Observer's and air gunner's flying log book for David Charles Davies from November 1940 to 24 March 1948 detailing his training, operational and post conflict duties. Training was with No.5 Air Observer's School at RAF Jurby and Operational Training Units at RAF Finningley and RAF Bircotes. Aircraft flown in were, Dominie, Proctor, Blenhiem, Anson, Wellington, Manchester, Oxford, Lancaster, Halifax and Stirling, He flew a total of 59 operations all with 61 Squadron, 11 daylight and 48 night operations. Pilots flown with were Pilot Officer Clarke, Flight Sergeant Turner, Squadron Leader Deas, Flight Officer Foster and Squadron Leader Beard. David flew as bomb aimer in 52 operations, wireless operator/gunner in five and air gunner in two. The operations were to Paris, Lorient, Essen, Cologne, Lübeck, Hamburg, Saarbrücken, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Kassel, Nuremberg, Saarlouis, Karlsruhe, Bremen, Duisburg, Wismar, Aachen, Genoa, Milan, Berlin, Leipzig, Schweinfurt, Stuttgart, Châteauroux, Toulouse, Tours, Brunswick, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Saumur, Cherbourg, St. Pierre du Mont (Landes), Argentan, Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), Caen, Donges, Creil, in the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean and North Sea including anti sub patrols, convoy escort and dinghy search.]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Cornwall (County)]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> France--Lorient]]> France--Toulouse]]> France--Tours]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Caen]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Saarlouis]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Wismar]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Châteauroux]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> France--Saint-Médard-en-Jalles]]> France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)]]> France--Argentan]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Donges]]> France--Creil]]> Ireland]]> Ireland--Waterford]]> Scotland--Drem]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Bedfordshire]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> 1942-02-24]]> 1942-02-25]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-10]]> 1942-03-11]]> 1942-03-13]]> 1942-03-14]]> 1942-04-28]]> 1942-04-29]]> 1942-04-08]]> 1942-04-09]]> 1942-07-23]]> 1942-07-26]]> 1942-07-29]]> 1942-07-30]]> 1942-07-31]]> 1942-08-01]]> 1942-08-13]]> 1942-08-15]]> 1942-08-18]]> 1942-08-19]]> 1942-08-21]]> 1942-08-24]]> 1942-08-25]]> 1942-08-27]]> 1942-08-28]]> 1942-08-29]]> 1942-09-01]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-03]]> 1942-09-04]]> 1942-09-05]]> 1942-09-06]]> 1942-09-07]]> 1942-09-08]]> 1942-09-09]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]> 1942-09-13]]> 1942-09-14]]> 1942-09-16]]> 1942-09-17]]> 1942-10-01]]> 1942-10-02]]> 1942-10-05]]> 1942-10-06]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-13]]> 1942-10-22]]> 1942-10-23]]> 1942-10-24]]> 1942-11-07]]> 1942-11-08]]> 1942-11-17]]> 1942-11-18]]> 1942-11-20]]> 1942-11-21]]> 1943-05-22]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1943-12-21]]> 1943-12-23]]> 1943-12-24]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-05-06]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-03]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-03]]> 1943-12-23]]> 1943-12-24]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-05-06]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-03]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-03]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-13]]> A Pollen]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Geolocation impractical]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Wismar]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-13]]> A Pollen]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> 1942-09-06]]> 1942-09-07]]> Second, David dressed in his flying suit, boots and gauntlets holding his flying helmet and breathing apparatus. He is standing alongside single storey, flat roofed, wooded buildings with glazed windows.
Third, six men in uniform with David, front centre, sat in two rows of three on the port wing of a damaged Lancaster. The feet of the men in the front row are within the damaged area with torn metal showing the wing's framework below.
