out
escaping
evading
Hurricane
Lancaster
Me 110
memorial
pilot
prisoner of war
Spitfire
sport
Stalag Luft 3
Walrus
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/134/1309/BBickersJBickersKGv1.2.pdf
f0daf9df9443c941e94f43b8c3e0a425
Dublin Core
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Title
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Bickers, Kenneth
Kenneth George Bickers
K Bickers
Identifier
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Bickers, J
Description
An account of the resource
The collection consists of one piece of research related to the career of Squadron Leader Kenneth George Bickers DFC, with notes on the search for his final resting place in Germany. The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by John Bickers and catalogued by Peter Adams.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
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2015-10-02
Rights
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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.
Language
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eng
Type
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Text. Personal research
Transcribed document
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Transcription
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In remembrance of
S/Ldr Kenneth George BICKERS DFC
(21)
Crash am 24 März 1944
103 Sqn RAF Bomber Command
Elsham Wolds Lincolnshire
Pilot of Avro Lancaster ME665 PM –C
and his crew
F/Sgt Joseph Wadswoth
F/O Cyril John Plummer DFC
F/O Peter Anthony Bell
F/Sgt Leonard John Comer
F/Sgt Dennis Cannon
F/O Norman Tombs
Died 1000 meters north of this place during World War 2
March 24, 1944
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Rest in Peace
With eternal thanks to our friends Manfred and Gisela Bolke and Heinz Kruger
[Page Break]
S/Ldr Kenneth George Bickers DFC
103 Squadron RAF Elsham Wolds
Avro Lancaster Bomber ME665 PM-C
(Lost night of 24/25 March 1944 over Berlin)
On 27 March 2015 we stood in a quiet field on the edge of a small forest near the village of
Luckenwalde, about 30 kilometres south of Berlin, and placed a small wooden cross in memory of
Kenneth Bickers and the six crew of his Lancaster who were shot down and killed on the night of 24/25 March 1944. Only three bodies were discovered and they lie buried in the Berlin War Cemetery.
A Poppy Cross was placed on each Grave side in Respect. A very emotional moment in time.
To explain how my father and I came to be here with our new German friends exactly seventy-one
years after that tragic event we need to perhaps to explain Ken’s story. Ken was my father’s brother, and
we had come to try and find his final resting place.
Kenneth Bickers grew up in Southampton in the West End district of the City, one of five children born
to his parents James and Gertrude Bickers. Ken’s father James had run away to Argentina at the age of
just fifteen, but returned in order to fight the First Word War – he survived but his brother Edward
was not so lucky and was killed on the Somme just three months before the end of the wat at the age of nineteen.
Ken’s father was a hard- working man who was not afraid to impose himself on his young family if the
need arose, but he always did his best to provide and the family lived in a small rented semi-detached house not far from the centre of Southampton – however these were the Thirties in the years leading up
to the Second World War, there was no bathroom, no inside toilet and no central heating, times were
hard and about to become a lot harder.
Ken studied at Bitterne Park Boys School, was very popular amongst his peers, and rose to become
Head Boy – in fact his Headmaster wrote of him ‘I cannot speak too highly of this boy’s character – he
has been my Head Prefect for 18 months and has done excellently, he is self-reliant, steady and most reliable’.
The Second Word War broke out when Ken was just seventeen, and he was keen to get involved. As
he was under age for active service he joined the Royal Artillery and trained in mechanics and
searchlight operations. A highlight came when he was commended and promoted to Corporal having
taken control of a searchlight at the end of Hythe Pier in Southampton during the first Bitz in
November 1940.
However Ken was not satisfied with being in the Royal Artillery, and decided that her wanted to join the RAF to make a more meaningful contribution, so he switched codes in 1941 and trained to be a pilot in Terrell , Texas , USA , returning to England after 6 months to complete his training and commence operations as a Pilot Officer in 1943. His first sortie from RAF Elsham Wolds with 103 Squadron was
on 7 February 1943 attacking the German- held French port of Lorient, and by the beginning of April he
had already flown 15 sorties attacking amongst other Wilhelmshaven, Nuremburg, Bremen, Cologne
and Berlin.
In April 1943 Ken was awarded an immediate DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) – the entry in the
London Gazette on 30 April 1943 describes Ken’s heroic actions on the night of 9 April:
‘One night in April 1943, Flight Lieutenant Bickers captained an aircraft detailed to attach
Duisberg. During the homeward flight , whilst over enemy territory, the aircraft was attacked by
an enemy fighter. The first burst of fire from the attacker killed the rear gunner, severely
wounded the mid-upper gunner and set the rear turret on fire. For twenty minutes the enemy
aircraft continued its attacks and only the skilful evading tactics employed by Flight Lieutenant
Bickers prevented the bomber from being shot down. The elevator trimming gear was put out of
action, the engine controls were damaged, the wireless apparatus ad the hydraulic system were
rendered unserviceable. Many instruments were destroyed while one of the port petrol tanks was
pierced , causing its contents to leak away. In spite of the tremendous odds, Flight Lieutenant
[Page Break]
Bickers, displaying superb airmanship, flew the badly damaged aircraft to an airfield in this
country where he effected a successful crash landing. In the face of a most perilous situation this
officer displayed courage, skill fortitude of a high order.’
Ken came to the end of his first tour of operations on 29 May 1943, having successfully completed 30 sorties over enemy territory in just under three months. He was still only 20 years old.
Whilst based near Leicester he had met a girl called Joan whom he had fallen for, and plans were made
for them to get married on April 5 1944. In the meantime on 23 November 1943 Ken was accompanied
by his parents and Joan to Buckingham Palace to receive his DFC from King George VI.
Once a pilot had completed a tour of operations there was no obligation to go back and put yourself in
the front line again. It was considered that you ‘had done your bit’ and you were able to continue in service by training other aircrews.
However Ken decided to go back, in spite of the near miss as described above when attacked over
Germany and despite being engage to be married. It is not clear from the surviving papers why he
took this decision, but reading between the lines it can be surmised that the ‘exhilaration’ of battle and
the needs of the country triumphed over any regard for personal safety that may have given him pause
for thought. There is a surviving letter written to his parents in February 1944 in which he writes:
‘..as soon as I received news that we were on our way back (to recommence attacks on Germany) I
nipped smartly down to Leicester to see Joan – she is still going to marry me at Easter and wouldn’t
hear of any postponement. I’m glad!’
From this it is possible to gather that Ken was well aware of this risk he was taking, but that chance to
do what he could for his country in its hour of need was the stronger pull, and tragically it would mean
he would not marry Joan as planned on 5 April.
Having moved around various air bases whilst doing further training Ken returned to RAF Elsham
Wolds with 103 Squadron in February 1943. His surviving letters home are a mixture of describing the conditions under which he was living (‘..all my kit dirty and damp, the temperature is freezing, not a
single clean handkerchief to my name..’) , and making plans for his forthcoming wedding to Joan
(..’ Joan gave me the job of deciding where to go on honeymoon, was supposed to have come to a
decision last week but haven’t had a real opportunity to think’..)
A surviving letter written on 12 March to his parents indicates that although operations have not yet
been recommenced he is expecting to go ’any moment now’. He comments ‘I have a very good crew
and a very good aircraft. The aircraft C Charlie is brand new, it took some wrangling, but we got it in
the end!’ However it is also apparent that morale is low as Ken comments that ‘the squadron has completely changed, the old squadron spirit is almost entirely non-existent…we haven’t manged to
make ourselves very popular….the Wing Commander and I don’t see eye to eye on a number of
things..’
Ken, now newly promoted to Squadron Leader, recommenced bombing operations on Wednesday 15 March with an attack on Stuttgart – his logbook records it as a ‘quiet trip’. His last letter home was
written on Friday 17 March – in it the preparations for his forthcoming marriage on 5 April are very
much to the fore – he implores his Father to come to the wedding (..’how about taking some of your
hard-earned summer holidays and coming along with mum..’) and casually mentions his raid on
Stuttgart (..Twas a long Stooge(sic) but an uneventful one for us – that’s how I like ‘em!) He ends
the letter ‘..Well I think I had better close so cheerio for now. My love to Bunty (his small sister) and
God Bless you all. Your loving Son , Ken.’
On Wednesday 22 March Ken’s logbook records a sortie to Frankfurt, again recorded as a ‘quiet trip’.
There are no further entries.
Ken and his crew, F/O Plummer, F/O Tombs, F/O Bell, F/S Wadsworth. F/S Comer and F/S Cannon,
took off on what was to be their final sortie on Friday 24 March 1944 to attack Berlin. The operation to Berlin on 24/25 March 1944 was the final raid of The Battle of Berlin and the last large-scale attack on
[Page Break]
the city by Bomber Command. Forty-four Lancasters and twenty eight Halifaxes were lost from the
force 8.9% of the total.
The official entry for Ken’s last flight appears in Bomber Command Losses, volume 5 1944, page 131
by William Chorley:
‘Homebound, came down 2km east of Luckenwalde and exploded with great force. Three lie in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery and four are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. S/L Bickers was on the third sortie of his second tour. At 21 he was one of the youngest flight commanders to be killed in Bomber Command during 1944.
There may be no finer epitaph to Ken than that contained in Don Charlwood’s gripping first-hand
Account of life as a Bomber Command pilot, ‘No Moon Tonight’, in which the author describes coming across Ken shortly after his DFC exploits detailed above.
‘In the morning I heard that Bickers’ crew had had a shaky do the night before. The rear gunner had
been killed and for ‘Bick’ himself there was talk of an immediate DFC. Their plane had been attacked
by fighters and damaged beyond belief. In the crew room ‘Bick’ was being congratulated. To everyone
he gave the same brief answer, ‘It was a crew show. The way they stuck together go us back.’
‘Looking at Bickers, I felt that in him our last seven months were typified. For a Flight Lieutenant he
was more than usually young. His face was finely formed and unsmiling; his eyes direct. And in his
eyes was that enigmatical ops expression I had noticed so often before. I wondered what he had been before the war. I thought of him as a bank clerk, university student, even a schoolboy, but each was
poles removed from the Bickers before me.’
‘It was as though he had been created to wear the battered ops cap; the battle dress with its collar
whistle; the white ops sweater; to be a man to whom years did not apply. But most of all, it was as
though he had been created for this very hour, to stand in this drab room of many memories hearing
the congratulations of his fellows.’
2. The Search
My father (Ken’s younger brother by four years) has always been immensely affected by Ken’s death – indeed my own middle name is Kenneth as a tribute. However it has only been in the last few years since the death of my mother that I have become acutely aware of just how much he has been affected, and
one day earlier this year whilst discussing the subject, I realised that the only way for him (and
me now) to try and find some peace would be to visit Luckenwalde and see if we could find the exact
spot where Ken’s Lancaster had come down, we had no clues, other than the statement from the official record of Bomber Command Losses stated above, but by visiting we would at least gain some sense of
time and place and how it all must have happened.
My father was sceptical, worrying about the reaction of the local populace, but eventually I managed
to persuade him to go and I booked the flights from Liverpool to Berlin. It was only after I had booked them that I realised with amazement that the date of our flight to Berlin was 24 March 2015 – exactly seventy-one years to the day of Ken’s fateful flight. We took this as a sign that perhaps what we were
doing had merit after all, and upon arriving in Berlin we picked up our hire car and drove to our hotel
in preparation for the search ahead.
The next day we drove initially to Luckenwalde, a small friendly town about twenty kilometres south
of Berlin near where Ken’s plane came down as described above. We decided to visit the local museum
to see if we could find any clues as to the actual crash site, and eventually we were ushered upstairs to meet the Curator, a Heer Schmidt, not your average looking Curator it has to be said, looking very
hippy-dippy with panama hat, pony tail and goatee beard (!) and also with no English, but he did
everything he could to help, digging out old photos of the time showing the aftermath of the bombing
raids an even producing a log book that had noted in it details of all the bombing raids in the area.
Ken’s raid was right there enough, but no details were available of the actual crash site, so we
adjourned for a delightful German coffee and ice-cream next door and decided on out next move.
[Page Break]
We knew that the Lancaster had come down somewhere between Luckenwalde and the neighbouring much smaller village of Janickendorf, so we determined to drive to Janickendorf to see if there was any visible evidence of the dreadful event all those years ago – unlikely but we had a lot of time on our
hands.
The village of Janickendorf is very spread out, and to drive through it takes a good three or four
minutes – at the far end is an industrial estate and next door is an overgrown piece of land full of
bumps and hillocks, and we surmised not unreasonably that the undulations could well have been
caused by a plane crash, so we decided to lay a cross in the memory of Ken and his crew at this location, and set off to drive back to our hotel.
However I think we were both feeling frustrated by the fact we didn’t know for sure that we had
found the actual crash site, and on our way out of the far end of the village I happened to glance to my right and saw a gentleman walking up a side of the road towards the main road we were driving along, so I suddenly said to my father ‘I’m going to stop and see if he might know something’, pulled over about
a hundred yards further along the road and got out to walk back to talk to him. The fact that I knew
only about a dozen words in German wasn’t going to put me off!
By the time I got back to the gentleman he had crossed the road to the other side, and was talking to
two other people, but I looked to my left and I saw a quaint building with the word ‘museum’ (or the German Equivalent!) on it – the barn door was open, and at that exact moment a lady emerged – so I changed tack and walked over to the lady, intercepting her as she was about to close for the day. I
asked if she spoke English, and as I did so I glanced into the museum – to my utter shock there in front of me was a piece of framework from Ken’s Lancaster, together with a list of him and his crew, and
depictions of what the aircrew would have been wearing at the time, I think my reaction and the way I
was looking at the artefacts made the lady understand, because she then beckoned to the original gentleman I had seen (who turned out to be her husband!) and called him over together with a young
lady who was able to speak English, and suddenly all became clear. At this point my father was still in
the car, so I raced back up the road, opened the door and said words to the effect of, ‘ I think we might have found the plane’.
My father of course couldn’t believe it – when he walked into the museum for the first time and saw
the piece from Ken’s Lancaster it was a very emotional moment. The German couple, Manfred and
Gisela Bolke, welcomed us with open arms and Julia Horn (the young lady) translated. We were
offered tea and cake in the Museum, and gradually our story unfolded, much to the amazement of our German hosts who could not have been more welcoming or understanding.
During our conversation, Manfred said that there was a Herr Kruger that he would like us to meet –
when Julia explained that this other gentleman was the boy who as a fifteen year old had found the remains of the crashed Lancaster we were stunned, and agreed to come back on the morning of our departure to Liverpool to Manfred and Gisela’s house to meet Herr Kruger from where he would
take us to the actual crash site.
So the next morning we returned to meet Herr Kruger at Manfred and Gisela’s house which is located
just over the road from their private museum. On this occasion Manfred and Gisela’s grand-daughter Christina joined us in order to be able to translate which she did incredibly well in spite of a lot of
technical jargon!
Herr Kruger is now eighty-six years old but he was able to recall the events of that day as if they had happened yesterday. After the initial introductions and a brief discussion Herr Kruger said he would
take us to the crash site, and we call got into Manfred’s car (Julia now having rejoined us to take over translating duties from Christina) and drive about a kilometre out of the village (in the opposite
direction to where we had laid the first cross) and turned right up a small narrow lane. At the top of the lane we turned right again and entered a wooded area, dense with trees on both sides, the lane became ever bumpier until eventually after about five minutes Herr Kruger asked us to stop.
We got out of the car and with Julia translating Herr Kruger told us his story. He described how as a
fifteen year old at six o’clock in the morning he and his ten year old sister had come to the crash site
where we were standing to see what had happened. He pointed to the ground and told us that it was at the exact spot that he had found the dead body of a British airman, and said that he was struck by the
[page break]
fact that a lot of his clothing had been torn off but how clean his socks were. He was able to show the exact angle at which the body was lying (this body would either have been Air Gunner Tombs or Air
Gunner Cannon, both of whom are buried at the Berlin War Cemetery).
Of course at this point we were reeling with the amount if information that he was telling us, because
he was making it all so real. Herr Kruger then requested that we get back in the car, and we drove a
further five hundred yards or so before getting out once again. This time we walked through the trees
and dense bracken to the edge of a vast field which was sewn with crops. It was here, said Herr Kruger, that he found a second body, and heart-rendingly and with great emotion he said he felt that this airman may still have been alive when he hit the ground, as there was evidence of the soil having been
disturbed by movements of one of his feet, and his in his hand was a photograph of his wife and
children which he must have taken out of his wallet to look at before he died (this body was
probably that of Flight Engineer Wadsworth).
Herr Kruger pointed to the vast open expanse of the field and told us that this was where the bulk of the Lancaster had hit the ground. He was able to show us a photograph he had taken of his sister in
front of what looked like one of the propeller sections. He had made it all so real and we were so very grateful. My father laid another cross at the foot of one of the trees nearest the field (no remains of the other four bodies including Ken were ever found) and we all stood together, united in our remembrance and sadness for what had occurred seventy-one years ago.
We then repaired to Manfred and Gisela’s house where Gisela had prepared a delightful tea and cake,
and we were able to have further conversations (Julia now having left us) by virtue of the Google
translator which Gisela had set up on her laptop ! Herr Kruger had driven around sixty kilometres to be with us that morning, and we were indebted to him and of course Manfred, Gisela, Julia and Christina
for the wonderful welcome that they afforded to us, which bearing in mind we had arrived out of nowhere only two days previously was nothing short of incredible.
However the story didn’t finish there. Upon returning to England, again by the use of the Google
translator and email I corresponded with Gisela and suggested to her that we might like to come back
at a later date with a metal detector to see if we could possible find any further remnants belonging to
the downed Lancaster or perhaps any personal possessions relating to the dead airman, Gisela immediately wrote back and said that they already owned two metal detectors, had been in touch with
the farmer for permission to search the land and they were going to do so in a week’s time! Words
can’t do justice to the way we felt about this.
A weeks or so later Gisela sent us some photographs of Manfred and a younger couple with their young
son on fervently engaged in metal detecting of the field of the crash site - they had unearth several
mainly agricultural items but as yet nothing that could be said to be from the Lancaster. However more intriguingly Manfred had taken a photograph of a piece of rusted metal embedded half way up a tree
which looked as though it could have come from a plane as it was slightly rounded in appearance.
As I write he is investigating this item further and has also promised to go back to so some more
detecting after the 25 April. The story continues…
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
In remembrance of S/Ldr Kenneth George Bickers DFC (Age 21)
Biography of Squadron Leader George Bickers and notes on the search for his final resting place
Description
An account of the resource
Squadron Leader George Bickers was brought up in a working class family in Southampton during the 1930’s, attended Bitterne Park Boys School and joined the Royal Artillery where he was promoted to Corporal, having taken control of a searchlight during the blitz. In 1941, old enough for active service, he joined the RAF and was sent to the USA for pilot training. He commenced operations with 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds in February 1943. In the April, having already flown 15 operations, Ken was awarded an immediate DFC for superb airmanship in saving an aircraft and crew attacked whilst returning from an operation on Duisberg. He finished his first tour in May 1943 at the age of 20. After postings to various air bases undertaking further training, Ken volunteered to re-join 103 Squadron in February 1944. Meanwhile he become engaged to Joan, whom he planned to marry that April. His letters home indicate that he found things very different at RAF Elsham Wolds on his return: moral appeared to be much lower and he didn’t see eye to eye with his Wing Commander. Ken and his crew took off for what was to be their final operation on 24h March 1944 on Berlin. They were shot down on their way home, near Luckenwalde. Only three bodies were recovered, now in the Berlin War Cemetery. In 2015 Ken’s nephew JG Bickers, aware of how much his brother’s loss still affected his father, decided to take his father to Berlin to try and find the crash site. Finding no specific mention of Ken’s crash at the Luckenwalde Museum, they went on to the village of Janickendorf where a small has a piece Ken’s Lancaster together with a list of the crew. Manfred and Gisela Bolke, who run the museum, asked them to come back the following morning to meet Heinz Kruger who discovered the crash at 15. Heinz as able to show them where he and six year old sister had found two of the crewmen’s bodies at 6 in the morning, and then took them to the field where the aircraft came to rest. Heinz was able to show them a photograph of his sister in front of the crash site. Ken’s brother and nephew were made extremely welcome and both feel indebted to the people they met for all the help they were given. Gisela and Manfred, with friends, are continuing to search the area with metal detectors. This item has been redacted in order to protect the privacy of the lender.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J G Bickers
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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.
Format
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Six typewritten pages
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BBickersJBickersKGv1
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Luckenwalde
Germany
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-03-24
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending review
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Claire Monk
1 BFTS
103 Squadron
bombing
British Flying Training School Program
crash
Distinguished Flying Cross
final resting place
killed in action
Lancaster
love and romance
memorial
RAF Elsham Wolds
searchlight
shot down
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1254/16740/MBakerWB1392752-161128-13.1.pdf
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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1254/16740/MBakerWB1392752-161128-130002.2.jpg
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https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1254/16740/MBakerWB1392752-161128-130003.2.jpg
6069a4db315f5e7a33a75489a5e3d82d
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1254/16740/MBakerWB1392752-161128-130004.2.jpg
8cde04f4068a16c1717fb27327abf051
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Baker, William Benjamin
Biff Baker
W B Baker
Description
An account of the resource
45 items. The collection concerns William Benjamin "Biff" Baker DFC (Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents art work and and photographs. He flew operations as an air gunner with 115 and 626 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Pamela Baker and catalogued by Nigel Huckins and Peter Adams.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-11-28
Rights
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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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Baker, WB
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[crest]
HEADQUARTERS: 65, EASTGATE [missing word]
DRIFFIELD
E. [missing word]
HON. SECRETARY:
A. PEARCY.
Squadron History (B) Section. J. L. Dixon
REGISTRATION RESEARCH
SPECIALIST SECTION
[underlined] A BRIEF HISTORY OF No. 115 (B) SQUADRON. R.A.F. [/underlined]
No. 115 Squadron, though originally formed at Catterick on December 1st, 1917, spent many months in anticipation before it assumed any real status. Moving from Catterick to Netherhavon, [sic] then to Castle Bromwich in July, 1918, it began to take on strength the twin engined Handley Page “0/400”, and, after a short period spent in building up to war strength, moved over to France under the command of Major W. E. Gardner on August 31st.
By this date the last Allied offensive, launched on August 8th, was well under way, and the heavies were carrying out nightly attacks against lines of communication. No. 115, posted for duty with the I.A.F., moved to Rouville as part of No. 83 Wing which, under the command of Lieut/Col. J. H. Landon D.S.O., operated at five squadron strength.
Commencing “ops” on the night of September 16/17th they sent out eight “0/400’s”, but two returned with engine trouble and the remaining six dropped four tons on the railways at Metz-Sablon. One failed to return. In this raid they recorded the greatest number of aircraft to bomb the target throughout their first period of active service. In this month they operated again on the nights of 21st/22nd and 26th/27th, bombing objectives at Morhange, Saarbrucken, Thionville and Leiningen, and also sent off six bombers on the last night of the month, but the raid was abandoned.
