1
25
32
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2283/41892/SCarterR1620578v10004-00030001.2.pdf
9af52a74cd572a22ef29d89107988676
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Carter, Ronald
Description
An account of the resource
32 items. The collection concerns Sergeant Ronald Carter (1924 - 2014, 1620578 Royal Air Force) and contains his biography, research, documents and photographs. He flew operations as a rear gunner with 44 Squadron before becoming a prisoner of war.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Susan Margaret Perrow and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Date
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2021-12-06
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.
Identifier
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Carter, R
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
Ron Carter's flying log book
Description
An account of the resource
Flying log book for Ron Carter from April 1944 to 18 July 1944. Detailing operations flown from RAF Dunholme Lodge. Aircraft flown was Lancaster. He carried out a total of 21 operations with 44 Squadron as an air gunner on the following targets in Belgium, France, Germany and Norway: Munich, Schweinfurt, Oslo, Toulouse, Mailly-le-Camp, Salibris, Gennevilliers, Bourleopold, Amiens, Morsalines, Kiel, Caen, Aunay, Benivoir, Pommereval, Marqueise, Creil, and St Leu d'Esserent. His pilot on operations was Pilot Officer Davey. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
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
Creator
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Great Britain. Royal Air Force
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
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Eight photocopied sheets
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
SCarterR1620578v10004-00030001
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Norway
Belgium--Leopoldsburg
France--Amiens
France--Caen
France--Creil
France--Gennevilliers
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Marquise
France--Normandy
France--Pommeréval
France--Toulouse
France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Munich
Germany--Schweinfurt
Norway--Oslo
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-05-17
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-05-19
1944-05-20
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-07-18
44 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
bale out
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Lancaster
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
prisoner of war
RAF Dunholme Lodge
shot down
tactical support for Normandy troops
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1394/36124/LHerbertWJ1819925v1.2.pdf
3ecf7f17106531984e3de7255ced4a06
Dublin Core
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Title
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Herbert, W J
Herbert, William James
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
2016-01-21
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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Herbert, WJ
Description
An account of the resource
Two items. The collection concerns sergeant Williams James Herbert (1819925 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book and certificate of service. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 50 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by [name] and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
William James Herbert’s flying log book for navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s
Description
An account of the resource
Flight Engineer’s flying log book for William Herbert, flight engineer, covering the period from 10 March 1944 to 23 August 1945. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Swinderby (1654 CU), RAF Syerston (5 LFS), RAF Skellingthorpe (50 Squadron) and RAF Wigsley (1654 HCU) as an instructor. Aircraft flown in were Stirling and Lancaster. He flew a tour of 34 operations (11 day and 23 night) with 50 squadron. Targets were Orleans, Poitiers, Aunay-sur-Odon, Chatelleraut, Gelsenkirchen-Buer, Limoges, Prouville (Pas de Calais), Limoges, Vitry le Francois, Beauvois, St. Leu d’Esserent, Villeneuve St. George, Nevers, Caen, Stuttgart, Caragnes, Joigny, Siracourt, Bois de Cassan, Trossy, Secqueville, Givors, Russelheim, Brest, Bois de Lisle Adam, La Pallice, Darmstadt, Konigsberg, Bergencuse. His pilot on operations was Pilot Officer Oliver.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1945
1944-06-10
1944-06-11
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-16
1944-06-20
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-07-04
1944-07-05
1944-07-07
1944-07-08
1944-07-14
1944-07-15
1944-07-16
1944-07-18
1944-07-28
1944-07-29
1944-07-30
1944-07-31
1944-08-01
1944-08-02
1944-08-03
1944-08-05
1944-08-07
1944-08-08
1944-08-09
1944-08-10
1944-08-11
1944-08-12
1944-08-13
1944-08-14
1944-08-18
1944-08-19
1944-08-25
1944-08-26
1944-08-27
1944-08-29
1944-08-31
1944-09-11
1944-09-12
1944-09-13
1945-06-23
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
France--Brest
France--Caen
France--Châtellerault
France--Givors
France--Joigny
France--La Pallice
France--Limoges
France--Normandy
France--Orléans
France--Poitiers
France--Nevers
France--Vitry-le-François
Germany--Darmstadt
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Rüsselsheim
Germany--Stuttgart
Russia (Federation)--Kaliningrad (Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ)
Russia (Federation)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Aunay-sur-Odon
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
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
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.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike French
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LHerbertWJ1819925v1
1654 HCU
50 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Bombing of Trossy St Maximin (3 August 1944)
Cook’s tour
flight engineer
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Swinderby
RAF Syerston
RAF Wigsley
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/2097/34661/BBrindKJBrindKJv1.1.pdf
b8c765f6e18d169a6bc660eb824a7028
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
Brind, Kenneth John
Brind, K J
Description
An account of the resource
Two items. The collection concerns Kenneth John Brind (b. 1922 Royal Air Force) and contains his memoir and transcript of the ceremony awarding him the Légion d'Honneur. He flew operations as a navigator with 626 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Angela Way and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-04-30
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. 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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Brind, KJ
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[Royal Air Force 626 Squadron crest]
A Year In The Life
By
K.J. Brind
[page break]
To My Beloved
MARY,
our children
and grandchildren
I wish to express my appreciation to
"The Wickenby Register"
and in particular to its president
Don Wells and archivist
Jim MacDonald who, as well as
flying on many of the operations
described here, researched and
provided me with much of the factual
information in this book.
i
[page break]
A Year In The Life
By Kenneth Brind
In the village of Aldbourne on October 17th 1922, Ken was born to William and Emily Brind, the oldest of their three sons. Educated at St. Michael's School and Marlborough Grammar School, he entered the Royal Air Force shortly after the outbreak of World War II.
Trained as an Air Navigator, he flew a tour of operations with 626 Squadron Bomber Command, was commissioned and continued to serve in the RAF after the war as a navigation instructor, fighter controller and administrative officer.
He transferred to the RCAF in 1955 and served in a similar capacity until his retirement from military service in 1968.
This book is a description of the events which took place between his 21st and 22nd birthdays.
iii
[page break]
[photographs]
Kenneth John Brind CD C de G
[photograph]
Able Two
iv
[page break]
Prelude To Action
I'm not quite sure where to begin this narrative, but I suppose the R.A.F. Hospital Rauceby, Lincs. would be as good a place as any. I was there because of a pilonoidal sinus which was operated on and refused to heal so I spent a fairly lengthy period from early October 1943 to January 1944 (including my 21st Birthday on October 17th) out of action. It was my wife, Mary, who insisted I get treatment so I suppose, in a way, I owe her my life.
I had trained as a navigator and, after graduation from #10 Observers Advanced Flying Unit, Dumfries Scotland, had spent much of 1943 with a crew captained by Sgt. Geoff Clark. Geoff and I had met at No. 18 Operational Training Unit, Finningley, in May 1943, and taking an instant liking to each other, decided to throw in our lot together and jointly invited other crew members, bomb aimer, wireless operator and air gunner, to join us. During the summer we learned to operate as a crew on Wellington aircraft and completed our first operational sortie, which was an O.T.U. training exercise, on July 25th to Alencon, France, dropping leaflets inviting the Germans to surrender! On August 4th we moved on to No. 1656 Conversion Unit at Lindholme, picked up a flight engineer and second air gunner and learned to operate the Avro Lancaster Bomber. During the conversion process we had one very unfortunate experience. We were at the end of the runway one very dark night in the middle of September when another Lancaster taxiing behind us collided with our rear turret. One engine of the following aircraft smashed into the turret with Graham Uttley inside. Both pilots switched off all engines immediately and we managed to extricate Graham, but he was dead before the ambulance arrived. Another rear gunner immediately joined us and by the end of September the crew of Sgt. Clark, Pilot; Sgt. Brind, Navigator; Sgt. Naylor, Bomb Aimer; Sgt. Parkinson, Flight Engineer; Sgt. Whitmarsh, Wireless Operator; Sgt. Sugden and Sgt. Walker, Air Gunners was considered competent and ready to join a squadron, and were duly posted to No. 625 Squadron, Kelstern.
With our training now completed it seemed a good time to get the very minor surgery required to fix my pilonoidal sinus so I reported to the hospital. What we didn't know was that my recovery would take much longer than expected and that Geoff and the boys would not be able to await my return. They were forced to commence operations without me and were shot down over Berlin two days before Christmas, on December 23rd, 1943. They were all killed. I never met my replacement as Navigator, but I have always had guilt feelings that I should have been with them. Had I been there things might have been different. One thing is certain, they were a group of dedicated, enthusiastic, well trained young men.
Following my discharge from hospital I went on sick leave and it was not until April 1944 that the doctors certified me ready to crew up again and return to the war. In the meantime Mary had become pregnant and gone to Aldbourne where she would be safe. She had been with me during my O.T.U. and Conversion Unit Training.
I met Flying Officer Hicks and his crew at No. 1662 Conversion Unit, Blyton on May 14th. So many Lancasters had been lost during the winter of 1943/44 that they had been withdrawn
1
[page break]
[photograph]
The Wellington Crew
No. 18 O.T.U. Finningley
July 1943
Sgt. G. Uttley Sgt. W.E. Whitmarsh
Sgt. K.J. Brind Sgt. G.E. Clark Sgt. R.A. Naylor
from the heavy conversion units and replaced by Halifaxes. So crews converted on to the Halifax, then to the Lancaster at No. 1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell. I did 3 cross country exercises (1 day and 2 night) with my new crew on the Halifax followed by a short conversion at No.! L.F.S. on to the Lancaster (with which I was very familiar from my time spent with my former crew) and then to No.626 Squadron, Wickenby on June 5th, 1944.
I should mention some of the characteristics of the Lancaster which by now had become the preeminent bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force. It had a wingspan of 102 feet with a
2
[page break]
[photograph]
The Lancaster Crew
No. 626 Sqdn. Wickenby
July 1944
F/S J. Saletto F/S K.J. Brind F/L.A.C. Hicks F/O C. Bursey F/O P.M. Graves
Sgt. A.B. Jones Sgt. S.G. King
length of 69 feet and maximum height of 20 feet 6 inches. Powered by four Rolls Royce Merlin engines each developing 1,460 horsepower it had a maximum speed of 240 knots at 15,000 feet fully loaded and a cruising speed of 175 knots. The range varied with the load carried being 2,200 nautical miles with a 7,000 lb load, and 1350 nautical miles with a 22,000 lb load. Maximum fuel capacity was 2,154 gallons. Maximum bomb load varied with modifications which were made but essentially the main force carried not more than 15,000 lbs. Service ceiling was 19,000 – 20,000 feet depending on load and maximum ceiling was 24,000 feet. Take off distance loaded was 1,550 yards and the rate of climb was 250 ft/minute. Landing distance was approximately 1,000 yards. Maximum take off weight was 72,000 lbs. The aircraft carried a
3
[page break]
defensive armament of 3 gun turrets, the front carrying 2 x .303 machine guns, the mid upper the same and the rear turret 4 x .303's. Later the mid upper and rear turret were equipped with 2 x .5's. The primary navigation system was "GEE" by which the navigator could calculate the position of his aircraft by observing the time taken to receive pulse signals from three different ground stations. By now the enemy was aware of frequencies, etc., and jammed the signals before one reached the European coast. The other radar navigation system was "H2S". Here the aircraft transmitted signals which were reflected back from the terrain over which it was flying by providing a map of coastlines, islands, rivers, etc. But because the aircraft was transmitting it became vulnerable to interception by enemy fighters or prediction by anti aircraft guns. So it had to be used with discretion. The crew required to man this aircraft was seven as I have already mentioned.
My new crew was quite different from my previous one. Here 3 of the 7 were officers and Arthur Hicks himself was ten years older than I. He had done most of his flying training in the U.S.A., at Pensacola, Florida, and wore a silver bracelet proclaiming his proficiency. The other officers in the crew were Peter Graves, a burly London policeman, the bomb aimer and Bill Bursey, strangely enough the rear gunner, both were Flying Officers. The other N.C.O.s were Jack Saletto, an Australian and sole survivor of a 460 squadron crew, the wireless operator, Stan King, a youngster from London, the flight engineer, and Bert Jones the mid upper gunner.
We were welcomed by the Squadron Commander, Wing Commander Rodney, in his office and advised of two things; one was that a crew had just completed a tour of operations (the first to do so for some time) and the second was that the invasion (Operation Overlord) was to take place tomorrow, so we had arrived at a good time. We were then allocated to "A" Flight with whom we would remain for the duration of our tour with the squadron. We settled into our quarters but this crew, being mixed, officers and N.C.O.s, did not all share the same accommodation. The officers went to their quarters and the N.C.O.s to theirs.
The next few days saw us getting acclimatized, going through the various administrative procedures to ensure we would be paid and fed and generally getting to know our way around.
On June 13th an aircraft was made available for us to demonstrate that we were ready to operate so we took it on a 5 1/2 hour night cross country. On our return we were debriefed and our logs and charts were analyzed and checked. We passed muster.
4
[page break]
Operation No. 1 Rheims
The invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord) had commenced on June 6th 1944 and the allied armies were struggling to establish a bridgehead in Normandy. The Germans were trying to reinforce their defences so railway marshalling yards became prime targets. So it was that our first operation was against the railway yards at Rheims, France. It was June 22nd.
Our route took us from Wickenby to Gravesend then south to cross the English coast near Hastings, across the channel to a point on the French coast just east of Dieppe then south east directly towards the target. After bombing we headed west to a point just west of Dieppe then north back across the channel to make a landfall near Brighton, thence to Reading and back to base.
The bombload was 9,000 lbs consisting of eighteen 500 lb high explosive bombs which Peter Graves dispatched without difficulty. The aiming point was marked with cascading yellow target indicators (TI's) at H-5 and H-4 (H being the Time on Target of the first wave of bombers) and backed up with green TIs. The initial markers were scattered and short of the target but the Master Bomber backed up with red spot fires.
The weather called for patchy clouds enroute increasing to 9/10's clouds with tops at 6,000 feet. As the main force was at 18 – 20,000 feet some crews could not see the reds so bombed the glow of the markers through the clouds. The weight of the attack fell on the sorting sidings cutting every line and destroying 61 rail cars.
Ground defences were not heavy but there was heavy flak (anti-aircraft fire) and searchlights in the Abbville area. We were coned in searchlights for several minutes which is always a hair-raising experience but Hicky put the nose down and we eventually dived clear and resumed our homeward course. We returned to base without further incident and landed at approximately 0240 having been airborne for four hours and forty minutes.
Of the 19 aircraft of 626 Squadron which had started out one developed an engine fire, aborted the mission and returned to base, and one (Sgt. Woolley and crew) was shot down and all on board were killed. Bomber Command always kept statistics and on this night our squadron loss was 5.26%. Statistically if we continued at this rate we would last for twenty missions and our tour called for 30. We ate our eggs and bacon and went to bed.
5
[page break]
Operation No. 2 Les Hayons
In the summer of 1944 the Germans had developed their "ultimate weapons" the V1 and V2 and were using them indiscriminately against London and Southern England. The V1 was a winged bomb with a jet propelled engine which flew until it ran out of fuel then crashed and exploded. The V2 was a rocket propelled bomb which left the ground on a high trajectory, crossed the channel and came almost straight down on to it's target. There was some defence against the V1 in that it could be shot down by ground fire or by a fighter aircraft. There was no defence against the V2. The launching sites for both were in the Pas de Calais area of Northern France and in the low countries so the obvious way to eliminate the problem was to destroy the launching sites and storage sheds on the ground. A job for Bomber Command.
Our first attack against a launching site followed two days after our trip to Rheims, on June 24th, and the target chosen for 626 Squadron was Les Hayons in the Pas de Calais. These operations were not considered difficult as they were fairly short with not too much time over enemy territory. Our squadron's contribution of 17 aircraft included the squadron commander.
We took off at 1535 hours with a bomb load of 9,000 lbs (18 x 500 lb bombs) and climbed enroute to our bombing height of 18,000 feet. There were scattered patches of cloud between 3 and 8,000 feet, but the target area was clear with good visibility.
Our route took us again to Gravesend (but this time in daylight), to Hastings where we crossed enroute outbound, then straight to the target crossing the French coast near Calais. Calais was heavily defended and we came under a heavy and accurate flak attack on our approach to the target area, but fortunately we did not see any enemy aircraft. The aiming point was marked by red TIs but they were not dropped until after several of us had already bombed the target. Visibility was good and we were able to identify the launch ramps and storage buildings visually and attack them. We came under attack again as we crossed the French coast on our way home. We returned via Reading and arrived at Wickenby having been airborne 3 hours and 40 minutes. Two of our squadron aircraft sustained damage from the flak attack but no one was injured.
6
[page break]
Operation No. 3 Ligescourt
The next day we were at it again. This time our target was the flying bomb site at Ligescourt just a few miles from Les Hayons which we visited yesterday. But now we were going in the early morning rather than late afternoon. Twice in less than 24 hours.
Take off commenced at 0722 hours and our aircraft, A2 (Able Two) was airborne at 0730. The 626 squadron force was again 17 aircraft each carrying 18 x 500 lb bombs. The weather again was cloudy over England clearing over the channel with no cloud and excellent visibility in the target area.
The target marking of cascading red and yellow TIs was carried out by Mosquito aircraft. The red TIs were 2 minutes late and were slightly north east of the target but visibility was so good that the bomb aimers were able to visually identify and attack the target.
For some reason we did not come under the accurate flak attack which we experienced yesterday. Except for a few bursts at Berck sur Mer we were trouble free. A lone German fighter was sighted over the channel and was promptly shot down by spitfires of No. 11 Group who were providing fighter cover for us. The squadron sustained no losses and there were no reports of damage to our aircraft.
We again returned via Reading and at 1045 hours landed at Wickenby. At this period of the war everyone avoided flying over London so as not to impede those defending the city against flying bombs, so we were routed east or west of London depending on the location of the target.
7
[page break]
Operation No. 4 Sirracourt
It was now June 29th and operations scheduled for the 27th and 28th had been cancelled because of poor weather. There was now a slight improvement with a forecast of fair to cloudy with light showers. At 1000 hours we were advised that the daylight operation planned for yesterday was to be put on at once. Lots of rushing around getting everything ready, bombs, fuel, briefing, etc. The target was another flying bomb launching site, this time at Sirracourt, a few miles south of Les Hayons and Ligescourt.
For this operation we were joined by aircraft of 12 squadron which shared Wickenby with us. The force consisted of 29 Lancasters, 15 from 626 and 14 from 12 squadron. We were part of a concentrated attack on flying bomb launching sites by 286 Lancasters and 19 Mosquitoes of Bomber Command.
Our bomb load for this operation was a mixture of 1,000 lb and 500 lb high explosive for a total of 13,000 lbs per aircraft. Fuel load was 1,450 gallons. We always knew from the fuel and bomb loads, even before being given the target at briefing, whether we were going on a short or long trip. The maximum fuel load for a Lancaster was 2,154 gallons. We knew if full fuel load was called for the trip would be long and the bomb load smaller to remain within the maximum takeoff weight of 72,000 lbs. Conversely on shorter trips we carried less fuel and more bombs.
Getting 29 Lancasters off one runway takes a little time but we had got it to a fine art. Number one started rolling and when he was halfway down the runway number two started. By the time number one became airborne number two was halfway along and number three started so there were always 3 aircraft on or just leaving the runway. It was very efficient so long as there were no problems.
The first aircraft took off at 1151 and we were airborne at 1210 hours. Our route to the target was again via Gravesend and Dungeness and the weather was good to within a few miles of the target, then the cloud thickened to about 7/10s with tops at about 14,000 feet which meant that Peter Graves could not visually identify the target so we reduced height to bomb at 12,500 ft. We were above the clouds but came under intense and accurate heavy flak from the French coast to the target. We were again escorted by 11 Group Spitfires and saw no enemy fighters.
The target marking was by red TIs cascading from 4,000 feet on to the Master Bomber's yellow TIs cascading from 3,000 feet. Unfortunately, the Master Bomber was shot down while dropping his yellow TIs. This resulted in scattered bombing particularly in the early stages of the attack. Because of the weather it was difficult to assess the results of the attack but at 1402 hours a large explosion was reported with smoke rising to 4,000 feet.
We again returned via Reading and arrived back at Wickenby at 1540 hours. Four of Wickenby's aircraft were hit by flak, two from each squadron and one from 12 Squadron (P/O Underwood) was lost. It was on fire and abandoned in the air and crashed at Troisvaux. The pilot, navigator and rear gunner were killed while the wireless operator, bomb aimer, flight engineer and mid upper gunner were all taken prisoner of war. The Wickenby loss rate was 3.45%.
8
[page break]
Operation No. 5 Vierzon
Vierzon is a town some 120 miles south of Paris. It was a major rail and transportation centre for German troops and supplied on their way to the front some 160 miles to the north west. It was our "target for tonight" on June 30th and 31 Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed for the mission. Twelve Squadron supplied 13 and 626 Squadron 18.
Take off commenced at 2151 hours and our aircraft became airborne at 2155 with a bomb load of 13,000 lbs, mixed 1,000 and 500 lb high explosive and 1,450 gallons of fuel. We climbed towards Reading, the assembly point, and reached our operational altitude earlier than normal as we were briefed for 8 - 10,000 feet instead of our usual 18 - 20,000 feet. We were aware that disruption of rail traffic was vital to stop German troops and supplies reaching the beachhead in Normandy. We were also aware that inaccurate bombing would kill innocent French civilians. Targets were, therefore, brilliantly lit with chandelier flares and to ensure accuracy we flew at less than half our normal bombing height. From Reading we headed to a point midway across the channel then crossed the French coast between Dieppe and Le Havre and headed south towards the target.
On arrival in the target area we found the aiming point illuminated with flares and marked with impact yellow TIs backed up by red spot fires. The TIs fell to the north east of the yards but the reds were accurate and the bombing was concentrated on them. The Master Bomber instructed the main force to bomb between two sets of TIs. At 0119 hours a broadcast was heard on the radio telephone (RT), not the Master Bomber's voice but using his call sign, instructing the main force to cease bombing and go home. No code word for "stop bombing" was used so the broadcast was ignored. Shortly after a Canadian voice interjected over the RT telling the German, in the most ungentlemanly fashion, what to do.
In spite of everything the bombing appeared to be extremely accurate and results showed that all through lines were cut, much of the rolling stock and two thirds of the locomotive depot was destroyed. Regretfully residential and business property to the east of the target was severely damaged.
There was some light flak in the target area and because of our reduced altitude, it was exploding at our height but the one searchlight was shot out by the first marker. The fighters were initially confused as to our location but after we had been over enemy territory for 54 minutes they were ordered to Orleans and, having identified our target, they attacked with considerable ferocity. They made contact by moonlight and held the bomber stream for 80 miles on the return route when most of our losses occurred.
This was the deepest penetration my crew had made so far and in spite of all the activity going on around us we were able to fly home unscathed and arrived back at Wickenby at 0325 hours having been airborne for 5 1/2 hours.
Of Wickenby's aircraft on this night one from 626 Squadron aborted the mission with an electrical failure and one from 12 Squadron was damaged by light flak. Four combats with fighter were reported, 3 by 12 Squadron aircraft and one from 626. Of the 30 Wickenby aircraft
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to reach the target 4 were lost, two from each squadron. 12 Squadron lost P/O Honor and P/O Pollard, and both crews were killed. 626 lost P/O Pocock who was killed together with his whole crew on their very first operation, and P/O Orr who was killed together with his flight engineer and both gunners while his navigator, bomb aimer and wireless operator managed to bail out. The navigator and bomb aimer were both wounded and taken prisoner but the wireless operator evaded capture.
Bomber Command loss rate for this operation was 11.86% while that for Wickenby was 12.9%. We had paid the price for operating a lower level than normal. 626 Squadron had lost 2 aircraft out of 18, a loss rate of 11.1%, the highest we had experienced since starting our tour. It was now 9 days since we started operational flying and we had already flown on 5 operations. And so we reached the end of June 1944.
On July 1st the weather was cloudy but becoming fair with showers – 23 Lancasters were detailed for a night attack which was cancelled. "Salute the Soldier Week" was held from July 1st to 8th with a target of £2000. Whether the target was reached is not known. A discipline notice on the bulletin board read "Airmen with cycles in their charge fitted with "rat trap" pedals are to ensure that all sharp points liable to damage footwear are filed off".
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Operation No. 6 Domleger
On July 2nd the weather was cloudy becoming fair with showers later. Twenty five Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed against a flying bomb site at Domleger. We were part of a force of 286 Lancasters and Mosquitoes attacking 2 flying bomb sites. 626 Squadron provided 14 aircraft. Domleger was in the vicinity of the other flying bomb sites we had already attacked. Our bomb load was 13,000 lbs mixed 500 and 1,000 lbs high explosive.
We were the first aircraft to takeoff and were airborne at 1215 hours and climbed to our normal bombing height of 18,000 feet enroute to Gravesend. The weather as we progressed was 8 - 10/10s cloud with tops between 7 and 10,000 feet.
As we approached the target area the Master Bomber instructed all crews to bomb on DF (Direction Finding) radar or radio then 3 minutes before H hour these instructions were cancelled and we were instructed to bomb the TIs. In the meantime we reduced height to 14,000 feet, the cloud layer broke, and a large hole enabled us to bomb visually at 1415 hours. As with all visual bombing the concentration was good with smoke rising to 5,000 feet.
There was a minimal amount of light flak in the target area but considerable heavy flak in the Abbville area on the homeward route. No enemy fighters were seen, fighter cover again being provided by 11 Group.
Our losses were nil and only one of our aircraft was hit by flak with no casualties. We returned to Wickenby 3 1/2 hours after we left.
On July 4th twenty-two Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed as part of a force of 151 plus 6 markers against the railway yards at Les Aubrais near Orleans. 626 Squadron's effort was 11 aircraft.
Take off commenced at 2147 with our aircraft becoming airborne at 2200 hours. All went well until we were over France and, as we thought, heading in the direction of the target. But at H hour when the target should have been in view, or at least the TIs should have appeared ahead of us, there was nothing to be seen. We were flying over an unbroken layer of cloud and were certainly not where we were supposed to be. As the navigator it was my responsibility to know where we were at all times. Something had gone wrong and I was not certain what it was. We could not go on to the target, we didn't even know where it was, so Hicky made the only decision possible. We would head for home. It is a rather scary position to be in – flying around over enemy territory with 9,000 lbs of bombs on board – knowing you are somewhere between your base and your target, but not knowing how to get to either and with navigational equipment which is unserviceable. Under such conditions you revert to basics. I stuck my head into the astrodome and located Polaris – the North Star, and directed Hicky to fly north, using the star to steer by. We knew that by flying north we would cross the French coast and eventually the English channel but at this point did not know where or when. Once we had settled on course I was able to assess what had happened.
The Distant Reading (DR) compass had become destabilized and was slowly rotating so that we had not been steady on any course but going round in a huge circle. We were alone and
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at the mercy of any defences we might encounter. In the meantime, Hicky, Peter Graves and Stan King were all looking ahead searching for any sign of the French coast. Bert Jones and Bill Bursey in the gunners turrets were searching the black skies for anything approaching us while Jack Saletto and I were working feverishly for any bearings or any radar fix which would help us locate our position. Then it happened! Heavy flak appeared before us and about the same time the H2S told me we were approaching Le Havre, one of the most heavily defended ports on the coast. We had no choice but to fly through the defences which we proceeded to do weaving gently to try and prevent the anti aircraft prediction radar getting a "lock on" to us, and we were lucky enough to get through unscathed and headed out over the channel.
We still had our 9,000 lbs of high explosive just beneath where we were sitting and the prospect of landing with it still on board, in the dark, was not a pleasant one so, discretion being the better part of valour, it was decided to jettison our bomb load over the channel. We were back within GEE range by now so I selected a spot well away from the shipping lanes which were very busy between southern England and the Normandy beachhead and Peter dropped them safe, i.e. not fused, into the English Channel.
We returned home without further incident after almost 6 hours and had to report that we had aborted the mission. The log showed the reason as "DR compass unserviceable". So for us this counted for naught and our number was still 6 completed operations.
For the rest of the squadron the night had been successful. The assessment of the attack was that all through rail lines were cut and a large quantity of rolling stock destroyed or damaged.
626 Squadron reported one aircraft damaged and one combat with a JU88. 12 Squadron lost one aircraft with the pilot (F/S Turner), bomb aimer and flight engineer taken prisoner and the other four crew members killed.
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Operation No. 7 Dijon
On July 5th the weather was fair to cloudy with moderate visibility. I had our instrument technicians working on the DR compass and had the master unit replaced and swung. Hopefully it will be O.K. for tonight we go to Dijon.
Twenty two Lancasters from Wickenby, 12 from 12 and 10 from 626 Squadron were part of a force of 154 detailed against the marshalling yards at Dijon, a city some 160 miles south east of Paris and about 60 miles from the Swiss border. Because of the distance involved the fuel load and bomb loads were adjusted and we carried 9,500 lbs (8 x 1,000 lb and 3 x 500 lb).
We took off at 2000 hrs in daylight and were gradually wrapped in darkness as we headed towards France. Our route took us south west from Wickenby to Bridport crossing the English coast just west of Weymouth. We then headed south to a point near the Channel Islands before turning south east towards France. We had deliberately kept clear of the European battlefield and now crossed the coast at a point some 35 miles north of Rennes and moved in a series of zig zags towards the target area. A tactic used by Bomber Command was to try not to indicate to the enemy until the last minute where the actual target was, so we finally headed to a point north west of Dijon then made a sudden turn south east for a relatively short bombing run over the marshalling yards before turning west and heading for home.
The weather over England was 10/10 cloud with tops to 7,000 feet so we soon climbed through it and were in the clear above. The cloud layer dispersed by mid channel and visibility was perfect from then on. Perfect visibility is a two edged sword though, not only can you see where you are going and who is with you, but you can also be seen by the enemy fighters and anit aircraft defences. Visibility was so good that the Swiss Alps were clearly visible from a distance of one hundred miles or so. It was worth the trip just to see Mont Blanc at 15,780 feet glistening in the moonlight.
There was a good deal of light flak in the target area which considerably troubled the Master Bomber. Initial yellow TIs were dropped by using radar and were found to be one mile north west of the target. The Deputy Master Bomber arrived in the target area ahead of the Master Bomber and dropped one red and one yellow TI within 50 yards of the aiming point. Bombing was accurate though some crews bombed the early markers. Photographic reconnaissance assessed that all the through rail lines were cut and the locomotive round house and workshops destroyed.
There was some night fighter activity over the target and as far as Tours on the way home. Four of 626 Squadron crews reported combat with night fighters and one of our aircraft was damaged.
We returned home on a reciprocal route and arrived back at Wickenby at 0440 hours after a flight of 8 hours 40 minutes and the furthest penetration yet into Fortress Europe. There were no losses.
Until now our operations were against flying bomb sites to reduce these attacks on Southern England, and railway marshalling yards and communication centres in France to try
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[map]
[underlined] DIJON [underlined].
[underlined] 5/6 JULY 1944 [underlined].
[page break]
to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the battle area. Now we were going to use bomber aircraft as heavy artillery in direct support of the forces on the ground. The Allied armies had established a beachhead in Normandy but were experiencing difficulty in breaking out and advancing. Particularly troubling was Caen where German resistance was especially stubborn.
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Operation No. 8 Caen
On July 7th a Bomber Command force of 283 Lancasters, 164 Halifaxes and 20 Mosquitoes were detailed against troops and armour at Caen. Wickenby's contribution was 30 Lancasters, 13 from 12 Squadron and 17 from 626. The weather was cloudy with intermittent rain in the morning, fair later. The operation was scheduled for evening.
The bomb load was 13,000 lbs, mixed 1,000 and 500 lbs high explosive. Takeoff commenced at 1910 hours and we became airborne at 1930. The enroute weather was 7 – 8/10's cloud with a base at 5,000 feet and tops at 12,000 feet until nearing the French coast then clearing to small amounts of broken cloud only.
Target marking with red and yellow TIs was on time and accurate which made the work of the bomb aimer that much easier. However, there was intense heavy and light flak in the target area. After all we were attacking an army on the ground who were well trained and well equipped and who were going to defend themselves. As we flew through the target area there was smoke, exploding shells, exploding bombs and aircraft everywhere. A very confusing scene.
However, the bombs straddled the markers and it was apparent that a raid of outstanding success was achieved. Photo reconnaissance showed the bulk of the bombing fell within a radius of 450 yards with very few isolated sticks of bombs.
A message from 2nd Army Headquarters read "The heavy bombing that took place this evening was a wonderfully impressive show. The 2nd Army would like appreciation and thanks passed to all crews".
One of 626 Squadron's aircraft aborted with an unserviceable port inner engine. Three of 12 Squadron and 3 of 626 Squadron aircraft were damaged. Among them was ours. We were hit by flak in the mid upper turret and the front windscreen over the target but fortunately none of us was injured though Bert Jones obviously had a close call.
626 Squadron lost one aircraft (P/O Oram) which was hit in the target area and subsequently became uncontrollable. The crew abandoned over the channel and 5 of them were rescued from the sea and returned to fly again. Unfortunately, both air gunners were killed. The squadron loss rate was 5.9%.
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Operation No. 9 Tours
Thirty-four Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed against Tours on July 12th as part of a force of 378 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes attacking railway targets. This was a continuation of the attacks against marshalling yards and communication centres in France in support of Operation Overlord. Dijon, Orleans, Vierzon and Rheims were previous targets. 626 Squadron's contribution was 18 aircraft. As with previous attacks of this type the bomb load consisted of 1,000 and 500 lb high explosive. On this occasion it was again 13,000 lbs with 2,000 gallons of fuel.
Again, we headed southwest from Wickenby to Bridport and crossed the English coast near Weymouth then south east to the French coast and the target. After the attack we returned to Bridport via the Channel Islands then back to Wickenby.