Fourth, Lancaster QR-O on the ground with a ladder erected over the port wing. There is a man balanced on the fuselage and three men standing on the ground alongside.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]>
The second is an air-to-air view of the port side of Manchester taken from the starboard side of another Manchester.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> 1943-01]]> London Gazette]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> 1943-03-01]]>
This item is available only at the University of Lincoln.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> lat]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]>

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IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> MDaviesDC1304355-191001-0100002]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Great Britain]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Wiltshire]]> England--Norfolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Hampshire]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man]]> France]]> France--Paris]]> France--Lorient]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Saarlouis]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Wismar]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Italy]]> Italy--Genoa]]> Italy--Milan]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Châteauroux]]> France--Toulouse]]> France--Tours]]> France--Saint-Médard-en-Jalles]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Cherbourg]]> France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)]]> France--Argentan]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> France--Caen]]> France--Donges]]> France--Creil]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> France--Châteauroux]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Saarbrücken]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> 1942-02-24]]> 1942-02-25]]> 1942-03-09]]> 1942-03-10]]> 1942-03-11]]> 1942-03-13]]> 1942-03-14]]> 1942-03-28]]> 1942-03-29]]> 1942-04-08]]> 1942-04-09]]> 1942-07-23]]> 1942-07-26]]> 1942-07-29]]> 1942-07-30]]> 1942-07-31]]> 1942-08-01]]> 1942-08-13]]> 1942-08-15]]> 1942-08-18]]> 1942-08-19]]> 1942-08-21]]> 1942-08-24]]> 1942-08-25]]> 1942-08-27]]> 1942-08-28]]> 1942-08-29]]> 1942-09-01]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-02]]> 1942-09-03]]> 1942-09-04]]> 1942-09-06]]> 1942-09-07]]> 1942-09-08]]> 1942-09-09]]> 1942-09-10]]> 1942-09-11]]> 1942-09-13]]> 1942-09-14]]> 1942-09-16]]> 1942-09-17]]> 1942-10-01]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1942-10-05]]> 1942-10-06]]> 1942-10-12]]> 1942-10-13]]> 1942-10-22]]> 1942-10-23]]> 1942-10-24]]> 1942-11-07]]> 1942-11-08]]> 1942-11-17]]> 1942-11-18]]> 1942-11-20]]> 1942-11-21]]> 1943-05-22]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1943-12-21]]> 1943-12-23]]> 1942-12-24]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-01-29]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-04-05]]> 1944-04-06]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-04-26]]> 1944-04-27]]> 1944-04-29]]> 1944-04-30]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-03]]> 1944-06-04]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-19]]> 1944-06-20]]> 1944-07-18]]> 1944-07-24]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-08-03]]>
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Leicestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--London]]> France--Argentan]]> France--Brest]]> France--Caen Region]]> France--Châteauroux]]> France--Creil Region]]> France--Givors]]> France--Le Mans Region]]> France--Paris]]> France--Poitiers]]> France--Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer]]> France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)]]> France--Saumur]]> France--Tours]]> Germany--Aachen]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Merseburg Region]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Schweinfurt]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Ontario--London]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944-01-20]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-30]]> 1944-01-31]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-02-19]]> 1944-02-20]]> 1944-02-21]]> 1944-02-24]]> 1944-02-25]]> 1944-03-01]]> 1944-03-02]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> 1944-03-18]]> 1944-03-19]]> 1944-03-22]]> 1944-03-23]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-03-30]]> 1944-03-31]]> 1944-04-10]]> 1944-04-11]]> 1944-04-12]]> 1944-04-13]]> 1944-04-18]]> 1944-04-19]]> 1944-04-20]]> 1944-04-21]]> 1944-04-22]]> 1944-04-23]]> 1944-05-06]]> 1944-05-07]]> 1944-05-08]]> 1944-05-09]]> 1944-05-19]]> 1944-05-20]]> 1944-05-21]]> 1944-05-22]]> 1944-05-23]]> 1944-05-31]]> 1944-06-01]]> 1944-06-05]]> 1944-06-06]]> 1944-06-07]]> 1944-06-12]]> 1944-06-13]]> 1944-07-25]]> 1944-07-26]]> 1944-07-27]]> 1944-07-28]]> 1944-07-29]]> 1944-07-30]]> 1944-08-05]]> 1944-08-06]]> 1944-08-07]]> 1945-03-03]]> 1945-03-04]]> 1945-03-11]]> 1945-03-14]]> 1945-03-15]]> 1945-03-22]]> 1945-04-30]]> 1945-05-04]]> 1946]]> 1949]]> 1950]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> Singapore]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Singapore]]> 1951]]> 1952]]> 1953]]> 1953-09-05]]> 1953-09-08]]> 1953-09-21]]> 1953-11-18]]> 1953-11-22]]> 1953-11-24]]> 1953-11-26]]> 1953-11-29]]> 1953-12-07]]> 1953-12-08]]> 1953-12-09]]> 1953-12-23]]> 1954]]> 1954-01-01]]> 1955]]> 1956]]> 1957]]> 1958]]> On the reverse 'Skellingthorp [sic], Lincoln Repair and inspection Flight 61 Squadron 4th August 1944'.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1944-08-04]]> Second page lists a further 22 Lancasters by registration number only.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Royall, George. No 166 Squadron]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Personal research]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]>
Keith recalls preparations for war as well as the many aircraft he observed before, during and after the war (Blenheims, Oxfords, Lightnings, Vampires, Meteors, Sterlings and Lancasters). On D-Day Keith witnessed, from the playground at Doddington School, some of the C-47s towing gliders on their way to France.