In October, as the offensive against rail centres continued, they put up a fine show on the night of the 9th/10th when five crews carried out double trips to Metz-Sablons and Thionville and dropped six-and-a-half tons of bombs. It was in this month, on the night of 30th/31st, that they recorded their longest trip when three aircraft bombed Baden, and the aerodromes at Morhange and Hagenan, in spite of poor visibility.
As the war drew to a close they carried out their fifteenth, and last raid, on the night of November 5th/6th. Two “H.P’s” took off and one reached and bombed Frescaty ‘drome, the other, unable to “press on”, bombed the enemy camp at Dreuze before returning.
Within its short period of service the squadron dropped a total of 26 tons of bombs and lost one aircraft. One aircrew member was wounded and three reported missing.
No. 115, after providing the air escort for the vessel carrying President Wilson from Calais to Dover in December, 1918, came under the “axe” and was disbanded in England in 1919.
Throughout the ebb and flow of international affairs, and men talked of dis-armament as nations still fought the odd war on the side, the Japs marched into Manchuria, Hitler into the Ruhr, and Mussolini, in keeping with the times, decided on Abysinnia as his pitch, before re-armament really became the vogue. By 1936 the Dictators had forced the pace, and soon after the “extension programme” had begun to give back to the R.A.F. that which dis-armament had taken away, the pot began to simmer in Spain.
Under such circumstances many old squadrons were re-formed and No. 115 Squadron came back onto the “active list” on June 28th, 1937, at Marham as part of No. 3 Group, bomber Command. A twin-engined Handley Page bomber, once again, formed its initial equipment, though this time it was a monoplane, the “Harrow”, streamlined, but still sporting a fixed “undercart”.
In the shadow of war the new “115” took its place in the peace time structure, and in the short space of time still left, participated in the annual exercises and handed in its “Harrows”
[page break]
115 Squadron.
-2-
Wellington Mk. I’s. Mobilisation for war began towards the end of August, 1939, and orders confining airmen to a defined area, the withdrawal of permission to wear “civvies”, and the cancellation of leave, silenced even the “duff gen merchants”. This was “it”.
Within a short time of the declaration of war the Wellingtons were committed to the task of bombing the German Fleet off Heligoland by day. A form of attack which was quickly “scrubbed” as the formations were practically wiped out, and they were switched to “ops” to conform with the policy which handed the initiative to Hitler. A move which suited his purpose, and gave him time to re-group and make good his losses before he turned his attention to Norway and the Low Countries.
The collapse of the “phoney war” period saw the squadron swing into action as the “Wimpies” attacked a variety of targets during the heavy fighting in May and June, 1940, and throughout the Battle of Britain they operated night after night. Attacks against Hamburg, Kiel, Hamm, Cologne, Berlin in November, were amongst the numerous raids which came their way, and amongst the early entries in the list of “Honours and Awards” were the D.F.C.’s to A.C. Hamman, R.E. Kirkby, A.G. McAfee, C.H. Noble and A.J. Pate, and the D.F.M.’s to H.J. Morson, D.N.H. Cleverley, R.C. Verran and D.G.H. Poole.
Sgts. Morson and Cleverley being mentioned for gallantry during an attack against Berlin when their aircraft was badly damaged by “flak”. After extinguishing a fire, and with one engine “u/s”, they continued to carry on the return flight to base until forced to ditch. Sgt. Cleverley, on his 23rd trip, managed to send out the “gen” before the hit “the drink”.
These early “ops” were generally feats of endurance, and, though they received Mk. III’s in 1941, the attacks were pressed home on the “trial and error” basis. This in no way reflected on the crews who, night after night, gave of their best in an effort to carry out their task. Many months had yet to pass before new tactics and navigational aids achieved the accuracy demanded by the C-in-C Bomber Command.
Bremen, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Duisberg, Stuttgart, Berlin, Kiel, were amongst the targets which appeared with monotonous frequency throughout 1941. Not forgetting the “daddy” of them all – Brest.
Operating mainly under the command of N.G. Mulholland and T.O. Freeman, especially when the moon was in the right quarter, the aircrews experienced German efficiency in the continual build up of the night fighter defences, a section of the Luftwaffe once considered NOT necessary by Goering. W/C. Freeman was one of the original members of the New Zealand War Flight, the nucleus of No. 75 Squadron R.N.Z.A.F., in which he completed a tour and received the D.F.C. He was awarded the D.S.O. and Bar to the D.F.C. in No. 115, and on the completion of his period of command returned to New Zealand and was killed over Guadacanal. N.G. Mulholland, also from “down-under”, continued on “ops” until killed on February 16th, 1942.
Many acts of gallantry were recorded in 1941, and another New Zealander, Sgt. R.B. Berney, displayed initiative and courage when returning from a raid. Having seen a “Wimpy” go down into “the Drink” he dropped food to the unfortunates, then remained in the area for five hours, even after he had lost sight of the dinghy, until shortage of fuel forced his return. The D.F.M. was also awarded to Sgt. A. Robigeorge who, during an attack against Duisberg, had the alarming experience of loss of power in both engines. Undaunted, he continued his attack, and, taking a chance, set course for base and eventually “lobbed” down safely.
Clashes between bomber and fighter became more numerous and the squadron had its fair share of combats. P/O J.A.J. Bailey, on his way to attack Hamburg in the second week of May, was intercepted by a Ju. 88 which his rear gunner disposed of. A little later in the year, Sgt. R.H. Nuttall operated his turret by hand to drive off a “110”. These are but a few of the many in the squadron who fought it out in the skies over Germany during 1941 and won through. Many others fought a battle which they lost, but they were prepared to
[page break]
No. 115 Squadron
-3-
take that chance.
No. 3 Group introduced a new bombing technique early in 1942, during an attack against Essen on the night of March 8th/9th, and sent in a “flare force” to illuminate the target. An effort which gave added incentive to those who had volunteered to do the job. The beginnings of the P.F.F. which, with the introduction of radar as a navigational aid, eventually produced the answer in the search for accuracy.
Though the road along which they traversed was dangerous and hard, they did not fail in their efforts throughout 1942. A fact which is indicated in the number of awards made for gallantry during attacks against Stettin, Wilhelmshaven, Munster, the [missing word] factory at Poissy in April, when F/Lt. J.A. Sword made five photo runs over the target after bombing. Bremen on the night of June 30th, and the 29th, and again on July 2nd, Kiel, Berlin, etc., as they continued to repeat the punishment in the “give and take” of bomb-warfare.
By the end of 1942 over eighty decorations had been entered in “115’s” list of “Honours and Awards” and, of these, nineteen D.F.C’s and nine D.F.M’s had been announced in 1942. Remember A George, who had received the D.F.M. back in 1941, D.H. Keary, K.C. Murphy, D.A. Major, R. Rawlings and H.G. A’Court amongst the D.F.C’s, and E. Bullock, J.M. Thomas, later to receive the D.F.C. in “138,” J.E. Williams, R.M. Gray and J.F. Jenkins ?. The latter being killed on June 13th, 1943.
1943 brought many changes, except in their nightly excursions over enemy territory, though they experienced a short break in the programme when they moved to Wichford and during conversion to the four-engined “jobs”, Stirling III’s. The “Battle of the Ruhr” and the “Battle of Hamburg” was fought out in spite of heavy losses, and the route to the “Happy Valley” became more familiar than before. The enemy defences, “Flak” and in the air, were continually increased until they were stronger than on any other front, though their efficiency was “rocked” for a short period after the dropping of “window” over Hamburg on the night of July 24th/25th.
It was for gallantry over Cologne in June, 1943, that the squadron recorded the award of the C.G.M. to Sgt. E.T.G. Hall, “mid-upper” to Sgt. W.P. Jolly. Picked up by two fighters soon after bombing, the “Stirling” was hit and set on fire in spite of evasion action by the pilot, and, as one of the fighters which had hung on came in for the “kill”, it was met by a burst from Sgt. Hall’s position and driven off damaged. Sgt. Hall then joined Sgt. R. K. Crowther, the W/Op., and between them they managed to extinguish the flames though both were exhausted through lack of oxygen before they completed their task. By this time the rear turret had fallen off, but Sgt. Jolly, assisted by his crew, made the return journey and effected a safe landing. Both the pilot and the W/Op. received the D.F.M. for their part in this action.
Spezia, Mulheim, Hamburg, Mannheim and Hanover, formed entries in many log-books before participation in the onslaught launched against Berlin towards the end of 1943 was recorded.
It was over Mannheim towards the end of the year that S/Ldr. J.B. Starky’s gunners, Sgts. K.J. Tugwell and H.J. Willis, sent down in flames an attacking fighter which intercepted their badly damaged aircraft. Two members of the crew had been wounded in the first attack, and the bomber sent down out of control, but the pilot had been able to check the fall and, as his A.G’s attended to the injured, F/O. B.A. Beer, after plotting a course, moved up and assisted S/Ldr. Starky on the return flight. The award of the D.S.O. to the pilot, and the D.F.C. and the D.F.M’s to the “nav” and “A.G’s, was announced a little later. A similar experience also befell W/O. E.H. Boutilier, of the R.C.A.F., over Hanover. Attacked by an enemy fighter over the target he had two engines set on fire, the tail gunner killed, and other members of the crew wounded. After feathering one engine he extinguished the other in a violent dive, and, ably assisted by his wounded W/Op., Sgt. W.E. Rogers, he managed to
[page break]
No. 115 Squadron.
-4-
make the return trip home.
These acts of gallantry were recorded and officially recognised, but for many who repeatedly penetrated the strong defences there came the trip from which there was no return. These included T.R. Wood, H.J. Willis, H.H. Rogers, D.O. Rohdle, A.J.S. Oller and I.C.B. Slade, to mention just a few, but they are all remembered by those who knew them.
As the “Battle of Berlin” spread out into the early months of 1944 “Lancaster II’s replaced the “Stirlings”, then “Lanc IIIa’s”, as, backed by those who could only “stand and wait”, then trundled down the runways when the “green” flashed and were soon on their way to the old familiar target.
The – “D-day” targets followed and the attacks switched to lines of communication, marshalling yards, military camps, then, with the launching of “Overloard”, [sic] coastal areas and “V” sites, and daylight raids came back on to the programme. Giving full support to the operations in hand they worked the clock round, and the award of the D.S.O. to S/Ldrs. G.Y. Mackie and R.H. Annan, was followed by the Bar to the D.F.C. held by S/Ldr. C.D. Rush on the completion of his second tour.
As the land fighting went ahead they returned to the attack against German targets, laid their mines, and, though weather reduced “ops” in January and, to a certain extent, in February, 1945, they were away whenever the weather was suitable until, towards the end of April, they recorded their last “ops”. With the cessation of hostilities in Europe they took part in the repatriation of the P.O.W’s, then moved to Graveley in preparation for the Far East as part of “Tiger Force”, but the end to it all came in August, 1945, and allowed many of the “bods” to return to their proper jobs.
Many, many pages, could be devoted to the history of “115” which, under the command of experienced officers, including F.F. Rainsford, W.G. Devas and R.H. Shaw, battled on until the end, but in a brief account such as this, space has to be considered. A brief mention must be made of the squadron’s list of “Honours and Awards” which, on completion, included 5 D.S.O’s, over 170 D.F.C’s and 3 Bars, and 74 D.F.M.’s.
The actions of its men justified No. 115 Squadron’s motto – “Despite the elements.
The following CODES & SERIALS have been supplied by R. STURTIVANT.
Harrow. K.6949. K.6962.M K.6967.
Wellington. B.3. KO-Q X.3946. KO-V Z.8848.
Lancaster B.2. KO-G LL646. KO-L DS.669. KO-K LL.510.
KO-W DS761. A4-D DS.927.
Lancaster B.3. IL-A PB756. LL-B ME803. LL-C PB376. LL-D205.
IL-E PB757. IL-F NN754. LL-G PB798. LL-J. LM75F4
LL-K PP666. KO-A PB439. KO-E PA310. KO-C HK439
KO-G PB875. KO-H HK798. KO-J NG236. KO-J PA412.
KO-K HK580. KO-K PA441. KO-L HK583. KO-L PA433.
KO-N LL935. KO-N PB529 KO-P HK541.KO-Q HK349
KO-R HK691. KO-R NF960. KO-S ME836. KO-S ND900
KO-T LM693 KO-T PB767 KO-U LM594. KO-U LM696
KO-V ME700. KO-V PD333 KO-W PP666 KO-X PB818
KO-X PD270. KO-Z ND977/G.
[underlined] Please Note [/underlined]
Any information which the reader of this squadron history be able to supply would be greatly appreciated. Names of its C.O’s and dates of command, when and where it moved, its “ops”, etc., are important.
We are indebted to many “Air Mail” readers who have loaned us log-books, photo’s, and souvenir histories of the various squadrons in which they served, and, if you can add to the above, the information would be welcome.
(J.L.D.)
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
History of 115 (B) Squadron
Description
An account of the resource
A four-page personal history of 115 Squadron written by J L Dixon, covering formation in 1917, to the end of hostilities in 1945. It is typed on Registration Research headed notepaper.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J L Dixon
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Four type-written pages
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text. Personal research
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MBakerWB1392752-161128-130001, MBakerWB1392752-161128-130002, MBakerWB1392752-161128-130003, MBakerWB1392752-161128-130004
MBakerWB1392752-161128-13
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tricia Marshall
115 Squadron
3 Group
Harrow
Ju 88
Lancaster
Lancaster Mk 2
Lancaster Mk 3
Pathfinders
RAF Castle Bromwich
RAF Graveley
RAF Marham
Stirling
Tiger force
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2215/40708/BUsherJBurnsDRv3.2.pdf
c860dc83925d3e59d35574b1570da3da
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Burns, Bob
Denis Robert Burns
D R Burns
Description
An account of the resource
23 items. Collection concerns Warrant Officer Bob Burns (1525609 RAFVR) he flew operations as a navigator with 106 Squadron and became a prisoner of war when his aircraft, Lancaster ND853 was shot down 27 April 1944. Collection includes an oral history interview with John Usher about Bob Burns, photographs, documents, various memoirs of his last operation and captivity. It also contains recordings of his saxophone being played.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by John Usher and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022-04-07
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
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Burns, DR
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Bob Burns information re saxophone & clarinet.
Bob had been a semi professional musician before joining the RAF so imagine his surprise when, on the 24 November, a crate of musical instruments arrived at the camp, curtesy of the Red Cross.
Bob immediately laid claim to the saxophone and the clarinet which he says were better quality than the ones he had at home.
He immediately set about forming a 14 piece orchestra (see photo) writing all the music for the other instruments.
Unfortunately Bob’s time at Stalag Luft VII was not to be for long as the camp had been built on a direct path of the advancing Russians heading for Berlin.
At 3.30am on the 19 January 1945 around 1,500 prisoners were given two and a half days rations and evacuated from Bankau into a raging blizzard and one of the severest winters in memory.
Bob of course was one of these prisoners carrying with him his most prized possessions, a saxophone and a clarinet.
Although regularly falling from his grasp because of the cold, no way was he going to leave them behind.
For three weeks they marched in atrocious physical and weather conditions sleeping in barns and cattle sheds surviving on very limited food.
They arrived at Goldberg On 5 February, after walking 100 miles, suffering from dysentery, malnutrition and frostbite. They were then herded into cattle trucks and taken by rail to Stalag IIIA at Lukenwalde near Berlin.
Stalag IIIA was greatly overcrowded and foot just as scarce as on the walk.
Amazingly very few prisoners died on this walk
The Russians arrived on the 21 April, handed over the prisoners to the Americans and Bob finally was sent home on two weeks leave.
Bob remained in the RAF, now promoted to warrant officer, until the end of 1946, returning to his musical career.
He then retrained as a civil engineer, a job he continued to do until retirement in South Devon along with his wife Anne and two sons, Peter and Tim.
John Usher (Brother in Law).
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bob Burns information re saxophone and clarinet
Description
An account of the resource
Account of Bob Burns (semi-professional musician) formation of orchestra in prisoner of war camp after arrival of Red Cross parcel with saxophone and clarinet. Continues with account of long walk from Silesia to Berlin in January/February 1945 in face of advancing Russians. He carried his saxophone and clarinet.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J Usher
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1945-01-19
1945-02-15
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Poland
Poland--Opole (Voivodeship)
Germany
Germany--Berlin
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One-page printed document
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending text-based transcription. Under review
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BUsherJBurnsDRv3
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cara Walmsley
prisoner of war
Stalag 3A
Stalag Luft 7
the long march
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2175/38167/SWilliamsonF1311249v10002.2.pdf
75962071818f2d492dc16d4b43cffdb5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Williamson, Frank-249
Description
An account of the resource
24 items. The collection concerns Frank Williamson (b. 1912, 1311249 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents and newspaper clippings. He flew operations as an air gunner with 106 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Lyn Williamson and catalogued by Nigel Huckins.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Williamson, F
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2019-01-30
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
1311249 Flt Sgt Williamson, Air Gunner Lancaster
Description
An account of the resource
A biography written by his son.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
J Williamson
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Manchester
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
England--Southwold
England--Frome
England--Northampton
England--Goole
England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Essen
Germany--Remscheid
Germany--Peenemünde
Germany--Leverkusen
Germany--Nuremberg
England--Bridlington
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Mannheim
Poland--Gdańsk
Germany--Munich
Germany--Kassel
Wales--Cardiff
England--Warwickshire
England--Southam (Warwickshire)
Germany--Berlin
England--Skegness
England--Lincolnshire
England--Northamptonshire
England--Suffolk
England--Yorkshire
England--Lancashire
England--Nottinghamshire
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Germany
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Civilian
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Format
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11 printed sheets
Identifier
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SWilliamsonF1311249v10002
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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.
106 Squadron
5 Group
aerial photograph
air gunner
aircrew
B-17
bombing
bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943)
bombing of Kassel (22/23 October 1943)
Bombing of Peenemünde (17/18 August 1943)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Medal
Gee
H2S
Halifax
Ju 88
Lancaster
Lancaster Mk 3
Master Bomber
Me 110
mine laying
Mosquito
Oboe
Operational Training Unit
Pathfinders
pilot
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Croft
RAF Fulbeck
RAF Kirkham
RAF Metheringham
RAF Morpeth
RAF Saltby
RAF Swinderby
RAF Syerston
RAF Wigsley
Stirling
target indicator
target photograph
training
V-1
V-2
V-weapon
Wellington
Window
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/141/1676/PBanksP15010149.2.jpg
4be10a74ca6cd389b036f4337594ef21
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Banks, Peter. Album one
Description
An account of the resource
134 items. The album contains pictures taken at RAF Methwold and Feltwell, Battles in France as part of the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force in 1940, 2 Group target photographs, and Venturas and Photographic Reconnaissance Unit Spitfires. There are also a number of aerial photographs of cities and targets in the Ruhr and the Low countries taken at low level during a sightseeing Cooks tour after VE Day. <br /><br />Return to the <a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/140">main collection</a>.
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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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Format
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One photograph album
Identifier
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PBanksP1501
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[underlined] INTRODUCTION OF KODAKCOLOR. X 1941/1942. [/underlined]
With the introduction of Colour, in conjunction with R.A.F.’s selection of the most efficient Navigators, to form ‘100 Group’, also the modified ‘LANKASTER’ [sic] i.e. the ‘LINCOLN’, one of which was at R.A.F. FELTWELL, base in Norfolk in 1941, the most notable of the Officers was Group Captain, Leonard Cheshire, D.F.C, D.D.O.,
The damage to the actual Targets, Was so poor, due to bad navigation, also Cloud cover over the target area, added to this, the German Air defences, ground and air, a new policy was planned, so ‘100’ Group was formed, later coming to be named ‘PATHFINDER’S.
A 12” x 5” piece of KODAKCOLOUR. X. film was attached to the normal Black and White High-Speed Emulsion, (in total darkness) by a strip of adhesive tape. This was then loaded into the camera magazine, in which the ‘colour’ portion was suitably positiond, [sic] so that when the “BOMB’S WERE RELEASED”, the camera also started. The portion of ‘colour’ film was in position during the ‘bombing run-up’, the first 5” sqare [sic] being exposed to ground “fires”, tracer, searchlights, ‘flack’. (no focal-plane shutter was fitted to these cameras, as they had to be removed),.
Prior to this, the experts, i.e. ‘PATHFINDERS’ had located the target and dropped “coloured” marker ‘flares’, these were invariably ‘RED & GREEN’, it was above these ‘flares’ that the ‘bomb aimer’ had great ‘hopes to have placed his lethal load., on to [sic] the target, by being above the coloured flares.
It must at this stage be pointed out, that each of the bombers taking part in the ‘raid’, also carried a /30lb PHOTOFLASH’, (of a very high candle power), this was released at the same time as the bomb-load, but set to explode at a preset height.
During all this time, the second 5” x 5” square of coloured film, had been moved into position, assuming that the ‘bomb-aimer’ having done his job correctly, i.e., ‘guided his ‘taxy-driver’ [sic] (pilot) to arrive above the coloured on time, he would have recorded on this film that he had correctly aimed and dropped his ‘load’ right on target, providing the ‘Pathfinders’ had performed their part of the raid correctly.
The camera during all this time, was still operating, so due to some discrepancy of the timing of the ‘flash’, it often occurred that the ‘lighting’ up of the target happened on the ‘second coloured’ film, or on the following ‘B&W’ high’ speed film, consequently, one could record a ground ‘PHOTOGRAPH’ IN COLOUR OR BLACK & WHITE.
The timing of the film aperture being set at 2 seconds intervals, this being the time it was open to any of the aforementioned lighting conditions, it is understandable that many of the results were poor, to say the least.
This then is a short resumé of what was to become the pattern, ‘SATURATION” bombing. James. H. Banks, F/SGT 1939-1945 M.I.D.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Introduction of Kodakcolor X 1941/1942
Description
An account of the resource
Account of problems of accurate bombing, introduction of pathfinders and use of marker flares. Relates use of cameras and photo-flash to obtain aiming point pictures. Goes on to talk on the introduction of colour film by attaching pieces colour film to the emulsion of normal film to give alternating colour and black and white images. Relates problem of synchronising camera operation and flash. Signed James H Banks F/Sgt 1939-1945.