The weather was clear enroute except for some broken patches of medium cloud. There was some thin cloud between 4 – 6,000 feet north of the target area but it cleared before we arrived and all that remained in the target area was some haze.
The first TIs undershot the aiming point by 500 yards, but the Master Bomber was able to direct the main force to overshoot the markers. As the target was clear the marshalling yards were visible and bombing was concentrated on the target though smoke rising to 9,000 feet eventually obscured it.
Photo reconnaissance confirmed the target to be completely covered in craters with all railway tracks cut, the bridge collapsed and embankment roads obliterated. The storage sidings and railcars were so covered with close packed craters an estimation of railcars destroyed could not be made.
Some light flak and sporadic heavy flak was experienced and fighters were active on the homeward journey. A diversionary raid to the low countries drew many night fighters from the main raid.
One of our aircraft sustained flak damage while in the target area and one of 12 Squadron reported an engagement with a JU88. There were no losses.
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Operation No. 10 Caen
On July 18th an early morning raid in direct support of the British Second Army against troops and armour east of Caen was ordered. This was the second occasion we were used as heavy artillery prior to a ground attack against enemy troops. The allied armies at this stage of Overlord were experiencing very stubborn resistance all along the front and even though we had helped by bombing Caen on July 7th resistance east of Caen was still very strong, and a major attack was required.
Bomber Command's force was 667 Lancasters, 260 Halifaxes and 15 Mosquitoes – over 900 aircraft in all. 38 of the Lancasters were from Wickenby with 626 Squadron providing 20. The bomb load was again 13,000 lbs with 11 x 1,000 lbs and 4 x 500 lbs.
Whereas our raid on July 7th was in the evening, on this occasion takeoff commenced at 0300 hours so that we were over the target at first light. The enroute weather consisted of low cloud over England with thick haze at the English coast. It cleared as we crossed the channel and the target area was clear with excellent visibility.
The marking was by low bursting red TIs from H-5 to H-1 then by yellow TIs bursting at 4,000 feet leaving a trail of white smoke. Markers were accurate and punctual except for one which the Master Bomber identified as being 100 yds south. Accurate marking and bombing was essential as we were attacking the enemy a short distance ahead of our own troops, a fact we were all well aware of. Bombing commenced one minute early and excellent concentration was achieved. The aiming point was soon obscured by dust and smoke but the TIs were still visible.
Flak was negligible in the target area but accurate predicted heavy flak was encountered as we left. No enemy fighters were seen as cover was again provided by No. 11 Group.
Three of 12 Squadron and 3 of 626 Squadron aircraft were hit by flak, including ours, but fortunately no one was injured. One of 626 Squadron found a live 1,000 lb bomb rolling on the closed bomb bay doors after leaving the target area. I had failed to release with the rest of the bomb load but was safely jettisoned over the channel.
We arrived back at Wickenby at about 0700 to debrief, breakfast and bed.
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Operation No. 11 Courtrai
Courtrai was a rail centre and marshalling yard some 50 mile west of Brussels, the Belgian capital, through which supplies, reinforcements and equipment passed on their way from Germany to the front. It was our first target not in France and received the attention of 302 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes on the night of July 20th. 35 Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed as part of this force and 626 Squadron's contribution was 18.
The bomb load was again 13,000 lbs with the usual mixture of 1,000 and 500 lbs high explosives. Our route took us south east to Orfordness, across the North Sea to the Belgian coast west of Ostend then to the target.
We took off at 2330 and climbed in darkness towards the coast. We passed through a 10/10th layer of cloud over England which cleared as we crossed the North Sea. As we approached the Belgian coast we were startled to see a streak of light from the ground rush vertically past us at tremendous velocity and disappear above us. It was a rocket propelled V2 on it's way to London. One launching site down there somewhere which needed to be dealt with, or perhaps it had been and was already repaired. We were aware, of course, that the German war machine, with it's huge quantity of slave labour, worked to repair everything which we damaged as soon as possible.
In the target area there was no cloud but some haze with fair visibility. As we were climbing out Hicky was having some trouble with the Constant Speed Unit (CSU) on the port outer engine which he and Stan King were unable to stabilize but we carried on with them nursing the problem as this was not a very long trip.
As we approached the target Mosquitoes marked the aiming point with red TI's at H-8. Other pathfinders dropped flares and red and green TIs. The marking was on time and accurate and resulted in bombing being well concentrated on the target. Peter Graves released our bombs at 0156 hours. Photo reconnaissance reported that reception, forwarding and sorting sidings were utterly destroyed. A large water tank was hurled from the centre of the track to property outside the yard. The main loco sheds, passenger station, and a bridge carrying 5 tracks across a road were all virtually destroyed.
Flak defences were light but fighters were extremely active in the light of our marker flares (we could be seen from above silhouetted against them) and near Ostend and over the sea on our way home. The result was predictable, 5 of 626 and 2 of 12 Squadron crews reported combat but the only damage to returning aircraft came from a 626 and 12 Squadron aircraft which collided in circuit over the aerodrome on return. Both landed safely but the incident emphasised the importance of proper height and distance separation in the landing pattern particularly when returning a large number of aircraft in a short space of time. After returning from any operation everyone is stressed and tired and anxious to land as soon as possible.
However, we did suffer major casualties. One of 626 Squadron (F/O Wilson) and one of 12 Squadron (P/O Hagarty) were lost and both crews were killed, and another of 626 Squadron (F/O Bowen) was shot down over the target. The rear gunner was killed but all others either evaded or were taken prisoner.
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[map]
[underlined]COURTRAI. [/underlined].
[underlined] 20/21 JULY 1944 [/underlined].
[page break]
The Wickenby loss rate was 8.57% while Bomber Command's was 2.84%. 626 Squadron lost 2 of 18 – 11.1%. Hicky nursed A2 back home and we landed at Wickenby after being airborne 3 hours 15 minutes.
I should mention here that we have now completed 11 operations, 6 by day and 5 by night (and aborted one) and have been hit by flak only twice and so far never attacked by an enemy aircraft. The navigation section at Wickenby had a sign on the wall which read, "KEEP ON TRACK, KEEP ON TIME, KEEP ON LIVING". A Bomber Command operation was always a concentration in time and space with literally scores of aircraft crossing a target every minute. If you could stay on track and on time you were assured of being somewhere in the centre of a huge gaggle of aircraft. It was generally the stragglers or those who wandered off course who were attacked by fighters. My crew maintained that my ability as a navigator kept us close to the middle of the pack and minimized the risk, but I like to think that it was a crew effort. Everything that went on outside the aircraft around us even if it seemed inconsequential was reported and if necessary acted upon.
Weather on the 21st and 22nd of July was cloudy with drizzle and moderate visibility. On the 21st 28 Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed against Dortmund but the operation was cancelled and on the 22nd 36 were detailed for a daylight operation which was also cancelled. On the 21st we took advantage of the cancellation to carry out some fighter affiliation exercises to keep the gunners sharp. They had not yet had to fire their guns in self defence. On July 23rd the weather was cloudy but visibility was good and our target was announced as Kiel naval base.
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Operation No. 12 Kiel
A force of 519 Lancasters, 100 Halifaxes, and 10 Mosquitoes were detailed against Kiel and Wickenby's contribution was 33 with 15 of these from 626 Squadron. This was our first attack against a target in Germany and our first purely strategic attack, so we were both excited and apprehensive. Kiel was a port city on the Baltic Sea with shipyards, a naval base and manufacturing facilities known to be well defended.
We took off at 2100 hours on July 23rd and climbed through a layer of cloud with tops about 5,000 feet into the clear with good visibility. We carried 9,000 lb of bombs (18 x 500 lbs). Our route took us to Mablethorpe then across the North Sea to a point west of the North Frisian Islands then east into Germany proper and on to a southerly heading for the bomb run. This route gave me a good opportunity to use the H2S equipment to fix our position accurately before entering enemy territory. H2S was the radar equipment which transmitted a signal from the aircraft to the ground and the returns showed features such as islands, coastlines, etc. So we were on track and on time as we crossed the German coast and headed for Kiel and our target at 21,000 ft.
The target marking was by sticks of flares which were dropped at H-6 followed by Path Finder Force (PFF) marking the aiming point with mixed red and green TIs. The marking was punctual, reasonably accurate but scattered in the early stages. As we were above cloud and the markers were only visible by glowing through the clouds Peter bombed what he could see, as did all the other bomb aimers.
So we were unable to access the accuracy of the bombing until later when photo recce showed that severe damage was caused to the north east portion of the shipyards, buildings and hangars of the airfield and seaplane base were partially destroyed and considerable damage was caused to a large barracks and other buildings in the marine depot. As we left the target area we could see the glow of the fires reflecting on the clouds for a hundred miles.
We experienced heavy flak and some light flak in the target area, some of which appeared to come from ships in the harbour. There were a few searchlights. There was some fighter activity over the target and on the homeward route for distance of about 100 miles.
Two of 12 Squadron's aircraft reported combat and one of 626 Squadron engaged an ME 110 on two occasions some two minutes apart at 16,000 feet.
No damage was reported and no casualties. I have no report on Bomber Command losses for this operation but Wickenby and 626 Squadron had none.
I should mention that F/O Hicks was promoted to F/Lt and I was promoted to F/Sgt during July. These were the only promotions my crew received during our tour.
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[map]
[underlined] KIEL [/underlined].
[underlined] 23/24 JULY 1944 [underlined].
[page break]
Operation No. 13 Stuttgart
On July 25th the weather was fair becoming cloudy with intermittent rain when Bomber Command decided to send a force of 412 Lancasters and 138 Halifaxes against Stuttgart, a large manufacturing city in southern Germany. 25 of the Lancasters were from Wickenby with 626 Squadron providing 12 of them.
The bomb load was fairly typical for operations against major German targets being 1 x 2,000 lb high explosive bomb and 12 incendiary clusters. For a mission to southern Germany full fuel tanks of 2,154 gallons were required.
Takeoff commenced at 2058 and seven minutes later we roared down the runway and off for our longest trip so far to a German target. The route took us a long way south before turning east towards the target area. We went to Reading then south across the channel and turned east after we were well south of Paris. We then went almost to the Swiss border before turning north east towards the major centres in that general area in the hope of confusing the defences. Our target could have been any one of half a dozen cities, including Frankfurt, Russelheim, Mannheim, Karlsruhe or Stuttgart. We made our final turn on to the bomb run between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. The weather enroute was cloudy and in the target area there was 10/10th thin cloud with a base about 16,000. At 20,000 feet we were above this layer.
Sticks of flares and red TIs were dropped at H-6, P.F.F. then marked the aiming point with mixed red and green TIs. Release point flares of green and yellow stars were also dropped. The result of all this was that the bombing was scattered as several separate groups of markers each attracted concentrated bombing. Many fires were observed taking hold well and the glow from these was visible for 150 miles on the homeward route. This was the first occasion we had carried incendiary bombs which were designed to create damage by fire as opposed to damage by high explosive.
In spite of our efforts to conceal our route and target the enemy guessed we were going to Stuttgart some 30 minutes before H hour and elements of 14 night fighter Gruppen were deployed against us. Numerous combats were reported but flak was light to moderate over the target itself.
Our route home was also circuitous and was, in general, a reciprocal of our outbound flight. We came back via Reading and let down to arrive over Wickenby and land again after 8 hours 35 minutes of flying time.
Two of 626 aircraft failed to reach the target for quite different reasons. On one the navigator was sick so they returned early and the second was attacked before reaching the target, the bomb doors were damaged and would not open so they were forced to return with their bomb load still on board. They landed safely despite a flat tire[sic] caused by the enemy action. Two other 626 aircraft were damaged by flak as was one of 12 Squadron. Combat with night fighters was reported by 2 of 12 Squadron and 3 of 626 Squadron. There were no losses.
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Operation No. 14 Stuttgart
We returned from our long haul against Stuttgart in the early morning of July 26th, had a day off on the 27th and were detailed for the same target again on the 28th. Whilst we appreciated the necessity to follow up raids on some targets for a variety of strategic reasons those of us who were called upon to make the trip were not too enthusiastic. You may get away with bearding the lion in his den once but not twice in 3 days so we expected strenuous opposition.
The 22 Lancasters from Wickenby were part of a Bomber Command force of 494 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitoes. 626 Squadron's contribution was 10 aircraft.
Our route out and back was very similar to three nights ago with Reading the assembly point. Wickenby takeoff commenced at 2115 hours and again we were amongst the first to go taking off at 2120 hours. The weather had changed somewhat since the 25th. Now we encountered strata cumulus on the outward route with 10/10th low cloud with some slight breaks in the target area.
The target was marked with long sticks of flares and red TIs were dropped at H-6. P.F.F. then marked the aiming point with green and red TIs. Release point flares with green and yellow stars were also dropped so for the main force the marking for both the Stuttgart raids was very similar. Bombing was well concentrated on the markers but because they were scattered so was the bombing. Three groups of fires and 3 large explosions were seen. Photo recce later reported that many parts of the old city were devastated, the main railway station being damaged. It became apparent to myself and my crew that the further we had to travel to reach a target the more scattered the bombing became, and the less likely we were to achieve good concentration. Thus the importance of keeping on track and keeping on time became imperative.
There was moderate flak in the target area but there was intense fighter activity from south west of Paris all the way to and over the target but things were pretty quiet on the way home.
Two of 626 Squadron aircraft were damaged, both by fighter attack. One of 12 Squadron and 3 of 626 reported combats, and two of 12 Squadron (F/O Downing and F/O White, and one of 626 Squadron (F/Sgt Ryan) were shot down. Everyone in all 3 aircraft were killed except F/Sgt Ryan's navigator who became a prisoner. It was F/O Downing's 28th operation – two short of completing his tour. The loss rate for Bomber Command was 7.86%, for Wickenby 13.64%, and for 626 Squadron 10%.
German records for this night show that F/Sgt Ryan's aircraft was engaged in an air battle with a night fighter flown by Martin Becker which had taken off from Nurenburg. Becker's report shows that the Lancaster 626/Y2 was destroyed with serious burning to the starboard wing. "Parts fell off" reads the radio operator's log book. Only the navigator was saved by parachute. All other crew members were interred in a joint grave at Vachinger and in 1948 re-interred in a special cemetery for allied airmen at Durnbach near Munich. 626/Y2 was one of 4 British aircraft destroyed by Martin Becker that night. He was credited with destroying 58 aircraft during the war.
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We flew unmolested back to Wickenby, landed at 0515 hours, debriefed, had some sleep and went home for a few days leave. We did not know until we returned from leave that we had sustained a good sized hole in the starboard tailplane. It was repaired while we were away.
We had now completed almost half of our operational tour without any major problem and while we were unscathed through 14 operations between June 22nd and July 28th, our squadron, 626, had lost 7 aircraft as had 12 Squadron. So it averaged out to one Lancaster lost on each operation we had flown. In terms of crews the record shows that 77 crew members were killed and 12 taken prisoner. I must emphasize that this was the casualty figure for the operations on which I personally flew. There were others taking place when my crew was on stand down and I do not have the figures for these.
I mentioned earlier that I had taken Mary to Aldbourne while I was flying with the squadron. Just about all of the crew members who had wives and families preferred them to be away from the base. Fighting a war from a base in Britain and getting back to that base after each foray against the enemy was a radical departure from the accepted norm but it was the official opinion of the Air Force and the opinion of the combatants that they preferred their loved ones to be somewhere away where they would not be in day to day contact with what was going on. Can you imagine saying to your wife "Oh by the way dear I shall be late tonight I have to go and bomb Germany". The lady's nerves would be shattered after a week or two of this. When I was at O.T.U. Mary had given me a rag doll which looked rather like a gremlin (those of us who have seen gremlins know what they look like). This one was long and skinny with a green jacket and pants and a pointed cap. It was a good luck charm which I carried with me on every operation suspended over my navigation table. It never let me down.
So it was good to head for Aldbourne to see Mary and my family for a few days. Mary was by now about 6 1/2 months pregnant with Keith, our first child, and was in the longing way for sharp tasting fruit. She had already stripped the gooseberries from my mother's bushes and was waiting for apples to ripen a bit. She told me that she and my mother listened to the radio every morning to hear what Bomber Command had been up to the night before and to hear what losses we had sustained, then they waited hoping there would not be a telegram. If they hadn't heard by noon they figured I was still safe. This is certainly not the way to go through a pregnancy and thank goodness it was the only one she had to undergo in this way. My leave was over and I returned to Wickenby on August 6th but not until after a tearful farewell. Mary and my mother did not know if they would ever see me again so it was a poignant departure. I arrived back to typical summer weather for Britain, cloudy with intermittent light rain or showers and occasional sunny periods.
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Operation No. 15 Air-sur-Lys
On August 8th the weather was fair in the morning and afternoon with a build up of thunderstorms in the evening. I have not yet mentioned the American 8th Air Force who by now had been in Britain for some time and were operating by daylight only. Their tactics were different to ours – where we tried to sneak in under cover of darkness and escape without detection, they flew in huge formations and tried to fight their way in and out. Their bomber aircraft, B17s and B24s primarily, were much more heavily armed than we were but carried a significantly smaller bomb load. During this period of the war we were able to dovetail our operations with theirs with considerable success. They would visit a target by day, and we would repeat the effort by night. On this occasion we were to attack oil storage facilities at Air-sur-Lys in the morning but deferred to the 8th Air Force as they wished to attack the same target. So we were somewhat surprised when we were told that the U.S.A.F. had bombed the wrong target and we were going anyway.
Bomber Command detailed a force of 170 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes to attack two oil storage targets. Wickenby supplied 25 aircraft, 13 from 12 Squadron and 12 from 626.
I mentioned the forecast was for thunderstorms in the evening and as takeoff commenced at 2150 large thunderstorms lay across our intended track east of Lincoln. We climbed through the cumulo nimbus clouds but conditions were very difficult and numerous course alterations were necessary to avoid the worst of the weather. Once clear of the storm we were able to head for Orfordness, the assembly point. We were carrying our usual bomb load for this type of operation, 13,000 lbs of 1,000 and 500 lbs high explosive. After leaving Orfordness weather improved and by the time we reached the target there was no cloud and visibility was moderate to good.
Mosquitoes marked the aiming point at H-4 with red TIs. Other pathfinders backed up with green TIs. The reds were scattered but the greens were accurate so crews bombed the greens which resulted in accurate bombing. A large orange explosion at 2334 was followed by a dense column of black smoke indicating a direct hit on an oil storage tank. The glow of fires was visible for 75 miles. Photo recce showed many bombs in the target area; all the building[s] had their roofs stripped and there were hits on the canal wharf and rail tracks.
There was some flak and some fighter opposition was experienced. The fighters appeared to be using searchlights as assembly points but the tactic was not very successful.
We got back to Wickenby after a relatively short flight of 2 hours 55 minutes. One of 12 Squadron's aircraft was hit by flak and sustained some damage but no casualties. Another of 12 Squadron reported an engagement with a "Fishpond" radar indicator in which the rear gunner fired a burst but no enemy was seen.
We suffered our worst problems from the weather. Three aircraft, 2 from 12 and 1 from 626, aborted the operation. One was unable to get out of the Cu Nim and another dropped 12,000 feet in a Cu Nim. Not only are there violent currents and downdraughts in these clouds but also severe icing under certain conditions. The third aircraft to abort had it's starboard outer Constant
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Speed Unit (CSU) unserviceable so returned to base. Interestingly enough we had the same problem on our operation No. 11 to Courtrai, but elected to press on.
There were no losses on this night and we have now reached the halfway mark of our tour of operations. I wonder if the second half will be any more difficult than the first. Our gunners still have not fired their guns in anger. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
On August 9th the weather was not good and we were stood down for the day.
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Operation No. 16 Ferme du Forestal
On August 10th 15 of Wickenby's Lancasters were detailed, as part of a Bomber Command force of 60 Lancasters and 20 Mosquitoes, against flying bomb sites. Our target was Ferme du Forestal in the Pas de Calais area of Northern France.
This was a morning operation with takeoff commencing at 1045 hours. The enroute weather was cloudy, breaking up over the English Channel but thickening again from the French coast. Over the target was a 10/10th layer with a base about 2,000 feet. We carried our normal 13,000 lbs of bombs.
The Mosquitoes marked the aiming point with red TIs cascading from 5,000 feet and leaving smoke trails but because of the cloud in the target area we descended from our bombing height of 10,000 to try and get below the cloud layer and bomb visually. Our aircraft was successful in identifying the target and Peter bombed the launching ramp which he could see clearly.
We were then supposed to climb back to 10,000 feet for the return journey but chose to continue down to treetop level and return "on the deck". As we flew across fields and houses at rooftop level we could clearly see the local inhabitants waving a friendly greeting though I expect some of them were startled to hear a heavy bomber roar overhead. A short distance from the coast we passed near a military rifle range and as we flew past first Peter from the front turret, then successively Bert Jones and Bill Bursey all fired a few rounds in the general direction of the targets. This was much more fun than stooging back at 10,000 feet. As we approached the coast we were fired upon by the local defenders but they didn't expect to see the enemy approach them from the rear so by the time they had us in their sights we were safely out to sea. We climbed back to 10,000 feet over the channel and returned home, after a flight of 3 hours 35 minutes, as briefed.
One of 626 Squadron aircraft aborted the mission as he could not find the target, and one was hit by flak and damaged, but no one was hurt. Bomber Command did not sustain any losses.
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Operation No. 17 Falaise
On August 12th 626 Squadron participated in two attacks against widely divergent targets, one in support of the invasion forces in northern France and the other against a strategic target, Brunswick, Germany, some 120 miles west of Berlin.
I guess we were lucky on this occasion as we were selected with two other crews for the shorter mission to Falaise. We were part of a force of 91 Lancasters, 36 Halifaxes, 12 Stirlings and 5 Mosquitoes detailed for this target.
We took off at 2336 hours and climbed towards Reading on a clear summer night with no cloud. From Reading we headed to Selsey Bill on the English south coast (a place I used to visit as a child on Sunday school outings from Aldbourne) thence across the channel to the target. As we approached the French coast the cloud thickened until over the target it was 10/10th with tops about 8 – 10,000 feet.
The target marking was by flares and red TIs backed up by green TIs. They were plentiful and accurate and in spite of the cloud layer we were able to bomb accurately laying our 13,000 lbs of HE across the target. The bombing was well concentrated and extensive damage was done. The German army used Falaise as a hardened position from which they were determined not to fall back, so the allies were left with no alternative but to attack it. There was some flak, both heavy and light, and some fighter activity in the target area, but the Bomber Command loss rate was nil. We returned back to Wickenby via Reading and landed safely after a trip of just over 3 hours.
In the meantime 22 Lancasters, 11 each from 12 Squadron, and 626 Squadron, were detailed as part of a force of 242 Lancasters and 137 Halifaxes against Brunswick. They commenced their takeoff at 2116 hours so we were able to watch them go before we departed ourselves.
They experienced clear weather until 50 miles from the target when it clouded over to 10/10th in the target area. They carried a bomb load of 1 x 2,000 lbs and 12 clusters of incendiaries, the typical bomb load for strategic targets.
There was no marking carried out on this target so crews bombed using their H2S equipment. H2S shows a differentiation between land and water, but it was much more difficult to differentiate between land and built up areas so bombing was not concentrated and not very effective though scattered damage was seen with hits on the power station and gas works.
Both light and heavy flak were experienced and there was considerable fighter activity particularly from the target back to the North Sea. One 626 aircraft reported several combats but no damage.
One 12 Squadron aircraft (F/O Hancox) was shot down and all on board, except the wireless operator and mid upper gunner were killed, and one 626 Squadron (F/O Bennett) was attacked by a fighter and set on fire. The crew bailed out and 4 were taken prisoner. The wireless operator, mid upper gunner and rear gunner were all killed.
Wickenby's loss rate was 9.09% while that of Bomber Command was 7.12%.
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Operation No. 18 Falaise
By August 14th the allied armies had managed to push forward on both sides of Falaise and had effectively trapped a very large force of the enemy in a pocket extending from Falaise to Posigny. To save allied lives on the ground we were asked to bomb them into surrender.
So 16 Lancasters from Wickenby were part of a force of 411 Lancasters, 352 Halifaxes, and 42 Mosquitoes detailed against this target, which would be our last operation in direct support of the invasion armies. 626 Squadron's contribution was 10 aircraft.
We took off at 1207 carrying a bomb load of 13,000 lbs high explosive and climbed towards Reading, our assembly point, then south to the coast and across the channel. We did not climb to our normal height but levelled out at 7,000 feet as we were briefed to choose our own bombing height depending on weather in the target area. We flew above a cloud layer until we reached the English coast then the cloud thinned as we crossed the channel and the target area was clear. With some 800 aircraft all heading in the same direction it seemed the sky was full, a huge gaggle stretching from the French coast all the way back to the English coast. Fighter aircraft from 11 Group provided cover and could be seen above us.
As we approached the target, and wishing to bomb as accurately as possible, we reduced height to 3,000 feet. We knew that our own troops were within 2,000 years of the aiming point which was marked with green TIs, but which quickly became obscured by smoke. There was considerable fire from the ground as the enemy fought back. Peter released the bombs and we turned away to clear the target area for those behind and as we did so the aircraft received a sudden violent pounding. We had been hit but at this point did not know with what or by whom. Then Bill Bursey's voice from the rear turret, "Skipper I've been hit, and I'm bleeding". The aircraft was still flying so we knew it had not sustained fatal damage. Peter Graves, having dropped his bombs was now free to assist Bill and went to the back of the aircraft. As he made his way he reported flak damage all the way to the rear turret. By now Bert Jones had left the mid upper turret to assist and between them they got Bill out of his turret and forward to the rest bed where they lay him down and administered morphine from the first aid kit carried on all aircraft. Peter then applied field dressings to Bill's wounds and made him as comfortable as possible. The important thing now was to get Bill to a hospital as soon as possible so Hicky and I discussed our options. We elected to go for Boscombe Down which we knew could handle a Lancaster and was close to a major hospital in Salisbury (I knew the area well as Mary and I had been stationed at Old Sarum, next door, some 3 years before).
I calculated a course for Boscombe Down and we were on our way. Over the channel Hicky wanted to check that the aircraft would not do any unusual manoeuvres when placed in the landing configuration so we climbed above a suitable patch of cloud and he and Stan King carried out a practice approach on the cloud including reducing power and speed, lowering the undercarriage, applying full flap and stalling on to the cloud patch as though landing on it. Satisfied that all systems were O.K. we continued to Boscombe Down.
We called Boscombe on the emergency frequency and were given permission to land our
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wounded rear gunner. We were met by an ambulance, doctor and medical team. Bill was removed from the rest bed and transferred by ambulance to the American General Hospital, Salisbury.
We had the aircraft checked by the engineering and technical people at Boscombe to make sure we could take it off again, took a look at all the shrapnel [sic] holes, climbed aboard and headed back to Wickenby, arriving in time for supper.
We were the only Wickenby aircraft to sustain damage but 12 Squadron had one aircraft abort the mission. It was forced to abandon over the target when the electrical supply to the bomb release mechanism failed. He brought his bombs back.
Photo recce assessed that every street in Falaise was blocked by craters or rubble and whole sections of the town were completely devastated. The German troops surrendered shortly after their bombardment.
We later discovered that Bill Bursey had received a gunshot wound to the right leg and a shrapnel wound to the right thigh with a fractured femur. The Americans came round the hospital next day and offered him a "Purple Heart" for shedding blood against the enemy. Bill declined with thanks. He did not return to the squadron and never flew with us again. The next day we were joined by Sgt. Stott, his replacement, who was also a sole survivor from another crew. So now out of the seven crew members, 3 of us were sole survivors, Saletto, Stott and I.
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Operation No. 19 Stettin
On the night of August 16th 461 Lancasters of Bomber Command were detailed against Stettin. Wickenby's contribution was 24 aircraft shared equally between the two squadrons. Stettin was a major city on the Baltic and some 120 miles north east of Berlin. It is now part of Poland. It was a long, long way from Wickenby and entailed a crossing of the North Sea from Mablethorpe to a point near the Danish coast at 5600N 0800E then due east across Denmark to Longitude 1045E, then south east across the Kattegat, the Danish island passing west of Copenhagen, and the Baltic Sea to the target. Much of the time we expected to be under enemy attack as Denmark had been occupied by German troops for some time.
We took off at 2041 hours carrying 1 x 2,000 lb and 12 incendiary clusters, rendezvoused at Mablethorpe and headed across the North Sea climbing as high as we could get with a full fuel and bomb load. The weather enroute was clear across the North Sea and Denmark building up to 10/10th cloud with tops at 17,000 feet over Germany but cleared just short of the target which was free of cloud. Our outward trip was long but relatively uneventful. On these long North Sea crossings I always attempted to get as many accurate GEE fixes as possible prior to losing it to the enemy jamming. It was very important to get an appreciation of the wind, to compare it to that forecast and to calculate a correction to be applied to courses and speeds once we were out of range of GEE. So I always attempted to get a fix and calculate the wind every 6 minutes. This gave me a good understanding of what was happening with regard to the weather, which always stood us in good stead when I had to navigate on DR (Dead Reckoning) as we became further away from England. There was light to moderate flak at isolated points on route and some fighter activity. Because there were good coastline responses on the H2S I was able to navigate without difficulty to the target.
Flares and green TIs were dropped at H-6 and P.F.F. marked the aiming point with mixed red and green salvoes backed by red TIs. There were so many markers and decoys operated by the enemy that Peter had difficulty identifying which one he should bomb. In the confusion of aircraft, flak, tracer fire and target markers we overshot and rather than bomb the wrong target went round again. With everyone keeping a sharp eye out for other aircraft in our vicinity Hicky closed the bomb doors and made a gentle turn to the left and eventually a complete 360 degree turn and we came over the target a second time. This time Peter selected the proper target marker and the bombs were duly released. We were all glad to leave the target area. Going across the target and being shot at once is dangerous enough but twice? Phew!! We left the area with relief and headed north west to cross Denmark then south west across the North Sea back home. There was some flak and isolated fighter activity on the way home but Wickenby did not sustain any losses. However, 2 of 12 Squadron reported combat where the gunners fired but were not fired upon and 3 aircraft, 2 from 12, and 1 from 626 were hit by flak. There were no casualties. Bomber Command losses were 5 aircraft – 1.08%.
The attack was considered successful with fires in the centre and south east of the city though considerable bombing was attracted by the decoys or wrong marking. Photo recce
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showed severe damage to shipbuilders Oderwerke A.G., sugar refinery and naval fitting out yard. Also a large area of devastation in the town centre.
This operation took us 8 1/2 hours from takeoff to landing back at Wickenby and the crew becomes very tired particularly on a long stooge home across the sea. Once clear of the Danish coast we are reasonably safe from enemy attack so Hicky put the aircraft on auto pilot and everyone relaxes. I am sure there were periods when I was the only one awake and the only reason for this was that it was my job to get us back home.
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Operation No. 20 Russeheim [sic]
On August 25th a force of 412 Lancasters were ordered against the Opel Works at Russelheim [sic]. Among them were 18 aircraft from each of Wickenby's two squadrons: a maximum effort. On July 25th and 28th we had paid visits to Stuttgart which together with Russelheim, Frankfurt, Mannheim and Karlsruhe form a heavily defended portion of southern Germany. Our trip to Stuttgrat [sic] on July 28th had not been a happy one for Wickenby aircraft so we approached Russelheim with some trepidation.
We carried a full fuel load of 2,154 gallons and a bomb load of 1 x 4,000 lb (Cookie) and 12 clusters of 4lb incendiaries. Our route was quite similar to that used previously for this area. Reading was the assembly point then south across the channel to a point S.W. of Paris, then east north east in a series of zig zags to the target. The weather was good all the way and the target area was clear with slight haze. Takeoff commenced at 1957 hours.
The target was well marked following sticks of flares dropped at H-7. The aiming point was then marked with mixed red and green TIs and backed up by red TIs.
The bombing was well concentrated and the fires could be seen for 150 miles. Photo recce showed severe damage to the plant with all the major units hit, including assembly shops, research labs, drop forge, machine shop and aircraft engine shop.
The target area was, as expected, well defended with intense heavy flak and very active fighters which made contact with the bomber stream in the target area and well into the return journey.
One of 12 Squadron aborted the mission with a sick navigator. Seven of 12 Squadron's aircraft reported combat with night fighters and one was so badly damaged that it crash landed on return and was written off. The only casualty in this aircraft was the navigator who suffered superficial wounds. One other 12 Squadron aircraft was hit by flak. One 626 Squadron aircraft suffered damage caused, it was believed, by an unusual incident. Shortly after bombing the aircraft was thrown out of control by a nearby explosion. All four engines cut but the pilot and engineer managed to get them restarted and flew home safely. It is believed the explosion was another aircraft blowing up. It is interesting that while 7 of 12 Squadron reported combat none of 626 did. However, 626 did lose two aircraft. F/O Harris who, together with 3 members of his crew were taken prisoner, the other 3 were killed and F/O Whetton who was killed together with all of his crew except the bomb aimer who was taken prisoner.
The Bomber Command loss rate for this operation was 3.64%, that for Wickenby 5.56%, while that for 626 Squadron, 11.1%.
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[map]
[underlined] RUSSELHEIM. [/underlined]
[underlined] 25/26 AUGUST 1944. [/underlined]
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Operation No. 21 Stettin
We had visited Stettin on August 16th and had been briefed several times between the 16th and 29th but weather had forced cancellations. So here we are on August 29th poised to go once again. The crews involved were concerned that our intentions may already have been communicated to the enemy and the element of surprise lost. So we expected a difficult time.