There were four separate wartime crashes: a Hampden, a Wellington, a Manchester and a Lancaster. A low-flying Ju 88 was also shot down by fighters. Incendiary bombs were dropped at the bottom of the farm. Keith also recollects the impact of two time-bombs.

There were very bad snowstorms in 1947. Life was hard on the farm during the war and the work was all manual, picking potatoes and sugar beet. Some German prisoners of war, stationed at Waterloo Lane in Skellingthorpe, helped to pick potatoes. In 1952 the farm acquired electricity and mains water although they still used the hand pump for drinking water. Keith had success in some thatching competitions. He eventually owned the farm, which became increasingly mechanised. Keith increased yields through experimentation, having particular success with strawberries.

Keith remembers playing sport and describes the impact of climate change.

]]>
Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincoln]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1944-06]]> 1947]]> 1952]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Terry Hancock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> Norway]]> Poland]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Belgium--Houffalize]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> France--Brest]]> France--Châtellerault]]> France--Givors]]> France--L'Isle-Adam]]> France--Le Havre]]> France--Royan]]> Germany--Bremerhaven]]> Germany--Darmstadt]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Homberg (Kassel)]]> Germany--Ladbergen]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia)]]> Germany--Rheydt]]> Germany--Rüsselsheim]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Urft Dam]]> Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Netherlands--Vlissingen]]> Netherlands--Tilburg]]> Norway--Bergen]]> Poland--Gdynia]]> 1944-08-08]]> 1944-08-12]]> 1944-08-13]]> 1944-08-14]]> 1944-08-15]]> 1944-08-18]]> 1944-09-05]]> 1944-09-10]]> 1944-09-11]]> 1944-09-18]]> 1944-09-19]]> 1944-10-23]]> 1944-10-28]]> 1944-11-01]]> 1944-11-04]]> 1944-11-26]]> 1944-12-04]]> 1944-12-18]]> 1944-12-19]]> 1945-01-01]]> 1945-01-04]]> 1945-01-05]]> 1945-02-13]]> 1945-02-19]]> 1945-02-24]]> 1945-03-03]]> 1945-03-05]]> 1945-03-07]]> 1945-03-11]]> 1945-03-23]]> 1945-03-27]]> 1945-04-04]]> 'QR-O 61 Squadron (City of Lincoln) Squadron
VN-D 50 Squadron -- Same airfield Skellingthorpe Lincoln
61 Squadron, Middle left to Top left over to Top Right, above main runway'.]]>
Reg Payne]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]>
It is annotated '7B' and captioned:
'3517 SKELL.4/5.11.44//NT.8" 11400' 074° 1936 LADBERGEN. Z. 14 ANM 65DN. 22secs. F/O Davies. O. 61.