Creator
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James H Banks
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text. Personal research
Text
Identifier
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PBanksP15010149
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1940
1941
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Format
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One-page typewritten document mounted on an album page
Contributor
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Robin Christian
100 Group
aerial photograph
Pathfinders
RAF Feltwell
searchlight
target indicator
target photograph
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1473/43016/SCookeJRA1336866v10001.2.jpg
2ed834d2d7bcbb6218a716db9e27101d
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1473/43016/SCookeJRA1336866v10012.1.jpg
3f7d1cc2d55eda3a61fa9448119dcb76
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Cooke, Bob
James Robert Alfred Cooke
J R A Cooke
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-12-01
Rights
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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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Cooke, JRA
Description
An account of the resource
11 items. The collection concerns Flight Sergeant John Robert Alfred "Bob" Cooke (1336866 Royal Air Force) and contains research about his crew. He flew operations as a pilot with 51 Squadron and was killed 30 June 1944. <br /><br />The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by James Seymour and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on John Robert Alfred Cooke is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/205728/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Flight Sergeant JR 'Bob' Cooke
Description
An account of the resource
The front and back pages of a scrapbook compiled by Bob's nephew, James Seymour. It features a crest of 51 Squadron and a message commemorating the service and sacrifice of Bob and his crew.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
James Seymour
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-06-30
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One printed sheet
Identifier
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SCookeJRA1336866v10001, SCookeJRA1336866v10012
Rights
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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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
4 Group
51 Squadron
killed in action
memorial
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1473/43020/SCookeJRA1336866v10005.2.jpg
340d991530b951fa730028bad764374c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Cooke, Bob
James Robert Alfred Cooke
J R A Cooke
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-12-01
Rights
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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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Cooke, JRA
Description
An account of the resource
11 items. The collection concerns Flight Sergeant John Robert Alfred "Bob" Cooke (1336866 Royal Air Force) and contains research about his crew. He flew operations as a pilot with 51 Squadron and was killed 30 June 1944. <br /><br />The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by James Seymour and catalogued by Barry Hunter. <br /><br />Additional information on John Robert Alfred Cooke is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/205728/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
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Title
A name given to the resource
Bob Cooke by James Seymour
Description
An account of the resource
An explanation of why James wrote about his late uncle. Also a page out of a diary kept by Bob's father.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
James Seymour
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-06-30
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
France--Normandy
Germany
Germany--Kassel
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One printed sheet
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending text-based transcription
Identifier
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SCookeJRA1336866v10005
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
10 Squadron
4 Group
51 Squadron
Halifax
killed in action
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2444/35683/BSpencerJSpencerFDv1.2.pdf
299ab6c9736dbc86fb2854e8155cfee9
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Spencer, F D
Freddie Spencer
Spencer, Frederick David
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant F D "Freddie" Spencer DFC (1920 - 2002, 143793 Royal Air Force) and contains a photograph and a biography. He flew operations as a a flight engineer with 106 and 630 Squadron.
The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Jane Spencer and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022-10-01
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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
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Spencer, FD
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Flight Lieutenant Freddie Spencer D.F.C. Distinguished Wartime Service
[photograph]
Freddie Spencer joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve aged only eighteen on 27 September 1939 at a time when thousands of other young chaps who wanted to “do their bit” were joining up. He signed papers agreeing to serve for the “Duration of the Present Emergency” which effectively was an open ended agreement to serve until either the war was won or until he was killed or disabled and no longer able to serve, whichever the sooner.
He was immediately posted to No. 3 Depot at RAF Padgate as No. 968957, Aircraftman 2nd Class, Spencer FD. There would follow a period of six weeks of “basic training”, his induction to uniformed life, shouting, square bashing, military discipline and all that goes with it. It was a huge sprawling camp organized in quadrants comprising regular rows of barracks interspersed with drill squares and training huts.
[photograph]
Given his civil occupation as a Fitter & Motor Mechanic Freddie was immediately mustered (allocated to a specific trade grouping) as an “under training Flight Mechanic/Flight Rigger” but he still had to do six weeks Initial Training. The RAF had however decided that Freddie had useful skills and that he would receive RAF training to enable him to maintain aircraft. This was an important stage for him because if he had been assessed as less skilled he would have been allocated to a lesser trade grouping where he might be maintaining motor transport or generators, lawn mowers or similar. The alternative was “General Duties”, a category where an Aircraftman 2nd Class would spend his day pushing a broom, painting diverse things or on domestic cleaning duties or maybe peeling potatoes until he managed to escape to a higher grouping hoping to look after several lines of shelves in a stores, run errands, drive a vehicle or work as an admin clerk or officers valet.
[photograph]
Here Freddie is pictured in his RAF issue greatcoat almost certainly in the early winter of 1939.
[photograph]
On 11 November 1939 having successfully completed his “basic” Freddie was posted to No.1 Wing stationed at RAF Hednesford (above and below) to attend the No. 6 School of Technical Training. Here he would begin a course of intensive training on aircraft engines specialising in the Rolls Royce Merlin engine which was destined to power a wide range of RAF aircraft.
[photograph]
Freddie obviously became quite ill within 3 weeks because on 2 December he was admitted to Wolverhampton Isolation Hospital. The duration of his treatment is not recorded but only 2 days later (4 Dec 1939) in his absence he was re-mustered as “Aircrafthand under training Flight
Mechanic” indicating that his progress in training at No. 6 S of TT had been positive and he had been accepted as a tradesman and was now separated from the Rigger trade group (the group who maintained the fuselage and wings, etc) he was to take the path of the more technical aero engine mechanic. Training included both classroom work and hands-on in workshops and was high pressure and intensive, lads who failed to make the grade might be re-mustered to a less demanding trade or even end up as “General Duties”. His annual appraisal on 31 Dec 1939 rated him as having Very Good character and in terms of trade ability he was categorised, under training.
Operational duties
Freddie was posted to RAF Kinloss on 4 April 1940 to join No. 19 Operational Training Unit. At this stage the OTU’s trained men who had recently qualified as aircrew to operate the specific types of aircraft which they would fly when they joined squadrons. Experienced aircrew who had recently completed operational tours were the Instructors and they would pass along the knowledge which they had gained the hard way in combat. Aircrew arrived at OTU from specialist training schools (Pilot, Observer, Air Gunner, etc), and would circulate informally within a large briefing room to form crews. A pilot might recognise an Observer he’d played cricket with and ask if he would like to fly with him, they might hear a Wireless Operator with an accent from back home and ask him to join them, then they would find themselves a rear gunner, etc
No. 19 OTU was a feeder for No. 6 Group, Bomber Command and aircrew attending were trained to fly the already obsolete Armstrong Whitworth Whitley twin engine medium bombers. Freddie would be maintaining and servicing their Rolls Royce Merlin engines.
[photograph]
The Whitley above is the memorial to 19 OUT at Kinloss.
On 6 June 1940 he was promoted Aircraftman 1st Class and re-mustered Flight Mechanic, the promotion was in recognition of his trade skills, now being fully qualified to work on aero engines. On 1 August he was again promoted, this time Leading Aircraftman, recognition of a superior level of technical ability, also indicating that he had the ability to lead and mentor colleagues.
[photograph]
Freddie after his promotion to LAC (see insignia on his sleeve)
[photograph
Freddie’s work on the Rolls Royce Merlins of the Whitley’s flown from Kinloss continued and on 21 November 1940 his mustering was upgraded to “Flight Mechanic Engines” recognising his fully trained status, his ability and the experience he had gained and then on 31 December 1940 in his annual appraisal he was recorded as Leading Aircraftman, Very Good character and his ability was satisfactory (that is a good rating because the RAF demanded the very best performance as a minimum because even slight failings could result in a Whitley crashing or having to be ditched at sea with an uncertain fate for its crew).
[photograph]
The picture above shows RAF flight mechanics working on engines in the normal manner, outside in all weathers. The man sitting upright has the rank insignia of Leading Aircraftman on his arm.
His performance at his duties was recognised and on 22 May he was posted for further training to gain the status of Fitter II Engines, a step which inevitably led to promotion to Corporal rank as an NCO skilled tradesman. Freddie arrived at RAF Hednesford, No. 7 School of Technical Training on the following day and commenced his course.
At the end of his course on 23 July 1941 Freddie qualified as Fitter II E and signalled his intent to leave the Fitter trade group having applied for and received approval to train for the brand new role of Flight Engineer which the RAF had recognised would be essential with the new generation of four engine bombers.
His service record was clearly marked “Recommended for training as Flight Engineer” and on the same day he reverted to the rank of Aircraftman 1st Class. It may have been an Admin ruling in connection with his forthcoming change to aircrew status, it certainly was not a disciplinary, ability or performance related demotion. Quite possibly it happened at his own request for a personal reason, nothing is given in his records to explain. I suspect a brief period of home leave followed.
At this point in the war the RAF had recently started to operate the four engine Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber (photo below) and an understanding was being gained of the very different operational requirements of a four engine aircraft over the traditional twin engine type. A flight engineer was an enormous asset and as the result a 2nd Pilot was no longer required. That freed up a pilot who could then “skipper” his own crew and as the result made available a number of pilots to help replace those being lost on Ops. That RAF had the new four engine Avro Lancaster heavy bombers scheduled to enter service in 1942 and they would each need a Flight Engineer.
[photograph]
Freddie was posted to RAF Baginton near Coventry on 8 August 1941, it was a Hawker Hurricane fighter station and the Hurricanes based there had Rolls Royce Merlin engines. He would be serving with Fighter Command working on Hurricanes until the RAF was ready to start training him as a Flight Engineer, he was not needed in that role immediately.
[photograph
On 4 September he was posted to nearby RAF Honiley to join No. 135 (Fighter) Squadron who flew Hurricanes in defence of the industrial Midlands and on 1 November 1941 he was promoted back to the rank of Leading Aircraftman.
On 4 December Freddie was posted to RAF Angle near Pembroke to join No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force a very glamorous squadron with pre-war connections to some of the wealthiest families in the country. No. 615 flew Hurricane fighters. Their CO was Squadron Leader Denys Gillam DSO DFC & Bar a Battle of Britain fighter ace.
The year of 1941 ended very well for Freddie with an appraisal confirming his rank as LAC, his character as Very Good and his abilities as Superior (a rating not commonly seen and suggestive of exceptional ability). The squadron moved to RAF Fairwood Common on 23 January 1942 but almost two months later they moved lock-stock and barrel to Liverpool Docks and embarked aboard merchant vessels bound for India. Freddie was posted at this point, the RAF wanted to make use of his skills as a Flight Engineer.
Aircrew Status
[photograph]
At this point the lack of detail in his service record is most unhelpful. One week after No. 615 departed for India Freddie joined No. 10 Air Gunnery School at RAF Walney Island (photo above) for reasons unstated, however he is depicted in a portrait photograph wearing an Air Gunner brevet.
[photograph]
No. 10 AGS flew Boulton Paul Defiant turret fighters which were obsolete in their intended role as day fighter/bomber destroyers however they mounted a turret with four .303 Browning machine guns exactly like gun turrets on bombers.
It was an excellent gun platform for training air gunners bound for Bomber Command. So it seems that the only conclusion to be drawn is that Freddie trained here as an Air Gunner and was inevitably then classified by the RAF as Aircrew. His service record does not state the fact but I believe it almost certain that he must have been awarded his Air Gunner brevet in the third week of April 1942 before he left No. 10 AGS.
Photo below of a Boulton Paul Defiant painted black for night fighting.
[photograph]
It has to be suspected that Freddie’s training as an Air Gunner at RAF Walney Island was simply a means to an end and that he was never intended by the RAF to fly operationally as a gunner but had gained an Air Gunner brevet and official status of a qualified member of aircrew – perhaps therefore avoiding the requirement to attend a longer aircrew course at a time when Bomber Command had urgent requirement for skilled Flight Engineers.
The twin engine medium bombers operated by Bomber Command up to this point in the war, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Vickers Wellington had been flown by a five man crew including Pilot, Observer (Navigator), Bomb Aimer, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner and Rear gunner.
The new four engine bombers required the addition of a Flight Engineer to assist the pilot on take off and landing, deal with the added complexity of the four engines, manage fuel consumption, etc, and also required an additional air gunner to man the new Mid Upper turret. The new 7 man crew configuration became standard in Bomber Command, a Pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Bomb Aimer, Wireless Operator, Mid Upper Gunner and Rear Gunner.
Freddie was next posted to No. 97 Squadron at RAF Waddington on 24 April 1942. No. 97 was at that moment very much the centre of attention of the nation, having just carried out a seemingly near suicidal daylight raid on the M.A.N. engine factories at Augsburg flying their new Lancaster bombers. Wing Commander John Nettleton of No. 44 Squadron had led the two squadron Op which achieved its aims despite heavy losses. He was awarded a V.C. The attack was viewed on a similar footing to the later Dam Buster raid.
No. 97 Squadron was working very closely with No. 106 Squadron converting from the unsuccessful Avro Manchester twin engine medium bomber (below) to the new Avro Lancaster four engine bombers.
[photograph]
Records of No.97 Squadron do not show Freddie amongst the members of aircrew “posted in” during April 1942 so it seems that he joined purely to gain experience of the new Lancaster, probably working alongside No. 97’s Fitter II E’s and spending time at the factory of A V Roe Ltd alongside the Lancaster production process, this being documented in his service records. Operational records for No. 97 Squadron who were gaining experience of the Lancaster in combat do not show any occasions when he flew Ops in May or June 1942. At this time the squadrons converting from Manchesters to Lancasters were flying with a 2nd Pilot assisting the Pilot due to the shortage of Flight Engineers. Bomber Command did not want two pilots tied up in each aircraft.
On 17 May 1942 Freddie was posted to No. 4 School of Technical Training (RAF St Athan) where he received two weeks intensive training on the duties of a Lancaster Flight Engineer and probably attended lectures by aircrew who had flown aboard Lancasters operationally. He graduated on 1 June 1942 with a Flight Engineer brevet to replace his Air Gunner wing, a re-muster to Flight Engineer on his records and a promotion to Temporary Sergeant as all aircrew received automatic promotion to Sergeant.
Operations – Freddie’s first tour
Freddie was posted to RAF Coningsby to join No. 106 Squadron at a time when they still had some of the troubled twin engine Manchester bombers on their operational strength and the squadron had actually had to operate their newly arriving four engine Lancasters with a 2nd Pilot in each crew because of the shortage of Flight Engineers to help the pilot take off, fly and land the aircraft.
[photograph]
Since March 1942 No. 106 Squadron had been commanded by Wing Commander Guy Gibson DSO DFC (later to be awarded a VC in recognition of the attack by No. 617 Squadron on the Ruhr dams). Gibson had been appointed by No. 5 Group to take the squadron through the difficult conversion to Lancasters at an awkward time. After Bomber Command’s two “Maximum Effort” raids at the end of May/start of June 1942 when every squadron and operational training unit was required to make available crews for all serviceable aircraft in order to get 1,000 aircraft into the air to attack Cologne and then Essen, Gibson was granted a three week time window during which he could put his squadron into a non-operational state. This was to be his single opportunity to get all of his crews trained and familiar with the operation of the new Lancasters which were arriving from the factory of A V Roe Ltd before the next “Maximum Effort” attack was due.
No.106 Squadron at RAF Coningsby
Freddie was one of the Flight Engineers who arrived to join No. 106 during this period of frantic activity of continual day and night time flight tests and training. Later in the war Flight Engineers would have been a part of the crew formation process at Operational Training Unit (mentioned previously), they would have trained within their own crew in preparation for Ops, lived together in accommodation huts, eaten together in the mess and become a very close team prior to being posted to a squadron.
The early Flight Engineers however were completely “dropped in at the deep end”. Crews who had already been flying Ops in Manchesters and the new Lancasters with 2nd Pilot’s were to lose this team member with whom they had been sharing the risks over Germany and instead were allocated a “sprog” (a new member who had little or no combat experience). Surviving veterans reported that in the main the “new bods”, who were regarded as “Gen Kiddies” (technically minded clever chaps) were welcomed into their crews and soon fit in.
Flight Engineers assisted with the Lancaster training process from the moment of their arrival at Coningsby and would be selectively added to crews who were ready to “have a bash” the new way with a “new bod” instead of their tried and tested 2nd Pilot. The 2nd Pilots were obviously needed to “step up” and take on their own crews as Skipper. As a consequence some crews continued to fly with a second pilot, including W/Cdr Gibson who had Pilot Officer Dave Shannon (later DSO DFC, a Dam buster) as his second pilot, while others gradually began to fly with the new Flight Engineers sitting in the “second seat” beside the pilot.
Freddie and the other lads joining the squadron would be serving alongside men who were destined to accompany Gibson on the Dams Raid (ie: David Shannon, “Hoppy” Hopgood, Joe McCarthy, Bob Hutchison, Lewis Burpee, Tony Burcher, Bill Long, Ted Johnson, Guy Pegler) and men who would later lead the Pathfinder and Mosquito marking units, John Searby DSO DFC and John Wooldridge DSO DFC DFM.
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An early Lancaster (above)
Squadron records next show Freddie’s first Op.
In the early morning of 25 June 1942 Bomber Command HQ ordered that the night of 25/26 June 1942 was to be a “Maximum Effort” attack on Bremen, a massive port and u-boat building dockyard, it was expected that 1,000 aircraft would bomb the target. Gibson’s window of opportunity to train his crews was over and in common with all other units, No. 106 Squadron was expected to provide every serviceable aircraft on their strength with crews to fly them.
Pilot Officer John Coates RAAF a 30 year old from Queensland, Australia, who had flown previously as 2nd Pilot with Flight Lieut. JV “Hoppy” Hopgood, was allocated Lancaster R5678 and a “scratch
crew” (a crew comprising members of aircrew serving with the squadron but not already assigned to
fly that night as a part of an existing crew). His flight engineer would be Sergeant Freddie Spencer.
During the day they would have followed a standard routine which would be followed before every single Op they flew. The crew would have flown briefly to air-test their allocated Lancaster ensuring that it was serviceable in all aspects and the skipper would have signed acceptance of that fact on the clip board of the NCO who headed the ground crew maintaining that particular bomber.
There would have been an afternoon briefing in which the routes to and from the target were unveiled, usually in the form of ribbons stretching from base across a huge wall mounted map, out across the North Sea towards the target, passing over the target area and indicating the route home. Survivors recalled that very distant targets or targets known to be “hairy” often generated sharp intakes of breath or muttered profanities. Potential searchlight and flak belts along with known Luftwaffe night fighter airfields were pointed out for the Observers (Navigators) to mark on their charts and try to avoid. The wireless op’s were given the call signs and frequencies allocated for the night. Met officers forecast expected weather conditions particularly warning of potential icing on wings which might bring an aircraft down. They also reported any forecast head or cross-winds which might push a crew way off course consuming fuel which may not be spare. Flight engineers worked to calculate and re-calculate the fuel loads based on the required routes, distances to be covered and bomb loads carried. Bomb aimers would pay particular attention to the large scale maps and photographs of the target they could expect to see through their bomb sights, noting landmarks which might be seen on the run up to the target and during the bombing run.
They took off from Coningsby at 23:45 hours and had an uneventful outward flight arriving over Bremen on time with the Main Force, their observer (navigator) Pilot Officer Andy Maxwell, a 28 year old Scot had proven himself proficient. At the post-op debrief John Coates reported that his crew experienced some cloud cover in the TA (Target Area) but Sergeant CJ McGlinn the bomb aimer noted their bombs bursting amongst fires which were believed to be in the town centre. They landed back at base at 04:05 hours. Freddie was doubtless exhausted and would have eaten breakfast in the mess with 24 year old wireless operator Flight Sergeant John Williams from Brentford, 20 year old Sergeant John Dickie their rear gunner, a Scot from Milngavie and 21 year old Stan Topham from Bradford, mid upper gunner before they headed for their beds.
During the day of 27 June 1942 a “Battle Order” would have been posted at RAF Coningsby
indicating that “Ops are on” for the men listed to crew each aircraft specified. Freddie would have
found out that he was again listed to fly with Australian “Skipper” John Coates aboard Lancaster
R5678 as flight engineer for the same lads he had been “crewed up” with to attack Bremen. Bomber crew survivors speaking post-war usually recalled a feeling of relief if (allocated as “spare bods”) they were flying with a crew they had previously flown with and returned safely.
Lancaster R5678 lifted off the runway at Coningsby at 22:45 hours scheduled for a long flight to
parachute sea mines into a minefield known as “Deodars” located in the Gironde Estuary. The RAF regularly planted and re-laid minefields in sea lanes identified as being used by U-boats heading from their bases out to sea, it was a task known by the coded term “Gardening”. A large u-boat flotilla was based at Bordeaux and its concrete pens could not service the u-boats unless they could pass through the Gironde Estuary to and from the Bay of Biscay. Andy Maxwell navigated them precisely to their assigned “Garden” and John Coates report stated that they found “bright moonlight, no cloud and excellent visibility. Five mines were dropped. Slight opposition was experienced near Lorient” (anti-aircraft fire). A safe flight home saw them touch down at 05:05 hours on 28 June and after the routine de-brief it would have been breakfast and bed.
That was the last time Freddie flew with John Coates and crew who were joined by flight engineer Sergeant Tom Reid a 22 year old from Larkhall, Lanarkshire on a permanent basis. Having flown Op after Op they were probably looking forward to the end of their tour but they were caught above
the Ruhr Valley’s Dusseldorf searchlight and flak belt and shot down on 16 August. The entire crew “bought it” - were killed.
Scheduled for Ops again on 2 July Freddie was to fly in another attack on the north German port of Bremen. He would be flight engineer in the crew of 25 year old Pilot Officer Steve Cockbain which consisted of lads like himself who do not appear to have had a fixed crew. They took off in Lancaster R5638 at 23:59 hours and arrived over Bremen to find no cloud and excellent visibility. Their bomb load was released from 13,500 feet and bomb bursts were observed in the docks area causing fire and considerable smoke. Cockbain reported “heavy opposition in the target area” meaning searchlights and substantial flak. They landed back at Coningsby at 04:15 hours.
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Above – Lancasters attacking a dockyard/port, searchlights attempting to catch an aircraft while
yellow flak shells burst all around leaving black “smudges”.
After several days rest Freddie was listed on the “Battle Order” of 11 July 1942 to fly with Steve Cockbain and another “scratch crew” in Lancaster R5680. Their target was the u-boat construction yards at Danzig on the North German/Polish Baltic coastline. The squadron took off as usual, each
aircraft a minute or two after the previous with R5680 clearing the ground at 17:05 hours ready for a very long flight. They experienced generator problems over the North Sea and in the vicinity of Denmark (position 56.30 North x 12.00 East) the crew decided to abandon the Op due to aircraft unserviceability and their navigator 36 year old Toronto man Flight Sergeant Fred Spanner RCAF, plotted a course for home. Cockbain landed their Lancaster at base at 23:30 hours.
The “Battle Order” on 31 July listed Freddie to fly again with Steve Cockbain and a scratch crew. They were allocated Lancaster R5742 to participate in an attack on industrial Dusseldorf in the Ruhr Valley (known to cynically to bomber crews as Happy Valley due to its deservedly fearsome reputation for experienced searchlight and flak crews and the hive of night fighters which flew over it). Their navigator would be Fred Spanner again and their wireless operator would be Pilot Officer WJ Buzza
RCAF who had also flown with them on their “Early Return” two weeks earlier. They took off at 01:00 on the morning of 1 August and arrived over the Target Area in cloudless conditions but noting some ground haze. In these conditions the target was located easily and they bombed from 11,000 feet. Cockbain reported that his crew believed they hit a factory in the target area. They were then attacked by a night fighter but managed to evade it. The crew landed back at base at 05:30.
