Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Australia]]> Great Britain]]> Netherlands]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> Netherlands--Eindhoven]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> Victoria]]> Germany]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> After attending the Lancaster finishing school at RAF Syerston, Keith and his crew were posted to RAF East Kirby. Their first operation was to Konigsberg, an eleven-hour trip but had to divert to Scotland because of bad weather. Several ‘bullseye’ feint operations were next before a raid on Bremen Docks was a failure due to navigator error.
Another operation was to Dusseldorf, carried out on a perfect moonlit night. An attack by a Me109, left the rear gunner severely wounded and the mid upper turret out of action. After fifteen minutes of corkscrew evasive action, the enemy fighter flew alongside, waggled his wings and flew off. Keith comforted the rear gunner until they made an emergency landing in England. Examination of the damaged aircraft revealed the emergency whistle of the mid upper gunner had deflected a bullet and saved his life. On an operation to Trondheim, the crew were unable to bomb so returned but had a lucky escape when they flew too low and hit the sea, tearing off the tail wheel and causing a crash landing for which the pilot received a red endorsement
Their last operation was to Siegen and in mid flight the navigator wanted to turn back so the pilot ordered Keith to map read the route from the nose of the aircraft and so he finished his first tour on 1st February 1945.
After time as a bombing instructor at RAF Swinderby, Keith was posted to Sudan as an air traffic controller from where he was demobbed.
He worked as a salesman until 1984, during which time he joined 57/630 Squadron association.
Keith feels angry at the treatment of Arthur Harris and considers the aircrew clasp as a pathetic gesture.]]>
Harry Bartlett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Terry Holmes]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Wales--Gwynedd]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Bremen]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Siegen]]> Norway--Trondheim]]> Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)]]> Canada]]> Saskatchewan]]> Sudan]]> Germany]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1945-02-01]]>
Clare Bennett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Christine Kavanagh]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> United States]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Derbyshire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Hamm (North Rhine-Westphalia)]]> Germany--Sorpe Dam]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1943-05-16]]> 1943-05-17]]> Dan Ellin]]> Heather Hughes]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Brian May]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Sorpe Dam]]> 1940]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Adam Purcell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Hugh Donnelly]]> Mal Prissick]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Australia]]> Canada]]> Great Britain]]> England--Brighton]]> England--Staffordshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Manitoba]]> United States]]> England--Sussex]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> South African Air Force]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Kiel]]> 1944-05-03]]> 1944-05-04]]> Tina James]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending OH summary]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> South Africa]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Poland--Żagań]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Andrew Panton]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tracy Johnson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Belgium]]> Great Britain]]> Germany]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Belgium--Hasselt]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Sue Walters]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> Switzerland]]> England--London]]> 1940-06-14]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Dan Ellin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> British Army]]> France]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> Atlantic Ocean--North Sea]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> France--Dunkerque]]> Poland--Żagań]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943-12-20]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Peter Adams]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Canada]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> Germany--Dresden]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Mid Upper WOP Nav Pilot PFE Rear Bomb Aimer Framed photo'.]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Andy Hamilton]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> 1943-12-16]]> Douglas (Rear Gunner) Chippy DFC (Pilot) Jimmy (Mid-Upper Gunner) (aged 18)
Crew of Sugar 2 of 626 Squadron. 32 operations. Hit by flak
On 4 occasion, with only one injury, and that to Bombe Aimer.
Also 1 severe strike by lightning, blinding Pilot for 10 minutes!’ ]]>
IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]>
Chris Brockbank]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Jackie Simpson]]> Pending review]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> Great Britain. Royal Air Force]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Mike Connock]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Log book and record book]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> South African Air Force]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> South Africa]]> England--Cumbria]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Rutland]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Bochum]]> Germany--Cologne]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> Germany--Essen]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Gelsenkirchen]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Mönchengladbach]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> South Africa--Port Alfred]]> South Africa--Queenstown]]> Germany--Düsseldorf]]> Germany--Hagen (Arnsberg)]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1943-02-28]]> 1943-03-01]]> 1943-05-23]]> 1943-05-24]]> 1943-05-25]]> 1943-05-26]]> 1943-05-27]]> 1943-05-28]]> 1943-06-11]]> 1943-06-12]]> 1943-06-13]]> 1943-06-28]]> 1943-06-29]]> 1943-07-03]]> 1943-07-04]]> 1943-07-08]]> 1943-07-09]]> 1943-07-10]]> 1943-08-27]]> 1943-08-28]]> 1943-08-30]]> 1943-08-31]]> 1943-09-01]]> 1943-09-27]]> 1943-09-28]]> 1943-10-01]]> 1943-10-02]]> 1943-10-04]]> 1943-10-05]]> 1943-10-07]]> 1943-10-08]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> 1945]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Atlantic Ocean--Skagerrak]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Kassel]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> France--Lille]]> Germany--Aachen]]> France--Tergnier (Canton)]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> France--Chambley Air Base]]> France--Mantes-la-Jolie]]> Germany--Duisburg]]> Germany--Dortmund]]> France--Rennes]]> France--Cerisy-la-Salle]]> France--Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine)]]> France--Tours]]> France--Amiens]]> France--Valenciennes]]> France--Oisemont (Canton)]]> France--Creil]]> France--Châlons-en-Champagne]]> France--Maubeuge]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Kiel]]> France--Béthune]]> France--Normandy]]> France--Abbeville Region]]> France--Pas-de-Calais]]> France--L'Isle-Adam]]> France--Cabourg]]> France--La Pallice]]> France--Montrichard]]> France--Falaise]]> France--Hesdin]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> France--Lumbres]]> Netherlands--Venlo]]> France--Le Havre]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Atlantic Ocean--English Channel]]> France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)]]> Poland]]> France]]> Germany]]> Netherlands]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)]]> 1944-09]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1944-09]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1944-09]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1944-09]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Claire Monk]]> eng]]> Photograph]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--Cambridgeshire]]> 1944-09]]>