The total force consisted of 402 Lancasters and one Mosquito. For Wickenby the contribution was 31 aircraft. For 626 Squadron it was again a maximum effort of 18 aircraft. We were of course carrying a maximum fuel load of 2,154 gallons and our bomb load on this occasion was a total of 8,440 lbs - 1 x 4,000 lb H.E., 660 x 4 lb incendiaries and 60 x 30 lb incendiaries. If you add in 7 men, thousands of rounds of ammunition and the various other stores we carried such as bundles of "window" we were very close to our maximum takeoff weight of 72,000 lbs. Window was the code name for specially designed metal strips which, when dropped from an aircraft, gave a similar radar response to the aircraft itself. We dropped them by the thousands when in an area of high enemy defensive activity to confuse the defenses.
We were among the first to takeoff and on this occasion were followed down the runway by F/O "Lofty" Lofthouse whose crew shared our Nissen hut. As we left the ground and climbed away Lofty was moving along the runway when his feet slipped on the rudder pedal and he "ground looped" the aircraft. A ground loop is a rotation in the horizontal plane and inevitably tears off the undercarriage as it did on this occasion, the story was that Lofty required wooden blocks attached to the rudder pedals to reach them properly and his feet had slipped while pumping the pedals to keep the aircraft straight under full power. Sgt. Stott from his observation point in our rear turret looked right down on this incident and yelled to warn us all. In the few seconds it took for the rest of us to have a look every door and hatch on Lofty's aircraft had opened and seven bodies were running in every direction. Fortunately for everyone his bombs did not explode. Had they done so not only would his crew have been killed but we would have been blown out of the sky as we were very close. A fully laden aircraft now lay in the centre of the runway so it could no longer be used. We were O.K. as we were already airborne but there was a delay on the ground while the whole matter was sorted out, the runway changed and the departure of the rest of the force reorganized. I have spoken recently with Ernie Peressini, the bomb aimer in Lofty's crew, who now lives in Victoria, and he remembers the incident vividly even after 50 years.
We rendezvoused at Mablethorpe and set course north east across the North Sea but remained below a layer of cloud with tops at 5,000 feet to stay below the enemy's radar warning system. We were routed further north than on our last visit to Stettin passing over northern Denmark before heading south east towards the target. We were so far north that to get to the target we had to fly over Sweden which was a neutral country. This was deliberate and we were briefed to head for Sweden if we were unable to get home for any reason. Better to land in a neutral country than to be taken prisoner of war. We stayed low across the sea until approaching the Danish coast then climbed to our operational altitude and remained there until near the target. Below us were layers of thin cloud with tops at 17,000 feet.
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The target marking was punctual and accurate. At H-7 the target was illuminated by long sticks of flares followed by red and green TIs on the aiming point.
We experienced some light flak over Denmark but the serious problem on this night was fighters. The main force was plotted over the Danish coast and interceptions commenced immediately and continued to the target with a few on the return from the target. There was heavy flak in the target area, some bursts being so large they could only have come from high calibre naval guns. Searchlights were also very active. As we were approaching above the clouds in moonlight it was not difficult to see or be seen. As we neared the target the Master Bomber called us down below the cloud layer which was between about 12 and 14,000 feet. We let down and bombed at 12,000 feet.
The results of the bombing were good because we could see the markers as visibility was clear below the cloud layer. As well as high explosive we were all carrying large quantities of incendiaries and very soon fierce fires were burning with smoke almost to our bombing altitude. P.R.U. reported that buildings in Stettiner Oderwerke Shipbuilding A.G. were gutted, Labelsdorf Bahnhof Gasworks destroyed, telegraph office and five factories severely damaged. Three merchant vessels were sunk in the port.
We turned north west after bombing to head back to northern Denmark before returning across the North Sea. The fighter activity decreased as we left the target largely because a well timed force of Mosquitoes attacked Berlin and this drew them away from us. Letting down in the target area involves risks which are not normally there when all aircraft fly over at their predetermined altitude. In this case we were below someone else who did not reduce as low as we and released his bombs while above us. The consequence was that we were hit in the port wing by an incendiary bomb dropped from above. Fortunately for us it smashed right through the wing without damaging vital controls or control surfaces and did not set us on fire. We were very fortunate.
Two of Wickenby's aircraft aborted this operation. I have already mentioned F/O Lofthouse. The second abort was a 12 Squadron aircraft which started out but the wireless operator lost his nerve after setting course so the crew returned. Incidents of nerve failure on the part of crew members were not very frequent, fortunately, but I am sure there were times when we all felt like this poor wireless operator. I think what prevented more of it was the fact that everyone felt an overwhelming loyalty to their crew and would not do anything to let the crew down. On the rare occasion when it did happen the victim left the squadron immediately and was posted to a unit on the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames estuary, east of London for disposal. The R.A.F. used the term L.M.F., Lack of Moral Fibre, to describe these unfortunate souls and their hasty removal from the squadron was to ensure that their inability to cope did not spread. After all, we were all living on the edge wondering each time whether we would return.
Four of 626 Squadron crews reported combat with night fighters, two on the outward trip, one over the target and one on the return. Five of our aircraft sustained damage, including ours, being holed in the port wing, but others were more severe and one had to land at Dunholme Lodge being unable to get back to Wickenby.
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One of 12 Squadron (F/O Spurrs) was shot down over the target. Everyone who managed to bail out was taken prisoner but the two gunners were killed. One of 626 Squadron (F/O Hawkes) was attacked over the Kattegat on the way towards the target and he was able to maintain control only long enough to allow the crew to bail out, but they were close enough to Sweden that they all landed there and were interned. They were carrying a second pilot along for experience so there were 8 instead of the usual 7 aboard. The advice to head for Sweden if possible was sound.
F/O Hawkes later reported "On September 1st we were taken to Falun and kept for 2 days in an interment [sic] camp. On September 3rd we were billeted in the Solliden Pensionat Hotel, where we stayed until October 24th. On that day we were taken to Stockholm and stayed at the Continental Hotel until October 27th when we were sent by air to the U.K." On August 31st, 2 days after they were shot down, the squadron received the news that they were safe.
We left the target area and headed north west passing over Malmo, Sweden which, being neutral, was well lit. We climbed across the Baltic to 20,000 feet as we still had to cross Denmark which was defended. We were glad we did as the squadron aircraft which was attacked by a night fighter in this area was flying at only 14,000 feet.
We successfully negotiated our crossing of Denmark and proceeded out to sea before commencing a gradual let down towards the English coast. At 10,000 feet we took off our oxygen masks and breathed normally for the first time for several hours. Hicky, as was his wont, lit his pipe and the rest of us in the cabin enjoyed a cigarette. We came back into GEE range so I was able to fix our position accurately and get us safely home. We landed at Wickenby without further incident having been airborne 9 hours 35 minutes which turned out to be the longest of our 30 operations. Wickenby loss rate was 6.45% while that of Bomber Command was 5.71%. 626 Squadron's loss rate was 5.55%, one out of the 18 which were detailed to go, or 5.88% one out of the 17 which actually went, but in this particular incident the crew, having landed safely in Sweden, were all returned to the squadron.
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[map]
[underlined] STETTIN. [/underlined]
[underlined] 29/30 AUGUST 1944. [/underlined]
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Operation No. 22 St. Requier
We had not arrived back from Stettin until the early morning of August 30th (about 0630) so by the time we had debriefed, had a meal and got to bed the sun was high in the sky. We did not fly again that day but on the following day August 31st we carried out another attack against a V2 rocket store at St. Requier.
Twenty Lancasters from Wickenby were detailed as part of a Bomber Command force of 418 Lancasters, 147 Halifaxes and 36 Mosquitoes raiding 9 rocket storage sites. There were 10 from each squadron. St. Requier was the most southerly of the Pas de Calais targets.
We took off at 1325 hours carrying 15,000 lbs of H.E. (13 x 1,000 and 4 x 500 lb) and climbed towards Reading our assembly point, climbing through a cloud layer with tops at 17,000 feet. We encountered severe icing as we passed through the clouds. Ice builds up on leading edges of aerofoils and on the propellers. Leading edges were always de-iced if we knew we would be experiencing icing, to try and prevent build up reaching dangerous proportions. It was always reassuring to know that it was not building up on the propellers when you could hear the chunks of ice hitting the side of the fuselage as it flew off. Disconcerting at first, but reassuring as one got used to it. We cleared the tops and flew towards the target at 18,000 feet. The cloud formation changed to broken as we crossed the channel and approached the target.
The aiming point was marked by red TIs which were backed up with green and yellow throughout the attack. The marking was scattered consequently the bombing was not concentrated and some bombs fell between the target and the village. There was only light flak near Abbeville and little was experienced in the target area so there was really no excuse for not pressing home the attack.
Two of Wickenby's aircraft aborted this operation both under rather unusual circumstances. One of 12 Squadron was instructed to abandon by the Master Bomber and one of 626 found the target covered by cloud. I would think that both probably arrived late.
In spite of there not being a heavy concentration of flak what there was was predicted with great accuracy and no less than 5 of Wickenby's aircraft were hit by it, some with serious results. Two of 12 Squadron were hit, one so severely that he crash landed at Woodbridge. The pilot and second pilot received shrapnel wounds to the right leg, the bomb aimer had a shattered left foot and wounds to the right foot and the flight engineer had shrapnel wounds to the right ankle and left wrist. All of these crew members were at the front of the aircraft so the exploding flak was very close to the front. In crash landing at Woodbridge they went to an airfield which was specially equipped to handle such emergencies. The R.A.F. had equipped several airfields very close to the east coast for such eventualities - Manston, Woodbridge and Manby amongst them. They were equipped with long, wide runways, foam, special lighting to disperse fog, heavy equipment to move crashed aircraft quickly out of the way and of course, emergency medical facilities.
Three of 626 Squadron were also hit by flak. One had no casualties but one was damaged so that he was forced to feather both inboard engines and jettison his bombs. He made an
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emergency landing at Manston. The third (F/O Oram) suffered perspex wounds to the face and his flight engineer shrapnel wounds to the left leg. This is the same F/O Oram who on July 6th was hit and, with his crew, had to abandon his aircraft over the channel with the loss of his gunners.
We flew unmolested back to Wickenby and landed safely after a trip of 3 1/4 hours. The Bomber Command loss rate was 1%. All of Wickenby's aircraft got back to England but not to Wickenby so officially we had losses.
And so passed the month of August 1944. We had flown 8 operations since returning from leave and been briefed for several others which were cancelled for one reason or another. Of the 8, five were by night, 3 of which were long flights into Germany (2 to Stettin). We had sustained damaged to our aircraft on two occasions and had lost rear gunner Bill Bursey to injury.
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Operation No. 23 Le Havre
The allied armies had advanced south and spread outward from their initial bridgehead and it was now time to head eastward along the coastal areas and towards Paris. A deep water port was needed and the obvious one was Le Havre so on September 6th a force of 311 Lancasters, 30 Mosquitoes and 3 Stirlings was detailed against the German fortifications at Le Havre. This was the same Le Havre that had opened up on us when we were all alone on July 4th. Wickenby's contribution was 21 Lancasters of which 626 provided 11.
The weather was mainly cloudy with showers and thunder all day so it was decided to go in the evening but even then there was no improvement.
Takeoff commenced at 1656 hours and we followed a route pretty well due south taking us east of London to the target area. Our bomb load was 15,000 lbs H.E. We experienced 10/10th cloud all the way to the target and in the target area the base was at 7,000 feet with heavy rain.
The target marking commenced with green TIs at H-5 backed up with red TIs bursting at 4,000 feet and cascading leaving white smoke trails. Though we were above cloud these TIs burned with such intensity they could be seen and we had the added advantage of H2S. I was able to pinpoint the target and confirm for Peter that he was running up on the correct aiming point. There was some heavy flak in the target area but it was not severe. The bombing was accurate, a large explosion at 1927 hours was followed by flames and black smoke – probably a fuel storage.
One of 626 Squadron aborted on instructions from the Master Bomber.
Bomber Command sustained no losses on this operation and Wickenby aircraft all returned without damage. We landed back at Wickenby after a flight of 3 1/2 hours.
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Operation No. 24 Le Havre
On September 10th we were called upon to make a repeat visit to Le Havre to attack strong points which had survived the attack of September 6th. Bomber Command dispatched a force of 521 Lancasters, 426 Halifaxes and 45 Mosquitoes of which 33 Lancasters were from Wickenby. 626's contribution was 17 aircraft of a total force of nearly 1,000 attacking various targets.
Takeoff commenced at 1643 hours and we climbed on a southerly heading through broken cumulus cloud with tops about 10,000 feet. Above the cloud the sky was clear all the way to the target area with good visibility. We again carried 15,000 lb of H.E. The marking was similar to our attack of September 6th with green TIs and H-5 followed by red TIs bursting at 4,000 feet leaving trails of white smoke. However, on this occasion as the visibility was good the bomb aimers were able to see the aiming point and the bombing was concentrated in this area. Near misses were reported on 6 gun batteries, close enough to incapacitate them, and damage to business property.
There was no opposition and no losses or casualties were sustained. We arrived back at Wickenby after just under 4 hours of flying time. The army captured Le Havre shortly after.
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Operation No. 25 Frankfurt
I mentioned earlier there were a number of German cities in the southern part of the state which were considered good strategic targets. On September 12th we were detailed for another attack on Stuttgart which was changed at 1345 hours to Frankfurt. Wickenby's contribution to a force of 378 Lancasters and 9 Mosquitoes was 34 Lancasters, of which 626 Squadron supplied 15. We must have had an influx of new crews because no less than 7 of the 15 carried second pilots along for experience before going with their own crews. Our second pilot was F/O Hollowell.
The bomb load for this operation was 1 x 4,000 lb., 14 x 4 clusters and 120 x 4 lb incendiaries. The fuel load was 1,900 gallons, not quite full tanks. We took off at 1808 hrs.
Our route was fairly typical for an operation to this area. We headed for Reading, then south to cross the coast at Beachy Head. We then proceeded [sic] to 48°N 05°E passing north of Paris then north east towards the target. After bombing we turned west, crossed the French coast near Calais and home via Orfordness.
The weather en route was clear all the way and the target was also clear with some slight haze. Because we would be flying over friendly territory for much of the outward leg we were allowed to fly at low level and climb to our bombing height prior to reaching the target area. On the leg north of Paris another aircraft flying close to us flicked his navigation light on and off a couple of times. Bert Jones reported this from his mid upper turret and while we were considering the significance Stan King said "My God, we've got our nav lights on". They were promptly switched off. Our thanks went out to our unknown benefactor. It's not advisable to assist the enemy by lighting up your location.
When we reached the target we found that the Pathfinder Force had dropped long sticks of flares at H-7. The aiming point was then marked with mixed salvoes of red and green TIs and kept marked with red TIs. Crews were able to identify the target by the light of the flares. Most target markers were just south of the marshalling yards.
The bombing was concentrated though tended to spread a little to the west. Smoke rose to some 5,000 feet and the fires were visible for 100 miles. Photo recce showed that large areas of the city were severely damaged. The main railway station was half destroyed with damage to workshops and engine sheds. Twelve factories, the gas works and power station were also damaged.
Some light flak and moderate heavy flak was experienced up to about 18,000 feet but we managed to get above it. Numerous searchlights were coning, believed to be cooperating with night fighters which were active inward, over the target and outward.
One of 626 Squadron was coned over Mannheim, extensively damaged by heavy flak and landed at Woodbridge at the emergency airfield there. Two of 12 Squadron were attacked and damaged by night fighters. The mid upper gunner of one received gunshot wounds to both legs.
One of 626 Squadron (F/O Thorpe) was attacked by a night fighter and destroyed. Thorpe, his wireless operator and mid upper gunner were taken prisoner, all other crew members
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including the second pilot, who was along for experience, were killed. It was his first and only operation. His crew were returned to the Lancaster Finishing School to crew with another pilot.
We arrived back at Wickenby after flying for 7 hours 55 minutes. F/O Hollowell thanked us for the experience and went on to complete a tour with his own crew.
The Bomber Command loss rate was 4.39%, that of Wickenby 2.94% and 626 Squadron 6.66%
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FRANKFURT 12-9-44
626 SQUADRON
A/C
(a) Captain - 2nd PIL. (b) Nav. - W/Op (c) B/A - F/E (d) MuG - R/G
JB661 C2
(a) F/O G.A. Price - P/O R. McAinsh (b) Sgt. F.B. Beaton - Sgt. B. Walley (c) F/S T.H. Lightfoot - Sgt. S.A. Frew (d) Sgt. V.A. Lane - Sgt. J. Lee
LM113F2
(a) F/O T.H. Ford (b) F/S J.M. Jackson - W/O H.A.S. Tween (c) F/S J.C. Payne - Sgt. R.A. Wood (d) Sgt. J.C. Moore - Sgt. P.L. Potter
PD295 B2
(a) F/O G. Lofthouse (b) P/O R.C. McMillan - F/S A.V. Bettney (c) W/O E. Peressini - Sgt. K.W.T. Adams (d) F/S R.W. Smith - F/S F.C. Child
LM141 D2
(a) F/O D.S. Nelson (b) F/O T.R. Murray - P/O R.J. Lacey (c) F/O V.H. Halstead - Sgt. O. Old (d) Sgt. A.M. Walker - Sgt. C.C. Merriman
PB412 Z2
(a) F/O W.J. Cook (b) F/S H. Sulz - Sgt. L.A. Rolfe (c) F/S K.C. McCormick - Sgt. D.W. Garside (d) Sgt. A.H. Jones - F/S E. Smith
PA990 R2
(a) F/O G.A. Green - F/O R.J. Tierney (b) F/S W.A. Stephens - F/S W.A. Dickson (c) F/O K.E.F. Taylor - Sgt. O.F. Farley (d) Sgt. W. Norman - F/S G.C. Newton
ND163 T2
(a) F/O R.A. Collens - P/O L.A. Titmuss (b) F/Lt. J.H. Leuty - Sgt. K.T. Rainbird (c) F/S W.E. Birch - Sgt. H.S. Merry (d) Sgt. E.W. Roberts - Sgt. H. Davy
PB411 Y2
(a) F/O H. Winder - Sgt. R.C. Yule (b) P/O J.J. McDevitt - Sgt. A.W. Reid (c) F/S M. Parker - Sgt. H.S.G. Rich (d) Sgt. R.A. Albone - P/O W.G. Green
LL959 A2
(a) F/Lt. A.C. Hicks - F/O R.A. Hollowell (b) F/S K.J. Brind - F/S J. Saletto (c) F/O P.M. Graves - Sgt. S.G. King (d) Sgt. A.B. Jones - Sgt. D. Stott
PD287 U2
(a) F/O J.Y.N. Walbank - F/O R.M.Smith (b) F/S L.A. Sparrow - F/S J.M. Dewar (c) F/S R.N. Purves - Sgt. E. Shepherd (d) F/S G. Derrington - F/S J.C. Harris
LM137 G2
(a) F/O D.R.B. Thorpe - F/O G.T. Bolderstn (b) F/S A.C.L. Cox - Sgt. J. Peart (c) F/S S.E. Dunnett - Sgt. F.C. Foster (d) F/S R.H. Cross - F/S L.F. Beattie
NF907 K2
(a) F/O E. Fitzsimmons (b) F/S G.E. Dunsford - Sgt. C. Summers (c) F/S J.V. Gray - Sgt. D.W. Richards (d) Sgt. D. De Silva - F/O G.A. Pearce
LM689 N2
(a) F/O R.G. Harvey (b) Sgt. S.J. Partridge - Sgt. J.L. Nuttall (c) F/O R. Kelly - Sgt. R. Heys (d) Sgt. J.K. Hogan - Sgt. G.T. McMasters
PD 286 02
(a) F/O J.C. Campbell (b) F/O R. Cluston - F/S R.C. Champagne (c) F/S W.F. Palmer - Sgt. J. Akhurst (d) Sgt. J.G. Reynolds - Sgt. A.D. Winser
LL961 S2
(a) F/O E.W. Parker (b) Sgt. E. Arrowsmith - F/S J.D. McPherson (c) Sgt. J. Tordoff - Sgt. R.H. Westrop (d) Sgt. W.J. Standen - Sgt. G. Hopkins
AIR 27-2146 PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE
With the weather fair to fine, 378 Lancasters carried out the last major attack on Frankfurt of the war.
12 Squadron dispatched 19 aircraft and all returned safely. 626 Squadron detailed 16 aircraft but F/O Jones failed to take off. On return, F/O Collens landed at Woodbridge with flak damage. LM137 UM-G2, F/O Thorpe failed to return.
F/O D.R.B. Thorpe. PIL.
F/O G.T. Balderstone RCAF 2nd PIL. Killed.
P/O A.C.L. Cox NAV. Killed.
Sgt. J. Paert. [sic] W/T
F/Sgt. S.E. Dunnett B/A. Killed.
Sgt. F.C. Foster F/E. Killed.
F/Sgt. R.H. Cross. MuG
F/Sgt. L.F. Beattie R/G. Killed.
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Operation No. 26 Rheine-Hopsten
The allied armies had by now broken out from their original bridgehead and pushed north west through Belgium into Holland, and a strategy was conceived for a massive airborne landing using gliders and paratroops in the Arnhem area to create a bridgehead across the Rhine River and ultimately link up with the forward moving army. On September 16th our job was to neutralize German held airfields in the area to minimize the opposition to our landings the next day. Different squadrons and different bases were allocated to specific targets. This was a pinpoint precision attack rather than area bombing.
Wickenby's target was the airfield at Rheine-Hopsten, other squadrons were given other targets. Thirty one Lancasters, 19 from 12 Squadron, and 12 from 626 were detailed for this attack.
Because of the nature of the target, buildings, runways, etc. we carried 10,000 lbs of H.E., in the form of 20 x 500 lb bombs. This was a night attack and we took off at 2200 hours climbing to Mablethorpe, then across the North Sea to a point on the Dutch coast just north of The Hague and so to the target.
The weather en route was good with small amounts of cloud and the target area was clear with slight ground haze. The target marking was carried out by "Oboe" equipped Mosquitoes. Oboe was a modification of the GEE navigation system used for precision bombing and marking. As the allied armies moved across Europe they overran some of the Jamming stations so we were able to use our navigation aids further east. On this night I was able to get accurate GEE fixes all the way to the target. So as we approached the target and I advised the crew we were there the target markers appeared before us. They consisted of red TIs. We had already opened the bomb doors and Peter had fused the bombs so release was a simple matter.
We experienced a small amount of light flak in the target area and night fighters were active but we did not engage in any night fighter activity. The night was very dark so visual assessment of the attack was not possible but photo recce showed that the airfield sustained considerable damage. At least 75 craters were created including 45 on the main runway and 3 on the secondary with 13 on the taxi way. The airfield was out of commission for 48 hours which was the object of our exercise.
The glider troops landed at Arnhem the next day but their effort (and ours) was for nought as they were never able to link up with the main army, became over extended, and were either captured or killed. A costly mistake, it was made into a very successful film, called "A Bridge Too Far" after the war.
Two of 12 Squadron reported combat with night fighters but no damage and no casualties were sustained by Wickenby aircraft on this night. Nor indeed did Bomber Command lose any aircraft. We arrived back at Wickenby and landed after a flight of almost 4 hours. F/O Hollowell completed his first operation with his own crew on this night.
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We were now into our last 5 operations. The conventional wisdom among Bomber Command crews was that if you weren't shot down during your first 5 missions, when you were inexperienced, you would be during your last 5 when you became over confident. We hoped our last few would be against lightly defended targets. Some hope, as it turned out.
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Operation No. 27 Calais
The allied armies had now fanned out across Europe but had bypassed a number of strong points along the French and Belgian coasts where the opposition was very stiff. One such strong point was Calais and the area surrounding the city which was our target on September 20th. This was an operation which had previously been planned for the 21st but was brought forward to the 20th. The Bomber Command force consisted of 437 Lancasters, 169 Halifaxes and 40 Mosquitoes. Wickenby's contribution was 39 Lancasters of which 626 Squadron provided 20. We assembled at a point east of London and headed straight for the target in the afternoon, but conditions were very cloudy with poor visibility which improved a little as we crossed the channel. In the target area there were thin layers of stratus with tops about 4,000 feet.
We carried 15,000 lbs of 1,000 and 500 lb H.E. Target marking was by green TIs from H-5 and H-3 then red TIs bursting at 2,000 feet leaving a trail of white smoke. The Master Bomber called us down to 3,000 feet and we bombed from there against the TIs which were accurately placed on the aiming point. Our own troops were only some 2.000 yards away so accurate bombing was mandatory, and as there was no real opposition not too difficult.
One interesting aspect of this operation was revealed by photo recce - a gun casement which received several direct hits only suffered shallow depressions in it's roof. Reinforced concrete several feet thick required much more than 1,000 lb bombs to do any real damage.
There was no damage to any of Wickenby's aircraft but we did have great difficulty getting back on the ground when we arrived home, as the weather had deteriorated significantly while we were away. We landed at 1750 hours after almost 4 hours flying. Comber Command loss rate was 0.15% - one aircraft.
It was now some seven weeks since we had leave and the rule of thumb was every six weeks or so, so off we went for a few days vacation. Aldbourne looked about the same as it always did but Mary had increased her measurements somewhat. She was now about 3 weeks away from her due date and was pretty uncomfortable. Stan King was getting engaged on this leave and had invited us to attend the party at his parents home on the outskirts of London. My mother did not want us to go as she was worried Mary might give birth on the train or in a London taxi or somewhere. However, being young and impetuous we decided to take the chance, so off we went to London. We were to stay at the King home by invitation of Stan's parents but when the party was in full swing the air raid sirens went off and we all trooped to the air raid shelter in the basement of their home, and there we stayed. It was ironic that in spite of the raids the R.A.F. and U.S.A.F. had carried out against the V1 and V2 launching sites the Germans were still able, as late as September 1944, to submit London to harassing air raids.
As a result of their efforts we never did get to bed and the next day took the train back to Hungerford and the bus to Aldbourne.
The few days went all too quickly but now we only had 3 more operations to complete and I felt very confident of success.
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Operation No. 28 Westkapelle
At the beginning of October there was some uncertainty about who should be going where. For example – on October 1st 40 aircraft were to standby for a tactical target in Northern France. At 1415 the squadrons were stood down. Then at 1730 they were again placed on standby for an attack on Bergen, which was cancelled at 1845 hours. On October 2nd at 1100 hours the squadrons were stood down and at 1645 18 aircraft were ordered to standby for an operation against Westkapelle tomorrow. And so it was that on October 3rd we became part of a force of 252 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes detailed against tactical targets in north west Europe. The 18 Wickenby aircraft were equally divided between the squadrons.
As I have already mentioned the allied armies moved out from their bridgehead but bypassed the coastal ports and cities and "mopped up" later when they had been softened by the air forces. They now needed a major supply port in Belgium and Antwerp had been captured but it's approaches were still under German guns. The island of Walcheren dominates the sea approach and was well defended. So the idea was to breach the sea wall at Westkapelle, at the western tip of the island, and allow flood waters to overrun the German positions.
A "Dambuster" type raid but with ordinary high explosive bombs. We carried 12,500 lbs consisting of one 4,000 lb, 8 x 1,000 lb and one 500 lb H.E. We took off at noon, headed to Aldeburgh, near Ipswich, then straight across the North Sea to the target. There was a cloud layer right from base to target but the base was at 5,000 feet so we stayed below where visibility was good.
The target marking was by green TIs at H-5 backed up by red TIs. The pathfinders were punctual, their initial marking undershot slightly but it didn't matter as we could see the target clearly as we approached. There were some small puffy clouds below the main layer so to make absolutely certain we went as low as was safe. We dropped our bombs from 1,500 feet which is, in fact, below the safety height for a 4,000 pounder and we felt the compression hit the aircraft as it exploded. We climbed away from the target and as we turned for home could see we had made a hole in the sea wall and water was already pouring through.
The photo recce report stated that the original breach was enlarged to approximately 130 yards due to the corrosive action of water passing through. A vast area was inundated, with sea water at least 2 miles inland and to the boundaries of Middleburg and Flushing.
There was some flak activity in the target area, mostly from Flushing, but Wickenby aircraft did not experience any damage or casualties.
The squadron commander, who participated in this operation had an unusual experience when he came under what may have been a mock attack by two fighter aircraft believed to be Mustangs. His rear gunner fired a short burst which appeared to be sufficient to drive them off as they were not seen again.
We landed back at Wickenby after a flight of 2 hours 50 minutes.
Bomber Command did not lose any of it's aircraft in today's efforts.
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Operation No. 29 Saarbrucken
While the British and Canadian armies pushed north east through Belgium and Holland, the American Third Army was heading east into Germany and were now some 20 miles from Saarbrucken and the other industrial towns which we had previously attacked in this area. Our attack on Saarbrucken on October 5th was at the request of the advancing Americans.
Thirty-nine Lancasters from Wickenby were part of a force of 531 Lancasters and 20 Mosquitoes detailed against Saarbrucken. 626 Squadron supplied 19. This was, of course, a night operation and takeoff commenced at 1817 hours.
Our route took us to Gravesend, Beachy Head, south to the French coast then east to the target. We climbed through a layer of 10/10th cloud which persisted to about 6°E then gradually cleared so that the target had merely some thin broken cloud and ground haze. Our bomb load was one H.E., a 4,000 lb "Cookie" and 7,000 lb of incendiaries for a total of 11,000 lbs.
The target marking consisted of long strings of flares over the target at H-7 followed by salvoes of red and green TIs.
For some reason there were no searchlights in the target area. There was however a moderate, heavy flak barrage with explosions above 15,000 feet. There were also some enemy fighters active in the target area.
Because visibility was good we were able to see that the markers were accurate and good concentrated bombing ensued. Several large explosions were observed and smoke rose to 12,000 feet. The glow of the fires could be seen for 100 miles on the return journey. At 2036 hours the Master Bomber gave the code word to abandon the mission adding that allied troops were getting near the target. Our aircraft had not been furnished with the code word, consequently most crews bombed the target. Photo reconnaissance showed that the steel works of Vereinigte Huttenwerke had every large building damaged. The Luttgens Wagon Factory, the Maschinenbau A.G. and the Portland Cement Werke were severely damaged. The infantry Barracks, the Dragoon Barracks and the Artillery Barracks were all gutted.
On leaving the target area we headed north west and crossed the French coast near Calais. We returned to Wickenby only to find the airfield fogged in and were unable to land. This presented a major problem as most of the airfields in the Lincolnshire area were similarly fogged in and it was from this area that many of the 531 Lancasters originated. However, the operations people on the ground were able to find diversionary airfield which were open and everyone got down safely. We landed at Methwold in East Anglia and spent the night there returning to Wickenby the next day.
One of 626 Squadron aborted this mission. He got airborne but his starboard inner engine cut out over base so he had no alternative but to land again.
Two of Wickenby's aircraft sustained flak damage, one from each squadron and one from 626 had two encounters with fighters but did not sustain any damage. Wickenby did not lose any aircraft on this occasion but Bomber Command lost 3 for a loss rate of 0.54%.
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Operation No. 30 Emmerich
There are certain days, certain events which are imprinted indelibly on the mind. The declaration of war, the day you marry, the birth of your children, days of great joy or great expectations or great terror. Such a day was October 7th, 1944. The weather was fairly typical for early October in Lincolnshire – cloudy with occasional rain.
The airborne landings at Arnhem had failed and there were heavy concentrations of enemy troops in the area of Arnhem, Nijmegen, Emmerich and along the Rheine river. Wickenby's target was to be Emmerich and this was the first daylight attack on Germany from Wickenby.
Forty-two Lancasters were detailed as part of a Bomber command force of 340 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes. Each squadron provided 21 aircraft – a maximum effort. We carried one 4,000 lb H.E. and 2520 x 4 lb incendiaries in clusters for a total of 14,080 lbs. We climbed to rendezvous at Cromer, on the Norfolk coast then cross the North Sea to The Hague and so to the target.
We had climber through a 10/10ths layer of cloud and at our bombing height of 10-12,000 feet we were in bright sunshine above it. Three hundred and forty Lancasters in a huge gaggle all headed in the same direction, sun glinting on perspex cabins and turrets. As we approached the Dutch coast the cloud cleared and all that remained was a slight ground haze.
I had given Hicky the final course to the target and as we approached I was standing between he and Stan King and slightly behind so I could see ahead, all round and behind us. We were nicely in the middle of the stream. Peter Graves was prone in the bomb aimers position in the nose watching the target coming down the drift wires of his bomb site. The flak was intense (we later learned the Germans had turned their 88mm anti tank weapons skyward and the shells were exploding at our altitude) and we were on a straight and level bombing run. Peter's voice over the intercom "Steady, Steady, Bomb Doors Open". Hicky, "Bomb Doors Open". Ahead I can see the intensity of the exploding flak – an aircraft is hit and catches fire. As it loses height I see one – two – three parachutes drifting down but no more. Then another is hit, this time a part of the wing is blown off and the aircraft spirals down – again parachutes but not seven. I think – my God, we're next. After all this time – after dark cold nights in the skies over major German cities – after warm sunny afternoons against V1 launching ramps in France – after 29 operations we are going to get written off. "Left, Left – Steady". I look behind just in time to see a Lancaster right behind us take a direct hit and spin out of control. "Steady, Steady – Bombs gone – Bomb Doors Closed".
The aircraft leaps as the 14,080 lbs of bombs drop away – then – thud – we are hit. "Bomb Doors Closed". We climb and turn away from the target and check for damage. No one is hurt and everything seems to be O.K. so we head for home. We have survived – we've come through – a cheer goes up from the crew, all the pent up emotion is released.
The reports state that there was moderate to intense predicted heavy flak from 11-13,000 feet on the run up, through the target and for a few miles after leaving the target area. No enemy aircraft were seen. Fighter cover was provided by 11 Group.
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Mosquitoes marked the aiming point with green TIs at H – 5 and maintained the marking with red TIs. The marking was accurate and the Master Bomber instructed the main force to bomb the red TIs. Bombing was accurate and many fires were started with smoke drifting up to 12,000 feet.