Freddie was not allocated to fly with Dorset man Steve Cockbain again, sadly he would be killed on 14 January 1945 as a Squadron Leader after being awarded a DFC, he is buried at Botley in Oxford. Fred Spanner (later Flying Officer, DFC) was lost on his second tour on 3 September 1943 when his 207 Squadron Lancaster simply disappeared during an attack on Berlin, it was presumed lost without trace over the North Sea.
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A squadron of Lancasters preparing to taxi-out ready for take off. (late 1942) Below – Freddie and crew with a 106 Squadron Lancaster
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Lancaster crew approach their aircraft (above)
On the night of 8/9 August 1942 Freddie flew his sixth Op, it was to be an important one for him because it would be his last as a “spare bod”, this time allocated to the crew being formed around former 2nd Pilot Sergeant Jim Cassels to fly Lancaster R5680. Cassels had previously flown with Steve Cockbain as 2nd Pilot. They were assigned “Gardening”, to parachute sea mines into a Garden known as “Silverthorn”. It was at a point in the Kattegat off Aarhus used routinely by u-boats. Taking off at 23:45 they flew across the North Sea to find that conditions in the target area were very poor with 9/10ths cloud, poor visability and sea mist. Their navigator located Anholt Island and calculating a precise course and speed placed the Lancaster over its Garden on a “timed run”. Five mines were laid and they returned without incident, landing at 05:45 hours for breakfast.
Regular crew
Following his sixth Op Freddie joined the crew of 33 year Pilot Officer James Leslie (Jim) Cooper a pre-war RAF Regular serviceman (and himself a former Aircrafthand Engineer), who had previously flown as 2nd Pilot with Squadron Leader Harold Robertson (aged 27 from Southern Rhodesia) their Flight Commander. Cooper was assigned to form his own crew after Robertson and his old crew had been shot down and killed two weeks earlier while flying with a novice 2nd Pilot).
Surviving Bomber Command aircrew all say that having a regular crew gave them a sense of belonging, the opportunity to bond, to get used to the habits and nuances of crew mates and to work closely as a team. All said that team work greatly improved the odds for survival.
Jim Cooper and Freddie Spencer flew together for the remainder of their tour. Their regular crew were observer (navigator) Pilot Officer Frank Drew, wireless operator/air gunner Pilot Officer John Buzza RCAF, their regular bomb aimer was Sergeant David Gregory but occasionally they had to fly with various stand-in bomb aimers for reasons not recorded, Sergeants Fred Tucker and H R Bailey made up the crew as mid-upper and rear gunner.
The “Battle Order” for 11 August 1942 assigned Lancaster W4118 to Pilot Officer Jim Cooper and
crew, it’s squadron codes were “ZN – Z” displayed on the fuselage. It would not become their regular aircraft which was R5750, however they had a crew photo taken with it (below) possibly to mark the formation of their own crew.
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Freddie Spencer standing 2nd from left, Jim Cooper probably kneeling at left and Frank Drew probably kneeling at right.
The crew’s navigator was Francis Elliott (Frank) Drew a 22 year old Devonport man. Their WOp/AG (wireless operator/air gunner) was WJ (John) Buzza RCAF a 21 year old Canadian, David Bryan Gregory a 28 year old married man from Wallasey was their regular bomb aimer, mid upper gunner was Sergeant Frederick John (Fred) Tucker a 21 year old from Wadebridge, Cornwall and Sergeant H R Bailey was the “tail end Charlie” Rear Gunner.
Seventh Op - first Op together as a crew
Jim Cooper assisted by Freddie lifted Lancaster W4118 off the runway at RAF Coningsby at 23:15 hours on 11 August 1942 and they set course for Mainz. The outward trip was uneventful with their Lancaster arriving over the Target Area to find 5/10ths cloud cover at 3,000 feet, it was a dark night but clear. They bombed from 15,000 feet and reported that bombs could be seen bursting in the built up part of town. Fires were started. Opposition was slight. Bomber Command War Diaries (p.294) notes that considerable damage was caused to the centre of Mainz. After a safe return trip they landed at base at 03:50 hours.
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The crew were soon allocated Lancaster R5750, previously flown by the CO, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, the record states that it is pictured in the photo above taken on an attack in late July 1942 by David Shannon.
It was following the attack on Mainz that Jim Cooper’s crew appear to have been assigned their own Lancaster (R5750), this tended to happen in order for an established crew to become familiar with a particular aircraft and its own idiosyncracies. This was a practice enormously beneficial to a crew with a highly competent flight engineer such as Freddie as it gave him the opportunity to know how each engine would perform under operational conditions, to find any ways to eke out fuel if they were low, to look for solutions to high altitude icing and learn any other peculiarities of “his” Lancaster to be able to seek out corrective actions before problems occurred which might kill them.
The “Battle Order” for 27 August named Jim Cooper and crew to fly R5750. No. 106 Squadron were to despatch nine Lancasters to Gdynia a Baltic port 950 miles distant led by Gibson to attack a major warship, the remainder of the squadron were to join the “Main Force” and attack Kassel. The crew took off at 20:50 hours in the force heading to Kassel. The conditions over the target were hazy with no cloud and they attacked from 8,000 feet. Bombs were observed bursting in the town where there were many large fires. Some anti-aircraft fire was noted by Freddie’s crew as were night fighters but they were not attacked. That night 10% of the “Main Force” were lost to fighters and anti-aircraft fire including 5 of the 15 Wellington’s despatched by No. 142 Squadron. All three Henschel aircraft factories were badly damaged (Bomber Command War Diaries, p.303). At Gdynia the warship could not be identified through the haze. R5750 landed at Coningsby at 02:20 hours.
On the following day, 28 August Freddie’s crew were assigned R5750 to participate in an attack on Nuremburg the ideological home of Hitler’s Nazi Party. They took off from Coningsby at 21:10 hours and arrived over the Target Area after the Pathfinder Force had dropped marker flares to assist target acquisition by the Main Force. Jim Cooper’s report stated that conditions were very clear, visibility was good and the target was visually identified. They bombed from 13,000 feet over the centre of the town where too many bombs were bursting for them to be able to identify their own. There was little flak opposition. There was damage recorded in the town centre and to the south the Nazi Party Kongresshalle and parts of the Nuremburg Rally colony was destroyed, (BCWD, page 304). They were fortunate to arrive safely back at base and landed at 04:00 hours, sadly 14% of the British bombers “Failed to Return”.
The pressure on aircrew was maintained with another Op on 1 September 1942. Again flying R5750 Jim Cooper and crew were to participate in an attack on industrial Saarbrucken. David Gregory did not fly on this night and Pilot Officer Don Margach a 30 year old from Edinburgh took his place (Margach was killed on 29 July 1944 flying with 582 Squadron on his second tour). They took off at 23:59 hours and arrived punctually in the Target Area where conditions were clear with no cloud and the Pathfinder Force marker flares were heavily bombed by the Main Force. On this night the flares had been dropped out of place and the nearby town of Saarlouis was battered. Cooper and crew landed back at base at 05:00 hours on 2 September. Opposition had been light as were losses.
After a few hours sleep the tired airmen found that they were again on “Battle Orders” with R5750 to participate in an attack on industrial Karlsruhe that same night, 2 September 1942. Taking off at 23:35 hours they arrived to attack exceptionally well placed Pathfinder flares. David Gregory had been unable to fly with them again and Sergeant J Eastwood flew as bomb aimer. The visibility in the target area was reported as good without cloud. Using the river to identify the target they bombed from 10,000 feet and saw their bombs burst amongst fires in the town which was already burning fiercely. Their successful attack was confirmed by a “bombing photo” (a huge flash assisted camera triggered to capture the fall of the bombs from a particular aircraft and document the point to be hit). Jim Cooper landed at Coningsby at 05:25 hours.
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Lancasters over a burning Target Area.
With little opportunity for rest Freddie’s crew were listed on “Battle Orders” again for the night of 4/5 September, they were to participate in an attack on Bremen where the Focke Wulf factory produced aircraft and the Atlas shipyard worked for the German Navy. The recently introduced Pathfinders developed a new tactic and for the first time their initial aircraft dropped “illuminators”
which lit the target area with white flares, their second wave “visual markers” dropped Target
Indicator flares on a positively identified target and their “backers-up” dropped all incendiary bomb loads on the coloured flares. This practice continued for the remainder of the war and allowed the Main Force to bomb more accurately. (Bomber Command War Diaries, p.306).
Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew aboard Lancaster R5750 took off at 00:30 hours on the morning of 5 September and arrived over the Target Area to find the weather very good and identified the target easily but due to the heavy smoke from many fires already burning they couldn’t see details. Bomb aimer Sergeant Eastwood was flying with them again and he bombed from 11,000 feet and was able to note the bursts of their bombs through the smoke. Flak was very heavy and accurate and their aircraft received hits and battle damage. They made it home safely landing at 05:30. Both the aircraft works and the Atlas shipyard were seriously damaged.
On the night 6/7 September Freddie’s crew were assigned Lancaster R5900 for the attack on Duisburg, their own aircraft was still under repair. They took off at 01:25 hours, again Sergeant Eastwood flew as their bomb aimer, and finding ground haze across the target they struggled to pinpoint the target. Locating the River Rhine Jim Cooper followed it and aided by Pathfinder flares they bombed from 11,000 feet seeing bombs bursting in a built up area 1 mile east of the river. As might be expected of a centre of heavy industry the flak opposition was intense. The crew noted fires burning well before they turned for home. Theytouched down at 05:15 hours.
Battle Orders for 8 September included Freddie’s crew – the target was industrial Frankfurt. Jim Cooper had been assigned the repaired R5750 and their own bomb aimer David Gregory was to rejoin them. They lifted off the runway at Coningsby at 21:00 hours. Haze over the target area made locating the aiming point difficult but finding an identifiable bend in the River Main Gregory made a bombing run and they attacked from 11,000 feet. Bombs were seen bursting in the estimated centre of the town. Little opposition was experienced, although searchlights were active the flak was light. They returned to base at 03:10 hours on 9 September.
It was the same story for the night of 10/11 September, allocated their own Lancaster R5750 Freddie and crew took off at 20:55 to take part in an attack on the factories of Dusseldorf. There was no cloud in the target area but visibility was not good due to haze. They bombed from 12,000 feet based on a timed run from a fix point. No bomb bursts could be seen however their “bombing
photo” was very good and showed that they had hit a cluster of factory buildings. Bomber Command War Diaries p.308, records that substantial damage was caused to 39 factories in Dusseldorf and Neuss sufficient to halt all production for several days. Sadly 33 of the bombers were shot down, 7% of the force. The crew landed safely at Coningsby at 01:30 hours.
The next raid of any size into the Ruhr Valley was on the night of 16/17 September when 369 bombers were ordered to bomb the Krupp tank production factories at Essen. Freddie was likely unhappy that R5750 was not serviceable and their crew were assigned a spare, Lancaster W4195. The complete crew were flying again and Jim Cooper lifted the Lancaster off at 20:25 hours. Over the target they experienced 5/10ths cloud, poor visibility and were unable to locate the ground detail which were preferred for good accuracy. Their bombs burst in a built up district as was
confirmed by their “bombing photo”. In the traget area they were buffetted by fierce and very intense flak and noted a series of bombers being shot down. The Krupp factories were damaged by bombs and by a fully loaded bomber which had been shot down and crashed directly into the target.
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The Krupp Panzer factory following RAF bombing (above)
Although successful the attack on Krupp cost 39 bombers, over 10% of the force despatched. Landing at 01:35 hours Freddie and his crew were to discover that 3 of the 11 aircraft of No. 106 Squadron which had flown that night had “Failed to Return”, their flight commander 25 year old Devon man Squadron Leader Cecil Howell and his crew and those of Pilot Officers Downer and Williams. The latter crew disappeared without trace and included Flying Officer Bob Chase (Gunnery Leader) who had flown with Freddie aboard Steve Cockbain’s Lancaster on the night of 31 July. The loss to No. 106 was very heavy but in the eyes of its crews probably not unexpected, the flak
gunners in “Happy Valley” caused heavy losses and it was regarded as a “heavy chop” target.
No. 106 Squadron were tasked to contribute aircraft to a small force to bomb Munich, the headquarters of the Nazi Party, on 19 September. Lancaster R5750 was serviceable again and the entire crew were listed for Ops. Taking off at 20:10 hours they began the long range trip and arrived over target to find no cloud and good visibility. David Gregory located the aiming point without difficulty and they bombed at 8,500 feet noting bombs bursting across the town. Flak was slight and the trip marked as very successful when they landed at 04:10 hours on 20 September. Only six of the 68 bombers attacking were lost.
“Battle Orders” for 23 September called Freddie’s crew to fly their trusty Lancaster R5750 and attack the Dornier aircraft works at Wismar as a part of a small force of 83 bombers. Jim Cooper took off at 22:40 hours and over Wismar on the Baltic coast they found 10/10ths cloud cover and were unable to identify the target despite low passes over the vicinity. David Gregory was not flying that night and another bomb aimer, Warrant Officer N Manton, made his bomb run based on calculations and timing. Attacking from 1,500 feet they did not see the results although other aircraft noted large fires including a massive fire in the aircraft works. All crews experienced intense flak and searchlights and balloons were present over the target. Many aircraft were damaged and 4 shot down. The crew landed back at Coningsby at 06:30 hours.
Given a week to rest Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew were again scheduled to fly R5750 on 1 October to return to Wismar. With the full crew together again they took off at 18:20 hours but out over the North Sea experienced serious engine problems and had to return to base at 19:30 hours.
The next night, 2 October 1942, Freddie’s crew were on “Battle Orders” again, they were assigned R5750 to attack industrial Krefeld. Jim Cooper took off at 19:00 hours and after an uneventful outward flight they encountered dense haze in the target area, the Pathfinder Force were late to mark the target and David Gregory bombed from 14,000 feet through considerable ground haze but reported that the incendiaries seemed to start a fire in a built up area, he was almost certain that they had hit their target. They landed at base at 00:25 hours.
The attack on Aachen of 5/6 October 1942 started badly as bomber squadrons took off from their bases in heavy thunder storms, six aircraft crashed in England before they had reached the Channel. Lancaster R5750 was manned by Freddie’s complete crew and they fought the weather all the way to Aachen which was located in 10/10ths cloud at 12,000 feet. Visibility was fair lower down and they attacked from 11,000 feet and observed explosions in a built up area. There was some flak but they were not close to it. 4% of the attacking bombers were lost that night.
No. 106 Squadron moved its base in October 1942 transferring from RAF Coningsby to RAF Syerston in Leicestershire. At about this time Frank Drew their navigator was promoted to Flying Officer, this was doubtless celebrated in true RAF fashion.
After a break and possibly a period of leave Jim Cooper, Freddie and their complete crew were back on the “Battle Order” of 22/23 October 1942 for a No. 5 Group special operation. The crew were to participate in a very long range Op to bomb Genoa in Italy, an attack timed to coincide with the Eighth Army (Desert Rats) attack at El Alamein. Freddie must have been annoyed to find that R5750 was unserviceable when they did their afternoon flight test. They took off in an unfamiliar Lancaster W4763 at 18:05 hours for the very long flight to the target. Conditions over Genoa were clear with no cloud and bright moonlight. Several pinpoints were identified and then Pathfinder flares were seen. The 112 Lancasters bombed, David Gregory attacked from 10,000 feet directly onto the target and bomb bursts were seen in the town centre. Bomber Command War Diaries, p.18 reports that the small force carrying only 180 tons of bombs lost none of its aircraft and caused very heavy damage in the city centre which proved seriously demoralising to the Italian people. At least one Lancaster roared across the city just above the roof tops machine-gunning targets of opportunity.
The crew landed back at RAF Syerston at 02:45 hours.
At this point crews of No. 106 Squadron had started to receive certificates for attacks on more risky targets, this is believed to have been a No. 5 Group practice. Freddie and his crew received one.
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To keep up the pressure on the Italian Homefront No. 5 Group were tasked with a risky daylight attack on Milan. The order called for 88 Lancasters to proceed independently by a direct route across France using some cloud cover to rendezvous above Lake Annecy before crossing the Alps and bomb Milan in broad daylight. Back in their Lancaster R5750 Freddie’s crew lifted off at 12:40 and arrived over the target to find good visibility and cloudbase at 5,000 feet. They bombed at 4,500 feet after easily locating the target and saw their bombs bursting in town near the electric works. Soon after the air raid sirens started. There was considerable light flak but it was not accurate. Only 4 Lancasters failed to return.
The photo below shows airmen of No. 106 Squadron who had attacked Genoa on 22/23 Oct 1942.
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A night raid took place on Genoa on 6/7 November 1942 when Jim Cooper and crew flew without Freddie, the reason for his absence is not given.
The “Battle Order” for 9 November called for Freddie and the crew to fly Lancaster R5750 to bomb Hamburg. The complete crew took off at 17:40 and had a difficult outward flight in very poor weather fighting strong winds. They encountered severe icing throughout. Locating the target was difficult due to 10/10ths cloud and they bombed a secondary target Roclinghausen from 14,000 feet. It was believed that their incendiaries caused fires to break out. They landed back at Syerston at 00:35 on 10 November.
At this point No. 5 Group HQ were requested to put pressure back on the Italians and although that inevitably involved arduous long range operations they scheduled the aircraft and crews to accomplish this.
On the night 13/14 November accompanying several Pathfinder markers 67 Lancasters attacked Genoa again. Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew took off in Lancaster R5750 at 18:00 hours following their new flight commander Squadron Leader John Searby (later one of the greatest of the Pathfinder leaders). Conditions in the target area were clear with good visibility and David Gregory had the target in his bomb sight when he bombed at 9,500 feet. Their bombs burst across the target area starting fires. Flak was reportedly minimal. They landed back at base at 03:05 hours.
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Another attack on an Italian target followed on 18/19 November this time led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson and Squadron Leader John Searby. Aboard their faithful R5750 Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew took off from Syerston at 18:00 hours to attack the Fiat motor works at Turin. Excellent conditions for bombing were found above the target with the factories clearly identified they bombed from 9,500 feet with at least two of their stick of bombs hitting the target factory. Flak was encountered but nothing like that of the Ruhr Valley. The crew were assisted by favourable winds on their homeward trip and landed at 01:15 hours just as Gibson and Searby were preparing to land.
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The night of 20/21 November called for the crew and their reliable Lancaster R5750 to undertake another long range Op to attack the Fiat works at Turin again, they were part of the biggest raiding force to Italy at that time, 232 bombers. Jim Cooper took off at 18:40 hours and on the route out one engine inexplicably failed. Freddie was unable to effect repairs in flight and despite the huge challenge the crew decided to continue, they made the rendezvous and crossed the Alps fully laden with bombs on just 3 engines. There was no cloud over Turin on arrival but the target was masked by a thick ground haze and smoke from the town. Frank Drew and David Gregory managed to pinpoint a road and river junction which enabled a timed bombing run. No results of the attack were visible but later intelligence reported heavy fires. Freddie managed to coax enough power from their three remaining engines to get them back over the Alps and they returned on three to land at 03:10 hours.
After a week of rest to recover from the long flights Freddie’s crew must have pondered their luck to be on the “Battle Order” of 28 November, another long range attack on Turin. Wing Commander Guy Gibson and Flight Lieutenant Bill Whammond led the No. 106 Squadron element and these two officers dropped the first two 8,000 lb bombs on Italy. This time Freddies crew took Lancaster W4770, taking off at 19:00 hours, they crossed the Alps without trouble and found the conditions clear over Turin, visibility was good and there was already some smoke over the target as several crews had attacked immediately on arrival instead of awaiting the Pathfinders. David Gregory bombed at 7,000 feet with the target in his sights. Their bombs were observed to burst and start fires, many large fires were seen and the bombing regarded as accurate. The crew landed back at RAF Syerston at 03:00 hours. In the course of this attack the Australian skipper of a No. 149 Squadron crew (F/Sgt R H Middleton) earned a posthumous V.C.
Following several days rest Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew were listed on “Battle Orders” again, for 6/7 December 1942 to participate in an attack on Mannheim in Germany in R5750. Taking off at 17:30 they arrived to discover Mannheim masked by 10/10ths cloud, their target was unidentifiable. Working on navigational reckonnings they bombed from 10,000 feet and although unable to see their bombs burst, fires could be seen burning beneath the cloud cover. They landed at 00:30 hours.
Last Op of the tour
At this stage the crew were near to the end of their tour and due to be “screened from Ops”, (removed from the roster of crews liable to be placed on “Battle Orders”) and due to be posted away. If they were able to complete their last Op they would have survived their tour.
On the night 8/9 December 1942 Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew were assigned Lancaster W4256 for yet another long range Op to Turin. They took off from RAF Syerston at 17:35 shortly before their flight commander Squadron Leader John Searby and headed directly for the Alps. Arriving over Turin they discovered clear conditions, and good visibility despite a smoky haze. The target could be clearly identified and it was bombed from 6,000 feet. The crew noted their bombs bursting near a bridge 1000 yards south east of the primary aiming point and after circling the target for 18 minutes to recconoitre they headed home and landed at 02:20 hours.
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Jim Cooper, Freddie and crew had survived their tour of Ops with No. 106 Squadron.
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As was quite normal, the Skipper, Pilot Officer James Leslie Cooper (111552) RAFVR was recommended for a Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of the success of his crew in their tour of Ops. Navigator - Flying Officer Francis Elliott Drew (104411) RAFVR was recommended for a DFC shortly afterwards and finally received it in March 1943.
The remainder of the crew were not decorated at that stage as was entirely normal: (Flight Engineer) 968957 Sergeant Frederick David Spencer RAFVR.
(Bomb Aimer) 1310664 Flight Sergeant David Bryan Gregory RAFVR. (Wireless Op/Air Gunner) Pilot Officer W. John Buzza, RCAF.
(Mid Upper Gunner) 1313519 Sergeant Frederick John Tucker, RAFVR (Rear Gunner) Sergeant H R Bailey (as yet not positively identified)
Most of the crew were posted-away to instruct at training units where they would prepare airmen about to embark on their own first tour of Ops. Freddie left No. 106 Squadron in late December 1942 posted to Instruct.
Jim Cooper, Frank Drew and Fred Tucker met up again to fly their second tour at No. 619 Squadron later transferring to No. 617 Squadron together. They were flying in a Lancaster attacking Munich on the night of 24/25 April 1944 when it was shot down by a night fighter, fortunately these three men managed to bale out and survived the war as Prisoners of War.