On the reverse is handwritten '300 yds, 287 º']]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Fitter]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ladbergen]]> 1944-11-04]]> 1944-11-05]]>
'2922 SKELL. 18/19.9.44// NT. 8" 15000 ←/168° 2102
BREMERHAVEN RD.Z. 1x2000. 12 "J" x 30. 25 secs. F/O. DAVIES. O.61.']]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Fitter]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Germany--Bremerhaven]]> 1944-09-18]]> 1944-09-19]]>
'2533 SKELL 19/20.9.44 // NT (C) 8" 11000 ← 014° 2153
RHEYDT RD.Z. 1x2000, 12 'J' x 500. 21 secs. F/O. DAVIES. O.61']]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Fitter]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Germany--Rheydt]]> 1944-09-19]]> 1944-09-20]]>
In photo 1 and 3 there are seven airmen and four ground crew.
In photo 2 and 4 there are seven airmen.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form: no better quality copies are available.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]>

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.]]>
Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> David Leitch]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Italy]]> Norway]]> Scotland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> France--Angoulême]]> France--Clermont-Ferrand]]> France--Lyon]]> France--Metz]]> France--Modane]]> France--Saint-Étienne (Loire)]]> Italy--Po River Valley]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund-Ems Canal]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Leverkusen]]> Germany--Magdeburg]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia)]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)]]> Germany--Würzburg]]> Italy--Milan]]> Italy--Turin]]> Manitoba--Portage la Prairie]]> Manitoba--Winnipeg]]> Norway--Tønsberg]]> Scotland--Moray]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Manitoba]]> 1942]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-06-14]]> 1943-06-15]]> 1943-06-21]]> 1943-06-22]]> 1943-07-03]]> 1943-07-04]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-10]]> 1943-07-12]]> 1943-07-13]]> 1943-07-24]]> 1943-07-25]]> 1943-07-26]]> 1943-08-07]]> 1943-08-08]]> 1943-08-10]]> 1943-08-11]]> 1943-09-23]]> 1943-09-24]]> 1943-09-27]]> 1943-09-28]]> 1943-10-18]]> 1943-10-19]]> 1943-11-10]]> 1943-11-11]]> 1943-11-18]]> 1943-11-19]]> 1943-11-23]]> 1943-11-24]]> 1944-01-01]]> 1944-01-02]]> 1944-01-03]]> 1944-01-14]]> 1944-01-20]]> 1944-01-21]]> 1944-01-22]]> 1944-01-28]]> 1944-02-15]]> 1944-02-16]]> 1944-03-04]]> 1944-03-05]]> 1944-03-10]]> 1944-03-11]]> 1944-03-15]]> 1944-03-16]]> 1944-03-17]]> 1944-03-20]]> 1944-03-21]]> 1944-03-23]]> 1944-03-24]]> 1944-03-25]]> 1944-03-26]]> 1945-03-03]]> 1945-03-04]]> 1945-03-16]]> 1945-03-17]]> 1945-04-04]]> 1945-04-07]]> 1945-04-08]]> 1945-04-26]]> 1945-04-27]]> 1946]]>
Deployed to 61 Squadron, he flew as second pilot ("second dickey") on a number of daylight operations before undertaking night time operations. He feared the intense anti-aircraft fire but considers the German fighter with its upward firing cannon as the most dangerous.
Frank describes in detail the various exit ports used in an evacuation of the aircraft and the difficulties for some crew members.
He recalls that a tour was 34 operations, which was followed by six months as an instructor then required to carry out a second tour, except for the pathfinders who did 35 operations but were not required to carry out a second tour. Of his own tour, Frank carried out nine area bombings, twelve rail yard bombings, six primary target bombings and seven army support missions and dropped two hundred and ninety tons of bombs. One of the memorable missions was in February 1945, the bombing of Dresden which he bombed at 23.00 hours. On his return flight he could see the flames from 120 miles away. During the German offensive in the Ardennes, he flew missions in support of US troops.
After VE day he was trained for the Tiger Force and assigned to Okinawa but VJ day prevented his deployment. After his return to Australia he kept in touch with his former crew and his last reunion with them was in Lincoln.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form: no better quality copies are available.]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Terry Holmes]]> Pending OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Wilhelmshaven]]> Germany--Dresden]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945-02]]> 1945-05]]> 1948-08]]>