Allied troops who were only 8 miles south west must have had a good view of the afternoons activities.
The flight home, though routine, was full of joy as we knew we would not be called upon to do this kind of thing again. We landed at Wickenby after 4 hours 15 minutes of flying.
Wickenby did not lose any aircraft on this operation, but 3 of 12 Squadron and 4 of 626 sustained varying amounts of flak damage. Our aircraft, A2, had the "port undercarriage holed by heavy flak in the target area".
After briefing I sent Mary a telegram to let her know I had completed my tour of operations then we took our ground crew out to the local pub to celebrate our joint success. These were the men who kept A2 serviceable for us and who repaired her when we brought her back damaged. A rip roaring good time was had by all.
[telegram]Brind Cherry Tree
Aldbourne [indecipherable word]
Tour completed love darling
Ken[/telegram]
The next day the 8th was Sunday so we could not proceed with our clearance until the 9th (Mary's 22nd Birthday) which we did with all despatch and headed for home and leave on 10th. Just as a matter of interest the weather on the 8th, 9th and 10th was cloudy with rain and drizzle and no operations were scheduled for either day.
I arrived at Aldbourne on October 10th and of course by now Mary is due to have her baby.
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On the morning of October 12th she started in labour, we were driven to Savernake Hospital by a lady of the W.V.S. (Women's Volunteer Service) and at 6 pm Keith John arrived. All in all a masterpiece of timing.
The crew went their several ways after we had finished our tour. The normal practice was to become an instructor at an O.T.U. or H.C.U. I went briefly to Wigtown, Scotland, accepted a commission, and managed to get a posting to Cardington, Bedford where I became O.C. Headquarters Unit and where Karol was born. Gillian, Janet and Rod were to come along later. Jack Saletto was commissioned and returned to his native Australia. Peter Graves, the policeman, transferred to the Provost Branch and went to Germany after the war was over as a member of the control commission. The others were demobbed at the end of the war. Hicky went home to pursue his career as a civil engineer. I heard later he had died in the 1960s of a heart attack. Stan King went home, married his sweetheart, had a family, worked in the printing industry and died on December 1st, 1982.
Bert Jones went home to Yorkshire where he married and had a family. He became an Assistant Executive Engineer with the post office and died in retirement on December 16th, 1989.
Casualties sustained by 626 Squadron and 12 Squadron from the operations in which our crew participated:- 626 lost 10 Lancasters with 43 crew members killed, 12 taken P.O.W. and 8 Interned (albeit briefly) in Sweden. 12 Squadron lost 11 Lancasters with 58 crew members killed and 19 taken P.O.W. And, of course, there were a number of occasions when aircraft arrived home with wounded crew on board, the one most vividly remembered was the injury to Bill Bursey on August 14th. Our aircraft was damaged by flak on 5 occasions and by one of our own once (the incendiary through the wing on August 29th) but we never came under attack by enemy fighters and our gunners never did have to fire their guns in our defence. At the conclusion of our operational tour F/L Hicks was awarded the D.F.C. and later I received the Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palme.
I had spent my 21st Birthday in hospital, I had lost my first crew, I had crewed up again and completed a tour of operations, I had gone home afterwards and taken Mary to hospital where she had given birth to Keith on October 12th and on October 17th I celebrated my 22nd Birthday. All in all an eventful year.
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ROYAUME DE BELGIQUE
[crest]
[italics] Le Ministredela Défense Nationale
a l'honneur de faire savoir [/italics] au
Flight Sergeant: Kenneth - John [underlined] B R I N D [//underlined],
que, par Arrêté de S.A.R.,le Prince Régent, du 16.1.1947,No 3424,
LA CROIX DE GUEERE 1940 AVEC PALME,
lui a été décernée,
"Pour le courage et la bravoure dont il a fait preuve dans les glorieuses batailles qui ont amené la libération de la Belgique."
[signature]
56
[page break]
The Wickenby Squadrons
Twelve Squadron moved from Binbrook to Wickenby on September 25th, 1942. It was and still is a permanent R.A.F. squadron with battle honours dating from World War I to the Gulf War.
Their first WWII operation from Wickenby was on September 26th 1942 when 6 Wellingtons laid mines in the Baltic Sea. One aircraft was lost.
The Wellingtons were replaced by Lancasters in November 1942. On November 7th, 1943 No. 626 Squadron was formed from "C" Flight of 12 Squadron. Their first operation was on November 10th. The last operation of 12 and 626 Squadrons from Wickenby was against Berchtesgaden on April 25th 1945.
Both squadrons played a prominent role in Bomber Command offensive, and suffered their proportion of the heavy losses, with 763 members of 12 Squadron and 317 members of 626 Squadron losing their lives on operations from Wickenby, a total of 1,080 Killed in Action.
57
[page break]
Bomber Command Statistics
Air Crew Casualties
Of the 125,000 who trained and served in Bomber Command there were 73,841 Air Crew Casualties:
47,268 Killed in Action
[underlined] 8,232 [/underlined] Killed in Accidents
55,500 Total Killed (44.4% of total)
9,938 Shot down and taken P.O.W.
[underlined] 8,403 [/underlined] Wounded
18,341 (14.6% of total)
[underlined] 73,841 [/underlined] Casualties (59% of total)
58
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 year in the Life
Description
An account of the resource
Ken Brind's autobiography detailing his tour of operations.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
KJ Brind
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France--Alençon
Great Britain
England--Aldeburgh
Germany--Berlin
United States
Florida--Pensacola
France--Reims
England--Gravesend (Kent)
England--Hastings
France--Dieppe
England--Brighton
England--Reading
France--Domléger-Longvillers
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Calais
France--Berck-sur-Mer
England--London
England--Dungeness
France--Vierzon
France--Le Havre
France--Orléans
France--Dijon
England--Bridport
England--Weymouth (Dorset)
France--Rennes
Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Channel Islands
Europe--Mont Blanc
France--Tours
France--Normandy
France--Caen
Belgium--Kortrijk
Belgium--Brussels
Belgium--Ostend
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Kiel
England--Mablethorpe
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Germany--Rüsselsheim
Germany--Mannheim
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Munich
England--Selsey (West Sussex)
France--Falaise
England--Old Sarum (Extinct city)
Poland--Szczecin
Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)
Denmark--Copenhagen
Sweden
Sweden--Malmö
Sweden--Falun
England--Beachy Head
Germany--Rheine
Netherlands--Arnhem
Netherlands--Hague
Netherlands--Vlissingen
Norway--Bergen
Belgium--Antwerp
Netherlands--Walcheren
Germany--Saarbrücken
Germany--Emmerich
Netherlands--Nijmegen
England--Cromer
Germany--Berchtesgaden
England--Marlborough
Florida
Poland
France
Germany
Denmark
Belgium
Netherlands
Norway
Europe--Frisian Islands
England--Berkshire
England--Dorset
England--Kent
England--Lincolnshire
England--Norfolk
England--Suffolk
England--Sussex
England--Wiltshire
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
Civilian
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Memoir
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
62 printed sheets
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BBrindKJBrindKJv1
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
Sue Smith
12 Squadron
1656 HCU
18 OTU
460 Squadron
625 Squadron
626 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
air gunner
aircrew
anti-aircraft fire
B-17
B-24
bomb aimer
bombing
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Distinguished Flying Cross
entertainment
evading
FIDO
Gee
H2S
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
incendiary device
Ju 88
killed in action
lack of moral fibre
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Me 110
mine laying
Mosquito
navigator
Nissen hut
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Oboe
Operational Training Unit
P-51
Pathfinders
Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
pilot
prisoner of war
RAF Binbrook
RAF Blyton
RAF Boscombe Down
RAF Cardington
RAF Dumfries
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Finningley
RAF Hemswell
RAF hospital Rauceby
RAF Kelstern
RAF Lindholme
RAF Manby
RAF Manston
RAF Methwold
RAF Wickenby
RAF Wigtown
RAF Woodbridge
searchlight
Spitfire
tactical support for Normandy troops
target indicator
training
V-1
V-2
V-weapon
Wellington
Window
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/345/34358/LWarmingtonI150280v10002.2.pdf
49989e368e54a7ee09cd9eaf34192f86
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
Warmington, Ivon
I Warmington
Description
An account of the resource
Four items. One oral history interview with Ivon Warmington (b. 1922, 150280 Royal Air Force) and his flying log books.
The collection was 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
2016-10-29
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
Warmington, I
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
Ivon Warmington’s pilots flying log book. Two
Description
An account of the resource
Pilots flying log book two, for W I Warmington, covering the period from 15 November 1943 to 31 March 1945. Detailing his flying training, Operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Hixon, RAF Blyton, RAF Hemswell, RAF Kirmington, RAF Peplow, RAF Lulsgate Bottom, RAF Gamston and RAF Upper Heyford. Aircraft flown were, Wellington, Halifax, Lancaster, Oxford. He completed a total of 30 operations with 166 Squadron. Part of the log book is missing listing operation 20 to 27. Targets listed were, Maintenon, Mailley, Rennes, Aachen, Calais, Wimeraux, Crisbicq, Acheres, Versailles, Le Havre, Sterkrade, Aulnoye, Mimoyecques, Saintes, Flers, Chateaux Bernapre, Oisemeont and Normandy. The log book also contains several aircraft pictures and a photo of pilots from the Operational Training Unit. His first or second pilots on operations were Pilot Officer Myers and Flight Sergeant Miller. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1943
1944
1945
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1944-06
1944-07
1944-08
1944-06-05
1944-06-06
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-30
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Shropshire
England--Somerset
England--Staffordshire
France--Flers-de-l'Orne
France--Le Havre
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Maintenon
France--Manche
France--Nord (Department)
France--Normandy
France--Oise
France--Oisemont (Canton)
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Rennes
France--Saintes
France--Versailles
France--Wimereux
France--Yvelines
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Bermesnil
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
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LWarmingtonI150280v10002
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
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
128 Squadron
16 OTU
166 Squadron
1662 HCU
30 OTU
83 OTU
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Flying Training School
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Lancaster Mk 1
Lancaster Mk 3
Me 410
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
nose art
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Blyton
RAF Gamston
RAF Hemswell
RAF Hixon
RAF Kirmington
RAF Paignton
RAF Peplow
RAF Upper Heyford
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
-
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
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
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/1786/33584/LSandlandCB19230612v1.2.pdf
83285f5c13ff6d9126b3aa9c901bdf14
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
Sandland, Charles Bertram
C B Sandland
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
2020-10-21
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
Sandland, CB
Description
An account of the resource
One item. The collection concerns Flying Officer Charles Bertram Sandland and contains his log book. He flew operations as a pilot with 514 Squadron before being posted to Transport Command.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Sue Fowler and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
Charles Bertram Sandland’s Royal Canadian Air Force pilot’s flying log book
Description
An account of the resource
Flying Officer C. B. Sandland’s RCAF Pilot’s Flying Log Book, from June 1942 to 22nd May 1946, recording training, operations, instructional and Transport Command flights to Europe, India, the Middle and Far East.
Based at: Marshall’s Flying School Cambridge (22 Elementary Flying Training School), Ponca City (6 British Flying Training School), RAF Banff (14 AFU), RAF Wing (No. 26 OTU), RAF Waterbeach (1678 CU and 514 Squadron), RAF Lulsgate Bottom (No. 3 Flying Instructors School), RAF Feltwell (3 Lancaster Finishing School), and RAF Lyneham (511 Squadron).
Aircraft in which flown: DH82A, PT-17A, AT-6A, Oxford, Wellington III, Wellington X, Lancaster I, Lancaster II, Lancaster III, York, Lancastrian.
Records a total of 31 operations (6 day, 25 night). Targets in Belgium, France, Germany: Angers, Aulnoye, Beauvoir, Boulogne, Caen area, Cap Gris-Nez, Chalons Sur Marne, Courtrai, Duisberg, Emieville, Gelsenkirchen, Homburg, Kiel, Le Catelliers, Le Havre, Le Mans, Louvain, Massy Palaisieu, Nantes, Ouistreham, Paris Vaires, Pas de Calais - L’Hey, Rimeux, Stuttgart, Trappes (Paris), Valenciennes, Villers Bocage, Watten - Pas de Calais.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Leitch
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.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LSandlandCB19230612v1
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. Transport Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
India
United States
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Middle East
Belgium--Kortrijk
Belgium--Louvain
England--Buckinghamshire
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Cambridge
England--Norfolk
England--Somerset
England--Wiltshire
France--Angers
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Le Havre
France--Le Mans
France--Nantes
France--Nord (Department)
France--Normandy
France--Opale Coast
France--Paris
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)
France--Vaires-sur-Marne
France--Valenciennes
France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)
France--Yvelines
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Homberg (Kassel)
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Stuttgart
Oklahoma--Ponca City
Scotland--Aberdeenshire
France--Châlons-en-Champagne
Oklahoma
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Ouistreham
France--Les Catelliers
France--Watten
France--Calvados
France--Cap Gris Nez
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
1943
1944-05-08
1944-05-09
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-05-19
1944-05-20
1944-05-21
1944-05-22
1944-05-25
1944-05-28
1944-05-29
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-06
1944-06-08
1944-06-11
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-16
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-30
1944-07-02
1944-07-05
1944-07-06
1944-07-07
1944-07-08
1944-07-12
1944-07-15
1944-07-16
1944-07-18
1944-07-19
1944-07-20
1944-07-21
1944-07-23
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-27
1944-07-30
1945
1946
1944-06-05
1678 HCU
26 OTU
514 Squadron
6 BFTS
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
bombing
bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
British Flying Training School Program
Flying Training School
Harvard
Heavy Conversion Unit
Initial Training Wing
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Lancaster Mk 1
Lancaster Mk 2
Lancaster Mk 3
Lancastrian
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Feltwell
RAF Lyneham
RAF Waterbeach
Stearman
tactical support for Normandy troops
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
York
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1822/32379/LWellsRG1686349v1.1.pdf
845721e657e86c45caa0c997eec33a96
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
Wells, Ray
R G Wells
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
2017-04-03
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
Wells, RG
Description
An account of the resource
51 items. The collection concerns (1686349 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents and photographs in a separate album. He flew operations as a flight engineer with 158 Squadron. <br /><br /><a href="https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/2029">Wells, Ray. Album</a><br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Carole Dukes and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
Ray Wells' Pilot’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LWellsRG1686349v1
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.
Description
An account of the resource
R G Wells Flight Engineer’s Flying Log Book covering the period 16 April 1944 to 30 September 1944. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as flight engineer. He was stationed at RAF Riccall (1658 HCU), RAF Lisset (158 Squadron) and RAF Leconfield (96 Squadron).Aircraft flown in were Halifax II and III. Targets were Oisemont, Le Grand Russignal, Les Catillieres, Wanne-Eickel, Foret de Nieppe, Chapelle Notre Dame, L’Hey, battle area, Dijon, Kiel, Brest, Sterkade, Duisburg, Essen, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Domleger, Marquise, Caen, Bois de la Haie, Etaples, Eindhoven, Homberg, La Porchintie, Le Havre, Gelsenkirchen, Nordstein, Boulogne and Walcheren. His pilot on operations was Flight Sergeant Meaden. He flew 20 day operations and 17 night operations with 158 Squadron.
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Brest
France--Caen
France--Dijon
France--Etaples
France--Le Havre
France--Oisemont (Canton)
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Essen
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Homberg (Kassel)
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Germany--Wanne-Eickel
Netherlands--Eindhoven
Netherlands--Walcheren
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Domléger-Longvillers
France--Nieppe Forest
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
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
158 Squadron
1658 HCU
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Luftwaffe night-fighter airfields (15 August 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
flight engineer
Halifax
Halifax Mk 2
Halifax Mk 3
Heavy Conversion Unit
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Leconfield
RAF Lissett
RAF Riccall
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1771/31058/BCleggPVMartinCv1.2.pdf
9941b9a45d01dfbd740dca6950a2750d
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
Clegg, Peter Vernon. Martin, Charles - folder
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. Includes newspaper cuttings, record of operations and extracts from his log book.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-07-02
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. 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
Clegg, PV
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
Extracts from the log book of Flight Lieutenant Charles Martin
Description
An account of the resource
Navigator of 166 Squadron covering a total of 30 operations. His pilots on operations were Pilot Officer Gibson and Flying Officer Allen. From 9 April 1944 until 22 May 1944 and then some subsequent flying. Also flew a number of Operation Post Mortem and Operation Dodge sorties.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
21 b/w photocopied sheets
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
BCleggPVMartinCv1
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.
France
Germany
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
France--Paris
France--Rouen
Germany--Cologne
Germany
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Essen
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Aachen
France--Doullens
France--Oisemont (Canton)
Germany--Friedrichshafen
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Rennes
France--Dieppe
France--Versailles
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
France--le Havre
France--Bordeaux Region (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Somme
France--Jura
France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
France--Pas-de-Calais
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1945
1945
1946
1944-04-09
1944-04-10
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-04-20
1944-04-21
1944-04-22
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-05-07
1944-05-08
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-21
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-24
1944-05-25
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-16
1944-06-17
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-28
1944-06-29
1944-06-30
1944-07-02
1944-07-12
1944-07-13
1944-07-14
1944-07-15
1944-07-18
1944-07-20
1945-06-16
1945-08-26
1945-08-29
1945-09-02
1945-09-04
1945-09-10
1945-09-13
1945-09-19
1945-09-21
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
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Cara Walmsley
166 Squadron
1662 HCU
61 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Cook’s tour
Halifax
Halifax Mk 3
Halifax Mk 5
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Lancaster Mk 1
Lancaster Mk 3
navigator
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operation Dodge (1945)
RAF Blyton
RAF Kirmington
RAF Sturgate
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1771/31057/BCleggPVMartinCv10003.2.jpg
e1f4431a6503bcde0befdb3268a50b0a
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
Clegg, Peter Vernon. Martin, Charles - folder
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. Includes newspaper cuttings, record of operations and extracts from his log book.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-07-02
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. 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
Clegg, PV
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
[underlined]C. MARTIN OPERATIONAL TOUR OF 30 OPERATIONS – 23 NIGHT – 7 DAY[underlined]
[underlined] No. – DATE – AIRCRAFT – TARGET – TIME – COMMENTS[/underlined]
[underlined] 1944 [/underlined]
1. APR 9/10 – C ND857 – PARIS – 5.30 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
2. APR 18/19 – K ND857 – ROUEN – 4.20 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
3. APR 20/21 – K ND857 – COLOGNE – 4.55 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
4. APR 22/23 – K ND857 – DUSSELDORF – 5.30 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
5. APR 24/25 – K ND857 – KARLSRUHE – 6.40 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
6. APR 26/27 – K ND857 – ESSEN – 5.05 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
7. APR 27/28 – K ND857 – FRIEDRICHSHAFEN – 9.00 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
8. MAY 3/4 – K ND857 – MAILLY LE CAMP – 4.30 – ME110 SHOT DOWN DEAD STICK LANDING.
9. MAY 7/8 – N ME775 – RENNES – 4.55 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
10. MAY 10/11 – J2 LM777 – DIEPPE FORD – 3.20 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
11. MAY 21/22 – K NE112 – DUISBURG – 4.35 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
12. MAY 22/23 – K NE112 – DORTMUND – 4.30 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
13. MAY 24/25 – K NE112 – AACHEN WEST – 4.50 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
14. MAY 27/28 – K NE112 – AACHEN EAST – 4.30 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
15. JUN 6/7 – K NE112 – ACHERES – 4.00 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
16. JUN 7/8 – K NE112 – VERSAILLES – 4.10 – RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS.
17. JUN 12/13 – K NE112 – GELSENKIRCHEN – CONED OVER ESSEN FOR 22 SECONDS.
18. JUN 14 – K NE112 – LE HAVRE – 3.45 – DAYLIGHT E BOAT PENS.
19. JUN 16/17 – K NE112 – STERKRADE HOLTEN – 4.25.
20. JUN 22 – K NE112 – MARQUISE MIMOYECQUES – 2.55 – MULTIPLE FLAK DAMAGE DAYLIGHT.
21. JUN 23/24 – K NE112 – SAINTES – 6.55.
22. JUN 24/25 – K NE112 – DOULLENS – 3.30.
23. JUN 27/28 – K NE112 – CHATEAU BERNAPRE – 3.50.
24. JUN 28 – K NE112 – DOULLENS – 3.20 – DAYLIGHT.
25. JUN 30 – K NE112 – OISEMONT – 3.55 – DAYLIGHT.
26. JUL 2 – K NE112 – DOMLEGER – 3.40 – DAYLIGHT.
27. JUL 12/13 – K NE112 – REVIGNY BAS - 9.05 – DIVERTED TO WITTERING.
28. JUL 14/15 – K NE112 – REVIGNY BAS – 8.15 – ABORTED RE FOG BROUGHT BOMBS BACK.
29. JUL 18 – K NE112 – SANNERVILLE – 3.40 – DAYLIGHT.
30. JUL 20 – K NE112 – ST. OMER – 2.20 – DAYLIGHT, MULTIPLE FLAK DAMAGE LANDED AY MANSTON PORT INNER FEATHERED.
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
C Martin - operational tour of 30 operations 23 night 7 daylight
Description
An account of the resource
List of 30 operations with date, aircraft, target, time and comments.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One page handwritten 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
BCleggPVMartinCv10003
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.
France
Germany
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
France--Paris
France--Rouen
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Essen
Germany--Friedrichshafen
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Rennes
France--Dieppe
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Aachen
France--Yvelines
France--Versailles
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
France--Le Havre
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Bordeaux Region (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Doullens
France--Oisemont (Canton)
France--Somme
France--Jura
France--Normandy
France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)
France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Domléger-Longvillers
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1944-04-09
1944-04-18
1944-04-20
1944-04-22
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-05-03
1944-05-07
1944-05-08
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-21
1944-05-22
1944-05-24
1944-05-25
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-12
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-16
1944-06-17
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-06-29
1944-06-30
1944-07-02
1944-07-12
1944-07-13
1944-07-14
1944-07-15
1944-07-18
1944-07-20
1944-05-04
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Bloomfield
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
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Le Havre E-boat pens (14/15 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Me 110
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
tactical support for Normandy troops
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1526/29154/LTeaseJ[Ser -DoB]v1.pdf
94d967ee89bd516193d9252705e81bfb
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
Miles, Reg
Reginald J Miles
R J Miles
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
2016-07-26
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
Miles, RJ
Description
An account of the resource
102 items. The collection concerns Reg Miles (1923 - 2022) and contains his audio memoir, log book, photographs and documents. He flew 36 operations with 432 and 420 Squadrons.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by R Miles and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
Jim Tease’s pilots flying log book
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.
Description
An account of the resource
Pilots flying log book for J Tease, covering the period from 13 June 1944 to 10 October 1944. Detailing his operations flown. He was stationed at RAF Tholthorpe. Aircraft flown was Halifax. He flew a total of 35 operations with 420 squadron, 14 night and 21 daylight. Targets were St Pol, St Martins, Bientques, Bamiers, Forest D’eawy, Thiverny, Nucourt, Caen, Ferme du Forestal, Ferfay, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Croix en Tournois, Foret Du Nieppe, Bois de Cassan, St Leu D’Esserent, Le Hague, Foret de Chantilly, Foret de Montritchard, Bons Tassilly, Brussels, Connantre, Marques-Mimoyecques, Le Havre, Castrop Reuxel, Osnabruck, Kiel, Boulogne, Calais, Bottrop, Sterkrade, Bergen, Dortmund and Bochum. His pilot for his first 'second dickie' operation was Pilot Officer Keegan.
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
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One photocopied booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LTeaseJ[Ser#-DoB]v1
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.
Belgium
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Norway
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Belgium--Brussels
England--Yorkshire
France--Béthune Region
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Caen
France--Calais
France--Creil Region
France--Falaise Region
France--Le Havre
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Marquise
France--Montrichard
France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray
France--Nieppe Forest
France--Nucourt
France--Paris Region
France--Saint-Omer Region (Pas-de-Calais)
France--Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise
France--Troyes Region
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Bottrop
Germany--Castrop-Rauxel
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Osnabrück
Germany--Stuttgart
Netherlands--Hague
Norway--Bergen
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
France
France--Creil
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Chantilly Forest
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-21
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-07-12
1944-07-15
1944-07-16
1944-07-17
1944-07-20
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-26
1944-07-28
1944-07-29
1944-07-31
1944-08-01
1944-08-03
1944-08-04
1944-08-05
1944-08-07
1944-08-08
1944-08-09
1944-08-10
1944-08-12
1944-08-14
1944-08-15
1944-08-18
1944-08-19
1944-08-27
1944-09-10
1944-09-11
1944-09-13
1944-09-15
1944-09-16
1944-09-17
1944-09-25
1944-09-26
1944-09-27
1944-09-30
1944-10-04
1944-10-06
1944-10-07
1944-10-10
1944-10-11
1944-07-18
420 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Luftwaffe night-fighter airfields (15 August 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Halifax
Halifax Mk 3
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
pilot
RAF Tholthorpe
tactical support for Normandy troops
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1505/28877/LDaviesJR1536941v1.1.pdf
5dde4ff2150f656d80a40966229bdd78
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
Davies, Leslie and Jack
Leslie Alfred Davies
L A Davies
John Richard Davies
J R Davies
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
2016-04-28
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
Davies, LA-JR
Description
An account of the resource
49 items. Collection concerns Leslie Alfred Davies (1922-1996, 1581024 Royal Air Force) and his brother John Richard Davies ( - 1944, 1580941). Leslie served as a Lancaster navigator on of 50 Squadron completing his tour of 30 operations in March 1945. John served a Lancaster bomb aimer on 166 Squadron He was killed in action 3 August 1944. Collection consists of Leslie's crew's individual logbooks and biographies, operational histories, photographs of people, aircraft and a grave, documents and correspondence. <br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Murray Davies and catalogued by Nigel Huckins. <br /><br />Additional information on John Richard Davies is available via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/105795/">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
J R Davies’ Royal Canadian Air Force flying log book for aircrew other than pilot
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LDaviesJR1536941v1
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending review
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.
Description
An account of the resource
Royal Canadian Air Force flying log book for aircrew other than pilot for J R Davies, bomb aimer, covering the period from 24 April 1943 to 3 August 1944, when he was missing on operations; his book is marked 'death presumed'. He was stationed at RCAF Lethbridge, RCAF Edmonton, RAF Staverton, RAF Moreton Valance, RAF Peplow, RAF Blyton, RAF Hemswell, and RAF Kirmington. Aircraft flown in were Anson, Blenheim, Wellington, Halifax, and Lancaster. He flew a total of 18 operations with 166 squadron, 10 night and 8 daylight. Targets were Mimoyeques, Saintes, Fleurs, Dijon, Pas de Calais, Caen, Revigny-sur-Ornain, Troan, Schelven-Beur, Wizernes, Kiel, Stuttgart, Cahagnes, Le Havre, Belle Croix les Bruyeres and Trossy. His pilot on operations was Pilot Officer Wagner.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
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.
Canada
France
Germany
Alberta--Edmonton
Alberta--Lethbridge
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
England--Gloucestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Shropshire
France--Caen
France--Caen Region
France--Dijon
France--Le Havre
France--Paris Region
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Saint-Dizier Region (Haute-Marne)
France--Saintes
France--Saint-Omer Region (Pas-de-Calais)
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Stuttgart
Great Britain
Alberta
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-26
1944-06-27
1944-07-05
1944-07-06
1944-07-07
1944-07-12
1944-07-13
1944-07-14
1944-07-15
1944-07-18
1944-07-19
1944-07-20
1944-07-21
1944-07-23
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-28
1944-07-29
1944-07-30
1944-07-31
1944-08-01
1944-08-02
1944-08-03
166 Squadron
1662 HCU
83 OTU
Advanced Flying Unit
Air Observers School
aircrew
Anson
Blenheim
bomb aimer
bombing
Bombing and Gunnery School
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Bombing of Trossy St Maximin (3 August 1944)
forced landing
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
killed in action
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
RAF Blyton
RAF Hemswell
RAF Kirmington
RAF Peplow
RAF Staverton
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
V-1
V-weapon
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1504/28845/LRoutledgeRS1520060v1.1.pdf
8559a31d713c7207633ae17d47ff79b7
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
Routledge, R
Routledge, Bob
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
2016-04-25
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
Wainwright, M
Description
An account of the resource
One item. The collection concerns Sergeant R Routledge (1520060 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book. He flew a tour of operations as an air gunner with 44 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Janet Spencer and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
R S Routledge’s navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LRoutledgeRS1520060v1
Description
An account of the resource
Navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book for R S Routledge, air gunner, covering the period from 18 July 1943 to 14 July 1945. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Morpeth, RAF Ossington, RAF Bircotes, RAF Stradishall, RAF Syerston, RAF Dunholme Lodge, RAF Andreas and RAF Manby. Aircraft flown in were Botha, Wellington, Stirling and Lancaster. He flew a total of 34 operations with 44 Squadron, 7 Daylight and 27 Night. Targets were Nuremberg, Toulouse, Tours, Aachen, Paris, Mailly le Camp, Salbris, Bourg Leopold, Amiens, Kiel, Brunswick, Morsalines, Maisy, Wimereaux, Beauvoir, Wesserling, Pommereval, Marquise, Givors, Stuttgart, Normandy, Joigny, Siracourt, Trossy, L’Isle Adam, Bois de Cassan, Secquiville, Bordeaux and Brest. His pilots on operations were Pilot Officer Young, Flying officer Boswell and Flying Officer Davey. 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
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
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.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
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.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Belgium--Leopoldsburg
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Suffolk
England--Tyne and Wear
England--Yorkshire
France--Abbeville Region
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Brest
France--Cherbourg Region
France--Amiens
France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer
France--Caen Region
France--Givors
France--Joigny
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Marquise
France--Normandy
France--Paris
France--Pommeréval
France--Toulouse
France--Tours
France--Vierzon
France--Wimereux
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Wesseling
Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Isle of Man
France--Creil
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Morsalines
France--Salbris
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1944-03-30
1944-03-31
1944-04-05
1944-04-06
1944-04-10
1944-04-11
1944-04-12
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-05-01
1944-05-02
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-05-07
1944-05-08
1944-05-09
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-05-19
1944-05-20
1944-05-21
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-02
1944-06-03
1944-06-16
1944-06-17
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-07-05
1944-07-26
1944-07-27
1944-07-28
1944-07-29
1944-07-30
1944-07-31
1944-08-01
1944-08-02
1944-08-05
1944-08-06
1944-08-07
1944-08-08
1944-08-09
1944-08-10
1944-08-11
1944-08-12
1944-08-13
1944-08-14
1657 HCU
44 Squadron
82 OTU
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944)
bombing of the Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec and Le Bourget railways (18/19 April 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
bombing of Toulouse (5/6 April 1944)
Bombing of Trossy St Maximin (3 August 1944)
Botha
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
RAF Andreas
RAF Dunholme Lodge
RAF Manby
RAF Morpeth
RAF Ossington
RAF Stradishall
RAF Syerston
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1544/28347/LScrimshawCC957856v1.1.pdf
2cbe223e618a9c2646dcc0d170a3e063
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
Scrimshaw, Christopher Charles
C C Scrimshaw
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
2016-09-30
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. 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
Scrimshaw, CC
Description
An account of the resource
Eight items. The collection concerns Pilot Officer Christopher Scrimshaw (1905 - 1944, 957856, 182431<a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/120871/">I</a>Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, photographs and documents. He flew operations as an air gunner with 61 Squadron. <br /><br />The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by Kathleen Garner and catalogued by Barry Hunter.<br /><br />More information on Charles Scrimshaw can be found via the <a href="https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/120871/">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
Chris Scrimshaw's RAF navigator’s, air bombers and air gunner’s flying log book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LScrimshawCC957856v1
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
C Scrimshaw’s air gunner’s flying log book covering the period from 11 August 1943 to 12 Aug 1944. Detailing his operations flown as air gunner. He was stationed at RAF Bishop’s Court (12 AGS), RAF Finningley, Bircotes and Worksop (18 OTU) and RAF Skellingthorpe (61 Squadron). Aircraft flown in were Anson, Wellington and Lancaster. He flew a total of twenty daylight and eight night-time operations with 61 Squadron. Targets were Aachen, Caen, St Cyr, St Leu D’Esserent, Bois d’Cassan, Trossy, Thiverny, Juvisy, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Mailly-de-Camp, Lille, Bourg-Leopald, Ferme-Durville, St Pierre-du-Mont, Argentan, Rennes, Poitiers, Aberville, Vitey, St Nazaire, Givors, Sequeville and Russelheim - from this operation noted ‘Missing from Ops’. His pilots on operations were Flight Lieutenant Berry, Pilot Officer Forrest, Pilot Officer Norton, Squadron Leader Beard DFC, Flying officer Gibberd, Pilot Officer North, Pilot Officer Cooper, Pilot Officer Taylor, Flying officer Heath and Wing Commander Doubleday.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
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.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Belgium--Leopoldsburg
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Yorkshire
France--Argentan
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Caen
France--Creil
France--Givors
France--Juvisy-sur-Orge
France--Lille
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Poitiers
France--Rennes
France--Saint-Nazaire
France--Toulouse
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Rüsselsheim
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1944-04-11
1944-04-12
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-04-30
1944-05-01
1944-05-02
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-06-02
1944-06-03
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-29
1944-07-04
1944-07-05
1944-07-18
1944-07-19
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-26
1944-07-27
1944-08-02
1944-08-03
1944-08-05
1944-08-06
1944-08-07
1944-08-08
1944-08-12
18 OTU
61 Squadron
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
Anson
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bombing of the Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec and Le Bourget railways (18/19 April 1944)
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)
Lancaster
missing in action
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
RAF Bishops Court
RAF Finningley
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Worksop
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/490/27465/LMillarJ1893458v10001.2.pdf
e352f9e02b4c620fe44613b7e6486819
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
Chinery, Donald
Donald Robert Chinery
D R Chinery
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Chinery, DR
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with Donald Chinery (1921 - 2017, 1465877 Royal Air Force) his log book, and the log book of J Millar. Donald Chinery flew operations as an air gunner with 61 Squadron.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by Pam Winter and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
J Millar’s navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book
Description
An account of the resource
Navigator’s, air bomber’s and air gunner’s flying log book for J Millar, air gunner, covering the period from 29 July 1943 to 27 June 1944. Detailing his flying training and operations flown. He was stationed at RAF Pembrey, RAF Newmarket, RAF Stradishall, RAF Leicester East, RAF Coningsby and RAF Skellingthorpe. Aircraft flown in were Blenheim, Wellington, Stirling and Lancaster. Having initially joined 620 Squadron he flew a total of 35 night operations with 61 Squadron. Targets were Chateauroux, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, Essen, Nuremberg, Tours, Aachen, Paris, Brunswick, Munich, Schweinfurt, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Mailly-Le-Camp, Eindhoven, Nantes, Saumur, Ferme D’Urville, Pierre du Mont, Argentan, Rennes, Orleans, Poitiers, Aunay, Watten, Gelsenkirchen, Limoges, Rouville and Vitry. His pilot on operations was Pilot Officer Auckland. 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
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
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
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LMillarJ1893458v10001
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.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
England--Leicestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Suffolk
France--Argentan
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
France--Caen Region
France--Châteauroux
France--Limoges
France--Nantes
France--Orléans
France--Paris
France--Poitiers
France--Rennes
France--Saumur
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
France--Toulouse
France--Tours
France--Troyes
France--Valognes Region
France--Vitry-sur-Seine
France--Watten
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Essen
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Munich
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Schweinfurt
Germany--Stuttgart
Netherlands--Eindhoven
Wales--Carmarthenshire
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Bolbec
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1944-03-10
1944-03-11
1944-03-16
1944-03-17
1944-03-18
1944-03-19
1944-03-22
1944-03-23
1944-03-24
1944-03-25
1944-03-26
1944-03-27
1944-03-30
1944-03-31
1944-04-10
1944-04-11
1944-04-12
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-04-20
1944-04-21
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-04-30
1944-05-01
1944-05-02
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-05-19
1944-05-20
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-24
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-03
1944-06-04
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-10
1944-06-11
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-19
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1657 HCU
61 Squadron
620 Squadron
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
Blenheim
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944)
bombing of the Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec and Le Bourget railways (18/19 April 1944)
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 the Watten V-2 site (19 June 1944)
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Me 109
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Coningsby
RAF Leicester East
RAF Newmarket
RAF Pembrey
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Stradishall
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/490/27459/LChineryDR1465877v1.1.pdf
9da2a560e832821bb136ce059c92f214
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
Chinery, Donald
Donald Robert Chinery
D R Chinery
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Chinery, DR
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with Donald Chinery (1921 - 2017, 1465877 Royal Air Force) his log book, and the log book of J Millar. Donald Chinery flew operations as an air gunner with 61 Squadron.