Freddie’s crew:
James Leslie Cooper DFC died in January 1982 in Scunthorpe.
Francis Elliott (Frank) Drew DFC died on 25 Jul 1957 in Paignton, he had married in June 1943 and had a son.
WJ (John) Buzza RCAF rendered distinguished service to Canada in the RCAF post-war (he was promoted to Wing Commander and after the reorganization of the Canadian Military he retired as a Brigadier General with the Canadian Decoration (C.D.)
David Bryan Gregory died in Queensland/Australia in 2008 having emigrated with his wife and five children in 1958.
Frederick John (Fred) Tucker married in June 1944 later having 3 sons and a daughter, he died in October 2003 in Wadebridge.
H R Bailey may have been a Canadian who was killed later on Ops in mid 1944 flying with 57 Squadron, I have struggled to positively identify him.
A period of “Rest” - instructing and still flying Ops
Theoretically Instructing was “resting” as it was not expected to involve operational flying. However instructing “sprog crews” (inexperienced) was seen by the tour-expired operational airmen as a pretty dangerous occupation given the number of crashes which occurred.
Freddie joined No. 1654 (Heavy) Conversion Unit at RAF Wigsley on 22 December 1942. The unit existed to accept aircrews from Operational Training Units (OTU’s) where they had learned to fly aircraft such as the Short Stirling and Vickers Wellington and sometimes Avro Manchesters and re- train them to fly Manchesters and Lancasters.
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A Lancaster of No. 1654 CU (1943/44)
During January 1943 Bomber Command HQ expected every RAF unit to make available aircraft and crews to bomb Berlin and No. 1654 HCU provided a number of crews which were most likely centred on tour expired aircrew serving at the unit as instructions but each likely including some of the men who were there to learn.
It is certain that this happened on the night of 17/18 January 1943 because No. 1654 CU operating from RAF Swinderby lost two of those it assigned (Lancasters R5843 and W4772) flown by Pilot Officer F A Reid DFC and Pilot Officer L Jenkinson) and sister unit No. 1656 HCU lost Lancaster ED316 flown by Flight Lieut. S D L Hood RNZAF. It is likely that many more flew and returned safely, possibly in other nights in Jan 1943 as well. It would be surprising if Freddie had not flown one or two Ops during this period, supervising a novice crew.
Instructing would have continued and the crashes began. Freddie witnessed many. On 24 Jan 1943 one of the units Manchesters force land just outside Lincoln with an engine in flames, on 25 Feb a practice bomb exploded beneath a Manchester and destroyed it, on 2 March a Manchester crewed by one of the experienced pilots F/Lt P J Stone DFC flying with a novice crew hit a tree, one man was killed and all others injured.
On 4 April one of the unit’s Manchesters was reported destroyed by fire.
Based on his performance Freddie had been recommended for a commission and on 4 April 1943 he was formally discharged from service in the RAFVR as an airman and commissioned into the RAFVR as a Pilot Officer (issued an officer’s service number 143793). He remained at his Instructing duties with the Heavy Conversion Unit.
Just days afterwards on 8 April one of their Lancasters (L7545) with a novice crew under instruction from one of Freddie’s peers (Pilot Officer J H Wolton DFM a fellow Flight Engineer Instructor) was in collision with an Oxford training aircraft at 18:15 hours. Both aircraft crashed at Burton Lazars in Leicestershire. All eight crew aboard the Lancaster were killed.
The toll continued for No. 1654 HCU on 15 April when a Manchester crashed and burned near the airfield, fortunately the crew of seven survived but all were injured, on 7 May the undercarriage of another Manchester collapsed during take off causing a belly landing and on the night of 23/24 May one of their Lancasters (W4303) on a night training flight broke up in the air east of Hull killing the crew of eight (including an instructor). On 11 June their Lancaster ED833 crashed after its wingtip clipped a telegraph pole, the rear gunner survived injured but his six crewmates were killed.
On 27 July Lancaster ED591 crashed while taking off when a tyre exploded and the inexperienced pilot was unable to take corrective action. The crew walked away on this occasion. August 1943 was almost an entire month without No. 1654 CU suffering a serious accident until 31 Aug when on a late evening flying exercise Lancaster W4260 crashed after a mid-air collision, the crew fate is not recorded. Later that night another of their aircraft, Lancaster R5698 collided with another training aircraft and crashed killing its crew of seven.
On 17 Sep Lancaster W4921 crashed as its novice crew took off, they were fortunate to walk away.
At this point Freddie’s work as an Instructor was recognised and he was promoted to Flying Officer (8 Oct 1943).
On 22 Oct Lancaster L7575 with a full crew crashed due to turbulence and icing and all seven airmen were killed and on 11/12 November the novice pilot of Lancaster W4902 on a night exercise crashed while taking evasive action to avoid another aircraft. The HCU crew suffered 3 killed and 3 injured.
It is suspected that Freddie might even have been relieved to be posted from No. 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit on 20 Nov 1943, he was to re-join an operational squadron as Instructor. No. 630 Squadron was a brand new squadron in the process of forming at RAF East Kirkby.
Freddie’s second tour of Ops
Freddie was posted to RAF East Kirkby on 20 November 1943 with the rank of Flying Officer to serve as a Flight Engineer Instructor however his orders were quickly changed to meet operational requirements and he was promoted again on 1 December 1943 to Acting Flight Lieutenant.
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On Freddie’s arrival at East Kirkby No. 630 Squadron was 5 days old, Squadron Leader Malcolm
Crocker DFC a 26 year old American from Massachusetts was forming it from “B Flight” of Wing Commander Fisher’s No. 57 Squadron based on the same airfield. Bomber Command were following a similar practice on many local air bases, they needed more squadron’s formed around experienced cadres to keep up the pressure of German war industry and strike hard particularly against Berlin.
Crews were posted in from other No. 5 Group squadrons such as No. 9, No. 44, No. 61, No. 106, No. 207 and No. 619 and were supplemented by new crews from HCU’s until the squadron reached strength. Conditions were tough, accommodation was not completed and much of what was needed to make a squadron operational was not available.
Freddie had been appointed Flight Engineer Leader by Malcolm Crocker, he was to head up all of the Flight Engineers assigned to the squadron. His responsibility was to ensure the operational and technical competency of every Flight Engineer. His duties would also extend to their personal well being, health and discipline. In the air each flight engineer reported to his Skipper who shared responsibility with Freddie, but on the ground, on and off duty, on leave or in hospital they were
Freddie’s engineers. He held lectures and shared his experience with his engineers.
The ”Departmental Leaders” such as Flight Engineer Leader, Gunnery Leader, Bombing Leader, Signals Leader, etc, were all experienced men, all led by example and all of them flew on a regular basis sharing the operational risks with their men. Malcolm Crocker the officer forming the unit and interim CO did likewise until the permanent CO was due to arrive mid December, Wing Commander John Rollinson DFC.
The squadron was almost immediately expected to provide operational aircraft and crews and somehow managed to achieve that. They participated in attacks on Berlin on 18/19 November, 22/23 November and 24/24 November. On the latter night No. 630 Squadron suffered its first losses when two Lancasters “Failed To Return”, twelve of the fourteen aircrew were killed including two of Freddie’s flight engineers, 20 year old Sergeant Norman Goulding and 21 year old Sergeant Charlie Pell. Ops continued at a rapid rate, bombing Berlin and Leipzig, another two crews were lost in early December with one single survivor. Within those crews Freddie lost two more flight engineers 19 year old Sergeant George Crowe and 22 year old Sergeant George Leggott. And the attacks on German cities continued throughout December.
The new CO arrived during the month, he was a highly experienced officer who had led bombing attacks on Italy and enemy shipping from besieged Malta. A potential replacement for Squadron Leader Malcolm Crocker also arrived as he was due to transfer away to command his own squadron with promotion to Wing Commander (Crocker died in June 1944 leading No. 49 Squadron), the new officer was Squadron Leader Ken Vare AFC. To familiarise himself with the current operational practices Wing Commander Rollinson flew two Ops as 2nd Pilot to Malcolm Crocker and on the night of 1-2 January 1944 Squadron leader Vare did likewise, flying with the experienced crew of Flight Lieut Doug MacDonald DFC.
The night bombing war against Germany was even more dangerous than it had been in 1942 when Freddie was last on Ops. Colonel Josef Kammhuber who headed the German night air defence system had almost perfected the cooperation between German ground radar installations, searchlight and flak belts and both radar equipped night fighters and single engine night fighters some
directed from the ground and some free to roam in “busy” areas. The “chop rate” experienced by
bomber crews was climbing.
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A flight engineer at work, sitting beside the pilot in the cockpit of a Lancaster bomber.
Operations again
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Lancaster at night, engines running up, preparing to go.
The night of 1 -2 January 1944 was to be another major attack on Berlin and No. 630 Squadron was to provide 15 Lancasters. The experienced crew of Flying Officer Ken Ames DFC, formerly with 61 Squadron, had just lost its flight engineer through medical problems and were probably highly
cautious of commencing Ops quite late in their tour with a newly assigned “sprog” flight engineer, it is understood that they were delighted to find that the Squadron Flight Engineer Leader, Freddie Spencer, was going to fly some Ops with them.
Ken Ames, Freddie and crew lifted off from RAF East Kirkby at 23:50 hours in Lancaster JB654 “C for Charlie” and began the long outward leg of their Op to Berlin. In the target area they encountered 10/10ths cloud cover. The Pathfinders marker flares were unsuccessful and bombing would have been highly inaccurate if it were not for the ground scanning radar H2S which enabled a fix. They bombed Berlin and returned safely to land at 07:39 hours.
One of their crews failed to return, it included the new Squadron Leader Ken Vare and another of
Freddie’s flight engineers, Sergeant Bob Smale aged 21.
Freddie was to fly as Flight Engineer in Ken Ames crew on a regular basis.
Ken Ames was a 22 year old from Wandsworth in London who had learned to fly as part of the Air Training Scheme in the USA. The navigator was 22 year old Jim Wright , 35 year old Sergeant Tom Savage was bomb aimer, Australian Flight Sergeant Harvey “Tex” Glasby was their 23 year old wireless operator/air gunner, Irishman Sergeant Bill Leary flew as mid upper gunner and 25 year old Dubliner Sergeant Richard (Paddy) Parle DFM as rear gunner.
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In the picture above (standing left to right) Tex Glasby, Ken Ames, Paddy Parle, Freddie Spencer, 2 ground crewmen. (squatting left to right) 2 ground crew, Jim Wright, Bill Leary, a member of ground crew, Tom Savage.
At this point in his wartime career Freddie had the option to only fly once or twice every month but he chose to put himself on the “Battle Order” almost every single time Ken Ames crew was assigned and flew through the thick of a period of terrible losses setting an extremely high standard of courage.
The following night 2/3 January he took off in Lancaster ND338 “Q for Queenie” flown by Ken Ames at 23:39 hours, again bound for Berlin. Over the target area there was blanket cloud cover but they observed the flash of the exploding 4000lb “cookies” beneath the cloud as they bombed. Intense flak was experienced and the most active night fighter defences noted to date. Freddie’s Lancaster was targeted by three different night fighters and during the ensuing battles and evasive actions the gunners used up virtually all of their ammunition. A single engine Messerschmitt Bf109 Wilde Sau night fighter was reported hit and damaged, a Junkers JU 88 twin engine radar equipped night fighter was also hit and damaged and a twin engine Bf 110 night fighter was badly hit and possibly destroyed. The crew landed back at East Kirkby at 07:54 hours.
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Although Freddie’s Lanc wasn’t hit itself on the above occasion this illustration shows a Lancaster under attack, its gunners returning fire at a nightfighter while the pilot is taking evasive action.
On the night 5/6 January 1944 Freddie again flew with Ken Ames crew this time aboard Lancaster JB672 “F for Freddie” to bomb Stettin on the Baltic coast. They took off at 23:43 hours and arrived over Stettin to find 2/20ths cloud at 18,000 feet and reasonable visibility. Attacking they noted a large explosion at 03:50 with the docks area and town both being hit. A trouble free trip home saw them land at 08:56 hours.
“Stood down” from Ops for several days due to weather and moon conditions the squadron began training, Wing Commander Rollinson took some leave and Squadron leader Edward Butler DFC & Bar the “A-Flight” commander took temporary command.
On 21/22 January Berlin was the target again, Freddie put himself on “Battle Orders” to fly with Ken Ames and crew, they were allocated Lancaster ED335 “L for Love” and took off at 20:14 hours.
Struggling with engine troubles they were unable to gain height or get up speed properly so they attacked Magdeburg which was the target of another part of the force that night, bombing on a series of red and green pathfinder markers. They were the last to land when they arrived home at 03:14 hours and yet again one of their crews was missing. Six of the seven men aboard had been
killed including one of Freddie’s stalwarts, 33 year old Sergeant Bill Yorke.
Berlin was the target on the night of 27/28 January and Freddie again opted to fly with Ken Ames and crew, they took off in Lancaster JB290 “D for Dog” at 17:36 led by Squadron leader Roy Calvert DFC the new flight commander. They arrived in the target area early and noted that the Germans had lit dummy flares to the south west in an attempt to confuse the RAF bombers but the Pathfinder flares of the correct type and colours soon landed on target and they bombed from 19,500 feet. Ken Ames landed back at East Kirkby at 01:51 hours.
Allowing himself no rest Freddie put himself on “Battle Orders” again the following night to accompany the crew to Berlin again. The night attach of 28/29 January 1944 led by Wing Commander John Rollinson was to have heavy consequences for No. 630 Squadron. Aboard
Lancaster ND335 “L for Love” which was serviceable again, Ken Ames, Freddie and crew took off at 23:45 to head for “the Big City”. At 03:29 hours at 22,000 feet “L for Love” was attacked by a Junkers JU88 twin engine radar equipped night fighter. Paddy Parle in the rear turret noted his approach and instructed skipper Ken Ames to corkscrew (roll over diving steeply and continue turning) as he returned fire. The enemy fighter broke off its attack and was not seen again. Nearing the target area they could see concentrated fires burning in Berlin which they attacked, bombing in the target area and returned without further difficulty landing at 08:01 hours.
It was soon realised that two of their Lancasters had “Failed To Return”, Wing Commander Rollinson
and his entire crew had been killed as had the crew of Pilot Officer Bill Story RAAF. Two more of
Freddie’s flight engineers were not there to eat their “post Op” breakfast, 19 year old Sergeant Percy Kempen and 23 year old Sergeant Doug James.
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Lancaster attacked over the burning target area by a radar equipped twin engine Junkers JU 88 night
fighter armed with “Jazz music” vertically firing heavy cannons.
On 2 February Freddie was confirmed in his appointment as Flight Lieutenant and sent on the Engineer Leader Course at No.4 School of Technical Training (RAF St Athan). Three months late Bomber Command had recognised that Engineer Leaders could not just been dropped in at the deep end and belatedly set up a course to give their Flight Engineer leaders, at that time the senior ranking operational Flight Engineers in the RAF, the tools that they would need to continue doing their jobs.
Freddie would have left his flight engineers in the care of his deputies Flying Officer Bill Mooney DFM lead flight engineer in “A-Flight” and Flying Officer Joe Taylor DFC, lead flight engineer in “B- Flight”.
A few days after Freddie commenced his course at St Athan the new CO of No. 630 Squadron Wing Commander Bill Deas DSO DFC & Bar a 28 year old South African arrived at East Kirkby to take command. He would have met Freddie on his return from St Athan on 1 March 1944. Five crews had been posted missing during the time he was on the course and of the 35 aircrew, only five had survived, only one of them was a flight engineer.
The first time that No. 630 Squadron was flying Ops again after his return, Freddie put himself on “Battle Orders” to fly with recently promoted Flight Lieutenant Ken Ames and their crew. Aboard ND335 “L for Love” they took off at 20:01 on 10 March 1944 led by Wing Commander Bill Deas to bomb Clermont Ferrand. Attempting to reduce civilian casualties near the target in France the Lancasters bombed from below 10,000 feet and the crew reported attacking at 9,300 feet on red spot flares to see concentrated fires burning. They landed home safely at 02:41 hours.
He listed himself to fly with Ken Ames and their crew again for the attack on Stuttgart on the night of
15/16 March 1944, when they flew ND335 “L for Love” again, taking off at 19:24 from East Kirkby. On the outward trip the crew noted two ships burning at sea before they flew with the bomber stream directly across France almost to the Swiss border before turning south to Stuttgart. Gaining a visual fix on the River Neckar they attacked from 21,000 feet bombing the Pathfinder laid red and green target indicators. A Messerschmitt Bf 109 single engine night fighter closed in to attack but Paddy Parle in the rear turret of Freddie’s Lancaster opened fire first and it was last seen diving out of control and in flames. The crew landed at 03:31 hours. Two more of the squadron’s crews were missing in action.
Wing Commander Deas led the next Op, an attack on Frankfurt on the night 18/19 March. Doubtless noting that Ken Ames was assigned to fly ND335 “L for Love” Freddie put himself on “Battle Orders” to fly with their crew and they took off at 19:08 hours. Over the target area there was no cloud but considerable haze and they bombed from 20,500 feet into the target area where sticks of incendiaries were afire. In a night notable for intense night fighter activity in and around Stuttgart they were again attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 single engine night fighter and their trusty rear gunner Paddy Parle shot it down (recommended for the Distinguished Flying Medal). The crew
landed safely at base at 00:43. One of their crews “Failed To Return” and Freddie lost another of his lads, 19 year old Sergeant Winston Clough.
Several nights followed when the crew were rested, some of the squadron still flew and another four Lancasters and crews were shot down, before the terrible raid on the night 30/31 March, possibly the worst experience of the war for Bomber Command.
“Battle Orders” of 30 March 1944 listed Ken Ames, Freddie and crew to operate in Lancaster ND335 “L for Love” carrying a “sprog” pilot to gain operational experience in the massive attack on Nuremburg, a long range target which was sure to be heavily defended. They took off at 22:02 hours. Struggling against heavy winds bomber crews flying on this attack reported seeing bombers being shot down all around them during the latter part of the outward trip, more shot down around them during their time in the target area and even more as the bombers struggled back across Germany and France on their way home. 95 bombers out of the 795 which attacked Nuremburg were shot down. Freddie’s crew noted 10/10 cloud in the target area which they bombed from 19,250 feet. The crew returned safely at 06:17 hours. No. 630 Squadron lost 3 crews on that night, 21 men.
Illustrated below is a No. 630 Squadron Lancaster, bomb bays gaping wide and payload about to drop, viewed from a sister aircraft during the attack on Nuremburg.
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During late April 1944 a No, 630 Squadron photo was taken at RAF East Kirkby.
The squadron leadership pictured in the front row (below) are left to right – Squadron Ldr Roy Calvert DFC & 2 Bars (B-Flight Commander), Wing Cdr Bill Deas DSO DFC & Bar, Squadron Ldr Edward Butler DFC & 2 Bars (A-Flight commander), Flight Lieut. “Sam” Weller DFC (Senior pilot A-Flight), Flight Lieut. Charles Martin MM (Adjutant), Flight Lieut Freddie Spencer DFC (Flight Engr Leader),
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An enlarged section is below (below).
Beneath the Flight Engineers brevet he is wearing the ribbon of the 1939-43 (later 1939-45) Star.
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On 5 April 1944 Ken Ames, Freddie and the crew were again listed on “Battle Orders”, they took off at the head of the squadron at 19:48 hours aboard Lancaster ME650 “B – Baker”. The target was a factory complex at Toulouse in France and Pathfinder marker flares were dropped from a Mosquito flown by Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire VC DSO DFC. Zero cloud was experienced in the target area with excellent visibility enabling accurate bombing from about 8,000 feet, the factory was a mass of flames following the attack. Many crews reported German radio counter measures being active. They landed safely at Barford St John on return at 04:11 due to mist at East Kirkby.
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Freddie usually flew with Ken Ames (above).
The night of 9/10 April 1944 was to be No. 630 Squadron’s first operation to plant anti-submarine mines in the Baltic. The Garden assigned to the crew was known as “Tangerine” and its position was in Danzig Bay off the u-boat base. Ken Ames was designated Deputy Leader for the entire attack which was planned to utilise the H2S, Fishpond, API and Mandrel electronic devices to ensure success.
Aboard Lancaster ND335 “L for Love” the crew took off at 21:25 hours and on arrival in the target area found conditions particularly clear. Jim Wright (navigator) located the Datum Point with ease enabling a steady run and accurate placement of their mines. Throughout the run they were under heavy attack from heavy flak guns between Pilau and Palmickan and also fast firing cannons aboard ships. They returned safely and landed at 06:40 hours.
On the very next night the crew were again operational, taking off in ND335 “L for Love” at 22:20 hours on 10 April to bomb an industrial area in Tours/France. The arrived in good visibility to make a highly successful attack after pinpoint marking by Wing Commander Deas. The attack was carried out at low level to avoid French casualties and they bombed from between 5,500 and 7,500 feet.
ND335’s bomb load this night included some 6 hour delay bombs. They landed back at East Kirkby at 04:08 hours.
A week rest followed before Ken Ames, Freddie and crew were to operate again, they took ND335 “L for Love” to bomb the railway marshalling yards at Juvissy. Taking off from East Kirkby at 20:42 hours they made an uneventful outward flight, found the target area cloud free and bombed without incident. There was little anti aircraft fire and they returned to land at 01:21 hours. BBC war correspondents were waiting at East Kirkby as they landed and interviewed a number of crews.
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The above photo shows a No. 630 Squadron crew being interviewed after that attack.
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Juvissy marshalling yards before and after the attack.
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With Ken Ames and some of the crew on leave Freddie evidently noted that as Sergeant Alex Frame, flight engineer in the highly experienced crew of Flight Lieut. JCW “Sam” Weller DFC, was unable to fly, there was a seat to be filled. He put himself on the “Battle Order” of 23 April for another night mining operation in the Baltic. With Same Weller he took off in Lancaster ME650 “B – Baker” at 21:30 that evening and headed out across the North Sea. They noted night fighters over Denmark but were not attacked themselves and arriving in a Gardening area code named “Geraniums” they parachuted mines into an area off the German port of Swinemunde. Little flak was experienced and they landed back at base at 04:10 hours.
The following night 24 April in exactly the same situation Freddie flew with Sam Weller’s crew. They took Lancaster ME650 on a long range bombing attack on Munich in Southern Germany. Taking off at 20:46 they were led by flight commander Squadron Leader Roy Calvert away from East Kirkby, one of their aircraft (flown by Pilot Officer Ron Bailey) crashed on take off after suffering engine failure. Arriving over the target area they encountered searchlights, heavy flak and night fighters.
Several of No. 630 Squadron’s aircraft were attacked but Freddie’s Lancaster was not. A highly accurate bombing attack was made and they headed for home. The Lancaster of their friend “Blue” Rackley RAAF was badly shot up by a night fighter and unable to make it home Blue flew it to Corsica where they belly landed, one crew member was dead. Meanwhile ME650 landed safely back at base at 06:35.
On 1 May 1944 the rebuilt crew of Ron Bailey who had recently crashed on take off (paragraph above) needed a flight engineer on being listed on “Battle Orders” for a night attack on an aircraft factory at Paris-Tours which was working for the Luftwaffe. Freddie put himself on the list and took off in Lancaster ND749 with Ron Bailey and crew at 20:08 hours. Weather conditions in the target area were good, little cloud, good visibility and only slight ground haze. The target was promptly and efficiently marked, and then attacked between 00:38 hours and 01:08 hours from 6,350 to 9,100 feet. Crews de-briefing stated that the “bombing appears to have been well concentrated around the red spot flares particularly in the early stages of the attack”. Ground defences were light and only one fighter was seen. The target was completely destroyed by bombing. Freddie landed at base at 03:39 hours. Sadly Ron Bailey and his crew were all killed when they were shot down over Denmark later that month.
On 7 May when “Battle Orders” were being prepared the veteran crew of Pilot Officer HC “Cliff” Rogers (later OBE DFC, Chief Test Pilot for Rolls Royce Aero Engines) required a flight engineer, their regular crewmember Sergeant Bill Cox DFM was unable to fly and Freddie typically put himself down on the list. They were assigned Lancaster ND531 and would participate in an attack on Paris-Tours air base. Cliff Rogers, Freddie and crew took off at 00:30 and bombed the target area from about 7,000 feet. The raid caused devastating damage to the main buildings, administration building and aircraft hangars and despite a heavy night fighter force being present No. 630 suffered no losses.
ND531 landed at 05:25.
Freddie’s usual crew piloted by Ken Ames were back on “Battle Orders” for the night of 11/12 May 1944 for the last Op of their tour. Bomber Command had ordered an attack on the massive German Military Depot at Bourg Leopold/Belgium hoping to confuse the Wehrmacht High Command about the likely point of attack for D-Day. Freddie, Ken and crew in their faithful ND335 “L for Love” led the take off from East Kirkby at 22:16 hours. In windy hazy conditions they attacked from about 13,000 feet but the raid was halted soon afterwards for fear of hitting civilian homes. The force were attacked by night fighters continually and two of No. 630 Squadron’s aircraft shot down, one of
Freddie’s lads Sergeant Harold Owen, aged 25, was killed and Sergeant Roy Witham aged 21 taken Prisoner of War. The crew landed at 01:55 hours and were later to complete a second tour with No. 97 Squadron Pathfinders which they survived, except “Tex” Glasby their Wireless Op who was shot down and killed while flying as a “spare bod” with another crew.
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“Tex” Glasby
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Battle Order for 11 May 1944 (Freddie listed half-way down the Flight Engineers).
I suspect that Freddie had a brief period of leave in late May 1944 and on his return participated in the D-Day operations flying with the recently arrived Squadron Leader Arthur Foster DFC who had just taken commander of “A-Flight” from Edward Butler. They took off from East Kirkby at 00:23hours aboard Lancaster ND531 “K for Kitty” in the wake of Wing Commander Bill Deas, to bomb the positions of the 12th SS “Hitler Youth” Division at Caen. The cloudbase over the target area was unexpectedly high and the bombers had to orbit whilst accurate marking was achieved and then attacked about 02:45 hours from very low level. Considerable light flak from both 37mm and 20mm cannons was experienced throughout. They landed back at base at 05:21 on the morning of 7 June 1944. The No. 5 Group attack lost 6 Lancasters including one from No. 630 Squadron, another of Freddie’s lads was taken prisoner, 33 year old George Bellman.
Freddie wouldn’t fly with Arthur Foster and crew again they were all killed when their aircraft was shot down on the night of 22 June 1944 when No, 5 Group attacked the synthetic oil plant at Wesseling. On this night No. 630 Squadron lost five of their 19 crews shot down by night fighters. Freddie lost four engineers killed - 22 year old Flight Sergeant Len Lawrence DFM, 26 year old Sergeant Ron Jordan, 24 year old Sergeant Tom Fraser and 19 year old Sergeant Ian Place. One of the aircraft had flown back crippled and crashed in England, its flight engineer Sergeant Stan Jones survived. Fortunately Freddie was not flying that night.
The workload for a leader such as Freddie in his role as Flight Engineer leader would have been enormous following so many losses, there would be “sprog crews” arriving on the squadron and needing to be trained to bring them up to standard ready for their own first Op, replacement Lancasters arriving and being checked over and a mountain of paperwork.
Meanwhile Ops in support of the D-Day ground forces continued and so did the losses. 34 year old Sergeant Bill Goodyear, another of Freddie’s engineers was lost when Pilot Officer Taft’s crew were shot down in the first week of July then on the night of 7/8 July Wing Commander Bill Deas DSO DFC & Bar and his crew were shot down by a night fighter over France. Flying with the CO were Freddie’s deputy, Flying Officer Joe Taylor DFC, the squadron’s Bombing Leader (senior bomb aimer) Flight Lieut. George Farara DFC DFM and Signals Leader Flying Officer Wally Upton DFM. In one single blow most of the leadership of No, 630 Squadron were killed, the sole survivor of that Lancaster was Wally Upton who baled out and was taken prisoner. He was beaten and denied treatment for his injuries after capture by the Gestapo.
Wing Commander Blome-Jones arrived within a day or so to assume command of the squadron and Ops continued whilst the senior leadership worked night and day to keep things running.
In the last two weeks of July further devastating losses hit not No. 630 Squadron as crew after crew were shot down. Freddie’s team lost Sergeant Ron Gannon taken Prisoner of War and 31 year old Sergeant Jim Howie, 35 year old Sergeant George Alexander, 23 year old Sergeant David Moffatt, Sergeant Frank Helliwell, 20 year old Sergeant Bill Wallace, Sergeant Fred Arnold and Flight Sergt.
WA “Ken” Butcher, all killed when their Lancasters were shot down.
On 11 August 1944 Freddie joined the veteran crew of Thomas “Paddy” Fenning to fly aboard
Lancaster ND949 “Z” in a daylight attack on Bordeaux which was still in German hands. They took off at 12:06 hours. Over the target the weather was clear and visibility excellent. The aiming point and entire dock system was clearly seen from miles away and aircraft were able to make steady bombing runs. 630 Squadron attacked between 16:32 and 16:33 hours from 17,050 to 17,900 feet. Entire sticks of bombs could be clearly seen landing across the submarine pens. Although there was no enemy fighter activity approximately 12 heavy anti aircraft guns engaged the bombers and 6 aircraft sustained minor damage. When the bunkers were captured by ground forces a few weeks later it was discovered that even the 2,000lb Armour Piercing bombs had been unable to smash their way
through the depth of steel reinforced concrete which the Germans had used for the roof of the complex. They landed at 19:44 hours.
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A daylight attack by a formation of Lancasters.
[photograph]
On 15 August 1944 the London Gazette carried the announcement of the award of a Distinguished Flying Cross to Flight Lieut. Frederick David Spencer, No. 630 Squadron. The paperwork would have been fed into the Air Ministry bureaucracy by Wing Commander Deas (since killed) and approved by the new CO Wing Commander Leslie Blome-Jones DFC. It’s three lines gave simple bald facts such as rank, name number, squadron, his role as Flight Engineer and added that he had flown 54 sorties (Ops) at that time, that being 359 operational flying hours. The completion of 54 Ops in heavy bombers spoke for itself, an incredible achievement. The Air Ministry list of awards for the month totalled approaching 300, the particular page detailed award cases No. 186 to No. 200 and of those only one man had flown more Ops than Freddie.
During August Freddie’s team lost 22 year old Sergeant Ray White, 20 year old Sergeant Phil Secretan, Sergeant Reg Larritt, Sergeant Chaz Goodman (who survived), Sergeant Guy Stott and 31 year old Charles Garner.
At this point of the air war the Allies were rapidly gaining air supremacy and the rate of losses began to reduce, Freddie had flown through a period of terrible losses and his luck had held.
[photograph]
An illustration of No. 630 Squadron’s “P for Popsie”
On 3 September 675 bombers were despatched to attack the biggest Luftwaffe nightfighter base in the Netherlands, Deelen, a real case of shaking the hornets nest. Freddie listed himself to fly with Edward “Pete” Docherty in Lancaster LL966 “P for Popsie”, they took off at about 15:15 hours. The weather conditions on the outward flight made formation flying difficult and to the north of the planned track. The proximity marker was however well placed and crews had no difficulty in identifying their aiming points although some had to make a second bombing run to catch a break in the clouds. 630 Squadron crews attacked between 17:30 and 17:33 hours from 14,000 to 16,500 feet. Accurate and heavy flak was encountered over Utrecht and over the target area with 9 aircraft reporting flak damage although only 1 of the 675 raiders was lost. By 20:38 all of No. 630 Squadron’s Lancasters had returned. Fliegerhorst Deelen was badly torn up and it’s runways seriously damaged. The Luftwaffe obviously decided that enough was enough and beginning on the following day transferred all of its units and aircraft further back into the Fatherland, effectively pulling out of Deelen by 11 September.
With the loss of Flying Officer Charles Faulkner’s crew on 11 September Freddie’s engineers lost
another of their number, Sergeant Bob Cranefield aged 20.
At this stage Freddie would have been notified that his tour as Flight Engineer Leader was coming to an end. He was doubtless preparing for the arrival of Flying Officer John Nelson (later DFC) who was to take over from him.
Freddie listed himself to fly on Ops again on 17 September, the relatively novice crew of Eric Britton needed a flight engineer as their own, Sergeant Ernie Matthews was unable to fly. Eric Britton,
Freddie and crew took off aboard Lancaster NG125 “N for Nan” at 06:52 for a daylight attack on German fortifications around Boulogne to soften it up ready for a ground assault. Low cloud was encountered in the Target Area with thin low stratus over the target. Green and Red Target indicator flares were seen and considered well placed but as the attack progressed bombing obscured the TI’s and they had to be renewed. The squadron’s crews attacked between 08:30 and 08:32 hours from 8,000 to 8,900 feet. No opposition was encountered. On return to East Kirkby the Lancasters found poor conditions and low visibility which gave for some hairy landings, NG125 set down safely at 10:26 hours. 630 Squadron were particularly pleased to hear later that the German forces surrendered just hours after their attack. It was Freddie’s last Op with Bomber Command.
At about this time it appears that Wing Commander Blome-Jones barred Freddie from further operational flying from East Kirkby considering that he had more than “done his bit”. Blome Jones was about to transfer away in early October 1944 and Freddie would have handed over to Flying Officer John Nelson and met the incoming new CO of No. 630 Squadron Wing Commander John Grindon DSO before he was transferred to Training Duties himself after a period of leave.
Freddie had flown throughout one of the periods of greatest danger for the aircrews of Bomber Command and survived two tours of Ops, an incredible achievement.
A Lancaster returns to safety (below)
[photograph]
After Bomber Command
Retaining the rank of Acting Flight Lieutenant Freddie received his next posting and returned to RAF Wigsley to re-join No. 1654 Conversion Unit as Senior Flight Engineer instructor on 22 October 1944. It was probably expected at this stage that he would be preparing more novice Lancaster crews for the Ops which they would inevitably fly on joining squadrons within weeks, however the RAF had other plans for him.
Freddie was posted to RAF Nutts Corner on 7 November 1944 shortly after the formation there of No. 1332 Heavy Conversion Unit.
[photograph]
RAF Nutts Corner just 9 miles north-west of Belfast had been in use as a Coastal Command station for some time, they operated the Very Long Range (VLR) Consolidated Liberators of No. 120 Squadron in the battle against the u-boats and the airfield also served as a staging post for aircraft completing the transatlantic flight from Canada and the USA.
No. 1332 HCU was formed in order to train aircrew to fly the brand new Avro York a sister aircraft of the spectacularly successful Lancaster from the same manufacturer. Naturally many of the aircrew available were “tour expired” chaps who had been operating in Lancasters for Bomber Command.
The RAF now required smaller crews of highly competent aircrew capable of carrying out Very Long Range endurance flights in its new V.I.P., trooping and transport aircraft, the Avro York.
[photograph]
[photograph]
The four engine Avro York (above)
As a Merlin engines specialist with very considerable operational experience with Lancasters the RAF had short listed Freddie for a 10 week training course on their latest aircraft.
Very Long Range Ops aboard the Avro York with No. 511 Squadron
The first squadron in the RAF to receive the new Avro Yorks had been No. 511 Squadron based at RAF Lyneham and after his training to learn all about the York, Freddie was posted to the squadron as Flight Engineer Leader on 25 January 1945.
Under Wing Command Edward Whitaker DFC AFC the squadron had an excellent reputation for extremely long range flights from the UK to India via Gibraltar and Malta, some flights heading further from India to the Far East.
Almost as Freddie arrived, an aircraft accident on 1 Feb 1945 left one of the squadron’s Yorks (MW116) at the bottom of the Mediterranean off Lampedusa/Italy. They were flying personnel connected with the Yalta Conference out to Russia when problems occurred during the flight and the aircraft had to ditch. Of the 19 personnel aboard 15 died, including senior military officers, two First Secretaries and one Second Secretary from the Foreign Office, their stenographer and Special Branch bodyguard, and a Military King’s Messenger.
During Freddie’s period there were numerous very long range flights from RAF Lyneham to Cairo, Colombo/Ratmalana and Calcutta. It is likely that he flew on 40 -50 of these during his time with the squadron (Transport Command records are not available to me).
The photo below shows Yorks of No. 511 Squadron at RAF Luqa (Malta) in 1945.
[photograph]
Freddie’s position aboard the aircraft was similar to that aboard a Lancaster, beside the pilot. His
role was identical, to assist the pilot at take off, with engine management during the flight and to land. Based on the experiences of former Avro York aircrew I cannot believe that Freddie did not actually fly the aircraft once airborne - as he may have flown Lancasters previously. On a long flight it has been reported that senior flight engineers took the opportunity to take the controls.
Frequently No. 511 Squadron flew heads of state and VIP’s such as Winston Churchill, General de
Gaulle, Lord Mountbatten (Governor of India), South African leader General Smuts and others.
On 5 April 1945 Freddie’s “Acting” rank of Flight Lieutenant was finally confirmed.
[photograph]
Freddie speaking with a pilot in the cockpit of an Avro York.
[photograph]
Movie Making
His final posting in the RAF was on 23 October 1945 to No. 64 SP (Staging Point) at RAF Luqa/Malta a station which by now he knew extremely well. The Air Ministry were making a series of Instructional Films and Freddie was assigned a role in this process prior to demobilization.
Demobilization
Demobilization following War Service came on 9 May 1946 when Freddie was released from the RAFVR back to civilian life. He was granted pay until 4 July 1946.
Note: The portrait photo on the front was taken 1945-46 and shows Freddie wearing the medals ribbons for the DFC, 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star with rosette for “France & Germany” and Defence Medal. The ribbon for the War Medal 1939-45 was issued later.
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Flight Lieutenant Freddie Spencer DFC
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Description
An account of the resource
A biography of Freddie Spencer. Details his training and operations with 106 Squadron and 630 Squadron.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jane Spencer
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Royal Air Force. Fighter Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Photograph
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
57 printed sheets
Conforms To
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Pending text-based transcription. Allocated
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BSpencerJSpencerFDv1
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Scotland--Moray
Wales--Glamorgan
106 Squadron
120 Squadron
1654 HCU
19 OTU
630 Squadron
97 Squadron
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
bombing
Defiant
Distinguished Flying Cross
flight engineer
ground crew
ground personnel
Heavy Conversion Unit
Hurricane
Lancaster
mine laying
Operational Training Unit
RAF Coningsby
RAF East Kirkby
RAF Kinloss
RAF St Athan
RAF Waddington
RAF Walney Island
searchlight
training
Whitley
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2238/41492/MFairbanksLW10611800-180215-050001.2.jpg
5892b582c4a38e4583bb01c54826699c
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2238/41492/MFairbanksLW10611800-180215-050002.2.jpg
f666952d50daa87c51f52f7086370268
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Fairbanks, Leonard William
Fairbanks, LW
Description
An account of the resource
16 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Leonard William Fairbanks (b. 1911, 1061800, 136326 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents, photographs, and propaganda leaflets in French.
He flew operations as a wireless operator and a special operator with 408 and 223 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Jean Carol Carter and catalogued by Lynn Corrigan.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-02-15
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Fairbanks, LW
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Leonard William Fairbank's service history
Description
An account of the resource
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.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jean Carter
Clive Carter
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-01-22
1941-08-14
1941-08-16
1941-09-06
1941-09-26
1941-10-04
1941-10-22
1941-10-31
1941-11-26
1941-12-14
1942-01-02
1942-06-01
1942-10-16
1943-03-27
1943-06-25
1944-09-19
1947
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Norfolk
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Wiltshire
England--Yorkshire
Scotland--Moray
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Format
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Two page printed document
Conforms To
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Pending text-based transcription
Contributor
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Jean Carter
Clive Carter
Identifier
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MFairbanksLW10611800-180215-050001, MFairbanksLW10611800-180215-050002
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
100 Group
20 OTU
223 Squadron
25 OTU
408 Squadron
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
B-17
B-24
bombing
Dominie
Halifax
Hampden
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
Proctor
RAF Balderton
RAF Finningley
RAF Leeming
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Oulton
RAF Stormy Down
RAF Syerston
RAF Yatesbury
training
Wellington
Whitley
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1224/15903/MBrownJ2205595-170131-010001.2.jpg
8241f92dbb98052b9061f1c59bf65ab1
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Brown, Jeff
Jeffrey Brown
J Brown
Description
An account of the resource
35 items. One oral history interview with Flying Officer Jeff Brown (b. 1925, 2205595, Royal Air Force), his log book, service material and photographs including 16 pictures of B-29s. He flew operations as a Flight Sergeant air gunner with 576 Squadron from RAF Fiskerton towards the end of the war and took part in Operation Manna.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Jeff Brown and catalogued by Peter Adams.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-01-18
2017-01-31
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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. Some items have not been published in order to protect the privacy of third parties, to comply with intellectual property regulations, or have been assessed as medium or low priority according to the IBCC Digital Archive collection policy and will therefore be published at a later stage. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collection-policy.
Identifier
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Brown, J-3
Access Rights
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Permission granted for commercial projects
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
Operation Manna
1944 September
Railways in Western Holland go on strike. German Reichkommissar, Seyss-Inquart, denies the Dutch the use of transportation for food supplies.
October
Dutch Government in exile (London) warns allies of famine in occupied Holland. Electricity and gas supplies terminated.
November
First famine casualties in cities.
December
Bread ration down to 1000 grams per week
1945 January
Severe winter weather Queen Wilhelmina writes to King George and President Roosevelt about the famine in Holland. Sugar beets distributed for human consumption. Soup kitchens in Amsterdam use tulip bulbs for human consumption. Daily ration of soup, half a litre. Two Swedish ships allowed to bring flour and margarine.
February
Wholesale starvation. Funerals in big cities impossible due to lack of coffins. Dutch government requests allied offensive to stop further starvation. Eisenhower explains the impossibility of an offensive.
March
Some supplies arrive from Portugal.
April
Soup kitchens can only supply food every other day.
Agreement signed for air dropping of food supplies by British and American planes. Bread ration down to 400 grams per week.
29th April
Operation ‘Manna’ (British) commences.
May 1st
Operation ‘Chowhound’ (American) commences.
May 8th
V.E. day. Final food drops. Thousands of Dutch people saved from starvation.
May 9th
Seyss-Inquart arrested – later tried as a war criminal and hung.
The allied air forces flew over 5000 sorties and dropped nearly 12,000 tons of food in ten days of operations.
At this time I was a young lad of nineteen, an air gunner on No. 576 Squadron. From the first to the eighth of May, I flew on five Manna operations, four to Rotterdam and one to Valkenburg.
Jeff Brown
[photograph]
Jeff Brown, September 1944
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
An account of Operation Manna
Description
An account of the resource
An account of events leading up to, and during Operation Manna, plus personal involvement. Page contains head and shoulders photograph of Jeff Brown, in uniform, showing an air gunners brevet and sergeants stripes.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jeff Brown
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One type-written sheet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text. Personal research
Text. Memoir
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MBrownJ2205595-170131-010001
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Netherlands
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-09
1945-04
1945-05
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944-09
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Steve Baldwin
576 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945)
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2635/46366/MKeelingRV82689-230601-01.1.jpg
595fd51ba6794015ebc8aab9abd7e7bf
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Keeling, Robert Victor
Description
An account of the resource
48 items. The collection concerns Robert Victor Keeling, DFC (b. 1916, 82689 Royal Air Force) and contains his log books, correspondence, decorations and a <a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2655">Scrapbook</a>. He flew operations as a pilot with 51 Squadron. Following his retirement from the Royal Air Force with the rank of Squadron leader he became a civilian pilot. <br /><br />The collection was loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by David Keeling and catalogued by Lynn Corrigan.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-06-01
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Keeling, RV
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bob Keeling
Description
An account of the resource
Top, report of the death of Douglas Jeffries in aircraft MH-M. Bottom, report and picture of Whitley T4218 MH-H, following a failed landing attempt on its return from an operation to Gelsenkirchen in an electrical storm. The image is stamped 'R Moore Collection'.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jeremy Nicholson. Phil Moore
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1941-06
1941-06-17
1940-11-18
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Sunderland (Tyne and Wear)
England--Yorkshire
Belgium
Germany
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One typed sheet and one photograph
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MKeelingRV82689-230601-01
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
51 Squadron
crash
killed in action
RAF Dishforth
RAF Usworth
Whitley
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1876/34462/MTerryD938465-170619-03.1.pdf
6fc063765ca365689bedadd97b82374d
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1876/34462/MTerryD938465-170619-07.2.pdf
e16601d221d72c7664a35efdbcfcb3ef
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Terry, Dennis
D Terry
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2017-06-19
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Terry, D
Description
An account of the resource
17 items. The collection concerns Corporal Dennis Terry (938465 Royal Air Force) and contains documents and photographs. He served as a fitter with 166 Squadron and worked on Lancaster ME746 AS-R2 (Roger Squared).
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Rob Terry and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
GOOD SHOW ROGER SQUARED
[photograph]
By John Karl Forrest and John Wayne Musselman
[page break]
[underlined] Dedication [/underlined]
This story is dedicated to the memory and legacy of the crew, led by Flying Officer H.J. Musselman RCAF, DFC, that flew 30 missions in Lancaster Bomber ME-746 AS-R2 (aka Roger Squared).
[photograph]
Roger Squared crew all smiles after another op done and back on terra firma.