The collection has been licenced to the IBCC Digital Archive by Pam Winter and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
Donald Chinery’s flying log book for observers and air gunners
Description
An account of the resource
Flying log book for observers and air gunners for D R Chinery, air gunner, covering the period from 16 August 1943 to 19 October 1945. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and instructor duties. He was stationed at RAF Barrow, RAF Llandwrog, RAF Newmarket, RAF Waterbeach, RAF Witchford, RAF Coningsby, RAF Skellingthorpe, RAF Barford St John, AF Turweston, RAF Silverstone and RAF Finningley. He initially joined 196 Squadron but flew a total of 34 night operations with 61 Squadron. Targets were, Chateauroux, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, Essen, Nuremburg, Tours, Aachen, Paris, Brunswick, Munich, Schweinfurt, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Mailly le Camp, Eindhoven, Nantes, Saumer, Ferme Dur Ville, Pierre Du Mont, Argentan, Rennes, Orleans, Poitiers, Aunay, Watten, Gelsenkirchen, Limoges, Rouville and Vitry. His pilot on operations was Pilot Officer Auckland. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Suffolk
France--Argentan
France--Châteauroux
France--Limoges
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Nantes
France--Orléans
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Poitiers
France--Paris
France--Rennes
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
France--Saumur
France--Toulouse
France--Tours
France--Vire (Calvados)
France--Vitry-sur-Seine
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Essen
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Munich
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Schweinfurt
Germany--Stuttgart
Netherlands--Eindhoven
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Bolbec
France--Watten
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1944-02-24
1944-03-01
1944-03-02
1944-03-10
1944-03-11
1944-03-16
1944-03-17
1944-03-18
1944-03-19
1944-03-22
1944-03-23
1944-03-24
1944-03-25
1944-03-26
1944-03-27
1944-03-30
1944-03-31
1944-04-10
1944-04-11
1944-04-12
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-04-20
1944-04-21
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-04-30
1944-05-01
1944-05-02
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-05-19
1944-05-20
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-24
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-03
1944-06-04
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-10
1944-06-11
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-19
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1945-06-22
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
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
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LChineryDR1465877v1
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
16 OTU
1651 HCU
17 OTU
196 Squadron
61 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
air gunner
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
bombing
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of Nuremberg (30 / 31 March 1944)
bombing of the Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec and Le Bourget railways (18/19 April 1944)
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 the Watten V-2 site (19 June 1944)
Cook’s tour
Heavy Conversion Unit
Me 109
mid-air collision
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
RAF Barford St John
RAF Barrow in Furness
RAF Coningsby
RAF Finningley
RAF Llandwrog
RAF Newmarket
RAF Silverstone
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF Turweston
RAF Waterbeach
RAF Witchford
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1301/27450/LKnoxT1823036v1.2.pdf
944129a62f8bcdd9828737ba81c187e5
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
Knox, Tommy
Thomas Knox
T Knox
Description
An account of the resource
Three items. An oral history interview with Warrant Officer Tommy Knox (1925 - 2020, 1823036 Royal Air Force) his log book and a physical training certificate. He completed 40 operations: 22 with 149 Squadron, mostly low-level supply drops to the Maquis in France, and the rest on Radio Counter Measures duties with 199 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Tommy Knox and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
2019-06-26
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
Knox, T
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
T Knox’s flying log book for flight engineers
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
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.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LKnoxT1823036v1
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.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Middle East
Netherlands
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Atlantic Ocean--Kiel Bay
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Belgium--Brussels
England--Cheshire
England--Norfolk
England--Oxfordshire
England--Shropshire
England--Suffolk
England--Yorkshire
Europe--Frisian Islands
France--Brest
France--Laon
France--Lille
Germany--Koblenz
Germany--Mönchengladbach
France--Livet-et-Gavet
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Saint-Malo
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Saarbrücken
France--Strasbourg
Germany--Sylt
Germany--Trier
Germany--Wiesbaden
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Middle East--Palestine
Netherlands--IJssel Lake
Wales--Flintshire
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1945
1946
1947
1944-03-31
1944-04-05
1944-04-06
1944-04-09
1944-04-10
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-04-30
1944-05-01
1944-05-05
1944-05-06
1944-05-07
1944-05-08
1944-05-09
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-28
1944-05-29
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-17
1944-06-18
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-04
1944-07-05
1944-07-06
1944-07-10
1944-07-11
1944-07-17
1944-08-02
1944-09-11
1944-09-12
1944-09-13
1944-09-14
1944-09-15
1944-09-16
1944-09-18
1944-09-23
1944-09-24
1944-09-25
1944-09-26
1944-09-27
1944-09-28
1944-09-29
1944-10-05
1944-10-06
1944-10-19
1944-10-20
1944-10-21
1944-10-29
1944-10-30
1944-10-31
1944-11-01
1944-11-04
1944-11-10
1944-11-11
Description
An account of the resource
Flying log book for flight engineers for T Knox, covering the period from 30 January 1944 to 17 January 1947. Detailing his flying training, operations flown and post war duties as a parachute instructor. He was stationed at RAF Stradishall, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Methwold, RAF North Creake, RAF Finningly, RAF Sealand, RAF Ringway, RAF Cosford, RAF Upper Heyford and RAF Aqir. Aircraft flown in were, Stirling, Halifax, Lancaster, Dakota and Horsa Glider. He flew a total of 40 operations, 21 with 149 Squadron, 2 daylight and 19 night time operations, of which 9 were special operations to France, and 19 night time operations with 199 Squadron carrying out radio counter measure support of bombing operations. Targets were, Lille, Laon, Kiel Bay, Frisian Islands, St Malo, Brest, Pas de Calais, North Sea, Brussels, Saarbrucken, Sylt, Wilhelmshaven, Mönchengladbach, Koblenz, Zuider Sea, Trier, Strasbourg, Duisberg, Wiesbaden, Gavet and Munster. His pilots on operations were Flight Lieutenant Coventry and Flight Sergeant Millar. This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
149 Squadron
1657 HCU
199 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
C-47
flight engineer
Halifax
Heavy Conversion Unit
Horsa
Lancaster
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
RAF Aqir
RAF Cosford
RAF Finningley
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Methwold
RAF North Creake
RAF Ringway
RAF Sealand
RAF Stradishall
RAF Upper Heyford
Stirling
training
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1412/26738/LTindallAJ173966v1.2.pdf
f71a81fa60cca73bbffd928026a637c0
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
Tindall, Arthur John
A J Tindall
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
2015-04-03
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
Tindall, AJ
Description
An account of the resource
Nine items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Arthur John Tindall DFC (1388739 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 97 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by June Tindall and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
Arthur John Tindall’s navigator's, air bomber's and air gunner’s flying log book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LTindallAJ173966v1
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 J Tindall’s log book covering the period from March 1942 to 6 November 1945. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as wireless operator/air gunner. He was stationed at RAF Yatesbury (2 RS), RAF Mona (5 AGS), RAF Cottesmore (14 OTU), RAF Wigsley (1654 HCU), RAF Upwood (PFNTU), RAF Bourn and RAF Coningsby (97 Squadron). Aircraft flown in were Dominie, Botha, Wellington, Lancaster, Stirling, Anson and Proctor. He flew a total of 30 night operations with 97 Squadron (first Tour) and 10 night and 2 day operations with 97 Squadron (second tour), a total of 42. Targets were Stuttgart, Hannover, Berlin, Leipzig, Cologne, Frankfurt, Brunswick, Augsburg, Laon, Munich, Schweinfurt, Kjeller, L’Isle Adam, Brest, Argentan, Etampes, Poitiers, Gelsenkirchen, Prouville, Donge and Givors. His pilots on operations were Sergeant Johnson, Squadron Leader Cawdery, Flight Lieutenant Clarke and Wing Commander Ingham.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
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.
1942
1943
1944
1945
1943-10-07
1943-10-08
1943-10-09
1943-10-18
1943-10-20
1943-10-21
1943-10-22
1943-11-03
1943-11-18
1943-11-19
1943-11-22
1943-11-23
1943-11-24
1943-11-26
1943-12-02
1943-12-04
1943-12-16
1943-12-17
1943-12-20
1943-12-24
1944-01-14
1944-01-27
1944-01-28
1944-01-30
1944-02-14
1944-02-25
1944-02-26
1944-03-01
1944-03-02
1944-03-15
1944-03-16
1944-03-18
1944-03-19
1944-03-22
1944-03-23
1944-04-10
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-09
1944-06-10
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-26
1944-07-31
1944-08-06
1944-08-11
1944-08-12
1944-08-14
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Norway
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Rutland
England--Wiltshire
France--Argentan
France--Auxi-le-Château
France--Brest
France--Étampes (Essonne)
France--Givors
France--Laon
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Poitiers
Germany--Augsburg
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Leipzig
Germany--Munich
Germany--Schweinfurt
Germany--Stuttgart
Norway--Kjeller
Wales--Anglesey
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
14 OTU
1654 HCU
17 OTU
84 OTU
97 Squadron
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
Anson
bombing
bombing of Kassel (22/23 October 1943)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Botha
Dominie
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Master Bomber
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
Pathfinders
Proctor
RAF Bourn
RAF Coningsby
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Desborough
RAF Mona
RAF Silverstone
RAF Upwood
RAF Wigsley
RAF Yatesbury
Stirling
training
Wellington
wireless operator
wireless operator / air gunner
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1412/26737/MTindallAJ173966-150815-01.1.pdf
a1be5ac8a0b08b29a93ddf0e2b323d17
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
Tindall, Arthur John
A J Tindall
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
2015-04-03
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
Tindall, AJ
Description
An account of the resource
Nine items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant Arthur John Tindall DFC (1388739 Royal Air Force) and contains his log book, documents and photographs. He flew operations as a wireless operator with 97 Squadron.
The collection has been donated to the IBCC Digital Archive by June Tindall and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
EE179 OF-T Transferred to 44 Sqn. Shot down 3/12/43. Attacking Berlin = no survivors.
JB470 OF-T Transferred to 635 Sqn. Shot down (Nightfighter) 12/4/44. No survivors.
ND355 OF-T Transferred to 635 Sqn. Crashed at Bokel 27/8/44. 5 survivors – all POW.
ME625 OF-T Collided with ND981 OF-H on 23/6/44. Both crashed = one survivor.
ND 589 OF-D Returned to Avro. Converted to Air Sea Rescue Mk.III. Finally scrapped Oct. 46.
PB181 OF-D Transferred to 83 Sqn. Collided with 97 Sqn aircraft on 8/2/45. Both aircraft crashed. No survivors.
[underlined] The Targets [/underlined]
7/10/43. Stuttgart. Fairly successful raid, but Boblingen (16K north) was attacked by second wave
8/10/41 Hanover Very accurate bombing. Hanovers worst raid of the war.
18/10/43 Hanover Raid scattered. Most bombs falling in open country north and north west of city.
20/10/43 Leipzig Very scattered bombing due to “appalling” weather.
22/10/43 Kassel Main raid “exceptionally accurate and concentrated.. There was a firestorm.
3/11/43 Colonge Bombs hit centre of city “with extreme accuracy”
18/11/43 Berlin Marking and bombing carried out blind – very scattered result
22/11/43 Berlin The most effective raid on Berlin of the war. Vast area of destruction.
23/11/43 Berlin Although cloud covered, most aircraft on target. Much damage.
26/11/43 Frankfurt Less than half of Force reached target. Very scattered bombs.
26/11/43 Stuttgart Bombing very scattered. Little damage.
2/12/43 Berlin Incorrect wind forecast – widely scattered bombing, Siemens factories hit.
3/12/43 Leipzig Accurate bombing. Leipzigs worst raid of the war.
16/12/43 Berlin “Reasonably accurate” Housing and railways badly hit.
20/12/43 Frankfurt German decoy fire site and dummy TIs caused scattered bombing.
24/12/43 Berlin Suburbs hit. Pathfinder radar problems and thick cloud.
14/1/44 Brunswick Unsuccessful – 10 houses destroyed, 4 people killed. Nearby villages bombed.
27/1/44 Berlin Again thick cloud. South and eastern areas of city bombed.
30/1/44 Berlin Heavy damage in city centre – but much bombing in surrounding countryside.
21/2/44 Stuttgart Considerable damage in city centre. Bosch factory heavily damaged.
25/2/44 Augsburg. Controversial result – beautiful town completely destroyed.
1/3/44 Stuttgart Housing, Daimler Benz factory and main railway station badly damaged.
15/3/44 Stuttgart Poor PFF marking- most bombing fell in open country SW of city.
18/3/44 Frankfurt Extensive damage in central, eastern and western areas of city.
22/3/44 Frankfurt Damage even more severe, especially in western district.
11/4/44 Laon Only a corner of the railway yards was hit.
22/4/44 Brunwick First 5 Grp low level marking- not very successful.
23/4/44 Munich Much devastation particularly to railway installations.
26/4/44 Schweinfurt Failure – most bombs fell outside Schweinfurt.
28/4/44 Kjeller Airframe factory. Very successful accurate bombing.
31/5/44 Maisy Gun Battery. Thick cloud. Only 6 aircraft bombed.
6/6/44 St Pierre du Mont Railway installation – No report due to invasion confusion.
6/6/44 Argentan Much damage to railway installation.
9/6/44 Etampes Railway and road systems badly damaged
12/6/44 Poitiers This attack was the most accurate of many attacks this night. Railway yards.
21/6/44 Gelsenkirchen Oil Plant – all production ceased for several weeks.
24/6/44 Prouville Flying Bomb site, so many craters, difficult to assess results.
4/7/44 St Leu D’ Esserent. Underground F/bombs store. Very accurate bombing.
20/7/44 Coutrai Railway yards and junctions. Devastated.
24/7/44 Donges Oil Depot. Devastated.
25/7/44 Stutgart No German report available on this raid.
31/7/44 Joigny-laroche Railway yards. Very accurate attack in excellent weather.
6/8/44 Bois du Casson Flying bomb site. Very scattered bombing.
11/8/44 Givors “Exceptionally accurate “ attack on Railway yards.
14/8/44 Brest Clemenceau & Gueydon both left sinking.
[Page Break]
[underlined] Fl/Lt. A.J. Tindall DFC [/underlined]
[underlined] Operations with 97 Squadron [/underlined]
[underlined]7/8 October 1943 [/underlined]
Lancaster Mk.III EE179 OF-T Target: : STUTTGART
Crew: Sgts A.A. Johnson. J.A. Pearson. K. Swale. P/O J. Peden. Sgt [inserted] A.J [/inserted] [deleted] J.A [/deleted] Tindall Sgt J.H. McGregor. F/Sgt E.H. Hansen.
Bomb Load: 1 x4,000lb. 10 x 500lb.
Time up: 21:06 Down 03:24
Primary target Stuttgart attacked. 18,000ft. 8/10ths cloud. Bombed point between yellow and red TIs in bombsight. Own results not seen. Two glows from fires seen.
8/9 October 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB190 OF-Y Target: Hanover
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 1 x 4,000lb. 6 x 1,000lb.
Time up: 22:57. Down: 03.40.
Primary target bombed. 19,000 ft. Clear sky. Vis. good. Bombed on one yellow TI marker in bombsight. Had no time to verify results visually as Flight Engineer was ill. One particularly big fire was noticed.
18 October 1943
Lancaster Mk.III EE179 OF-T Target: HANOVER
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 6 x 2,000lb.
Time up: 17:23 Down 22:11
Primary target Hanover bombed. 20,000ft. 10/10ths cloud. No moon. Bombed centre between two red and one green TIs. Big red glow illuminated cloud followed by a similar one three minutes later. Nothing else seen.
20/21 October 1943
Lancaster Mk.III EE179 OF-T Target: LEIPZIG
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 1 x 4,000lb. 7 x 500 lb.
Time up: 17:47. Down 00:07
Target Leipzig attacked. 21,000ft. 9/10th cloud. Bombed on one red cascading TI marker in bombsight. No other TIs seen. Nothing else observed except scattered incendiaries.
22 October 1943
Lancaster Mk.III EE179 OF-T Target: KASSEL
Crew: Normal, plus F/Lt E.F. Cawdery, 2nd Pilot.
Bomb Load: 1 x 4,000lb. 6 x 1,000lb.
Time up: 18:30. Down 23:28
Kassel attacked, 20,000ft. No moon, no cloud, vis. good. Bombed centre point between two red TI markers. TIs well concentrated over aiming point. Too early on target for results.
[Page Break]
3 November 1943
Lancaster Mk.III EE179 OF-T Target: COLOGNE
Crew: Normal, plus F/L Cawdery.
Bomb Load: 1 x 4000lb. 6 x1,000 lb. 4 x 500lb.
Time up: 17:26. Down: 21:36.
Target Cologne. Moonlight clear sky, hazy below. 20,000ft. Bombed on cluster of red and green TIs- red actually in bombsight. Many bomb burst seen to slightly overshoot reds. Long line of fires seen as aircraft left target.
18/19 November 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: F/L Cawdery now pilot. F/Sgt Johnson with another crew shot down and killed on this raid.
Bomb Load: 4 x 2,000lb.
Time up: 17:30 Down: 00:05.
Berlin attacked from 20,000 ft. 10/10th cloud. Vis. poor. TIs at first appeared spread but improved later. Starboard inner engine and bomb doors holed by heavy flak.
22 November 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: F/L Cawdery, normal crew.
Bomb Load: 7 xTI. 1 x 4, 000lb. 3 x 1,000 lb.
Time up: 17:25. Down: 23:10.
9/10ths – 10/10ths cloud, tops at 6,000ft. Vis. good. Bombs released on cluster of three TIs red and one green.
23 November 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: Normal
Bomb Load: 4 x TI, 1 x 4,000lb.
Time up: 17:30 Down: 23:50
Berlin bombed from 19,000ft. Aiming point identified by cluster of TI reds and few greens. Large patch of fires seen on arrival in target area.
26 November 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: FRANKFURT
Crew: Normal
Bomb Load: 6 x TI. 1 x4, 000lb. 6 x 1,000 lb.
Time up: 00.35. Down: 06:00.
Frankfurt attacked from 20,000ft. Target identified by red TIs. Sudden glow observed below clouds at 02:50 hrs. No markers seen.
26/27 November 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: STUTTGART
Crew: Normal
Bomb Load: 6 x TI. 1 x4,000lb. 5 x 1,000 lb.
No times entered in ORB. Average for other aircraft Up 17:30 Down. 00:10.
Stuttgart bombed from 21,000ft. Only one TI red seen over target but fires were reflected on clouds, and ref glow was seen for 60 miles on track home.
[Page Break]
2 December 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 5 x 2,000lb.
Time up: 17:20. Down: 23.50
Target located by aid of “Y” and bombed from 19,000t. On target too early to observe results. Glow from fires seen on return. Red TIs appeared to be accurate.
3 December 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: LEIPZIG
Crew: P/O E.E. Osler replaces F/O Peden.
Bomb Load: 1 x 4,000lb. 4 x 2,000 lb. 1 x 500lb.
Time up: 17:20. Down: 23:30
Leipzig bombed from 17,000ft. “Y” equipment used for locating target. Vis. good. Aircraft was early on target but on leaving glow from fires could be seen.
16/17 December 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: It is now [underlined]S/L [/underlined] Cawdery. F/O Peden is back. Plus F/Lt. E. Clarke as 2nd Pilot.
Bomb Load: 5 x2, 000lb.
Time up: 16:50. Down: 00:35
Berlin bombed from 19,500ft. Vis. good. 10/10ths cloud tops at 3,000ft. TIs and Wanganuis fairly well concentrated. No results seem owing to cloud.
20 December 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: FRANKFURT
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 6 x 2,000lb.
Time up: 17:25. Down: 21:59
Frankfurt bombed from 19,000ft. 6-7/10ths cloud. Vis. very good. Target located on “Y”. One Wanganui flare observed falling at 19:27hrs. Many yellow TIs fells after 19:30hrs. Little immediate results but huge red explosion seen from distance at 19:48hrs. Fires were visible from 70 miles.
24 December 1943
Lancaster Mk.III JB470 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 5 x2,000lb.
Time up: 00:21. Down: 07:15
Target attacked from 20,500ft. TIs and Wanganuis well concentrated. Cloud prevented observation of results. Rear gunner observed glow from some distance on track home.
14 January 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND355 OF-T Target: BRUNSWICK
Crew: Normal, plus S/L J. Simpson, 2nd Pilot.
Bomb Load: 16 x flares. 3 xTI. 1 x 4,000lb. 4 x 1,000 lb.
Time up: 16:51. Down: 22:01
Primary target attacked in fairly good visibility. Bombs released in centre of concentration of Wanganui flares. Majority of Wanganui flares scattered.
[Page Break]
27/28 January 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND355 OF-T Target: BERLIN
Crew: PROMOTIONS!! S/L Cawdery. F/Sgt Pearson, F/Sgt Swale. F/L Peden. F/Sgt Tindall F/Sgt McGregor. F/Sgt Hansen.
Bomb Load: 4 xTI. 1 x4,000lb. 4 x 1,000 lb.
Time up: 17:20. Down 00:25
Primary target bombed on H2S. Wanganui concentration good and compact. No results observed owing to 10/10ths cloud.
30 January 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND415 OF-Z Target: BERLIN
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 5 x Flares. 4 x TI. 1 x 4,000lb. 4 x 1,000 lb.
Time up: 17:30. Down: 23:45
Berlin successfully bombed. Bombs dropped in centre of concentration of Wanganuis. No fires or bomb burst seen, but slight reflection on clouts form red and green TIs.
21 February 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND355 OF-T Target: STUTTGART
Crew: It is now [underlined] P/O [/underlined] Pearson
Bomb Load: 4 x Flares. 4 x TI. 1 x 4,000lb. 5 x1,000lb.
Time up: 00:25. Down: 07:00
Bombed target at 19,000ft with H2S. Weather 4/10ths cloud tops 5,000ft. Vis. good. Large explosion seen.
25/26 February 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND355 OF-T Target: AUGSBURG
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 21 Flares. 1 xRSF. 3 x TI. 1 x 4,000lb. 3 x 1,000lb.
No times entered in ORB. Average for other aircraft up 19:00 Down 02:10
Augsberg bombed from 18,000ft. Vis. good with a clear sky. H2S used for bombing. Green TIs were clear and formed circle round target. A red/green salvo appeared to overshoot.
1/2 March 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND355 OF-T Target: STUTTGART
Crew: Normal
Bomb Load: 4 x Flares. 2 xTIs. 1 x 4,000lb. 5 x 1,000 lb.
Time up: 23:40. Down 06:45
Stuttgart bombed from 20,000ft. 10/10ths cloud, vis. good. Good concentration of Wanganui flares. Good explosion observed of orange coloured flames.
15/16 March 1944
Lancaster Mk.III JND355 OF-T Target: STUTTGART
Crew: Normal. It is now [underlined] P/O Swale [/underlined]
Bomb Load: 20 x flares. 4 x 4 TI. 1 x 4000lb. 2 x1,000 lb.
Time up: 19:25 . Down: 02:20
9/10ths cloud over Stuttgart. Vis. good, bombed on H2S. The first Wanganui went down at 23:11hrs Three minutes later a good concentration of Wanganuis at about 5 miles to the east – one only which was being bombed by Main Force. No results could be observed.
[Page Break]
18/19 March 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND355 OF-T Target: FRANKFURT
Crew: Normal
Bomb Load: 20 x Flares. 4 xTI. 1 x4,000lb. 1 x 1,000 lb. 2x 500lb
Time up: 19:25. Down 00:15
Frankfurt bombed from 18,000ft on H2S. Nothing was seen in target area except flash from own bomb. After bombing 4 or 5 large flashes seen.
22 March 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ME625 OF-T Target: FRANKFURT
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 20 x Flares. 4 xTI. 1 x 4,00lb. 1 x1,000lb. 2 x 500 lb. 1 x red/yellow Flare..[sic]
Time up: 18:45. Down:23:50
2/10th cloud over target, vis. good. Bombed from 18,500ft on H2S. Two green TIs descended and one red/yellow stars fell at the same time as aircraft bombed target at the same spot. One 4,000lb HC observed to explode over built up area.
11 April 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ME625 OF-T Target: LAON
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 6 x 1000lb GP. 6 x 1,000lb MC.
Time up: 01:25. Down: 05:10
Vis. good over Laon. No cloud. Bombed from 15,700ft in centre of green TIs. Red and greens were tight together and marking was constant. Bursts of own bombs seen. Target could not be identified visually but was seen from light of photo flash.
[underlined] RAF CONINGSBY [/underlined]
22/23 April 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ME625 OF-T Target: BRUNSWICK
Crew: It is now [underlined] P/O [/underlined] Tindall. F/Sgt Hansen replaced by F/Sgt R..M.Clarke
Bomb Load: 12 x 4 7” flares. 1 x 4.5” flare. 1 x green TI.
No times entered in ORB. Average from other aircraft Up: 23:05 Down 04:50
Weather over target 6-8/10ths cloud. Hazy, visibility bad. Flares scattered. One RSF seen to south-east, outside area of flares.
24/25 April 1945
Lancaster Mk.III ME625 OF-T Target: MUNICH
Crew: W/O Clarke as rear gunner
Bomb Load: 12 x cluster flares. 1 x green TI No.4
Time up: 20:53. Down 06:27.
Bombing by visual on markers at datum point, H2S over target. Had good run from yellow TI. Our flares went straight across town which was clearly seen. Concentration of fires seen after leaving target. Glow seen for 100 miles.
26/27 April 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ME625 OF-T Target: SCHWEINFURT
Crew: W/O Clarke as rear gunner.
Bomb Load: 12 x 7” flares. 2 x green TI No.4.
Time up: 21:33. Down 05:44
No cloud, slight haze, visibility good. Bombed on H2S. Several lots of flares were down and one green TI which Master Bomber was instructing aircraft to bomb. All flares dropped on one run as original 6 not gone before orders were received to back up.
[Page Break]
28/29 April 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ME625 OF-T Target: KJELLER (OSLO)
Crew: W/O Clarke as read [sic] gunner.
Bomb Load: 6 x clusters 7” flares. 1 x yellow TI no.4. 5 x1000lb MC.
Time up: 21:08. Down 04:12
Good visibility permitted visual identification of runway on airfield. Flares dropped across runways between aiming point “A” and “B”. RSF on roof of one building (Aiming point “A”). Bombs dropped running due west across target. As we were early to bomb, results not seen but rear gunner saw stick of bomb bursts on building as we were leaving the area.
31 May/1 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND981 OF-H Target: MAISY
Crew: S/L J.A. Ingham. P/O J.A. Pearson. P/O K. Swale. F/L J. Peden. P/O A.J. Tindall.
F/O F.P.L. Broome (Permanent). W/O E.H. Hansen
Bomb Load: 6 x 7 4.5” clusters. 8 x1, 000lb MC. 3 x 4.5” reco flares.
Time up: 23:03. Down 02:23
Target located by yellow T1 and H2S. Yellow (Oboe) at 00:45 hrs followed by two others at 00:47hrs in target area. Slightly visible above cloud. Instructed at 00:50hrs approx. on VHF, confirmed by W/T to return to base by ordered route. Landed Chipping Norton.
6 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: ST. PIERRE DU MONT
Crew: S/L J.A. Ingham. (Deputy Controller) Normal crew.
Bomb Load: 11 x1000lb MC. 4 x 1,000 lb GP.
Time up:02:52. Down:06:56
Weather over St. Pierre du Mont 10/10th cloud base 8,500 – 9,000ft. Broken low cloud below. Target identified visually and by Oboe markers red TIs. Layer of cloud made it impossible to bomb from any greater height than 9,000ft. Controller gave orders to decrease height but 2,000ft. Oboe markers not down on time; first one seen in sea just off shore. PFF very good and green TIs were rather scattered at first. Bombing Oboe seemed to be fairly good. Sticks seen bursting or target. Visibility was impeded by ice on the bomb aimer’s Perspex and pilots’s windscreen. VHF rather noisy on channel B and changed to channel C on Controllers order. Still a lot of interference probably due to people transmitting at the same time.
6/7 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: ARGENTAN
Crew: Normal plus F/L W.G. Cooper (Vis. B/Aimer)
Bomb Load: 2 x red/green star Flares. 3 x green TI no.23. 15 x 500lb MC.
No times entered in ORB. Average for other aircraft Up 23: 30 Down 03:20
Good vis. 10/10ths Stratus cumulus 6-7,000ft. Target located visually. Green TI lighting actual buildings. Backing up was on the target too. Marking went through very well indeed in spite of the fact that most of the illuminating flares overshot by about 2 miles. Oboe marker was not seen but it may have burst on the ground. On reaching the target 00:53hrs, appeared to be large buildings in the town itself well on fire. Attack appeared successful. Marking appeared 60 yards west of aiming point and bombing generally was w [sic]
[Page Break]
9/10 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: ETAMPES
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 2 x TI green. 2 xTI red. 2 x TI yellow. 2 x Flares green/red stars 10 x 500lb MC.
3 x 4.5” rec. flares.
Time up: 21:56. Down: 02:10
Weather 10/10ths cloud, base 7,500ft. Vis. moderate, slight haze. Target traced by Oboe marker. First flares were 2-3 minutes late. Oboe marker also one minute late. Initial marking was not quite as ordered and a long time elapsed before permission given to bomb at H+14, meantime some aircraft had bombed. Released green TI on RSF on Controller’s orders 00:05hrs approx. (after one dummy run), then attacked by fighter for two minutes. Patter between gunners and pilot was seriously impeded by VHF. In spite of this, the gunners succeeded in shooting the fighter down on Controllers instructions. As an anti-climax, our bombs released safe as during attack by enemy aircraft the switch was put in Safe in case we had to jettison, and this was forgotten when bombs were dropped. Controllers instructions on VHF passed on by W/T Spoof yellow TI seen to cascade after attack but quiet useless as a decoy.
12/13 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: POITIERS
Crew: S/L Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal crew..
Bomb Load:2 x flares green/red. 2 x 1 000lb MC. 2 x TI green. 1 x TI yellow. 9 x 7” clusters.
Time up: 22:27. Down: 04:47
Good vis. broken stratus layer at 6,500 ft. Location by H2S. Bombing started by overshooting as markers were a bit scattered and tended to be to port. After large red TI was dropped, bombing improved but some sticks were still scattered far and wide. Oil or petrol explosion at 01:52hrs 300 yards south of large red.
21/22 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: GELSENKIRCHEN
Crew: S/L Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal crew.
Bomb Load: 4 x TI red. 1 x TI yellow No.16. 9 x7” cluster. 2 x flares green/red stars.
Time up: 23:08. Down: 03:29.