Front Row: P/O J.M. Donnelly RCAF (MUG), W/O H.H. Park RCAF (NAV), SGT G. Reid RAF (BA) Back Row: F/S R. Williamson RAF (W/Op), F/O H.J. Musselman RCAF, DFC (PLT), F/S K. Forrest RCAF (RG), SGT J.R. Cogbill RAF, DFM (FE)
[page break]
[underlined] Good Show Roger Squared [/underlined]
Air Chief Marshal A.T. “Butch” Harris sat hunched at his desk studying the latest reports. Aircraft availability and in particular the crews to man them, was at a critical point. Now, early in the new year of 1945 the focus of the air war had changed. The Allies were on full offensive. Missions to attack and bomb the industrialized cities, oil refineries and transportation hubs in the Nazi homeland had tripled in the last year. They were hitting the enemy hard, but the toll being taken by the appalling winter weather conditions, daylight raids, flak and fighters had been terrible. The casualty rate often rose above sixty percent and finding men and machines to replace those lost was a challenge. The grandfather clock in the corner struck the half hour; 11:30 p.m. At this moment at least 300 of his bombers were over enemy territory carrying out their missions. There was a knock at his door.
“Enter.”
A uniformed clerk stepped into the room and approached.
“Yes Cpl. Baker, what is it?”
Baker extended a manila folder. “Recommendations for Honours and Awards Sir. I know you like to read them before turning in for the night.” He glanced toward the clock.
“Soon I hope sir.”
Harris smiled, “Yes, yes Baker.”
“I know sir but . . . .”
“Dismissed!” growled Harris.
“Sir!” Baker exited.
Harris returned to reading the report, then hesitated, made a notation, closed the folder and set it aside.
Baker was correct. Grounded by his rank and position, his most tangible contact with the missions he ordered and the men and machines he commanded was found in the reports recommending them for medals.
[page break]
The accounts of their accomplishments, their resourcefulness and courage were reported tersely on official forms prepared by proud commanding officers.
He knew that hidden in the names and numbers in those reports there were personal tales of remarkable bravery, incredible skill and split second decision making by young men in the heat of battle. He opened the folder Baker had delivered and, as was his routine, scanned the initial information.
The recommendation was from Wing Commander Vivian, 166 Squadron and supported by Group Captain Mackay, RAF Kirmington, Air Commodore Swain, No. 13 Base Commander and Air Vice Marshal E.A.B. Rice, No. 1 Group Commander.
That Squadron had an excellent reputation. They had a skilled and dedicated Ground Crew and a good mix of new and experienced Air Crew. The 166th prided itself on putting up the required number for every flight and completing its missions. It lived up to the “Bulldog” displayed on its crest and the single word “Tenacity” in its motto.
This recommendation was significant; a Distinguished Flying Cross for a Lancaster pilot (Acting Flying Officer) Harold John Musselman (RCAF).
He noted Musselman had logged almost 125 hours on operations. He turned to the appended crew list. Lancaster Bomber ME-746 AS-R2 (Roger Squared), piloted by Musselman, included crew members; Flight Engineer Sgt. J.R. Cogbill, Navigator W/O H.H. Park (RCAF), Air Bomber F/S G. Reid, Wireless Operator F/S R. Williamson, Mid Upper Gunner P/O J.M. Donnelly (RCAF), and Rear Gunner F/S K. Forrest (RCAF).
No doubt graduates from the Lancaster Finishing School at Hemswell. He noted this was their 21st sortie as a crew, then leaned back into his chair and began to read Vivian’s remarks:
“This Canadian Officer was detailed to attack Schloven – Buer as captain of aircraft on the evening of the 29th December, 1944. On the way out . . . .”
As he continued to read the room around him disappeared and he joined Musselman in
[page break]
the cockpit of Roger Squared.
Avro Lancaster ME-746 AS-R2 sat trembling on the hard stand, parked at right angles to the runway, her mighty Merlin engines idling, waiting to be unleashed.
[italics] “Flight, how are we looking?” [/italics]
Flight Engineer, JR Cogbill turned in his “second dicky” seat, tapped a couple of the gauges on his right, checked others above and behind and gave his pilot thumbs up.
[italics] “Great Skipper all four running well. Mag. readings steady on each. Corporal Terry and his crew were up all last night and spent most of today getting the airframe in to top shape. I dropped by on my way to briefing and he was just finishing painting the bomb symbol for her 84th mission on the fuselage. [/italics]
[italics] “Cog, you know R2 is his prize possession and he just loans her to us for missions. You heard him when we did the walk around. He pointed out some of the recent repairs and practically ordered me to keep the flak hole count down tonight. He is determined to see his darling become a Century Lanc.” [/italics]
A MK I Lanc with almost 100 missions noted Harris. A unique and lucky aircraft. Or would this mission end their streak?
Pilot Musselman checked his watch. 15:30. The mission had been scheduled for 15:00 but a light rain and a heavy overcast had delayed take off. They had been idling too long.
“ R2 to tower. Ready for take off.”
[italics] “Roger R2 standby. You’re up next.” [/italics]
[italics] “There goes Nicklin in A2 Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “You are cleared for take-off R2” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to crew. Ok lads buckle in, we’re off on “lucky” number 21.” [/italics]
[italics] “Flaps at 30 degrees Flight?” [/italics]
[italics] “30 degrees Sir.” [/italics]
Harris felt again the adrenaline rush of take-off and the nervous tension the crew would be experiencing. Having no idea of what lay ahead; they were, for the next 6 hours, trusting
[page break]
their lives to a man, a machine and the grace of God.
Musselman advanced the throttles, taxied into position on the runway and began to open them up. Roger Squared responded and the roar of the Rolls-Royce engines became deafening. The fuselage began to vibrate as she sped down the runway.
“I’ve got rudder control; take the throttles Cog.”
Musselman now grasped the control column with both hands waiting for the tail to come
up and as take off speed was reached he pulled back on the column and R2 shed the shackles of earth’s gravity and began the climb to join the formation.
[italics] “Gear – up and locked Skip.” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to gunners. It’s crowded up here tonight lads. Set Course Time is just a few minutes away but keep a sharp look out and sing out if you spot any of our friends getting too close. [/italics]
Harris noted grimly Musselman’s concern. Far too many aircraft had been lost to collisions while “milling” on overcast nights waiting for their Set Course Time, when the stream would form up and head for the target.
[italics] “Pilot to navigator, cruising at 15,000 ?” [/italics]
[italics] “Yes Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “Harry do you trust the “Met” report? They predicted this slop, but do you think the call for clearing weather over Schloven-Buer will hold?” [/italics]
Navigator Harry Park seated at his port side chart table curtained off from the cockpit checked his briefing notes.
[italics] “I think so Sir. We should expect heavy cloud cover until we reach Schloven with some clearing on the return trip. Good news is, this lot is supposed to move on before we return to base.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that and let’s hope so Parky.” [/italics]
He scanned ahead and then side to side. What he could see of the formation looked tight.
He could even see intermittent flashes of blue exhaust flame from nearby aircraft and the stream was moving well. They were about half way across the Channel when he got the request he was expecting.
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[italics] “Mid Upper to Pilot; permission to test guns Sir?” [/italics]
“Permission granted J.M. You and the kid can light ‘em up.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that Skipper.” [/italics]
[italics] “You too Bombs?” [/italics]
[italics] “Aye sir.” [/italics]
There was a slight pause and then the sound of six Brownings firing short bursts dominated the engine noise and the airframe shook in response to their recoil. Then the pair of .303s in the nose turret opened up below his feet.
[italics] “You sound ready Bombs.” [/italics]
[italics] “Aye Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “Test complete Sir, rear turret ready and able.” [/italics]
[italics] “Mid-upper, same here Skipper.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that, and let’s hope you don’t need them.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well Cog we are in the groove, let’s sit back and enjoy the ride” [/italics]
Musselman heard the sudden change in the sound of the engines and his aircraft shuddered. From experience he knew what it was, but he waited for confirmation.
[italics] “We’ve got a problem Skip. The starboard inner has packed up. The gauges say she should be running but am looking at her and she is not. I’ll try a restart.” [/italics]
[italics] “Navigator.” [/italics]
[italics] “Sir” [/italics]
[italics] “Parky, what’s our position?” [/italics]
[italics] “Sir, target is about forty five minutes away.” [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] “ Roger that.” [/italics]
[italics] “No luck with the restart Sir. Number 3 is done.” [/italics]
[italics] “Right Flight; feather and will see if we can maintain altitude and stay with the stream.” [/italics]
[italics] “ That’ll be a tough go Sir, with the load we are carrying. We caught one of those new “Abnormal” packages; 14,000 pounds of HE and incendiaries.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well we’re over Germany, so let’s give it a go and see what happens.” [/italics]
Harris knew that with the Starboard Inner gone power would be lost to some of the main services and hydraulic pumps, despite this he noted the calm in Musselman’s voice.
[italics] “Pilot to crew. We’ve lost an engine boys. I’m going to drop to the rear of the formation but we will try to stay with the group. Gunners keep your eyes open, particularly you in the tail “kid”. If the fighters are up they’ll be looking for stragglers.” [/italics]
[italics] “More trouble Sir Number 1 is overheating badly and quickly. I recommend we shut her down. We’re going to have to finish this on two.” [/italics]
[italics] “No choice?” [/italics]
[italics] “Not right now. I can try a restart later.” [/italics]
[italics] “Lucky number 21 eh, let’s hope some of that luck starts showing up soon. Shut her down
Flight.” [/italics]
Loss of power from the port outer engine would affect the alternator for special radio, rear turret hydraulic pump. It’s decision time thought Harris.
[italics] “Well that seals it. Cog. We can’t make altitude or even keep up. I don’t fancy scrubbing the mission and flying her home as a lame duck with a full bomb load.” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to Navigator. Parky we are going to have to abort Schloven. Can you find an alternate?” [/italics]
[italics] “They gave us three at briefing. Give me a minute Skipper.” [/italics]
R2 took this new development calmly but her air speed continued to fall and she began to drop out of formation.
[italics] “Skipper, Duisburg is about 15 minutes away. It’s a large rail junction, noting predicted and accurate flak, fighters not likely. If we can maintain this air speed we should be able [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] to bomb and then intersect our stream on the way home.” “What’s the heading Harry?” [/italics]
[italics] “Our Gee is not functioning Sir, so we are on dead reckoning. West north west will do for now.” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to crew, another change in plans boys. We’re flying on two now. I’ve chosen an alternative target, Duisburg. This will be a tough one. Expect the usual flak but as a single at low altitude we will have the advantage of surprise. Fighters not likely. Harry thinks we can reconnect with our flight after the attack and ride their coat tails home. We are about 10 minutes away. God bless us.” [/italics]
Tough decision, bravely taken admired Harris.
[italics] “Bomb aimer to pilot, I’m in position Sir. All my instruments are functioning.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that Bombs. Conditions are clearing, I can see the rail junction from here. I’ll make for it, then you can take your best shot. We’ll be at 9,000 over the target.” [/italics]
[italics] “Aye Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well Flight this will be a shaky do. But their defenses should be pre-set for 12 to 15 and we can sneak under them for much of the run. They shouldn’t be expecting us from this direction; so the plan is to get in and out before they know what hit them. Once we bomb I am going to turn hard to port and make for home before climbing. Can you keep those two running?” [/italics]
[italics] “No signs of trouble Skip. I‘ll nurse them.” [/italics]
[italics] “Let’s take her down to 9 and lay her in.” [/italics]
[italics] “Here come the lights Flight.” [/italics]
Great silver swords began to appear probing the sky around them. Searchlights seeking to expose their prey. Muzzle flashes on the ground announced the anti aircraft guns were opening up and hundreds of deadly cotton puffs began to appear in the night sky.
[italics] “So far so good Skip. None of those new big blue radar lights and the cones are focused well above us.” [/italics]
R2 seemed to crawl through the sky and almost stall over the target. The bursting pods of flak were creeping closer. Then a flurry of sharp sound, metal striking metal, announced
[page break]
that one had found them.
[italics] “Sounded like a belly hit Sir.” [/italics]
R2 shrugged, barely shuddered and carried on. Another burst and then another dose of shrapnel hit the starboard side, but the controls remained steady.
[italics] “She’s all yours Bombs.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger Sir, I can see the target; Navigator activate the master switch, pilot open bomb bay doors. Setting my selector to salvo.” [/italics]
[italics] “A little to the right . . . steady . . . right again . . . left . . . steady. Bombs gone! Get us out of
here Skip.” [/italics]
He smiled as R2 responded to his touch on the controls and broke to port and away from danger.
[italics] “Way to go girl.” [/italics]
The anti-aircraft fire was now zeroing in and more shells were exploding near them, but he was now lengthening the range. Then two more bursts bracketed them from above.
[italics] “Pilot to gunners. You two OK?” [/italics]
[italics] “I’m alright, but that was a close one Skip. No Mid Upper damage but I think the rudder and tail fins took some hits.” [/italics]
[italics] “Kid what’s the story back there?” [/italics]
[italics] “No turret damage here Sir, but we have a lot of new holes in the fins. They have ceased fire. Way to go Bombs! I don’t know what you hit, but there is one hell of a fire burning back there.” [/italics]
Harris took a deep breath and sighed. Well done son. They were out of it, but can you get them back home?
[italics] “Good stuff. Well stay awake you two. Mid, keep an eye on 10 o’clock high and sing out if you see our boys coming up. Karl any fighters should be off chasing the group looking to pick off stragglers. We should be well below them but you never know. Sharp eyes Kid!” [/italics]
[italics] “Sparks, see if you can pick up any chatter.” [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] “Seems like we picked up a few new holes. How’s she handling Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “She seems steady Cog. The hits don’t seem to affecting her trim. But we need to gain some speed and altitude. About the new holes, I can’t wait to get Cpl. Terry’s count. Let’s try a re-start on number 1 and let’s see if she can help us out.” [/italics]
[italics] “Righto Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] He saw the port outer fire up, eased the throttle to half speed, felt R2 respond and began to climb gently seeking the safety of the stream and the pathway back to base.” [/italics]
[italics] “WOp to Captain, I’m picking up some chatter sir. Sounds like our lads.” [/italics]
[italics] “Sparks, I think I’m going to maintain radio silence until we’re closer to rejoining. I don’t want any fighters hearing there is a straggler out here and come looking.” [/italics]
[italics] “Mid Upper to Pilot. I think I see them sir. 11 O’clock high.” [/italics]
[italics] “I think you’re right. Let’s see if we can catch them Flight. We can at least hang on to their coat-tails and follow them home.” [/italics]
He advanced the port outer to full throttle.
[italics] “Number 1 is overheating again Skipper. You had better shut her down for good. The other two are beginning to heat up too. I recommend throttling back.” [/italics]
[italics] “Right Flight, I think our girl’s had about enough. Let’s put her down as soon as we can. Manston is the divert base and given the problems we may have with the hydraulics and the weather, they have the width and length we need for a rough landing.” [/italics]
[italics] “Captain to crew. We’re approaching the channel lads and it doesn’t look like we’ll need the dinghy, but R2 is a hurting girl. We are back on two engines, some of the hydraulics are out and we may have some damage to the undercarriage. I am going to put her down as soon as I can. We will be landing at Manston and it will be a little dodgy. We are about 10 minutes away. Start securing your stations.” [/italics]
[italics] “Sparks, see if you can raise the tower at Manston. Ronnie, identify us, tell them to light it up and let them know we are coming in on two.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that Skip.” [/italics]
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[italics] “Well Flight, at least the “Met” report was right about visibility, but the runway will still be wet.” [/italics]
He had landed at Manston before but not under these circumstances. The runway was dead ahead.
[italics] “Gear down and locked Skipper. No warning lights.” [/italics]
He put R2 in the groove and rode it in. Touchdown was a little heavy and the tires squawked as they met the wet tarmac. The brakes were very soft but they held and he eased back and let his aircraft run out. Roger Squared sat idling on the runway, for a moment the interior was quiet and then.
[italics] “Well done Skipper.” “You too Flight.” [/italics]
[italics] “Captain to crew, well done lads, everyone ok back there?” [/italics]
[italics] “Way to go Skipper! Great job Cap! Thanks Skip! We made it boys!” [/italics]
Harris added his silent praise to the appreciative responses pouring in from the crew. Then the sound of the grandfather clock striking midnight brought him back to the present.
A remarkable mission against all odds, by a courageous crew. He picked up his pen and then paused. Another tale of split second decision making, incredible skill and courageous leadership by a remarkable pilot.
He signed, confirming the Distinguished Flying Cross for Musselman.
[italics] “Thanks for taking me along lads.” [/italics]
He closed the folder and as he placed it in his out box he added a final invocation.
[italics] “Good show Roger Squared!” [/italics]
[page break]
[underlined] Tribute to a Century Lancaster [/underlined]
Lancaster Bomber ME-746 AS-R2 (aka Roger Squared) was one very special aircraft. It completed a total of 126 operations (117 Combat, 6 Manna and 3 Exodus). It was one of only 35 of the 7,377 Lancasters built to attain that distinction.
Roger Squared was well and carefully maintained by a dedicated ground crew under the leadership of Corporal Dennis Terry and flown with skill and determination by a number of pilots and air crew including, as noted in the story, Flying Officer H.J. Musselman RCAF, DFC.
In a highly unusual ceremony Bomber Command awarded the aircraft itself, the Distinguished Service Order. In the picture below the maintenance crew and flight crew assembled on the tarmac for a special ceremony following R2’s 100th mission. Note the large wooden medal (created by Corporal Terry) being held between himself and Flying Officer Musselman. A stirring reminder of that record can be seen in the ten rows of ten bombs painted on fuselage below the pilot’s window.
[photograph]
[page break]
(COPY)
[underlined] NO. 166 SQUADRON [/underlined]
[underlined] LANCASTER AIRCRAFT ME.746 – R2 [/underlined]
This aircraft has now completed 100 sorties against the enemy in a wide variety of attacks, ranging from targets in enemy occupied territory to the deepest penetrations made into Germany itself.
Throughout these sorties this aircraft has carried many gallant and courageous crews through the fiercest opposition which the enemy has been able to offer, and has never failed to bring them safely home.
The magnificent record established by ‘R2’ has only been made possible by the devotion to duty of the ground crews. Called upon to service their charge at all hours of the day and night, they have set a standard of serviceability which it will be difficult to equal. The successful completion of 100 sorties by the aircraft bears striking testimony to their skill.
In recognition of the fine achievement of this aircraft, and as a tribute from the aircrew of the Squadron to the ground crew whose efforts have met with such remarkable success, the aircraft is awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
11.3.45.
R.L. Vivian
Wing Commander, Commanding
[underlined] 166 Squadron, R.A.F. [/underlined]
Distinguished Service Order presented to ME-746 AS-R2 by Wing Commander Vivian, 166 Squadron
[page break]
[underlined] Transcript of DSO Letter [/underlined]
(COPY)
[underlined] NO. 166 SQUADRON [/underlined]
[underlined] LANCASTER AIRCRAFT ME.746 – R2 [/underlined]
This aircraft has now completed 100 sorties against the enemy in a wide variety of attacks, ranging from targets in enemy occupied territory to the deepest penetrations made into Germany itself.
Throughout these sorties this aircraft has carried many gallant and courageous crews through the fiercest opposition which the enemy has been able to offer, and has never failed to bring them safely home.
The magnificent record established by ‘R2’ has only been made possible by the devotion to duty of the ground crews. Called upon to service their charge at all hours of the day and night, they have set a standard of serviceability which it will be difficult to equal. The successful completion of 100 sorties by the aircraft bears striking testimony to their skill.
In recognition of the fine achievement of this aircraft, and as a tribute from the aircrew of the Squadron to the ground crew whose efforts have met with such remarkable success, the aircraft is awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
11.3.45.
R.L. Vivian
Wing Commander, Commanding
[underlined] 166 Squadron, R.A.F. [/underlined]
[page break]
[underlined] GLOSSARY [/underlined]
BA – Bomb Aimer – seated when operating the front gun turret, but positioned in a laying position when directing the pilot on to the aiming point prior to releasing bomb load.
CONED – when radar controlled master searchlight (often a bluish beam) locked onto an aircraft and other searchlights would also swing onto the aircraft, thus coning it – then flak would be concentrated into the cone.
DFC – Distinguished Flying Cross – medal presented to officers (commissioned and warrant) for conspicuous bravery (immediate) or sustained excellence on active service in operations against the enemy.
EXODUS – flights by Lancaster’s to fly liberated POWs back from captivity.
FE – Flight Engineer – seated opposite the pilot on right side of cockpit on folding seat.
GEE – a receiver for a navigation system of synchronized pulses transmitted from the UK – aircraft calculated their position from the phase shift between pulses. The range of GEE was 300-400 miles.
MANNA – flights to provide relief to starving Dutch civilian population with numerous food supply drops. 2,835 Lancaster flights were made.
Mk I – Mark I AVRO Lancaster crewed by seven and fitted with four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines capable of 1,280 hp each, maximum speed of 287mph, maximum ceiling of 22,000 ft, range with a 14,000 lb bomb load 1,000 mi and armament consisting of three powered gun turrets- 2 x .303 in nose, 2 x .303 mid-upper and 4 x .303 in the tail.
MUG – Mid-Upper Gunner – seated in the mid upper turret, which was also in the unheated section of the fuselage.
NAV – Navigator – seated at a table facing to port of the aircraft and directly behind the pilot and flight engineer.
PLT – Pilot – seated on the left hand side of the cockpit. There was no co-pilot.
RG – Rear Gunner – “Tail End Charlie” seated in the rear turret this was in the unheated section of the fuselage and was also the most isolated position. Most rear gunner’s once in their turrets did not see another member of the crew until the aircraft returned to base.
SECOND DICKIE – all new pilots were required to fly a familiarization flight with a veteran crew in order to expose them to operational hazards and the German defences. Since there was no co-pilot there was a fold down seat on the right side of the cockpit which was used by the Flight Engineer and on occasion the “Second Dickie” pilot.
SHAKY DO – a particularly hair raising operation or situation.
W/Op – Wireless Operator – often nick-named “Sparks” for the insignia worn denoting their position, they were seated facing forward and directly beside the navigator.
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TOTALS
LANCASTERS BUILT 7,377
LANCASTER SORTIES FLOWN 156,192
LANCASTERS LOST ON OPERATIONS 3,431
LANCASTERS LOST IN ACCIDENTS 246
[photograph]
TOTAL BOMBER COMMAND AIRCREW KILLED IN WORLD WAR II
55,573
LEST WE FORGET!
[page break]
Good Show
Roger Squared
[photograph]
by
JOHN KARL FORREST and JOHN WAYNE MUSSELMAN
[page break]
[underlined] Dedication [/underlined
This story is dedicated to the memory and legacy of the crew, led by Flying Officer H.J.
Musselman RCAF, DFC, that flew 30 missions in Lancaster Bomber ME-746 AS-R2
(aka Roger Squared).
[photograph]
Roger Squared crew all smiles after another op done and back on terra firma.
Front Row: P/O J.M. Donnelly RCAF (MUG), W/O H.H. Park RCAF (NAV), SGT G.
Reid RAF (BA) Back Row: F/S R. Williamson RAF (W/Op), F/O H.J. Musselman
RCAF, DFC (PLT), F/S K. Forrest RCAF (RG), SGT J.R. Cogbill RAF, DFM (FE)
[page break]
[underlined] Good Show Roger Squared[/underlined]
Air Chief Marshal A.T. “Butch” Harris sat hunched at his desk studying the latest reports. Aircraft availability and in particular the crews to man them, was at a critical point. Now, early in the new year of 1945 the focus of the air war had changed. The Allies were on full offensive. Missions to attack and bomb the industrialized cities, oil refineries and transportation hubs in the Nazi homeland had tripled in the last year. They were hitting the enemy hard, but the toll being taken by the appalling winter weather conditions, daylight raids, flak and fighters had been terrible. The casualty rate often rose above sixty percent and finding men and machines to replace those lost was a challenge. The grandfather clock in the corner struck the half hour; 11:30 p.m. At this moment at least 300 of his bombers were over enemy territory carrying out their missions. There was a knock at his door.
“Enter.”
A uniformed clerk stepped into the room and approached.
“Yes Cpl. Baker, what is it?”
Baker extended a manila folder. “Recommendations for Honours and Awards Sir. I know you like to read them before turning in for the night.” He glanced toward the clock.
“Soon I hope sir.”
Harris smiled, “Yes, yes Baker.”
“I know sir but . . . .”
“Dismissed!” growled Harris.
“Sir!” Baker exited.
Harris returned to reading the report, then hesitated, made a notation, closed the folder
and set it aside.
Baker was correct. Grounded by his rank and position, his most tangible contact with the missions he ordered and the men and machines he commanded was found in the reports recommending them for medals.
The accounts of their accomplishments, their resourcefulness and courage were reported tersely on official forms prepared by proud commanding officers.
[page break]
He knew that hidden in the names and numbers in those reports there were personal tales of remarkable bravery, incredible skill and split second decision making by young men in the heat of battle. He opened the folder Baker had delivered and, as was his routine, scanned the initial information.
The recommendation was from Wing Commander Vivian, 166 Squadron and supported by Group Captain Mackay, RAF Kirmington, Air Commodore Swain, No. 13 Base Commander and Air Vice Marshal E.A.B. Rice, No. 1 Group Commander.
That Squadron had an excellent reputation. They had a skilled and dedicated Ground Crew and a good mix of new and experienced Air Crew. The 166th prided itself on putting up the required number for every flight and completing its missions. It lived up to the “Bulldog” displayed on its crest and the single word “Tenacity” in its motto.
This recommendation was significant; a Distinguished Flying Cross for a Lancaster pilot (Acting Flying Officer) Harold John Musselman (RCAF).
He noted Musselman had logged almost 125 hours on operations. He turned to the appended crew list. Lancaster Bomber ME-746 AS-R2 (Roger Squared), piloted by Musselman, included crew members; Flight Engineer Sgt. J.R. Cogbill, Navigator W/O H.H. Park (RCAF), Air Bomber F/S G. Reid, Wireless Operator F/S R. Williamson, Mid Upper Gunner P/O J.M. Donnelly (RCAF), and Rear Gunner F/S K. Forrest (RCAF).
No doubt graduates from the Lancaster Finishing School at Hemswell. He noted this was their 21st sortie as a crew, then leaned back into his chair and began to read Vivian’s remarks:
“This Canadian Officer was detailed to attack Schloven-Buer as captain of aircraft on the evening of the 29th December, 1944. On the way out . . . .”
As he continued to read the room around him disappeared and he joined Musselman in the cockpit of Roger Squared.
Avro Lancaster ME-746 AS-R2 sat trembling on the hard stand, parked at right angles to the runway, her mighty Merlin engines idling, waiting to be unleashed.
[italics] “Flight, how are we looking?” [/italics]
Flight Engineer, JR Cogbill turned in his “second dicky” seat, tapped a couple of the
[page break]
gauges on his right, checked others above and behind and gave his pilot thumbs up.
[italics] “Great Skipper all four running well. Mag. readings steady on each. Corporal Terry and his crew were up all last night and spent most of today getting the airframe in to top shape. I dropped by on my way to briefing and he was just finishing painting the bomb symbol for her 84th mission on the fuselage. [/italics]
[italics] “Cog, you know R2 is his prize possession and he just loans her to us for missions. You heard him when we did the walk around. He pointed out some of the recent repairs and practically ordered me to keep the flak hole count down tonight. He is determined to see his darling become a Century Lanc.” [/italics]
A MK I Lanc with almost 100 missions noted Harris. A unique and lucky aircraft. Or would this mission end their streak?
Pilot Musselman checked his watch. 15:30. The mission had been scheduled for 15:00 but a light rain and a heavy overcast had delayed take off. They had been idling too long.
[italics] “ R2 to tower. Ready for take off.” [/italics]
[italics] 1“Roger R2 standby. You’re up next.” [/italics]
[italics] “There goes Nicklin in A2 Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “You are cleared for take-off R2” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to crew. Ok lads buckle in, we’re off on “lucky” number 21.” [/italics]
[italics] “Flaps at 30 degrees Flight?” [/italics]
[italics] “30 degrees Sir.” [/italics]
Harris felt again the adrenaline rush of take-off and the nervous tension the crew would be experiencing. Having no idea of what lay ahead; they were, for the next 6 hours, trusting their lives to a man, a machine and the grace of God.
Musselman advanced the throttles, taxied into position on the runway and began to open them up. Roger Squared responded and the roar of the Rolls-Royce engines became deafening. The fuselage began to vibrate as she sped down the runway.
[italics] “I’ve got rudder control; take the throttles Cog.” [/italics]
Musselman now grasped the control column with both hands waiting for the tail to come up and as take off speed was reached he pulled back on the column and R2 shed the shackles of earth’s gravity and began the climb to join the formation.
[italics] “Gear – up and locked Skip.” [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] “Pilot to gunners. It’s crowded up here tonight lads. Set Course Time is just a few minutes away but keep a sharp look out and sing out if you spot any of our friends getting too close. [/italics]
Harris noted grimly Musselman’s concern. Far too many aircraft had been lost to collisions while “milling” on overcast nights waiting for their Set Course Time, when the stream would form up and head for the target.
[italics] “Pilot to navigator, cruising at 15,000?” [/italics]
[italics] “Yes Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “Harry do you trust the “Met” report? They predicted this slop, but do you think the call for clearing weather over Schloven-Buer will hold?” [/italics]
Navigator Harry Park seated at his port side chart table curtained off from the cockpit checked his briefing notes.
[italics] “I think so Sir. We should expect heavy cloud cover until we reach Schloven with some clearing on the return trip. Good news is, this lot is supposed to move on before we return to base.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that and let’s hope so Parky.” [/italics]
He scanned ahead and then side to side. What he could see of the formation looked tight. He could even see intermittent flashes of blue exhaust flame from nearby aircraft and the stream was moving well. They were about half way across the Channel when he got the request he was expecting.
[italics] “Mid Upper to Pilot; permission to test guns Sir?” [/italics]
[italics] “Permission granted J.M. You and the kid can light ‘em up.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that Skipper.” [/italics]
[italics] “You too Bombs?” [/italics]
[italics] “Aye sir.” [/italics]
There was a slight pause and then the sound of four fifty caliber machine guns firing short bursts dominated the engine noise and the airframe shook in response to their recoil. Then the Brownings opened up in the nose turret below his feet.
[italics] “You sound ready Bombs.” [/italics]
[italics] “Aye Sir.” [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] “Test complete Sir, rear turret ready and able.” [/italics]
[italics] “Mid-upper, same here Skipper.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that, and let’s hope you don’t need them.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well Cog we are in the groove, let’s sit back and enjoy the ride” [/italics]
Musselman heard the sudden change in the sound of the engines and his control column reacted. From experience he knew what it was, but he waited for confirmation.
[italics] “We’ve got a problem Skip. The starboard inner has packed up. I’ll reset and try a restart.” [/italics]
[italics] “Navigator.” [/italics]
[italics] “Sir” [/italics]
[italics] “Parky, what’s our position?” [/italics]
[italics] “ Sir, target is about forty five minutes away.” [/italics]
[italics] “ Roger that.” [/italics]
[italics] “No luck with the restart Skip. Number 2 is done.” [/italics]
[italics] “Right Flight; feather and will see if we can maintain altitude and stay with the stream.” [/italics]
[italics] “ That’ll be a tough go Sir, with the load we are carrying. We caught one of those new abnormal packages; 14,000 pounds of HE and incendiaries.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well we’re over Germany now, so let’s give it a go and see what happens.” [/italics]
Harris knew that with the Starboard Inner gone power would be lost to some of the main services and hydraulic pumps, despite this he noted the calm in Musselman’s voice.
[italics] “Pilot to crew. We’ve lost an engine boys. I’m going to drop to the rear of the formation but we will try to stay with the group. Gunners keep your eyes open, particularly you in the tail “kid”. If the fighters are up they’ll be looking for stragglers.” [/italics]
[italics] “More trouble Sir. Number 3 is overheating badly and quickly. I recommend we shut [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] her down. We’re going to have to finish this on two.” [/italics]
[italics] “No choice?” “Not right now. I can try a restart later.” [/italics]
[italics] “Lucky number 21 eh, let’s hope some of that luck starts showing up soon. Shut her down
Cog.” [/italics]
Loss of power from the port outer engine would affect the alternator for special radio, rear turret hydraulic pump. It’s decision time thought Harris.
[italics] “Well that seals it Cog. We can’t maintain altitude or keep up. I don’t fancy scrubbing the mission and flying her home as a lame duck with a full bomb load.” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to Navigator. Parky we are going to have to abort Schloven. Can you find an alternate?” [/italics]
“They gave us three at briefing. Give me a minute Skipper.” [/italics]
R2 took this new development calmly but her air speed continued to fall and she began to drop further out of formation.
[italics] “Skipper, Duisburg is about 15 minutes away. It’s a large rail junction, noting predicted and accurate flak, fighters not likely. If we can maintain this air speed we should be able to bomb and then intersect our stream on the way home.” “What’s the heading Harry?” [/italics]
[italics] “Our Gee is not functioning Sir, so we are on dead reckoning. West north west will do for now.” [/italics]
[italics] “Pilot to crew, another change in plans boys. We’re flying on two now. I’ve chosen an alternative target, Duisburg. This will be a tough one. Expect the usual flak but as a single at low altitude we will have the advantage of surprise. Fighters not likely. Harry thinks we can reconnect with our flight after the attack and ride their coat tails home. We are about 10 minutes away . God bless us.” [/italics]
Tough decision, bravely taken admired Harris.
[italics] “Bomb aimer to pilot, I’m in position Sir. All my instruments are functioning.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that Bombs. Conditions are clearing, I can see the rail junction from here. I’ll make for it, then you can take your best shot. We’ll be at 9,000 over the target.” [/italics]
[italics] “Aye Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well Flight this will be a shaky do. But their defenses [sic] should be pre-set for 12 to 15 [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] and we can sneak under them for much of the run. They shouldn’t be expecting us from this direction; so the plan is to get in and out before they know what hit them. Once we bomb I am going to turn hard to port and make for home before climbing. Can you keep those two running?” [/italics]
[italics] “No signs of trouble Skip. I‘ll nurse them.” [/italics]
[italics] “Let’s take her down to 9 and lay her in.” [/italics]
[italics] “Here come the lights Flight.” [/italics]
Great silver swords began to appear probing the sky around them. Searchlights seeking to expose their prey. Muzzle flashes on the ground announced the anti aircraft guns were opening up and hundreds of deadly cotton puffs began to appear in the night sky.
[italics] “So far so good Skip. None of those new big blue radar lights and the cones are focused well above us.” [/italics]
R2 seemed to crawl through the sky and almost stall over the target. The bursting pods of flak were creeping closer. Then a flurry of sharp sound, metal striking metal, announced that one had found them.
[italics] “Sounded like a belly hit Sir.” [/italics]
R2 shrugged, barely shuddered and carried on. Another burst and then another dose of shrapnel hit the starboard side, but the controls remained steady.
[italics] “She’s all yours Bombs.” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger Sir, I can see the target; Navigator activate the master switch, pilot open bomb
bay doors. Setting my selector to salvo.”
[italics] “A little to the right . . . steady . . . right again . . . left . . . steady. Bombs gone! Get us out of here Skip.” [/italics]
He smiled as R2 responded to his touch on the controls and broke to port and away from danger.
[italics] “Way to go girl.” [/italics]
The anti-aircraft fire was now zeroing in and more shells were exploding near them, but he was now lengthening the range. Then two more bursts bracketed them from above.
[italics] “Pilot to gunners. You two OK?” [/italics]
[italics] “I’m alright, but that was a close one Skip. No Mid Upper damage but I think the rudder and tail fins took some hits.” [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] “Kid what’s the story back there?” [/italics]
[italics] “No turret damage here Sir, but we have a lot of new holes in the fins. They have ceased fire. Way to go Bombs! I don’t know what you hit, but there is one hell of a fire burning back there.” [/italics]
Harris took a deep breath and sighed. Well done son. They were out of it, but can you get them back home?
[italics] “Good stuff. Well stay awake you two. Mid, keep an eye on 10 o’clock high and sing out if you see our boys coming up. Karl any fighters should be off chasing the group looking to pick off stragglers. We should be well below them but you never know. Sharp eyes Kid!” [/italics]
[italics] “Sparks, see if you can pick up any chatter.” [/italics]
[italics] “Seems like we picked up a few new holes. How’s she handling Sir.” [/italics]
[italics] “She seems steady Cog. The hits don’t seem to be affecting her trim. But we need to gain some speed and altitude. About the new holes, I can’t wait to get Cpl. Terry’s count and comments. Let’s try a re-start on number 3 and let’s see if she can help us out.” [/italics]
[italics] “Righto Sir.” [/italics]
He saw the port outer fire up, eased the throttle to half speed, felt R2 respond and began to climb gently seeking the safety of the stream and the pathway back to base.” [/italics]
[italics] “W/Op to Captain, I’m picking up some chatter sir. Sounds like our lads.” [/italics]
[italics] “Sparks, I think I’m going to maintain radio silence until we’re closer to rejoining. I don’t want any fighters hearing there is a straggler out here and come looking.” [/italics]
[italics] “Mid Upper to Pilot. I think I see them sir. 11 O’clock high.” [/italics]
[italics] “Let’s see if we can catch them Flight. We can at least hang on to their coat-tails and follow them home.” [/italics]
He advanced the port outer to full throttle.
[italics] “Number 3 is overheating again Skipper. You had better shut her down for good. The other two are beginning to heat up too. I recommend throttling back.” [/italics]
[page break]
[italics] “Right Flight, I think our girl’s had about enough. Let’s put her down as soon as we can. Manston is the divert base and given the problems we may have with the hydraulics and the weather, they have the width and length we need for a rough landing.” [/italics]
[italics] “Captain to crew. We’re approaching the channel lads and it doesn’t look like we’ll need the dinghy, but R2 is a hurting girl. We are back on two engines, some of the hydraulics are out and we may have some damage to the undercarriage. I am going to put her down as soon as I can. We will be landing at Manston and it will be a little dodgy. We are about 10 minutes away. Start securing your stations.” [/italics]
“Sparks, see if you can raise the tower at Manston. Ronnie, identify us, tell them to light it up and let them know we are coming in on two .” [/italics]
[italics] “Roger that Skip.” [/italics]
[italics] “Well Flight, at least the “Met” report was right about visibility, but the runway will still be wet.” [/italics]
He had landed at Manston before but not under these circumstances. The runway was dead ahead.
[italics] “Gear down and locked Skipper. No warning lights.” [/italics]
He put R2 in the groove and rode it in. Touchdown was a little heavy and the tires squawked as they met the wet tarmac. The brakes were very soft but they held and he eased back and let his aircraft run out. Roger Squared sat idling on the runway, for a moment the interior was quiet and then.
[italics] “Well done Skipper.” “You too Flight.” [/italics]
[italics] “Captain to crew, well done lads, everyone ok back there?” [/italics]
[italics] “Way to go Skipper! Great job Cap! Thanks Skip! We made it boys!” [/italics]
Harris added his silent praise to the appreciative responses pouring in from the crew. Then the sound of the grandfather clock striking midnight brought him back to the present.
A remarkable mission against all odds, by a courageous crew. He picked up his pen and then paused. Another tale of split second decision making, incredible skill and courageous leadership by a remarkable pilot.
He signed, confirming the Distinguished Flying Cross for Musselman.
“Thanks for taking me along lads.”
He closed the folder and as he placed it in his out box he added a final invocation.
[page break]
“Good show Roger Squared!”
[page break]
[underlined] Tribute to a Century Lancaster [/underlined]
Lancaster Bomber ME-746 AS-R2 (aka Roger Squared) was one very special aircraft. It completed a total of 126 operations (117 Combat, 6 Manna and 3 Exodus). It was one of only 35 of the 7,377 Lancasters built to attain that distinction.
Roger Squared was well and carefully maintained by a dedicated ground crew under the leadership of Corporal Dennis Terry and flown with skill and determination by a number of pilots and air crew including, as noted in the story, Flying Officer H.J. Musselman RCAF, DFC.
In a highly unusual ceremony Bomber Command awarded the aircraft itself, the Distinguished Service Order. In the picture below the maintenance crew and flight crew assembled on the tarmac for a special ceremony following R2’s 100th mission. Note the large wooden medal (created by Corporal Terry) being held between himself and Flying Officer Musselman. A stirring reminder of that record can be seen in the ten rows of ten bombs painted on fuselage below the pilot’s window.
[photograph]
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Good Show Roger Squared
Description
An account of the resource
A story based on the service of Lancaster ME746 AS-R2 (Roger Squared). There is a slightly shorter version included.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
JK Forrest
JW Musselman
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany--Gladbeck
Germany--Duisburg
Germany
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Text. Personal research
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
17 printed sheets
13 printed sheets
Identifier
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MTerryD938465-170619-03, MTerryD938465-170619-07
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-12-29
1945-03-11
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Steve Baldwin
1 Group
166 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
anti-aircraft fire
bomb aimer
bombing
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Service Order
flight engineer
Gee
ground crew
ground personnel
Harris, Arthur Travers (1892-1984)
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
navigator
Operation Exodus (1945)
Operation Manna (29 Apr – 8 May 1945)
pilot
RAF Hemswell
RAF Kirmington
RAF Manston
searchlight
training
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2125/36083/MBakerJN[Ser -DoB-210801-01.1.pdf
5d7c6be8b07607a19b28146622847d4e
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lancaster ED838
Description
An account of the resource
One item. Research into the loss of Lancaster <span>WS-R </span>ED838 on 1 May 1943.<br />
<p>Pilot Officer G A Nunez, pilot (1464436 Royal Air Force)<br />Sergeant D R Barber, air gunner (1354869 Royal Air Force)<br />Sergeant J Bayliss, air gunner (1300620 Royal Air Force)<br />Sergeant A Beard, navigator (1535181 Royal Air Force)<br />Sergeant C H Collins, flight engineer (1200432 Royal Air Force)<br />Sergeant E F Doolittle, bomb aimer (1505512 Royal Air Force)<br />Sergeant R A Knapman. Wireless operator / air gunner (1312487 Royal Air Force)</p>
<br /><br />The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for publication by John Baker and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff. <br /><br />Additional information on the crew of ED838 is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/117448/">IBCC Losses Database.</a>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021-08-01
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
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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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Lancaster ED838
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The loss of Lancaster ED838 and crew
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Baker
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021-07
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
England--Lincolnshire
Germany--Essen
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Photograph
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
21 page document
Publisher
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IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MBakerJN[Ser#-DoB-210801-01
Description
An account of the resource
Lancaster ED838 and crew took off from RAF Bardney on an operation to Essen on 1 May 1943.
The report contains information about the crew, the operation to Essen and their loss as well as maps and photographs.
The crew were:
Pilot Officer G A Nunez, pilot (1464436 Royal Air Force)
Sergeant D R Barber, air gunner (1354869 Royal Air Force)
Sergeant J Bayliss, air gunner (1300620 Royal Air Force)
Sergeant A Beard, navigator (1535181 Royal Air Force)
Sergeant C H Collins, flight engineer (1200432 Royal Air Force)
Sergeant E F Doolittle, bomb aimer (1505512 Royal Air Force)
Sergeant R A Knapman. Wireless operator / air gunner (1312487 Royal Air Force).
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-05-01
9 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
bomb aimer
bombing
flight engineer
killed in action
Lancaster
memorial
mine laying
missing in action
navigator
pilot
RAF Bardney
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1763/30622/SJenkinsonLP1316403v10023.1.jpg
665fc00ce4d4309c2f47b939d1eafe34
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jenkinson, Peter and Leslie. Philip Jenkinson
Description
An account of the resource
56 items concerning Leslie Philip Jenkinson who served as a mid-upper gunner on 10 Squadron Halifax and was shot down on 6 September 1943 and taken prisoner. Collection contains documents, research, memoirs, maps, correspondence and photographs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2016-08-24
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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
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Jenkinson, LP-PR
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[underlined]MUNICH RAID 6TH SEPTEMBER 1943[/underlined]
Comprising 404 Lancaster and Halifax Heavy Bombers
Losses – 19 aircraft
1 Lancaster crashed on take-off
13 Halifaxes failed to return
5 Lancasters failed to return
[underlined]Casualties[/underlined]
87 killed
29 P.O.W’s
6 injured in take-off crash
13 survived, one from take-off crash
5 picked up from the sea
7 from damaged Lancaster by enemy action
[underlined]FATE OF CREW OF HALIFAX JD ‘166’[/underlined]
Pilot F/Lt. A.G. Douglas – Failed to get out. Killed.
Navigator P/O. K.J. Murphy – Came down in centre of Leeder and captured right away.
Fl/Eng. Sgt. H.W. Gurton DFM. W/Op. Sgt. E.A. Laxen
Captured two days later on German airfield.
Bomb Aimer Sgt. N. Simmons M/U Gunner Sgt. L.P. Jenkinson
Captured nine days later after walking approx. 130 miles.
Rear Gunner Sgt. P.G.O. O’Kill – Killed.
[underlined]Philip Jenkinson[/underlined]
Philip Jenkinson April 1988.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Notes on Munich 6 September 1943
Description
An account of the resource
Lists losses, casualties and the fate of his Halifax crew.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
L P Jenkinson
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1988-04
Format
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One page printed document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Personal research
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SJenkinsonLP1316403v10023
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany
Germany--Munich
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943-09-06
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
air gunner
aircrew
bomb aimer
bombing
flight engineer
Halifax
killed in action
Lancaster
navigator
pilot
prisoner of war
wireless operator