10/10th cloud, tops estimated 3,000ft. Target identified by yellow Oboe marker. First Oboe went down at 01:30.5hrs. This was ahead. At 01:32hrs another Oboe went down starboard quarter approx.. 1 ½ miles north of first Oboe, cascading from about 5,000ft, which was confusing as we were not expecting more than one (at H-hour only). Saw one red TI go down some miles north of main cluster. We took over from Controller at 01:20hrs as he was having engine trouble. Ordered Flare Force not to drop flares and sent Marking Force home. . [sic] Ordered Main Force to bomb southerly TI at 01:38.5hrs.
24/25 June 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: PROUVILLE
Crew: S/L Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal Crew.
Bomb Load: 4 x TI red No.16. 1 x TI yellow No.16. 2 x flares red/green stars. 9 x7 x 4.5”clusters.
1x 4.5” rec. flare.
Time up: 22:49. Down: 02:10
No cloud, ground haze, vis. moderate. Target located by yellow Oboe marker. This fell 2 minutes early at 00:10 and a second at 00:11hrs almost together. No Mosquito marking seen except one RSF which appeared momentarily. Controller asked for Mosquitos to mark but nothing happened. Further flares were requested and dropped. No Wanganuis dropped to indicate so second flares were dropped on H2S. At Controller’s request own aircraft dropped two red TI on H2S and backed up with two more on 4th run. Controller ordered bombings on red TI dropped by D/97 – at 00:35hrs approx. Final Cease Bombing signal and order to go home not heard. Over target for 30 minutes.
[Page Break]
4/5 July 1944
Lancaster Mk.III ND589 OF-D Target: ST. LEU D’ESSERENT
Crew: Now [underlined] W/C [/underlined] Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal Crew.
Bomb Load: 6 x T1 green. 2 x TI yellow. 5 x 1,000lb MC. 1 x 1,000lb MC (LD)
Time up: 23:30. Down: 03:35
Searchlight belt extended 15 miles approx. further SW, no indication of radar control, attacked by two fighters at 01:10hrs – 49.47N 0135E at 14,00oft and sustained damage to mort mainplane. Handed over to Deputy 2 by W/T – acknowledged 01:16 hrs approx.. Target not attacked.
20/21 July 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB181 OF-D Target: COURTRAI
Crew: W/C Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal Crew.
Bomb Load: 9 X 7” clusters. 3 X yellow TI No. 16. 2 x Wanganui flares green/red star.
Time up: 23:08. Down: 02:16
Nil cloud, moderate base. First Oboe went down slightly early. Marking very rapid and successful. Bombing at first was a little wide north and south and west. After first few sticks bombing was good. Clouds of smoke tended to obscure markers. Controller called in VBU at 01:00hrs (attack had been ordered 00:57hrs). Some fighter activity.
24/25 July 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB181 OF-D Target: DONGES
Crew: W/C Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal Crew.
Bomb Load: 6 x7” clusters. 2 x yellow TI No.16. 5 x 1000lb MC (LD 6 hours) 2 x Flares green/red stars.
Time up: 22:42. Down: 03:47
Nil cloud below 16,000ft. Slight haze. Target identified on H2S. Raid opened up with Oboe marker one minute early. Flare illuminated target, marked by Mosquitos, assessed as being 200 yards east of aiming point. This green TI was backed up and produced a concentration of markers round the aiming point. Bombing order given at 01:14hrs. Bombing seemed to be quite concentrated around the green TIs.
25/26 July 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB181 OF-D Target: STUTTGART
Crew: W/C Ingham Normal Crew.
Bomb Load: 6 x 4 flares white. 2 x TI red LB. 1 x 4,000lb. 4 x 500 lb. 1 x flare green/red.
Time up: 22:00. Down 05:20
8/10ths thick cloud, tops 18,000ft. Vis. moderate. Target located on GPI run. General concentration of TIs was good, mainly red, some greens seen.
31 July 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB181 OF-D Target: JOIGNY-LAROCHE
Crew: Normal Crew, plus F/Sgt M.H. McBride, Front Gunner.
Bomb Load: 4 x 500lb MC ( ½ hr). 11 x 1,000 LB (1hr).
Time up: 17:20 Down: 23:20
Weather good, no cloud, slight haze. Located target by visual on canal and yards and by TIs. Lax attention to height caused trouble when the two forces divided. A gap of at least 500ft should be left between the two forces. Navigation could be better controlled if the Path Finder Force were not divided. Flying speed after the target was increased above that laid down by 10mph at least. It would be better policy to reduce rather than increase speed after leave the target, to allow formation to close up the straggle due to bombing, and also to allow any aircraft damaged to have a chance to keep up. Landed at Swinderby.
[Page Break]
6 August 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB133 OF-C Target: BOIS DU CASSON
Crew: Normal
Time up: 09:12. Down 13:59.
There are no individual crew reports for 6/8.44. No Bombs Loads are listed But there is a resume of the operation carried out that day.
[underlined] Weather [/underlined]
Clear, break over target, cumulus tops 15,000ft to 20,000ft in target area.
[underlined] Results [[/underlined]
Crossing English coast Controllers Gee and intercom failed. As planned to home to target on Gee, handed over to G/38 (F/L Drinkall-missing)). [sic] Controller and Deputy changed position, Controller having fixed up poor intercom on 1196 (after 7 minutes) stood by in advisory capacity. About 40 miles inland a big cumulus cloud was lying across track. Deputy descended to 16,000ft and broadcast that he was going to take Force below the cloud. Controller warned him not to go below 15,000ft, and next advised him to turn to starboard. Deputy ordered Force to diverge and dive through cloud. Formation broke up in cloud. On emerging, Main Force were scattered over many miles of sky. There were some attempts to gather into a bunch (or bunches) but impossible to regain proper formation. As a result some aircraft appeared to bomb the primary. The number bombing was not large enough to impede daylight bombing runs and the other bombing of the target that did occur was believed accurate. Other aircraft bombed as best they could with some mistaking pin-points owing to icing troubles and the rush. Attack scattered over a large area.
Aborted : S/97 aborted mission, unable to identify target
Missing J/97 ND 840 (F/O Bucknell)
Opposition encountered: Moderate heavy flak seen. Fighters in target area attacked aircraft which were most dispersed on breaking cloud.
11/12 August 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB181 OF-D Target: GIVORS
Crew: W/C Ingham (Deputy Controller 1) Normal Crew.
Bomb Load: 6 x red TI No. 16. 2 x yellow TI No . 16. 1 x yelow [sic] TI B22.
2 x Flares green/red. 4 x 1,000lb. 1 x 1 ,000lb (LD)
Time up: 20:39. Down: 05:17
Weather clear. Target located by illuminating flares. Unable to contact Controller so took over controlling. First flares fell two miles east, not illuminating target properly. Flares very scattered, heard green Force Controller ask for reserve flares. Marker Leader requested Wanganui but it did not function as a skymarker and went sraight [sic] down. We postponed H-hour for 5 minutes at 01:00hrs reserve flares then forthcoming, which gave good illumination. First red TI (at 01:012 hrs) assessed as 600 yards south, then second red TI more accurate on aiming point. This was backed up by third red which fell at least 500 yards to west. B/U asked to back up centre TI at 01:07hrs, which promptly went out. This left two inaccurate ones so instructed B/U to drop red directly between two and did so myself at 01:11 hrs. These TIs were subsequently thought to be in marshalling yard itself and were assessed by Marker Leader as 300 yards east of aiming point, so Main Force were ordered to bomb these with zero wind and ignore most westerly red TI, which was not cancelled as main concentration was obvious. Bombing subsequently well concentrated on these, though some ticks overshot to north and south. One or two fires seen. Yellow datum point TI not dropped by us as top pre-occupied as Controller. Landed at Witchford.
14 August 1944
Lancaster Mk.III PB 181 OF-D Target: BREST (Shipping)
Crew: Normal.
Bomb Load: 8 x1,000lb. ANM 65
Time up: 17:44. Down: 22:26
Weather clear, good visibility. Target identified visually. Two of our stick of bombs observed bursting on the cruiser. Tanker was seen burning after the attack. Winds received B3 100/7, B1 200/9, B4 126/5, B5 148/9. Winds sent 150/6 at 20:12hrs. Bombing heading received at 20:16 hrs as 010T.
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
Arthur Tindall's service and operations
Description
An account of the resource
A list of aircraft, operations and details of each operation undertaken by Arthur Tindall.
Format
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Ten typed sheets
Language
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eng
Type
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Text
Text. Memoir
Coverage
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force. Bomber Command
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Rendsburg
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Leipzig
Germany--Kassel
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Germany--Augsburg
France--Laon
Germany--Munich
Germany--Schweinfurt
Norway--Kjeller
France--Normandy
France--Argentan
France--Poitiers
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
France--Abbeville
France--Oise
France--Donges
France--Joigny
France--Paris
France--Givors
France--Brest
Great Britain
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Lincolnshire
Belgium--Kortrijk
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Braunschweig
France--Étampes (Essonne)
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
France
Germany
Belgium
Norway
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Identifier
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MTindallAJ173966-150815-01
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.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1944-06
1944-07
1944-08
1944-06-05
1944-06-06
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Claire Monk
44 Squadron
635 Squadron
83 Squadron
97 Squadron
aircrew
anti-aircraft fire
bombing
bombing of Kassel (22/23 October 1943)
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Distinguished Flying Cross
flight engineer
Gee
H2S
Lancaster
Mosquito
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Oboe
Pathfinders
RAF Coningsby
RAF Swinderby
RAF Witchford
target indicator
V-weapon
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1391/24703/MDunmoreG635201-160526-03.1.pdf
66e9cdc7b6b0f6706fc2113aa115abfb
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
Dunmore, George
G Dunmore
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
2017-05-26
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
Dunmore, G
Description
An account of the resource
17 Items concerning Flight Lieutenant George Dunmore DFM (5601) who flew 45 operations as a flight engineer on Lancaster with 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton and then as part of the Pathfinder Force at RAF Wyton. Commissioned in 1944 he continued to serve in the general duties branch as flight engineer and then equipment branch until 1967. The collection contains his logbook, an account of a maximum effort operation, official documents and letters, a history of an individual aircraft, pathfinder certificate, recommendation for DFM, career notes as well as photographs and memorabilia. A sub-collection of 58 photographs of aircraft under repair or being manufactured in factories.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Louise Dunmore and catalogued by Nigel Huckins
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
OPERATIONAL HISTORY OF [underlined] AVRO LANCASTER IB R5868 MERLIN XX [/underlined]
29 Jun 42 Joined No 83 Squadron RAF Scampton – a/c letter “Q”
[underlined] OPERATIONAL FLYING WITH 83 SQUADRON [/underlined]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 8/9 Jul 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC Wilhelmshaven 1,260 x 4 IB 4 13 [space] 11 Jul 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC Danzig 5 x 1,000 10 5 Daylight. 14/15 Jul 42 P/O J.E.Partridge Bordeaux Mining 1 x 22 1 x 14 1 x 13 set 6 1 x 22 7 40 [space] 18 Jul 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC Essen – Krupps Works 6 x 1,000 4 0 Daylight. 19/20 Jul 42 F/Sgt Calvert D. Vegesack 6 x 1,000 6 0 [space] 21/22 Jul 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Duisburg 112 x 30 IB 3 41 [space] 25/26 Jul 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Duisburg 1 x 4,000 6 x 500 2 x 250 3 32 [space] 26/27 Jul 42 P/O J.E Partridge DFC* Hamburg 1,260 x 4 IB 5 8 Holed in port wing on way out by flak ships. 5/6 Aug 42 W/C D.Crighton-Biggie Mining in Gironde River 22 – 13 set 2 13 set 6 44 – 13 set 1 7 14 Slight flak damage. 6/7 Aug 42 P/O J.Marchant Duisburg 1 x 4,000 900 x 4 IB 4 3 [space]
-1-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 9/10 Aug 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Osnabruck 1 x 4,000 900 x 4 IB 3 57 Alternative target. 10/11 Aug 42 P/O J.Hodgson Mainz 1 x 4,000 8 x 30 IB 5 38 [space] 18/19 Aug 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Flenxburg 14 x 4 Flares 5 5 PFF. No attack. 24/25 Aug 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Frankfurt 112 x 30 IB 5 45 [space] 8/9 Sep 42 F/Sgt Jackson L.T. Frankfurt 6 x 4 Flares 8 x 250 IB 5 24 No attack. Flares dropped but cloud and haze plus intercom failure prevented bombing. 13/14 Sep 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Bremen 1 x 4,000 6 x 4 Flares 4 24 [space] 14/15 Sep 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Wilhelmshaven 6 x 4 Flares 8 x 250 IB 4 6 W/Op wounded by frire from another 4-engined twin fin a/c overtaken on return flight over the sea! 2/3 Oct 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Krefeld 4 x 7 Flares 10 x 250 inc 3 40 [space] 5/6 Oct 42 F/Lt J.E.Partridge DFC* Aachen 8 x 4 Flares 2 x 7 Flares 1 x 4,000 HC 5 45 No attack. Weather u/s. 2 x 4 flares dropped, remainder brought back. 6/7 Oct 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Osnabruck 1 x 4,000 HC 9 x 4 Flares 1 x 4 Flares 4 25 [space] 13/14 Oct 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Genoa 10 x 4 Flares 6 Flares internally 1 x 4,000 HC 9 20 Landed at Mildenhall (weather).
-2-
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[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 7/8 Nov 42 S/L J.K.M.Cooke DFC Genoa 10 x 4 Flares 6 Flares loose 1 x 4,000 HC 7 10 [space] 9/10 Nov 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Hamburg 9 x 4 Flares 1 x 3 whole and ! green with stars 1 x 4,000 HC 5 0 [space] 13/14 Nov 42 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Genoa 9 x 4 White 3 x 1,000 RDX 7 55 [space] 15/16 Nov 42 P/O R.N.H.Williams DFM Genoa 9 x 4 Flares 3 x 1,000 GP 7 20 [space] 29/30 Nov 42 Sgt Partridge H.A. Turin 1 x 4,000 gel 4 x 500 GP 7 25 [space] 2/3 Dec 42 P/O J.Marchant Frankfurt 10 x 250 inc 1 x 4,000 gel 5 55 [space] 21/22 Dec 42 F/Lt J.Hodgson DFC Munich 1 x 4,000 gel 7 07 [space] 15/16 Jan 43 S/L R.L.Hilton DFC* Berlin 1 x 4 Green 1 x 4 White 6 T.I. Red 6 T.I. inc 1 Red Flare int 7 20 No attack claimed. Flares brought back except 1 x 4 White. 11/12 Feb 43 F/Sgt Partridge H.A. Wilhelmshaven 6 x 4 White Flares 3 T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 3 x 500 GP 5 23 Flares and T.I.s brought back as instructed. 13/14 Feb 43 F/Sgt Partridge H.A. Lorient 6 x 4 White Flares 4 T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 gel 4 40 [space] 14/15 Feb 43 S/L J.K.M.Cooke DFC Milan 9 x 4 White Flares 1 x 4 Red Flares 2 T.I. Red 1 Green Flare 1 x 4,000 HC 7 35 9 x 4 Flares brought back.
-3-
[page break
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 16/17 Feb 43 S/L S.Robinson DFM Lorient 8 x 4 White 4 T.I. Red 1 x 4,000 HC 4 22 Bomb sight u/s. 18/19 Feb 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Wilhelmshaven 1 x 4,000 gel 12 x 8 x 30 inc 4 22 Rear turret u/s for 3/4 of trip. 19/20 Feb 43 W/C R.L.Hilton DFC* Wilhelmshaven 4 T.I. Red 6 x 500 GP 4 07 [space] 25/26 Feb 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Nurnberg 1 x 4,000 gel 10 x 8 x 30 inc 6 24 [space] 26/27 Feb 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Cologne 1 x 4,000 HC 12 x 8 x 30 inc 3 24 Dropped but bombing circuit u/s – bomb doors damaged by bombs falling on them. 28/1 Mar 43 P/O U.S.Moore DFM St Nazaire 8 x 4 White 4 T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 4 34 [space] ½ Mar 43 P/O U.S.Moore DFM Berlin 4 T.I. Green 1 T.I. Yellow 1 x 4,000 HC 6 15 Minor flak damage. 8/9 Mar 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Nuremburg 2 x T.I. Yellow 2 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 8 x 8 x 30 inc 6 47 [space] 11/12 Mar 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Stuttgart 4 x T.I. Green 6 x 4 Flares 2 x 90 x 4 inc 1 x 4,000 HC 5 37 Mid-upper and Gee both u/s 12/13 Mar 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Essen 4 x T.I. Green 1 x T.I. White 1 x 4,000 HC 2 x 250 GP LD 1 x 250 GP LD 4 08 [space] 27/28 Mar 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Berlin 6 x T.I. Green 6 x T.I. Yellow 1 x 4,000 HC 2 x 250 GP (LD) 6 56 [space]
-4-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 29/30 Mar 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Berlin 2 x T.I. Yellow 1 x Green with Red 3 x 4 White 4 x T.I. Red 1 x 4,000 HC 7 08 Flak damage. 2/3 Apr 43 F/Sgt McNichol G.A. St Nazaire 4 x T.I. Red 6 x 1,000 GP 4 x 500 GP 4 36 [space] 23/24 May 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Dortmund 4 x T.I. Green 1 x T.I. Green (LB) 4 x 1,000 GP (NF) 1 x 4,000 HE 2 x 1,000 GP (LD) 4 33 [space] 25/26 May 43 F/O F.J.Garvey Dusseldorf 1 x T.I. Yellow (LB) 1 x T.I. Green (LB) 3 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 3 x 1,000 GP 1 x 1,000 GP (LD) 4 08 [space] 27/28 May 43 F/Sgt King R. Essen 1 x 4,000 HC 4 x 1,000 GP 6 x 500 MC 4 34 [space] 29/30 May 43 F/O M.R. Chick Wuppertal 1 x 4,000 HC 1,008 x 4 inc 72 x 4 ‘x’ inc 4 48 [space] 11/12 Jun 43 F/O M.R.Chick Munster 1 x 4,000 12 SPC x 8 x 30 4 52 [space] 12/13 Jun 43 F/O M.R.Chick Bochum 1 x 4,000 HC 1 x 1,000 GP 1 x 1000 GP (LD) 12 x 90 x 4 inc 4 36 [space] 16/17 Jun 43 F/Sgt Cummings M.K. Cologne 1 x 4,000 HC 12 x 90 x 4 inc 4 07 [space]
-5-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 19/20 Jun 43 P/O H.Mappin Moutchanin 5 x 1,000 MC 8 x 500 MC 3 45 [space] 21/22 Jun 43 F/O M.R.Chick Krefeld 1 x 4,000 HC 12 x 90 x 4 inc 4 18 [space] 22/23 Jun 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Mulheim 8 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 6 x 1,000 GP 4 07 Flak damage. 24/25 Jun 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Elberfeld 1 x T.I. Green LB 4 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 6 x 1,000 GP (2LD) 4 24 [space] 28/29 Jun 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Cologne 3 x T.I. Green 1 x T.I. Green LB 1 x 4,000 HC 6 x 1,000 MC 4 19 [space] 3 Jul 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Cologne 1 x T.I. Green LB 3 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 6 x 1,000 MC Backer Up 4 48 Windscreen holed. 12/13 Jul 43 F/O W.R.Thompson Turin 8 x 500 GP LD 6 x 8 x 30 inc 9 30 [space] 24/25 Jul 43 S/L R.J.Manton Hamburg 1 x 4,000 HC 4 x 1,000 MC 1 x 12 x 20(F) 6 11 [space] 25/26 Jul 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Essen 1 x 4,000 HC 3 x 1,000 MC 2 x T.I. Green (LB) 3 x T.I. Green 4 39 Passenger: General Anderson USAF
-6-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 27/29 Jul 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Hamburg 2 x T.I. Green LB 3 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 HC 3 x 1,000 GP LD 5 34 [space] 29/30 Jul 43 S/L R.J.Manton Hamburg 1 x 4,000 HC 10 x 500 MC 5 42 [space] 12/13 Aug 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Milan 2 x T.I. Green LB 2 x T.I. Green 1 x 4,000 7 47 [space] 14/15 Aug 43 F/Lt F.J.Garvey Milan 4 x T.I. Yellow 1 x 4,000 3 x 500 8 07 [space]
[underlined] OPERATION FLYING WITH 467 SQUADRON (BOTTESFORD) – a/c letter “S”
*27/28 Sep 43 P/O A.M.Finch Hanover 1 x 4,000 HC 104 x 30 1,260 x 4 inc 5 23 Recommended a/c after [underlined] 78 [/underlined] trips unreliable for ops. *29 Sep 43 P/O N.M.McClelland Bochum 1 x 4,000 HC 104 x 30 1,260 x 4 inc 4 50 [space] *2/3 Oct 43 F/Lt H.B.Locke Munich 1 x 4,000 HC 84 x 30 600 x 4 inc 8 17 [space] *3/4 Oct 43 F/O J.A.Colpus Kassel 1 x 4,000 HC 24 x 30 1,440 x 4 inc 6 11 [space] *4/5 Oct 43 P/O B.R.Jones Frankfurt 1 x 4,000 HC 1,440 x 4 inc 6 51 [space] *7/8 Oct 43 F/O J.A.Colpus Stuttgart 1 x 4,000 HC 72 x 30 990 x 4 inc 6 50 Landed at Tangmere
-7-
[page break]
*18/19 Oct 43 P/O N.M.McClelland Hanover 1 x 4,000 HC 104 x 30 1,260 x 4 inc 5 15 This aircraft ‘S’ is only fit for a conversion unit *3/4 Nov 43 P/O N.M.McClelland Dusseldorf 1 x 4,000 HC 108 x 30 1,560 x 4 inc 4 21 [space] *10/11 Nov 43 P/O A.Fisher Modane 1 x 4,000 HC 44 x 30 840 x 4 inc 7 35 [space]
11 Nov 43 Moved with Squadron to Waddington.
*18/19 Nov 43 P/O N.M.McClelland Berlin 1 x 4,000 HC 52 x 30 1,170 x 4 inc 8 21 Shot-up over Bonn. *23/24 Nov 43 P/O N.M.McClelland Berlin 1 x 4,000 HC 48 x 30 900 x 4 inc 6 31 [space] *23/24 Nov 43 P/O N.M.McClelland Berlin 1 x 4,000 HC 64 x 30 1,230 x 4 inc 6 31 [space] 26/27 Nov 43 F/O J.A.Colpus Berlin 1 x 4,000 HC 56 x 30 1,050 x 4 inc 7 46 Had collision with another Lancaster just after bombing the target. Went into severe dive to port, but by use of rudder aileron and engines, aircraft maintained height and landed at Tholthorpe. 15/16 Feb 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Berlin 1 x 4,000 HC 6 x 30 900 x 4 ‘X’ 6 48 [space]
* Sorties credited to other aircraft in the official records for which there is sufficient evidence to indicate that they were flown in R5868.
-8-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 19/20 Feb 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Leipzig 1 x 4,000 HC 36 x 30 1,050 x 4 150 x 4 ‘x’ 7.24 [space] 20/21 Feb 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Stuttgart 1 47 DNCO (Did Not Complete Operation) Port Outer shaky on take-off, cut at 13,000 ft. Bomb load jettisoned. 24/25 Feb 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Schweinfurt 1 x 4,000 HC 104 x 30 900 x 4 inc 7 32 [space] 25/26 Feb 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Augsburg 1 x 4,000 HC 92 x 30 650 x 4 100 x 4 ‘x’ IB 7 45 [space] ½ Mar 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Stuttgart 1 x 4,000 HC 72 x 30 800 x 4 100 x 4 ‘x’ IB 8 08 [space] 18/19 Mar 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Frankfurt 1 x 4,000 88 x 30 1,200 x 4 inc 150 x 4 ‘x’ 5 58 [space] 22/23 Mar 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Frankfurt 1 x 4,000 60 x 30 1,500 x 4 inc 5 12 Tail wheel tyre collapsed on landing (possibly flak damage). 24/25 Mar 44 P/O J.W.M.McManus Berlin 3 19 No attack. Port outer failure. Port inner oil leaks. Bombs jettisoned. 25/26 Mar 44 P/O R.E.Llewelyn Aulnoye 13 x 1,000 MC 5 15 Bombed with port outer engine failure – returned at 5,000 ft resulting in just making Tangmere. 11/12 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham Aachen 16 x 5000 MC 30 x 4 inc 4 11 [space]
-9-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 18/19 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham Juvisy 14 x 1,000 M fused 6 hr delay 4 15 [space] 20/21 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham La Chappelle 18 x 500 MC 4 17 [space] 22/23 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham Brunswick 1 x 2,000 HC 12 x 500 ‘J’ clusters 5 27 [space] 24/25 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham Munich 6 x 500 ‘J’ inc 144 x 30 inc 9 39 Landed at Market Harborough. 26/27 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham Schweinfurt 1,800 x 4 inc 150 x 4 ‘x’ IB 8 58 [space]28/29 Apr 44 P/O A.B.L.Tottenham St Medard-en-Jalles 6 x 1,000 (USA) GP 5 x 500 MC 7 29 [space] 3/4 May 44 P/O T.N.Scholefield Mailly 1 x 4,000 HC 16 x 500 MC 5 33 [space] 6/7 May 44 P/O T.N.Scholefield Sables-sur-Sarthe/Louailles 13 x 1,000 GP (USA) 4 46 [space] 10/11 May 44 P/O T.N.Scholefield Lille 1 x 4,000 HC 16 x 500 MC 3 28 [space] 11/12 May 44 P/O T.N.Scholefield Bourg Leopold 3 36 Ordered NOT to bomb. Fighter attack for 9 1/2 mins by 2 Ju 88s. Successfully forestalled 9 or 10 attacks carrying full bomb load. 5/6 Jun 44 F/O I.Fotheringham St Pierre du Mont 11 x 1,000 GP (USA0 4 x 500 GP 4 12 [space]
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[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 6/7 Jun 44 F/O I.Fotheringham Argentan 2 x 1,000 MC 2 x 1,000 SAP (USA) 10 x 500 GP 3 59 8/9 Jun 44 F/O I.Fotheringham Rennes 12 x 500 GP 2 x 500 LD 2 x 1,000 SAP (USA) 6 11 Landed Metheringham. 12/13 Jun 44 F/Sgt Millar K.V. Poitiers 11 x 500 MC 2 x 1,000 GP (USA) 12/13 Jun 44 F/Sgt Millar K.V. Poitiers 11 x 500 MC 2 x 1,000 GP (USA) 1 x 1,000 MC 6 35 [space] 14/15 Jun 44 F/O I.Fotheringham Aunay sur Odon 11 x 1,000 MC 4 x 500 MC 4 35 Army Support. 24/25 Jun 44 F/O G.C.Skelton Prouville 14 x 500 MC 2 x 1,000 MC 3 22 ‘P’ Plane Installations. 27/28 Jun 44 F/O I.Fotheringham Vitry 9 x 1,000 GP (USA) 2 x 500 GP (USA) 2 x 500 GP LD 72 hrs 7 31 [space] 29 Jun 44 F/Sgt Johnson M.G. Beauvoir 11 x 1,000 4 x 500 3 25 Buzz-Bomb site. Daylight attack.4/5 Jul 44 F/O W.R.Williams St Leu d’Esserent 11 x 1,000 4 x 500 4 23 Buzz-Bomb site. 7/8 Jul 44 P/O M.G.Johnson St Leu d’Esserent 11 x 1,000 4 x 500 4 49 Buzz-Bomb site. 14/14 Jul 44 P/O M.G.Johnson Villeneuve St Georges 16 x 500 GP 2 x 500 GP 6 hr LD 6 44 [space] 18 Jul 44 F/Sgt Cowan I.R. Caen 11 x 1,000 SAP (USA) 4 x 500 MC 3 30 Daylight.
-11-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 18/19 Jul 44 F/O M.G.Johnson Revigny 10 x 1,000 MC 12 hrs LD 3 x 500 12 hrs 5 07 [space] 8 Dec 44 W/C J.K.Douglas Urft Dam 14 x 1,000 4 25 Daylight attack. Landed at Ford. 17/18 Dec 44 S/L E.L.Langlais Munich 1 x 4,000 9 09 [space] 18/19 Dec 44 F/O P.K.Shanahan Gydnia 9 x 1,000 9 19 [space] 21/22 Dec 44 F/O G.A.Stewart Politz 1 x 4,000 HC 5 x 1,000 MC 10 51 Landed at Leuchars. 27 Dec 44 F/Lt M.G.Johnson Rheydt 13 x 1,000 MC 4 53 Daylight. ½ Jan 45 F/O W.K.Boxsell Gravenhorst-Mittelland Canal 13 x 1,000 MC 6 38 Landed at Lossiemouth. 13/14 Jan 45 S/L E.L.Langlais Politz 1 x 4,000 HC 9 x 500 MC 2 x 500 MC LD 10 10 [space] 14/15 Jan 45 F/O J.J.J.Cross Merseberg 1 x 4,000 HC 9 x 500 GP 9 11 Landed at East Moor. 16/17 jan 45 F/Lt F.Lawrence Brux 1 x 4,000 HC 10 x 500 MC 2 x 500 MC LD 9 43 Hit by light flak. Bomb Aimer slightly injured. 1/2 Feb 45 F/Lt F.Lawrence Siegen 1 x 4,000 HC 16 x 500 MC 6 11 [space] 2/3 Feb 45 S/L E.L.Langlais Karslruhr 1 x 4,000 HC 12 SBCs (150 x 4 inc) 7 04 [space] 16/17 Mar 45 F/Lt P.K.Shanahan Wurzburg 1 x 4,000 HC 11 SBC (150 x 4 inc) 6 40 [space]
-12-
[page break]
[list headings] [underlined] Date [/underlined] [underlined] Pilot [/underlined] [underlined] Target [/underlined] [underlined] Hrs Mins [/underlined]
[list] 20/21 Mar 45 F/O L.W.Baker Bohlen 1 x 4,000 HC 14 x 500 MC 8 19 [space] 22 Mar 45 W/C I.H.A.Hay Bremen 14 x 1,000 MC 5 19 Daylight attack. 23/24 mar 45 F/O L.W.Baker wesel 13 x 1,000 MC 5 32 [space] 27 Mar 45 F/O L.W.Baker Farge 11 x 1,000 4 35 Daylight attack. 7 small flak holes in wings. 4 Apr 45 W/C I.H.A.Hay Nordhausen 1 x 4,000 HC 16 x 500 MC 7 09 Daylight attack. 6 Apr 45 S/L W.M.Kynock Ijmuiden 14 x 1,000 MC 3 18 Daylight. No attack made. Army already there. Turned back by the Master Bomber. 9 Apr 45 W/C I.H.A.Hay Hamburg 13 x 1,000 MC 4 18 Daylight. 16/17 Apr 45 F/O R.A.Swift Pilsen 1 x 4,000 HC 13 x 500 MC 8 23 Landed at Boscombe Down. 18/19 Apr 45 F/O L.W.Baker Komotau (Czechoslovakia) 18 x 500 MC 8 08 Landed at Lyneham. 23 Apr 45 F/O L.W.Baker Flensberg 8 x 1,000 MC 6 x 500 MC 5 24 No attack made Weather u/s.
Grand Total of Operational Flying = [underlined] 795 25 [/underlined]
Bombs Dropped Operationally = [underlined] 466 tons approx. [/underlined]
[underlined] POST-WAR HISTORY [/underlined]
[list] 23 Aug 45 to 15 MU – exhibition aircraft. 16 Mar 56 Struck off charge as an exhibition aircraft and transferred to 13 MU Wroughton to the Historical Aircraft Collection (Museum). 1959 To Scampton – for display. 24 Nov 70 to 71 MU for refurbishing. 12 Mar 72 To RAF Museum, Hendon.
-13-
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
Operational history of Lancaster 1B R5868
Description
An account of the resource
List of 135 operations flown by Lancaster R5868 from 8/9 June 1942 until 23 April 1945. List includes pilot, target, bomb load. hours flown and comments. Was with 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton and Wyton then 467 Squadron at RAF Bottesford and then RAF Waddington until the end of the war.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1942-06-29
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Thirteen page typewritten document
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
MDunmoreG635201-160526-03
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.
England--Lincolnshire
England--Cambridgeshire
England
Germany
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
Poland
Poland--Gdańsk
France
Germany--Essen
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Vegesack
Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Germany--Flensburg
Germany--Frankfurt am Main
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Krefeld
Germany--Kiel
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Germany--Aachen
Italy
Italy--Genoa
Italy--Turin
Germany--Munich
Germany--Berlin
France--Lorient
Italy--Milan
Germany--Nuremberg
Germany--Cologne
France--Saint-Nazaire
Germany--Dortmund
Germany--Wuppertal
Germany--Bochum
France--Montchanin
Germany--Kassel
France--Modane
Germany--Leipzig
Germany--Schweinfurt
Germany--Augsburg
France--Maubeuge Region
Germany--Braunschweig
France--Bourg-en-Bresse
France--Saint-Médard-en-Jalles
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Sablé-sur-Sarthe
France--Lille
Belgium
Belgium--Leopoldsburg
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
France--Argentan
France--Rennes
France--Poitiers
France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)
France--Abbeville Region
France--Vitry-en-Artois
France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer
France--Creil
France--Caen
Poland--Gdynia
Poland--Police (Województwo Zachodniopomorskie)
Germany--Rheydt
Germany--Mittelland Canal
Germany--Merseburg
Germany--Siegen
Germany--Karlsruhe
Germany--Würzburg
Germany--Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Germany--Nordhausen (Thuringia)
Netherlands
Netherlands--IJmuiden
Czech Republic
Czech Republic--Pilsen Basin
Czech Republic--Chomutov
Germany--Düsseldorf
Great Britain
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Osnabrück
Germany--Stuttgart
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Great Britain
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1943-07-24
1943-07-25
1943-07-27
1943-07-28
1943-07-29
1943-07-30
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-07-04
1944-07-05
1944-06
1944-07
1944-08
1942-07
1942-08
1942-09
1942-10
1942-11
1942-12
1944-02
1944-03
1944-04
1944-05
1944-12
1945-01
1945-02
1945-03
1945-04
1944-06-05
1944-06-06
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-18
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
Robin Christian
467 Squadron
83 Squadron
bombing of Hamburg (24-31 July 1943)
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bombing of the Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec and Le Bourget railways (18/19 April 1944)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Lancaster
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Pathfinders
RAF Bottesford
RAF Scampton
RAF Waddington
RAF Wyton
tactical support for Normandy troops
target indicator
V-1
V-weapon
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/341/24682/LTinningHW19585v1.1.pdf
dce1da7637ab34989057226f81050674
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
Tinning, Herbert
Herbert William Tinning
Herbert W Tinning
H W Tinning
H Tinning
Description
An account of the resource
Four items. An oral history interview with Herbert William Tinning DFC, his log book and three photographs. He flew operations as a navigator with 51 Squadron.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Herbert Tinning 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
2016-03-14
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
Tinning, HW
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
Herbert Tinning’s Royal Australian Air Force Observer’s Air Gunner’s And W/T Operator’s Flying Log Book
Description
An account of the resource
Herbert Tinning’s Royal Australian Air Force Observer’s Air Gunner’s And W/T Operator’s Flying Log Book from 25th August 1942 to 11th March 1945. Recording his training as a navigator in Australia and Great Britain and a full tour of operations with 51 squadron, followed by a short period with 96 squadron (Transport Command). He was based at RAAF Cootamundra, RAAF Sale, RAAF Nhill, RAF Desford, RAF West Freugh, RAF Lichfield, RAF Church Broughton, RAF Marston Moor, RAF Snaith and RAF Leconfield. Aircraft in which flown: Anson, Battle, Tiger Moth, Wellington and Halifax. He flew 40 operations (19 day, 19 night, 2 abandoned/recalled) on the following targets in Belgium, France and Germany: Alencon, Boulogne, Brest, Caen (Emieville), Calais, Cape Griz Nez, Chateaudon, Collines-Beaumont, Croixdalle, Essen, Foret de Nieppe, Hannover, Haringzelles, Hasselt, Herquelingue, Homberg, Kiel, Kleves, Le Grand Rossignol, Le Havre, Les Catelliers, Marquise, Mont Fleury, Morsalines, Neuss (Dusseldorf), Oisemont, Siracourt, St Martin L’hortier, Sterkrade, Stuttgart, Trappes, Villers Bocage, Wilhemshaven and Wizernes. His pilot on operations was Flight Sergeant Moore. On 6th June 1944 he notes: “‘D’ DAY OPENING OF SECOND FRONT”. In October 1944 he notes “AWARDED - DFC”.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
David Leitch
Cara Walmsley
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.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LTinningHW19585v1
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. Transport Command
Royal Australian Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Australia
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--Bay of Biscay
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
England--Derbyshire
England--Leicestershire
England--Staffordshire
England--Yorkshire
Scotland--Wigtownshire
Belgium--Hasselt
France--Alençon
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Brest
France--Caen
France--Calais
France--Cap Gris Nez
France--Châteaudun
France--Colline-Beaumont
France--Croixdalle
France--Haringzelles
France--Herquelingue
Belgium--Rossignol
France--Le Havre
France--Les Catelliers
France--Marquise
France--Morsalines
France--Oisemont (Canton)
France--Siracourt
France--Soligny-la-Trappe
France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray
France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)
France--Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)
Germany--Bochum
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Essen
Germany--Hannover
Germany--Homberg (Kassel)
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Kleve (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Germany--Neuss
Germany--Stuttgart
Germany--Wilhelmshaven
New South Wales--Cootamundra
Victoria--Sale
Germany--Oberhausen (Düsseldorf)
France--Ver-Sur-Mer
France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Victoria
New South Wales
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Nieppe Forest
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
1943
1944
1945
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-05-13
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-02
1944-06-03
1944-06-04
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-06-30
1944-07-01
1944-07-04
1944-07-06
1944-07-09
1944-07-17
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-29
1944-07-30
1944-08-18
1944-08-19
1944-08-25
1944-08-26
1944-08-27
1944-09-10
1944-09-14
1944-09-15
1944-09-16
1944-09-17
1944-09-23
1944-09-24
1944-09-26
1944-09-27
1944-10-06
1944-10-07
1944-10-21
1944-10-23
1944-10-25
1652 HCU
27 OTU
51 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
Air Observers School
aircrew
Anson
Battle
bombing
Bombing and Gunnery School
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Flying Training School
Halifax
Halifax Mk 2
Halifax Mk 3
Heavy Conversion Unit
navigator
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
RAF Church Broughton
RAF Desford
RAF Leconfield
RAF Lichfield
RAF Marston Moor
RAF Snaith
RAF West Freugh
tactical support for Normandy troops
Tiger Moth
training
Wellington
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/865/20719/LHazeldenePV553414v1.2.pdf
e8a466fe44888b4d1d47b6caf85dda6c
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
Hazeldene, Peter
Peter Vere Hazeldene
P V Hazeldene
Description
An account of the resource
19 items. An oral history interview with Rachel and John Gill about their father, Peter Hazeldene DFC (b. 1922, 553414 Royal Air Force) and 16 other items including log book, memoirs, medals and photographs. He flew operations as an air gunner with 106 and 57 Squadrons.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Rachel and John Gill and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
2017-03-07
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.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Hazeldene, PV
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
Peter Hazeldene's Log book
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.
Description
An account of the resource
Peter Hazeldene's air gunner’s flying log book covering the period from 28 August 1940 to 13 May 1945. Detailing his flying training and operations flown as air gunner. He was stationed at RAF West Freugh (4 BGS), RAF Upper Heyford (16 OTU), RAF Finningley (106 Squadron), RAF Coningsby (106 Squadron), USAAF Polebrook (97 BG), RAF Husbands Bosworth (14 OTU), RAF Wigsley (1654 HCU), RAF Syerston (5 LFS), RAF East Kirkby (57 Squadron), RAF Syerston (5 LFS). Aircraft flown in were Battle, Anson, Hampden, Oxford, Lysander, Wellington, Fortress B-17E, Stirling and Lancaster. He flew a total of 34 operations with 106 Squadron, targets were Kiel, Brest (mining), Elbe (mining), North Sea (mining), Lorient, St Nazaire (mining), Koln, Hamburg, Bremen, Brest, Berlin, Mannheim, Dusseldorf, Duisburg, Soeston, Vegesach and Essen. He flew 25 operations with 57 Squadron, targets were Brunswick, Clermont Ferrand, Tours, Mailly, Kiel, Annecy, Antwerp, St Valery, Kattegat (mining), Maisy, Caen, Etampes, Bearoin, Wesseling, Pommereral, Chalindrey, Paris, Nevers and Thurney. <span>His pilots on operations were </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":200,"335559740":276}">Sergeant Galloway</span>, Sergeant Topping, Sergeant Osbourne, Pilot Officer Wareing, <span>Flying Officer </span>Altmann, Pilot Officer Robson, Squadron Leader Grylls and Flight Lieutenant Spencer.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Terry Hancock
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Log book, printed with handwritten annotations
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
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
1942
1943
1944
1945
1940-11-27
1940-11-29
1940-12-04
1940-12-10
1940-12-22
1940-12-29
1941-01-03
1941-01-05
1941-01-09
1941-01-12
1941-02-04
1941-02-05
1941-03-03
1941-03-04
1941-03-12
1941-03-18
1941-03-20
1941-03-21
1941-04-04
1941-04-05
1941-04-07
1941-04-08
1941-04-17
1941-04-18
1941-04-20
1941-04-23
1941-04-24
1941-04-27
1941-04-28
1941-04-29
1941-04-30
1941-05-04
1941-05-05
1941-05-15
1941-05-16
1941-05-18
1941-05-19
1941-05-23
1941-05-24
1941-05-26
1941-05-27
1941-06-02
1941-06-03
1941-06-11
1941-06-12
1941-06-13
1941-06-14
1941-06-15
1941-06-16
1941-06-17
1941-06-18
1941-06-21
1941-06-22
1941-06-27
1941-06-28
1941-07-24
1941-08-08
1942-05-30
1942-05-31
1942-06-01
1942-06-02
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-29
1944-05-01
1944-05-02
1944-05-03
1944-05-04
1944-05-08
1944-05-09
1944-05-10
1944-05-21
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-24
1944-05-25
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-05
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-10
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-16
1944-06-17
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-07-12
1944-07-13
1944-07-14
1944-07-15
1944-07-16
1944-07-18
1944-07-19
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Germany
Great Britain
Atlantic Ocean--North Sea
Atlantic Ocean--Kattegat (Baltic Sea)
Belgium--Antwerp
England--Leicestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--Oxfordshire
England--Yorkshire
France--Annecy
France--Brest
France--Brest
France--Caen
France--Chalindrey
France--Clermont-Ferrand
France--Etaples
France--Lorient
France--Mailly-le-Camp
France--Nevers
France--Paris
France--Tours
Germany--Berlin
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Bremen
Germany--Cologne
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Düsseldorf
Germany--Essen
Germany--Hamburg
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Mannheim
Germany--Wesseling
Scotland--Dumfries and Galloway
Belgium
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
Europe--Elbe River
France--Saint-Nazaire
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LHazeldenePV553414v1
106 Squadron
14 OTU
16 OTU
1654 HCU
57 Squadron
air gunner
aircrew
Anson
B-17
Battle
bombing
Bombing and Gunnery School
bombing of Cologne (30/31 May 1942)
Bombing of Mailly-le-Camp (3/4 May 1944)
bombing of the Normandy coastal batteries (5/6 June 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Hampden
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Lysander
mine laying
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
RAF Coningsby
RAF East Kirkby
RAF Finningley
RAF Husbands Bosworth
RAF Polebrook
RAF Syerston
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF West Freugh
RAF Wigsley
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
wireless operator / air gunner
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/16/19615/LAtkinsonA1042303v1.1.pdf
4976658f4383bc124022f9606cde9a15
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
Atkinson, Arthur
Arthur Atkinson
A Atkinson
Description
An account of the resource
Seven items. An oral history interview with Warrant Officer Arthur Atkinson (1922 - 2020, 1042303 Royal Air Force) his log book, service material and two photographs. Arthur Atkinson trained as a wireless operator and spent eighteen months at RAF Ringway before being flying 34 operations with 61 Squadron from RAF Coningsby and RAF Skellingthorpe.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Arthur Atkinson and catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
2015-06-23
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
Atkinson, 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
Arthur Atkinson’s observers and air gunners flying log book
Description
An account of the resource
Observers and air gunners flying log book for Arthur Atkinson, wireless operator, covering the period from 28 April 1943 to 19 January 1946 and from 16 September 1950 to 30 September 1950. Detailing his flying training, operations flown, instructor duties and post war flying with 19 reserve flying school. He was stationed at RAF Stormy Down, RAF Yatesbury, RAF Bobbington (RAF Halfpenny Green), RAF Husbands Bosworth, RAF Winthorpe, RAF Syerston, RAF Coningsby, RAF Skellingthorpe, RAF Silverstone and RAF St Athan. Aircraft flown in were, Dominie, Proctor, Anson, Wellington, Stirling, Lancaster and Oxford. He flew a total of 34 operations with 61 squadron, 30 night and 4 daylight operations. Targets were, Stuttgart, Toulouse, Tours, Aachen, Paris, Brunswick, Munich, Schweinfurt, Bordeaux, Lille, Bourg-Leopold, Duisburg, Eindhoven, Nantes, Ferme D’Urville, St Pierre du Mont, Argentan, Rennes, Gelsenkirchen, Limoges, Prouville, Vitry, Beauvoir, St Leu D’Esserent, Culmont-Chalindrey, Nevers, Caen, Thiverny, Courtrai, St Cyr and Givors. <span>His pilot on operations was</span><span> F</span>light Lieutenant Acott.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
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.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LAtkinsonA1042303v1
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.
Belgium
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Belgium--Kortrijk
Belgium--Leopoldsburg
England--Leicestershire
England--Lincolnshire
England--Nottinghamshire
England--West Midlands
England--Wiltshire
France--Abbeville Region
France--Argentan
France--Beauvoir-sur-Mer
France--Cherbourg Region
France--Caen
France--Givors
France--Lille
France--Limoges
France--Nantes
France--Nevers
France--Rennes
France--Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer
France--Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Landes)
France--Senlis Region
France--Toulouse
France--Tours
France--Vitry-sur-Seine
Germany--Aachen
Germany--Braunschweig
Germany--Duisburg
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Munich
Germany--Schweinfurt
Germany--Stuttgart
Netherlands--Eindhoven
Wales--Bridgend
Wales--Vale of Glamorgan
France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Langres
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1943
1944
1945
1946
1950
1944-03-15
1944-03-16
1944-04-05
1944-04-06
1944-04-10
1944-04-11
1944-04-12
1944-04-18
1944-04-19
1944-04-20
1944-04-21
1944-04-22
1944-04-23
1944-04-24
1944-04-25
1944-04-26
1944-04-27
1944-04-28
1944-04-29
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-05-19
1944-05-20
1944-05-21
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-24
1944-05-25
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-06-03
1944-06-04
1944-06-06
1944-06-07
1944-06-08
1944-06-09
1944-06-21
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-06-29
1944-07-04
1944-07-05
1944-07-12
1944-07-13
1944-07-15
1944-07-16
1944-07-18
1944-07-19
1944-07-20
1944-07-21
1944-07-25
1944-07-26
1944-07-27
14 OTU
1661 HCU
17 OTU
61 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
Air Gunnery School
aircrew
Anson
bombing
bombing of the Creil/St Leu d’Esserent V-1 storage areas (4/5 July 1944)
bombing of the Juvisy, Noisy-le-Sec and Le Bourget railways (18/19 April 1944)
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 Toulouse (5/6 April 1944)
Dominie
Heavy Conversion Unit
Lancaster
Lancaster Finishing School
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
Proctor
RAF Coningsby
RAF Halfpenny Green
RAF Husbands Bosworth
RAF Silverstone
RAF Skellingthorpe
RAF St Athan
RAF Stormy Down
RAF Syerston
RAF Winthorpe
RAF Yatesbury
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Wellington
wireless operator
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1242/16316/YAllenJH179996v1.2.pdf
37df24045b7429c836febd53856ecca6
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, Jim
J H Allen
Description
An account of the resource
18 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant James Henry Allen DFC (b. 1923, 179996 Royal Air Force). He flew a tour of operations as a pilot with 578 Squadron. The collection consists of a number of memoirs, photographs and a diary. It includes descriptions of military life and operations and his post-war life and work.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Steve Allen and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
2016-05-12
2019-02-05
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, JH
Transcribed document
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
1944
[Page break]
[Printed frontspiece]
[Page break]
WALKER’S
DIARY
FOR
1944
(LEAP YEAR)
[Page break]
[1994 Calendar]
[Page break]
[Postal rate information and Holiday dates]
[Page break]
[Table of Sunrise and Sunset times]
[Page break]
[Table of Moon phases]
[Page break]
[Table of Church Festivals and Common Notes]
[Page break]
[Table of English Law Sittings, Seasons, Eclipses and University Terms]
[Page break]
JANUARY 1944
SATURDAY 1
Gave B/A some Link this morn:- OK. Was to have done bombing:- too cloudy. P.M. In Int. Lib. till 1545. 16.20 Left camp. went to Maidenhead. picked up my cycle. Got back to camp 20.50hrs. Asked for day off this morning, a [underlined] very dim [/underlined] view taken.
SUNDAY 2
Dual bombing this morning. B/S U/S Bombed from 3,000’. Error converted to 20,000’:- 183x. 1500 Solo bombing. Only one dropped. Sent home, too many a/c on target (4 actually)
Wrote to my darling this evening
[Page break]
JANUARY 1944
MONDAY 3
Did some Dinghy Drills today. Nothing else. Down for F/A but too cloudy. Could easily have been given the day off.
Feel absolutely fed up tonite, just about sick of it all. Do so want to see June again.
TUESDAY 4
Did .3 F/A this A.M. Report by Itr. Pilot-: “Very Poor” Corkscrews & D.Turns very poor. Feel rather badly about it. P.M. in INT.Lib till 1515. Then dashed off to London with Dudley. Didn’t meet any Snoops. At No.89. 2010hrs. Very glad to be able to see June even for a few hrs. Asked if she’d come away for a week’s holiday if I get Leave:- “No”. Disappointed. Otherwise evening O.K.
[Page break]
JANUARY 1944
WEDNESDAY 5
Got to Pad. By bus 0315 after much sweating & walking. (0230 Flak Barrage put up, I was at Bank) Met Dud, came back on Paper train. Two lots of bombing A.M. First 154x error, 2nd 99x at 20,000. Actual hits:- 9,500 & 10,500’. 30mins F/A 1600hrs. Bit better, I think. Received letters from Stan, Mum & Mr, Cunningham (Agate) Made a very bad lndg tonite 1755hrs.
THURSDAY 6
Did .20 P.T. first. Then C.G.I. asked if I wanted to go overseas:- “No”! Rest of day spent mainly in C/R. Saw film of 1st F/A. Not able to see yesterdays Dunton says fighter didn’t get inside 300x. Phoned home 1930. Most of the evening spent in writing to my beloved June.
[Page break]
JANUARY 1944
FRIDAY 7
0800 Paid £3/14/-. Allotment now 5/- per day. Did .30 F/A. Not as good. a/c wouldn’t do a C/Turn to the left. P.M. 1/2 link with Phillips. Short X-C run, for about 15mins. Then in Gee room for .20 or so. Tried to exchange sox & pants at stores:- closed. Wrote to Stan this evening. F/L Reade did a nickel tonight.
SATURDAY 8
No bombing:- too cloudy. P.T. 0830-0920. Lec on A.S.R.S. 1115-1145. Received a letter from June. N/F tonite. Briefing 1500. T-O about 1800. C&B with F/O Kerbey, he was O.K. My bumps were awful, couldn’t land at all. Weather clamp just after 2000. Got rations tho’. Egg & bacon supper. In bed 0200.
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JANUARY 1944
SUNDAY 9
Link 09-1000;-poor. 1100 Church Parade. Weather duff, [deleted] pm [/deleted] in mess all afternoon. Wrote short letter to June. Had tea 1545. 1640 N/F cancelled. 1800 went to flicks “Gentleman Jim,” quite good. Went to bed 2100.
MONDAY 10
N/F tonight. Briefing 1430. C&Bs again with F/O Kerbey. Did the first half at H. Norris. Went solo O.K. All lndgs. good except last one at 2240. Egg & bacon supper again. Full moon, but vis poor. Flying satisfactory. Got to bed 2359.
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JANUARY 1944
TUESDAY 11
Up 1030. Weather very bad:- vis bad. raining. 1400 told “Briefing at [underlined] 1900 [/underlined] hrs.” Maddening. Wanted to get 1700 train to Padd. Flying appears impossible. 1800 [underlined] N/F scrubbed [/underlined]; makes me sick. Absolutely fed up to the teeth.
WEDNESDAY 12
On so called “Crew Disposal” this A.M. Some mucking about in hangar 0915-0945, which passed as P.T. Cleared off into billet rest of morning. P.M. Briefing postponed to 1900. Did some Live Fusing & Bombing up. Wrote home after tea. Flying scrubbed [underlined] 1745 [/underlined] just an hour too late. Have rarely been so fed up.
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JANUARY 1944
THURSDAY 13
Spent a couple of hrs. in Gee room with Dudley this morning. P.M. Killed time in Int. Lib. saw Met-man, until 1600hrs, - briefing. Expect to fly about 2359, as weather is duff, expected to clear. Wrote another short letter to my darling. Am in no mood for writing. Went to “Musical Appreciation Concert” 1945. Airborne 2212, on dual X-C. P/O Baker as screen. Made a bad start. Had no Gee.
FRIDAY 14
Landed 0420; Last hr was F/A. Very tired. “Supper” at 0500.” Usual egg & bacon. In bed 0530. Up 1215. Received letter from June, just what the doctor ordered. Weather beautiful. 1720 T-O on solo X-C. Went to Scillies, 15,000ft. vis wonderful. Could see whole of peninsular from Bristol to Land’s End. Had a bad shaking 1900. Thought I was upside down for a few secs. Laded 2200. Scillies – I of M. Anglesey – Base.
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JANUARY 1944
SATURDAY 15
Foggy all day. Flying scrubbed 1655. Tried to get train to London. Got to Reading 1840. Came back 1940. London train had not then arrived. Fed up & miserable. Came back by bus. Left cycle in Didcot. Have until 1200 tomorrow free.
SUNDAY 16
Still foggy. Got cycle back. Left camp 1635, with a pass. Got to Padd 1940. Didn’t leave Lvpl. St until 2100. Mad as a hatter. Cursing & swearing quietly all the way. Arr. home 2240. Too late to see June. There was a bad crash at Ilford, but didn’t know about it.
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JANUARY 1944
MONDAY 17
Up 0535. Saw my darling 0625-0730. At Ilford 0740, saw wreckage. [Deleted] To [/deleted] 8 persons killed. Made me feel small, for cursing as I did, what does it matter about being late, compared to this. Clamped all day. Briefing postponed until 1900 at first, then to 2100. [Underlined] Scrubbed at 2050hrs. [/underlined] F/LT. Woodven was killed this morning. Pranged in the fog. Wrote to Wilf & Stan today.
TUESDAY 18
“Crew Disposal” all day. Usual messing about. Pyros Lec. this morning. Also did some Gee with Dudley. P.M.- AML till 1545. Cleared off after that. No flying again tonite. Am down for a 6hr. X-C when we can get to it. Wrote June this evening.
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JANUARY 1944
WEDNESDAY 19
In INT. Lib. & E.H. Room all morning Made up Link times in Log Book, & spent about an hr. in gym, this P.M. No flying, weather lousy. Wrote to June.
THURSDAY 20
Gave 1/2 hrs’ instruction to each gunner, in Link 11-1200hrs. 1500 Briefing. 1745 T-O for “Bullseye” exercise. Couldn’t fly at 15,500; so came down to 10,500’. Target :- green Pk. London. Caught in S/Ls for a few secs; found & “bombed” target O.K. on time. At Dorchester S/Ls held us for 80 secs. Violent E/action!! Very excited over target. Back 2315. Interrogated 2345, egg & bacon, then bed.
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JANUARY 1944
FRIDAY 21
In bed 0115, up 1100. Two letters from Stan. Phillips excused flying for 48hrs Solo X-C tonite. Other B/A didn’t turn up. T-O 1805. 1904 something wrong with engines; ht 15,000’. Crashed 5 mins later. No one hurt, Wooly knocked out for a few secs. A Miracle, that we did [indecipherable]/S. Engine torn off. thought I’d bought it. Taken to Rufforth, (Con. Unit) by C.O. Couldn’t sleep. Thought of June, as we hit, wondered how she’d take it.
SATURDAY 22
Got what stuff we could find, from a/c, & dumped it in ‘chute room. a/c pretty badly smashed. Left York 1435. Brought Navi & W/OP’s stuff. Got back to Didcot 2330. Don’t feel like flying again.
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JANUARY 1944
SUNDAY 23
Saw C.I. 0900. He balled me out!! Said I imagined it all. Just about finished me with any hope of wanting to fly again. Saw Smith 1430, he was better. Went up & told off the C.I. Was on N/F programme for tonite!! Got pass till 1200 tomorrow. 1530 pass not ready, went without it. Saw June 2015. Went home, then took her home again.
MONDAY 24
Up 0540 At no. 89 0625. Left her at Ps 0750. Got 0915 from Padd. Court of Inquiry opened this afternoon. Talking from 1400 to 1845. Went over every little thing twice, at least.
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JANUARY 1944
TUESDAY 25
C of I continued. Made up Log Book. Hanging about all afternoon, in case we were needed. Have thought of nothing but the prang all the time. At least I managed to keep fairly cool altho’ I was sure I’d bought it. Wasn’t afraid to die, only very sorry. Received letter from Harold.
WEDNESDAY 26
Link this morning, - very ropey. C of I again this P.M. Nothing found to be wrong with the a/c. Trying to put it down to me switching off ignition switches & failing to check. Looks as if I’ll get the can.
Wrote to Harold.
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JANUARY 1944
THURSDAY 27
Tried to get today off, - nogo. Scrounged out of a grope, had rest of morning off. 1300 went to Streatley for sailing. Very enjoyable afternoon. Got stuck in a backwater once & had to paddle & push our way out. Best afternoon I’ve had for a long time. Wrote to June this evening. Know what it is now to be alive. Appreciate the fact.
FRIDAY 28
Had a dream in the night; Joyce, Stan & Dorothy had died; so long as it only stays a dream. Went sick, want a medical. M.O annoyed because crew hadn’t been examined since prang. Scrounged off rest of morning. P.M. Saw M.O. 1500. Had a good moan to him. Didn’t give me a medical tho’. Got 1658 train to Padd. Saw June by 2000hrs. Cheered me no end, just to see her for a couple of hrs. Left on the 22.21 from Romford.
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JANUARY 1944
SATURDAY 29
Arr. Didcot 0230, after having overshot to Swindon. In bed 0315, up 0710. Flew to Rufforth to get kit. Already been collected. Flying rather ropey, but am O.K. Had F/O Evans as screen, a binding b – d. Back 1500. Late dinner at 1545; made me sick, literally, 1700. In bed 1835.
SUNDAY 30
Went sick 0900. Wrote to June 1100. P.M. Tried to get a day off, again nogo. Got off 1515.Went to Romford, saw June 1935-2200. Only her Mum in, with her. Didn’t show any tact, or consideration for us. Left Rom 2230. Missed 2330 from Padd. There was a Nickel tonite. Would have been on it but for the prang.
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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1944
MONDAY 31
Got to bed 0640. Down for .30 F/A. Low cloud:- scrubbed. Did some Link:- ropey. Had a look at Bullseye photos:- O.K. Spent most of the afternoon in chasing up our flying kit. Got it by 1730. Went to bed at 2030. Am disgusted at not being given day off. Had expected at 48 at least.
TUESDAY 1 FEB.
Swimming 09-1200 at Oxford Baths. Quite good. P.M. Gave Dudley some Link, then did an hour, myself:- much better. Wrote home after tea.
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FEBRUARY 1944
WEDNESDAY 2
Asked again for day off. No! Am just disgusted. Went to Ox. Baths P.M. Got 1540 train to Padd. At Ps 1840 June gone home. Saw her 1900. Went to flicks. Saw a Betty Grable film. Had supper afterwards. June says she wants to get married fairly soon. Has been doing some serious thinking, & I think she’ll have figured all the angles. O.K. by me, anytime.
THURSDAY 3
In bed 0600, out 0700. Weather rough, after a clear night. N/F tonite. Did 3hr X-C & bombing. Dual all the way. Very tired at the end. Bombing results 91x @ 20000’. Actual error 51x @ 6,000. Flying fairly good. I’ll be all right. Still a bundle of nerves. Jumped when intercom was used. Very pleased with bombing. Glad I went to Rom. last night.
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FENRUARY 1944
FRIDAY 4
N/F again. Briefing 1500. T-O 1810. Did 4hr X-C, then bombing. Dropped one flare; 12 bombs. Results poor. Was very tired by the time we did the bombing U/C trouble at the end. Pumped it down, [deleted] l [/deleted] only got 10° of flap. Landed O.K. Egg & bacon as usual.
Bombing result:- one stick 30x error @ 20,000’. Pretty good.
SATURDAY 5
Briefing 1500. Pretty much as last night. X-C & bombing. Went to I of M Good moon, bit hazy. Phillips took over for about an hr. Bombing better. Stick not so good but group 135x @ 20,000’. This finishes our night bombing. Landed 2307. Borrowed a book from Woolly “Sex factor in marriage”. He read it on X-C.
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FEBRUARY 1944
SUNDAY 6
Down for bombing tonite. 6 sticks to count as daylite, finish us. Weather clamped. Wrote to my beloved this evening. May be on leave in a few days.
MONDAY 7
Couldn’t bomb A.M. due to low cloud. On N/F programe. T-O after some trouble. Dropped 6 sticks on Udstone. Cloud 4,000’, bumpy. 250x @ 20,000’.:-Lousy. Went up again 2230 for another go. Cloud 3,000’. 2 sticks, useless. As we left each time, the cloud cleared. Annoying, [underlined] very [/underlined]. Finishes our flying. Egg & bacon 2359. Receive most complimentary letter from my darling.
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FEBRUARY 1944
TUESDAY 8
Spent the morning in bed, & the P.M. getting a small C.Chit filled up. Made up Log Book. ‘Phoned home 1815. With luck may get away tomorrow.
WEDNESDAY 9
Saw C.G.I. this morning. All crew has done pretty well. Hinted that I may get a com. In a little while. P.M. Told to get cleared from station!! Going on leave till 24th then to Driffield, probably a Battle Course. Got C.C. 1600. Paid 6gns. 1525. Received letter from Wilf. He’s now a Cpl. Good Show!
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FEBRUARY 1944
THURSDAY 10
Finished getting cleared this morning. Saw CGI 1430. Got away eventually on the 1658 train. Parked cycle & kit at Padd. ‘Phoned home from Lpl. St. 1935. At June’s house 2105-2205. Home 2230. Left my cap at No. 89. Clear night, - full moon.
FRIDAY 11
Went & got my cap first. Then got kit from Padd. Got a taxi from R. Stn. P.M. Jawing to Pop till 1500. Shaved etc. & went to Ilford. Got 4 tickets for show tomorrow nite. Met June 1700. Went to Havana 1900. Left her 2230. She has a good idea on how the wedding will go off. Has the basic ideas taped. Can safely leave it to her. We can have the front room of No. 89.
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FEBRUARY 1944
SATURDAY 12
A.M. Collected cycle from Padd. P.M. At No. 89 1500-1900. Went to Ilford Hipp. 2000. Met Freddie Howe. Show fairly good. Had supper afterwards:- foursome. Some rain, drizzle. Got June home 2350. I Love her so!! She is certainly the most beautiful girl in the world, to me. Is all I could ask. She’s been much more fun lately, & more demonstrative.
SUNDAY 13
Saw June 1400. Went up to town. [Underlined[ All [/underlined] flicks full up, so had tea a Lyons Corner House 1630. Very good. Saw a Bob Hope flicker 1745. Not up to usual standard. Raid 2030-2145. Heavy flak barrage. Got to no. 89 2210. Left 2255. Am sure looking forward to marrying June. Had a spot of doubt a week ago. Not now!!!
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FEBRUARY 1944
MONDAY 14
Spent A.M. cleaning some tools at home. P.M. Went to Ilford, had a look around furniture shops, to get some idea of prices. I did! Terrific. Met my darling 1700: went home & stayed there all evening. Leave it entirely to her re going out. [Deleted] D [/deleted] She’ll get more tired than me. I get up when I feel like it: not at 0600.
TUESDAY 15
Went to Town A.M. Got 4 tickets for Show at Vic Palace. Back home 1500. Met June at Ps 1700 & went to Ilford Hipp. So-so. “Jane” got boring. Back at no. 89 about 2100hrs, until 2245. Got tummy-ache. June’s sex education isn’t so good as I though. At present she finds the thought of sexual intercourse repulsive. Will have to be very careful.
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FENRUARY 1944
WEDNESDAY 16
0500 Sick. Up 1015, stomach lousy. O.K. after dinner. Went to flicks with June 1900. “Lassie come Home”. Not bad. Met Ivy & boyfriend just as we were going in. Withdrew £10 from P.O.
THURSDAY 17
June took day off. Went to Lon. to do some shopping. Got only 2 utility pillow cases. 1530 bought 22-carat wedding ring: 8gns. Met Dud & Joy 1655., they were 25 mins late. Had tea, went to Vic. Pal. Arthur Askey, “The Love Racket”. Very good. Had a drink, Dud left 2130. Got June home 2225.Everything in town was a terrific price, & mostly trash.
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FEBRUARY 1944
FRIDAY 18
Went to Vic. Rd. [deleted] O [/deleted] & collected my suitcase. Came back to Rom. & bought a set of carvers (£3/10/-) & water set (£1.) Suspect I was Joed. Gave them to June. Did not go out tonite. Don’t want to tire her out too much.
SATURDAY 19
Met June1220 & proceeded to Bedford. Left St. Pancras 13.30. Arr. H.Con. 1540. Was mad at myself for not taking any grub. Spent the evening sitting round the fire. June went to bed 2130. Had a boiled egg each for tea.
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FEBRUARY 1944
SUNDAY 20
Got up 0900. Egg & porridge breakfast. Saw Phil 1030. Back 11.40. Spent next hr. in front room with June looking at the fire:- cosy. Left 1540. At no. 89 2000. Left 2145. A raid on. Took shelter in a house in Hav. Rd. Heard bombs, ducked under the table as the ceiling came down. When quiet went to see if June was O.K. Yes. God looks after me, my cup overflows.
MONDAY 21
Did a bit of shopping this A.M. Got a tin of salmon, for wedding:– 32 pts. Have managed to scrounge two books of points per month from Mum, to help get stuff for wedding. Didn’t go out tonite. Stayed in, looking at June all evening. Not very exciting.
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FEBRUARY 1944
TUESDAY 22
Took one kitbag to Kings + this A.M. Met my darling as usual 1700; went to “Ritz” Romford:- flicks. Saw “North Star” & “Henry Haunts a House”. Not bad. Latter very funny. Left June 2230.
A raid during the night. Flak fire heavy, bags of noise; no incidents near here.
WEDNESDAY 23
Took 2nd kit bag to Ks+. 1300 had a cup of tea with June & Rene & Fred in Vic Café. Made up a parcel of grub for Grandma. Stayed in with June most of the evening. Just had one port in “Maurneys Arms”. Alert 2210, some firing. Left 2304. Not a very exciting day. Left £5 with June.
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FEBRUARY 1944
THURSDAY 24
Met June 0625. Went to work with her. Left Ks+ 0935. A short Alert 0845. Saw a vapour trail, some AA. Had dinner in Y.M. Doncaster, 1400. Left 1530. Got to Selby 1600. Walked around, shops all closed:- half day. Arr. Driffield 1940hrs. Got a lift to camp in an Army truck. Rest of crew here. Came up from Ks + with Phillips. Billetted in Barrack Blocks. Course expectation 18 days – 5 weeks.
FRIDAY 25
Breakfast 0730. Oat cakes. Didn’t do much today. Talk by W.O. usual line. P.M. on bed all afternoon. Given further 3 days leave. Not much use to me. Got 8/-. Wrote a letter to June this evening. London raided again last night. RAF flew over 1,000 sorties last night, lost 35.
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FEBRUARY 1944
SATURDAY 26
Walked to Driffield 1005. Took 20-25 mins. Managed to get a pair of [underlined] sheets & white woollen blankets. [/underlined] Cost £4/8/10. Put deposit of £2 down. Drew further £3 from P.O. 1230 got bus to Hornsea. Found Aunt Alice about 1415 hrs. Took a look around town, & at the sea. Not much doing. Feel very pleased over sheets & blankets. Uniform did it;- pukka. After tea:- raining fairly heavily.
SUNDAY 27
Got up 0930. Sitting about all day still raining & snowing. Went to Service 1800. Didn’t think much to it. Then went up to Y.M. until 2010. Got some Horlicks. Bed 2300.
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FEBRUARY 1944
MONDAY 28
Left on 0850 train. In Hull 0930-1040. Got records “Dearly Beloved” & “All my Heart”, at last. Been trying to for months. Drew £3 from P.O. & paid for blankets. Shopkeeper is wrapping & posting them for me. Had another blanket – grey – put aside for me. Spent afternoon writing to June, then had a hot bath. After tea made down beds of rest of crew. Liver for supper – good. Bed by 2100 hrs. Wrote a letter home after tea, too.
TUESDAY 29
0915 had my teeth scaled. Nothing doing for rest of the day. In billet all morn, listened to Woolly’s domestic trouble, advised him as well as I’m able. Wrote to Wilf & Aunt Alice. P.M. spent trying to learn shorthand again. Made fair progress. Haven’t done any for 4 yrs. Only slightly before. Find I’m constantly “singing” “All my Heart” & “Dearly Beloved”.
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MARCH 1944
WEDNESDAY 1
Drew rifles & denims this morning, dodged FFI, expect trouble. P.M. spent in crawling about in mud & snow. Watched demo squad scale walls, fences & get thro’ barbed wire. Wrote to Grandma. Received expected letter from my beloved June. Replied. Did 1hr shorthand.
THURSDAY 2
Pretty easy day. Some ‘Observations’ this morning, & pay parade P.M. £4-4-0. Did nowt else. Got a pillow slip. We have no sheets here. Evening spent in composing & writing a letter to Wooly’s girl. She has to choose between her family or him. Made it a very formal type, but put the point. He’s very worried, & I asked her to let him know where he stands.
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MARCH 1944
FRIDAY 3
Room orderly today. Took 2hrs. to clean & tidy up the room. Went to Driffield 1400. Bought blanket & sent it off to June. Wrote her a letter too. Wrote home, sent £1-6-0. Back for tea, letter from Wilf.
SATURDAY 4
Did some bayonet practice, in the snow 10-1100. Shown film on night patrolling. P.M. Told we’re on a night op. tonite. Me as 2 1/2 Platoon. Had a look at the ground 15-1600. Marched off 1945. Op started 2010hrs. Three patrols. I just hopped around independently. Fresh fall of snow, but warmer than expected. Finished 2120. Quite good.
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MARCH 1944
SUNDAY 5
Paraded 0900 for Bull Parade:-Cancelled 1015 drew 2nd pr. of denims & webbing. P.M. went round the obstacle course, - rehearsal for A.V.M. tomorrow. Finished 1500hrs.
Wrote to June after tea.
MONDAY 6
1030-1200 visit by A.V.M. Parade, pep talk etc, then did ob. course. Seemed quite strange, everyone so busy, bags of activity. Had afternoon off. Didn’t go out as my crew is Town Patrol tonight. Received a letter from June. Phoned home 1910hrs. T.P 2030-2330. Spent most of the time in fish shop & station waiting room. In bed 2359hrs.
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MARCH 1944
TUESDAY 7
Went to [deleted] Middleton [/deleted] Millington by coach. 2 mile march across fields, -muddy, & snow. Went around the course, under two culverts, & thro’ a filled ditch; fell into the first stream, soaked to the waist. Water cold. Plenty of mud about. Had a hot bath as soon as we got back. Warm enough going round the course, altho’ wet, but got cold in the bus. Wrote to my darling after tea. 7 pages, for a change.
WEDNESDAY 8
0815 went sick. Right hand hurt during yesterday’s exercises. Told its only bruised. Stiff & sore. Stayed in billet rest of morning. P.M. “House clearing”. Quite good fun. Shown a couple of short films. Elementary map-reading, & a tactical film. Wrote to Stan after tea. Still doing shorthand, going rather heavy. Told that Charlton & Avery have been killed with crews. Avery crashed at night!!!
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MARCH 1944
THURSDAY 9
A.M. ‘Battle Drill’:- stupid. Saw POW film “Information Please” very good. P.M. Playing at soldiers again. More water & mud. Sun out, quite warm. Received letter from my darling. Wrote to Harold & June. Dreaming of her last night, nothing unusual. Saw her very clearly.
FRIDAY 10
Dreaming of June again, dreamt we were married, 2nd in succession. On a scheme today. Dumped 2m South of Brid., with 2 gunners. Had dinner at Sgts. Mess Lisset. Just walked in & took it. Got lift home via Cornaby. Bags of cheek used. Really enjoyed it. Lovely day. Got a letter from Stan, replied.
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MARCH 1944
SATURDAY 11
Wood-clearing this A.M. Square bashing stupid, but actual clearing interesting. Blanks, smoke & thunder flashes used. P.M. Went over the Assault course. Piece of cake compared to Millington. Finished by 1530. Had another bath, 3rd in a week. Wrote to June this evening.
SUNDAY 12
Our turn at sentries while ‘N’ Course did the small ramble. Truck broke down just after we left. On a control point from 1150-1430. A bind, weather squally. Dinner 1630, ropey. Didn’t do any [diagram shorthand] tonite. Wrote home. [Diagram shorthand] heavy. Needs two to learn it properly.
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MARCH 1944
MONDAY 13
Rifle Lec. & cleaning until 1100. Then a talk about the 8th Army in Libya, by one who was there. Very interesting. P.M. Briefed for tonite’s ‘Ramble’. Received a letter from Harold; also one from my angel. 1800 left camp in bus. Dropped at 1940hrs. 7ms. N. of Scarb. Walked it by 2145.
In an open goods wagon 2230-2330, then went into guards van. Very cold. With Wooly & Denton.
TUESDAY 14
0230 got up, all 3 of us frozen. Walked about until 0400. Snoozed on some benches until 0600. 0640 on Scarb. Stn:- no tickets. Left 0730, at D. 0850. Jumped the fence in camp 0830. Very dirty, had cleanup. In Brid. 1500. Got a bed cover 27/0 sent it to June. Received letters from Wilf & Stan. Intended writing letters after supper, too tired. Wrote to June at mid-day.
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MARCH 1944
WEDNESDAY 15
Room orderly. Wrote to June, received one from her. Am posted to [underlined] Rufforth. [/underlined] Would like to see June again, her letters make me a bit lovesick. Got laundry from Harold at last. Went to Ensa show 2000hrs. Ropey & corny,- very poor. Finished packing. This included a blanket. I have to pay for gloves lost in prang, so will have it back this way.
THURSDAY 16
Up 0550. Left 0800. Got to Rufforth 1330hrs. P.M. spent cleaning up hut & self. Wrote home, to Harold & Stan. Food today very good egg & chips for tea. All crew in same Hut.
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MARCH 1944
FRIDAY 17
Running around with Arr. Chit all day. C.G.I. talk 0910hrs. Paid £4-4-0 1100. Saw training report from O.T.U.:- Slow, nervous, sound; not dangerous. Not firm enough with crew. Recmd. for commission at a later date. All rest of the crew in York this evening. Wrote to Wilf. Wish I could see June again. Literally my heart aches for her. Sent £1 home. Also 1/8d for ‘phone call.
SATURDAY 18
Finished off Arr. Chit. Had a look round a Hally. P.M. Met my F/E. Spent rest of afternoon in various Hallys. He seems to know his gen. A Newcastle chap, under 21 yrs. We are a kindergarten crew, only 2 being over 21:- W/OP & M/UG. a/c is quite spacious & clean inside. Think I’ll like it. Received a letter from my darling, replied.
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MARCH 1944
SUNDAY 19
At school all day. A.M:- did the petrol system of the Hally; P.M. the Messien Hyd. System. Nothing else doing until bed 2115.
MONDAY 20
Did Dowty Hyd. System, cooling system & carb. today. Heard that we go into Flights on Wed. or Thurs. Not known if 2nd Dickie trip are still going; hope so. Took laundry into York 1820, inc. 15 collars from rest of crew. Looked in a dance on camp 2130, discouraging, left 2230.
Food is very good here, so far anyway.
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MARCH 1944
TUESDAY 21
School again all day; engine handling limits, George etc. Got battle dress changed at last. 1620 got a lift into York with Dud. Bought a brevet [deleted] 2/ [/deleted] 2/6d. Had tea at Betty’s. Dud paid (7/-) Went to flick “Jane Eyre”. Heavy. Back 2230. Sewed on badge & tapes. In bed 2330. Started a letter to June in cinema.
WEDNESDAY 22
School A.M. Pneumatic system. P.M. Collected 3 oranges for each of the crew. Did a tour of a/c with F/E. until 1600hrs. Received mail from Stan, Home, & my beloved June. In it she writes “I Love You”, I know it, & it is the most beautiful knowledge in the world, to know that I’m loved by the one I love. And I love her with all my heart & soul.
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MARCH 1944
THURSDAY 23
Not much doing. AM Had Int. Lec. on evasion. P.M. Got Lockers & Harness for all the crew. In ‘D’ Flt. now. Asked for it as F/O Wilson, a screen, was Woolly’s Pilot on Ops. Wrote to Stan.
FRIDAY 24
Didn’t fly today. AM Hanging about, read flight orders. P.M. did 1/2 hr. dinghy drill. Posted blanket home. Also wrote. Received shirt from Mum. See that we’re down for flying tomorrow, 1st detail. 73 a/c lost in raid on Berlin.
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MARCH 1944
SATURDAY 25
Up 0620. Got rest of crew out. Airborne soon after 0830. Did stalls, 3 eng flying, C&B’s. T-O awkward, bumps easier than expected Vis. lousy. Couldn’t see the drome on the circuit 1100 landed. 1140 got gauntlets replaced free, CIV action. Didn’t think I would. P.M. D.D, ‘Chute D. & some turret manip. 1910 hrs. observe a large force of Heavies going S. Received letter from June, replied.
SUNDAY 26
AM spent mainly in a/c rec. room. Was to fly 1300 hrs. but scrubbed. Did a tour of a/c with a screen. F/E 1430-1530. Wrote to Grandma & June. June’s letter wasn’t so good, not much to write about. Planes last night raided N. France, 1 lost.
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MARCH 1944
MONDAY 27
Killing time most of the day. Beautiful day; no flying. Asked for a 48 “No! Well, come again tomorrow”. Said I wanted to make final preps for my wedding. FLT/Cmd, was married last week so have him biased. In York 1830. Got laundry, spent rest of time with Dud. in Library & TOCH. Very nice young lady serving. Almost as good as June. Wrote to Harold.
TUESDAY 28
0800 asked again for 48. OK. Made out pass. Left 1215 hrs. Got a lift to York, left on 1440 train. Kings + 1910. At no. 89 2025 hrs. Is good to see Her again. She finished my last photos. A couple of nights ago, I asked God if I could see June again soon. It seemed impossible at the time. My prayer was answered quickly. Left her 2230.
[Page break]
MARCH 1944
WEDNESDAY 29
Took June to work. Spent morning enquiring about catering & taxis for the wedding. Met June 1700. 1930 saw vicar of St. John’s Church & put up the banns. Left him 2030. At no. 89 rest of the evening until 2220. June a little unwell. Pay Parade at 1100hrs. in camp.
THURSDAY 30
Took cycle to Ks.+. Met June 1230hrs She took the P.M. off from work. Walked round home, picked up money & resp. case. Walked about until 1640. At flick 0 A.Askey – 1740-2025. Stood outside her house until 2055. About the only chance I ever have of having her to myself. At Ks.+ 2214. Just missed 2215 train, got 2315. (Gave June a little talk, in case I am a bit overdue sometime}
[Page break]
MARCH-APRIL 1944
FRIDAY 31
At camp 0530. Hut locked crew away, app. A 48. Reg my bike, got it stamped & painted. Received letters from Wilf & Harold. P.M. Stooging about, tried vainly to get the stove going. Replied to Wilf & Harold. Not much to do; crew on a 48 too. until tonight. Wish I’d known. My thoughts constantly of my beloved. It hardly seems possible that my ideal girl actually loves me, & will soon be my wife. (RAF lost 96 last night)
SATURDAY 1 APRIL
Playing around with a sextant up to 1100’. Link until 1145:- ‘K’ Test, O.K. Flying 1530-1800. Was lousy. Not done so badly since grading school. Twice failed to T-O, due to swing. Landings terrible. Harold came up, met me 1800 at Dispersal. Slept in our Hut. He has bags of stuff for me to collect. Wrote to June, sent £4; proceeds of the sale of a pocket watch.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
SUNDAY 2
Weather very poor. No flying. Went to York Stn. with Harold. Got lifts both ways. He got train 1537, first stop N’castle. Wrote to my darling after tea.
MONDAY 3
Spent morning in billet. Still raining. Link 1500. Long 8. Duff. Wrote a short letter to Stan. Received one from him.
Camp very muddy.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
TUESDAY 4
AM:- Up 0830, still raining. Did Gee 0930-1145. P.M. In Nav-Section with Dud. Raining all day.
WEDNESDAY 5
Hanging about all day, in case we [underlined] might [/underlined] fly. Made arrangements for a postal course on Diesel engines. Evening spent in billet receiving advice (?) on how to run my married life. 2145 borrowed some coak from compound, with Dud. No mail from June sine my 48.???? Wrote to Harold.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
THURSDAY 6
Hanging about all morning. P.M. Wrote to June, sent £3-10/- to replace that borrowed on 48. Went into York 1620. Had tea, - stung 1/8d for a fishcake (?) & mash. Went to flicks “Miracle of Morgans Creek”, quite good. Rather lonesome, on my own.
FRIDAY 7
Up 0630 for first detail, didn’t fly. P.M. 1330 Link, - good. In billet rest of the afternoon. Received mail from June, Stan & Harold. The W/OP in trouble with his girl, crew composed a letter to her, all signed.
Wrote home, & to June.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
SATURDAY 8
Did a spot of D. Drill, & T-manip. On first detail again, didn’t fly. P.M. kept hanging about. 1545hrs. told we’d fly at 1630. 1640:- a/c U/S, no flying. Cheeses us off. Beautiful day. Wrote to Stan. 1130hrs suggested a couple of ideas re D.Drill to C.G.I. Good view taken. Dreamed last night that my wedding date would be July 4th ????
SUNDAY 9
Went sick 0845. Want to make sure I’ve not got T.B. Get X ray tomorrow. Have had a bad cough for the past week, & bags of phlegm. P.M. In billet rdg. Pilot Notes. Evening spent mainly in telling very old & very weak cracks. Crew composing a letter to “Daily Mirror” re reports of pilots feats in papers, & no mention of the rest of the crew.
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APRIL 1944
MONDAY 10
Solo-ed 1020hrs. in the Halifax. Flying & landings much better. 2 Solo lndgs. best ever. Vis very poor. Did 4 circuits before making the first landing. Can’t taxy for nuts. P.M. Had chest X ray. Just to make sure I’ve not got T.B. when I marry. Am O.K. Bomber Stream going over 2100 hrs onwards. Wrote to my darling. Also to Harold.
TUESDAY 11
Vis poor. Flew 1030-1330. Bad weather C&Bs. Rate 2 turns at 3-500ft. Did 1.25 solo. O.K. More or less map-read round the circuit. Landings all very good. Raining hard after 1500hrs. Received a letter from June. Last night we lost 22 a/c. Replied to June.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
WEDNESDAY 12
No flying for us today. On “[deleted] seff [/deleted] Self Help” 1015-1500,- Cycle mechanics. P.M. Got washed etc by 1530, forgot it was half day closing. Seem to be suffering from bridegrooms nerves, somewhat. Phoned home, spoke to Stan, asked Pop to ask June to ‘phone me. No call by 2045.
THURSDAY 13
Went sick this morning just to tell the M.O. I’m O.K. Got away at 1100hrs. Only saw him for a min. 1130 told I’m flying at 1300hrs. 1300 airborne. Did 3-eng. flying at Holme. Solo 1445. On 2nd circuit P. Outer packed up, so made a pukka 3-eng. lndg. Flew back to base OK. A prang during the night. Only R/G got out alive. Wrote to Stan .
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
FRIDAY 14
Paid 0930. £4/2/-. Had a look at the airborne lifeboat, for the rest of the morning. Didn’t fly today. Took cycle into York for repair. Bought a 5 watt bulb & a bottle of Vol-par gels;- for my wedding night. Went to flicks with Ron & Phil, “The girls he left behind him”:- stupid & boring. Wanted to get drunk, not time. My mind having a terrific fight with itself. Had photo taken 1700hrs.
SATURDAY 15
Got up to find my wallet & this diary missing. Most huts cleaned out during the night by some swine. Got wallet & diary back, only £5 from wallet lost. Have been saving hard. Might have been worse. Mad. Didn’t fly today. [Underlined] Stan [/underlined came up 1500hrs. Went into York. Nothing doing. Feet sore,- we walked back.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
SUNDAY 16
Wrote to June after tea.
Feet like balloons. Phoned Met 0700 to see if we’d fly at 0830. “No”! Stan left 1000hrs. 1400 told we’d fly at 1700. Then told “sometime before darkness.” 1815 scrubbed. Day utterly wasted. Something is wrong with me. Am constantly analysing myself. Even doubting my love for June! Oh God, what is wrong with me? Do want, in fact [underlined] must [/underlined] see her soon; I do love her so; but why this battle in my mind.
MONDAY 17
Didn’t do much A.M. PM:- 1410 airborne. Did climb,- to 18,600ft a/c ceiling. Should’ve been 20,000. Did A/sea firing 5-600ft. SBA on Riccal’s Beam. Down 1730. Good landing. Received letters from Wilf & my darling. Feel [underlined] much [/underlined] better. I know again I love her. She’s absolutely a perfect angel.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
TUESDAY 18
No flying this morning. POW talk & film 1400-1530. Airborne 1630 with F/L Hartley. S.Ts. 2 eng. flying, Corkscrews. Am too gentle with the a/c. Controls were very stiff. 1830-2000 Solo, repeat exercises O.K. Egg & chip supper 2045.
Got a bottle of gin from mess 21.30. 28/-.
WEDNESDAY 19
Nothing doing this morning. 1100hrs told we could have the afternoon off. 1200 told to report at 1400hrs. Raining 1400, all details scrubbed. Then impossible to get to Blyth. Too disgusted for words.
Wrote to my beloved 1700hrs. No doubts now. Don’t know what was wrong with me. Wrote home at mid-day.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
THURSDAY 20
Airborne 0845-1145. Air/Sea firing too cloudy for bombing. 1200 made up 4 Log-books of the crew who pranged last week. Got 1420 to Newcastle. At Blyth 1740. Got stuff from Harold, & left 1915. Got vest & pants, two towels, handkerchiefs, & a few oddments inc. 5/- of sweets. Left for York 22.35, after ‘phoning home, & writing to June.
FRIDAY 21
Arr. York 0055. In bed 0205. On 1st detail. Dual F/A. Didn’t touch controls, felt sick. Afternoon spent in a/c with Geordy. Received expected letter from my darling.
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APRIL 1944
SATURDAY 22
Airborne 0855. F/A 0930-100hrs. Bombing 1100hrs. at Elam. Hd. Dropped two bombs, didn’t see them go off. B/Sight U/S, so came back. P.M. collected cycle & photoes from York. Photo is about the best I’ve had taken;- & is out of focus!! N/F tonite. A/B 2135. Went to Poc. Sent solo after 5 C&Bs. Very bad lndgs. Swung of rnwy 2355. Thought the u/c had gone. Not a very successful day.
SUNDAY 23
In bed 0230. Up 1030. Down to fly 1400. No a/c. Wrote to my beloved. C&Bs 2230. Check dual, then solo. Lndgs improved steadily. Dropped heavily on the last one tho’. Had “O” again. A bastard a/c. Everything in it stiff & awkward. Didn’t leave the circuit. Did 3hrs all told.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
MONDAY 24
Landed 0130. In bed 0235. Up 1115. Got letters from Stan & Harold. Sent box of sweets to June. A/B 1630. Bombing 1700. 3 sticks of 3, should’ve been singles. Very bumpy. Did a bit of SBA. Made a wizard landing 1830. Hard work, flying today. Wrote a short letter to Harold. Made up a parcel, inc. the Gin, to send home to myself.
TUESDAY 25
Made up Log-Books. 1115 told we do a X-C this P.M. Briefing 1130. A/B 1410. Flew at 13-14000ft. instead of 20,000. Bombed at St. Tudwalls. B/Sight U/S again. Drift & s/angle mixed up. Gave B/A & R/G some dual. Also used George. Back 1930. Bad swing on lndg. Finished up going backwards. U/C O.K. tho’ I think.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
WEDNESDAY 26
Got up 1115 hrs. On N/X-C tonite. Wrote a short letter to my darling. Briefed 1600hrs. In a/c 2000, & took off 2101.5. S/B dead on time 2133hrs. Went North to Stirling, S. to Fishguard & E. to Ely. 5.25 hrs. all told. Target Seagull Isles. We were a couple of mins late. No T.Is. seen at all. Very poor show. Wizard navigation by Dud. No George fitted. Chewed one piece of gum for the whole trip.
THURSDAY 27
Landed 0225. Good landing. Interrogated, had supper, in bed 0415, up 1200. Got a letter from June. She sounds cheesed off. Hope to get a 48 this weekend. 1400 hrs. told we can have off to 0800 Sat. Got 14.51 from York. Saw June 2035hrs. I’m too thankful for words.
[Page break]
APRIL 1944
FRIDAY 28
At No. 89 1105hrs. With June all day. Did some shopping, then went to flicks 1600. Not very keen, but June wanted to see the film. “Cross of Lorraine”. All doubts about my Love for her gone!! Saw her wedding dress. Very good. Am so thankful to God for being able to see her, even if only for a few hrs. She sent me a photo last Mon, haven’t yet received it. Left Ks+ 2240hrs. (22.15 train)
SATURDAY 29
Arr York 0315. In bed 0400, but couldn’t sleep. ???? Must be this thing, Love. Up 0820. Spent until 1430 getting cleared. Photo not arrived. Going to 578 Sqd. Burn Nr. Selby. Could be a lot worse off. Packing most of the evening. Thinking & talking of June, just like old times I must have been nuts to doubt myself. I Love her with all my heart & soul!!
[Page break]
APRIL-MAY 1944
SUNDAY 30
Said tata to F/L Hartley 1100hrs. Spoke to Bailey. He pranged Fri nite. Hit another a/c on a Bullseye. a/c badly damaged. He crash landed on a drome. No one hurt. Flew it over Welsh Mts. Couldn’t steer it properly. Good show. He didn’t bale the crew out. I would. Left Ruff. 1507. At Burn 1630.
MONDAY 1 MAY Maureen [underlined] 8 [/underlined] yrs
Usual C.C. running about A.M. 1430 told I’m [underlined] ON. [/underlined] tonight. 2nd Joe trip. Quick work. Rather glad, didn’t fancy hanging about too long. Briefing 1800hrs. T-O 2210. Went to Malinse in Belgium. Saw a little L. & H. Flak. Saw no T.Is Lots of other a/c. Attack regarded as very poor.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
TUESDAY 2
0001hrs. Leaving T.A. Saw glow of a fire for about a minute. Landed 0200hrs. In bed 0400. Woolly flew with another crew, too. Up 1100. Wrote a short letter to Harold. Talk 1430 by P.F.F. & a Master Bomber. Was to have done conversion this P.M. but the weather stopped it,- low cloud. Wrote to my darling 2000hrs; & home. A beautiful evening re weather.
WEDNESDAY 3
Did conversion this afternoon. First landing atrocious. Swing again. Others OK. a/c very fast taxying, bags of power, climbs like a lift. Evening, went to mess dance, just to get some eats. Bed 2330. No ops on from here.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
THURSDAY 4
A.M. Got a RAF bike, & did some D.D. 49 a/c lost last night. On X-C tonight. T-O 1810 climbed to 22,000’. Highest yet. Had “Charlie”. a/c I went in to Malinse. Climbed lovely to 18,000. Very slow last 4000’. Carried 5,000lbs dummy 500’s, dumped them in the sea. No change of trim noticed. Use awful lot of fuel. Eng. Handling poor. Landed 2340hrs. Inter-com U/S on circuit, & S.O. cut for a few secs. Very glad to get down;- trembling & sweating.
FRIDAY 5
Up 1130. Weather duff. Received a letter from June; & one from Harold. In F/Cmdr’s office 14-1530, being given Ops griff. May get our leave before June 2nd. Won’t be able to get married if so. 2000hrs Saw a serious play “The Father”, by ENSA. Very good acting by the leaders.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
SATURDAY 6
F/A 1430-1450. at 9,000’. Had my RAF bike pinched. Free now till Mon. morning. Dud gone home. Haven’t the money to, or I would. Went to York, collected laundry. Back 2230 hrs.
Received Banns Certificate. Sent it home. Wrote to Harold, too.
SUNDAY 7
Got up 1130hrs. P.M. Went for a cycle stroll with Phil & Geordie 1500-1700. Beautiful day. Scenery lovely. Wish I’d been able to go home. Just the day to go for a walk with June.
Wrote to Grandma after tea.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
MONDAY 8
Didn’t do much A.M. 1400 See I’m ON tonight. Had a look over the a/c, “D”. Briefing 1830-1930. T-O 2130, after a lot of finger trouble. Target:- 3 Heavy Guns (155MM.) on French Coast. PFF on time, we dropped first bombs. Pilot very pleased, right across the markers. Some unpleasant vibrations on the way back. More finger trouble by me on the circuit. Very pleased with the bombing. [Underlined] Ht. 8,600ft. [/underlined]
TUESDAY 9
Bed 0330hrs. Received letter from June. Will not be marrying on next Leave. ON again tonight. Briefing 1830. Wrote a short letter to June. Received letter & snaps from home. Went to camp concert 2000hrs. Quite good. Snoozing 2200-2330. Egg & bacon supper 2350
[Page break]
MAY 1944
WEDNESDAY 10 Ht. 9,000’.
T-O 0145. Target:- 6 x 155MM guns at Morsalines. [Underlined] 100% HANG-UP [/underlined] Jettisoned after some difficulty. Load 16 x 500lbs. Brought one back Landed 0530, - dawn. Dropped 3’. Bed 0730. Up 1345. “Windowing” 1530-1630-. Not on tonight. Photoes taken last night very good. Made me niggly, all hanging up. P.F.F. bang on. 300x out the night before. Wrote to Stan & Home.
THURSDAY 11
Received a letter, & watch from June. [Underlined] ON [/underlined] tonight. 1000hrs paid £4/5/-. P.M. spent out at aircraft. T-O 2237. First off, dead on time. Target:- 6 guns at Trouville. Everyone late, I think. We bombed OK. 0051 1/4 hrs. Some flak about. More than I’ve seen before. R.P.M. counter of S.I. packed up 0045, approx. Ht. 10,000’ Posted watch to Wilf.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
FRIDAY 12
Landed 0240. Poor landing. Bed 0430. Up at 1200. Saw photoes 1400hrs, wizard. Best of the Squadron. Lovely picture of A/P. Some chaps [underlined] miles [/underlined] out. No ops tonight. Wrote to Stan & June.
SATURDAY 13
A.M. POW Lecture again. 1145 told we are [underlined ON [/underlined] tonight. 1430 got a couple of gadgets compasses. DI-ed. a/c after that. 1820 Ops scrubbed. Wrote to Wilf. Received another letter from my beloved. Replied, sent her the snaps.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
SUNDAY 14
No Ops tonight. P.M. Gas test, ie:- respirators. In mess rest of time. Had expected to be on tonight. Weather OK here. Wish I’d had today off, would have gone home to see my beloved.
MONDAY 15
A.M. to have done practice bombing. 0900 a/c U/S. T-O 1030. 10/10 cloud over target. Gave Phil some dual. Me very nervous as we descended thro’ cloud. Lndg ropey. P.M. went to Snaith to see P.As. 2000 at flicks in Selby. Will Hay “My Learned Friend.” Quite funny. First evening out for a long time. Received a letter from Stan.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
TUESDAY 16
A.M. No Ops, hanging about. Drew out £38 from P.O. Closed account. Received £5 from Wilf for watch. P.M. Lectures on nitrogen system; & N/F tactics by Wingco. Raining most of day. Wrote to June 2000 enclosed money order for £40. She has all the money if cart goes wrong. Received letter from H.C. & “Recorder” from home. ‘Phoned home 2040hrs.
WEDNESDAY 17
Stand down again. Raining, Met Chart looked a mess. P.M. Lockers organised. Wrote to Wilf, having received another letter today. 2000hrs. saw film “The Sky’s the Limit,” free, in camp. Walked back with LACW Doreen -? Made a date for tomorrow nite. Haven’t forgotten my darling. No danger.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
THURSDAY 18
Tried to do some bombing 1140hrs. Cloud base 1,000ft. Hopeless, sent back. Waste of time. Woolly sick. 1430 First Aid Lec. No Ops tonite. 1800 met LACW Doreen Bramley. Saw “Behind the Rising Sun” at “Ritz”. Told her at the start I’m engaged. After show, spent most of the evening talking about June. Bad manners, I guess, but its natural for me. She is not booked. Total cost of evening 3/10d Made a break, have been very fed up; I was out with June, not D.
FRIDAY 19
1040 Ops on. 1050 No Ops. 1400hrs:- on a Bullseye tonight, in “C”. Woolly sick, carrying an erk as passenger. T-O 2245. P.I packed up at 12,000ft. Returned, landed on three. My mouth parched when we got down, 2330. Last time we flew with an incomplete crew, we crashed ???? Won’t take any more pass’s. Wrote a short letter to my darling.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
SATURDAY 20
Got up 1115. Stand down. Wrote to my beloved June. News: B. Good. out last night “in very great strength”. Would have been up there if we’d had bombs on last nite Throttle rod broke, actually. 20.00hrs. Saw “The Taming of the Shrew” at camp convert hall. Very good: Shakespeare was a bit of a dirty old blighter, methinks. Most enjoyable show. Don’t expect quite so much trouble in my married life!!
SUNDAY 21
1140 A/B to do air & sea firing. 3. ATC kids as passengers. 250-500 ft. over the sea. Nearly got mixed up in the balloons at Hull, on the way in. Wizard lndg, best ever in the Hally. Absolute Feather-bed. Wrote home 1800; & to June. 2000hrs. Saw concert in camp, free. Quite good, but for a couple of stupid Waafs behind me.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
MONDAY 22
1100hrs. Natter by the Wingco, then a first aid talk by the Doc. Ops ON. Taking “C” – Charlie, not happy. P.M. D.I’d the a/c:- OK. Receive another letter from my beloved. T-O 2355, s/c 0010. Dunton sick, - temp. 101°F. Last minute panic to get another gunner. Had P/O Walker. Even less happy. We are flying with an incomplete crew [underlined] again [/underlined]!!??
TUESDAY 23
S/C 0010. D.R. Compass packed up within 15 mins! Rather bumpy. On target 0215:- Rly yards at Orleans, France. Dozens of flares. Phil could see ground detail perfectly. [Underlined] BOMBS FAILED TO RELEASE [/underlined] again. Jettisoned 6 at F.Coast. Fed up, over this. No flak or fighters near us, fortunately. Didn’t see any flak personally. Landed 0505. Bed 0700. No ops on tonight Wrote to June. We got a perfect photo of A/P.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
WEDNESDAY 24
Had haircut AM. just stooging about most of time. Ops [underlined] ON [/underlined]. In “C” again. Eric still in dock. P.M. at a/c checked bombing gear. Seems OK. Received letter from Harold, & another from my June. Have a Canadian M/UG with us tonite. T-O 1158 1/2. Had trouble with P.I. at dispersal, held us up.
THURSDAY 25
On target 0020 bombs went OK. Landed 0155. Good landing. Got up 1200 hrs. 1340 Looked at crew lists my name not up. Ops ON. Paid 4gns. 1450, then went to Blyth. Arr. 2035, Harold not in, had to leave right away. Got 2235 train back to York.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
FRIDAY 26
In bed 0530, up [deleted 20 [/deleted] 0840. Wilf here. Told I [underlined] was [/underlined] ON last nite. To Manstein. Scrubbed 2220. Saw Wingco 1000. Balled out, but not disciplined. God is with me!!!! Have missed a C.M. by skin of my teeth. Fainted in W/C office, first time in my life. Saw M.O. am OK. Bombing, (DNCO) & Air-Sea firing. 1400. Very bumpy, vis bad. Wilf went back 1400hrs. Wrote to June. Received a letter & stationery from her.
SATURDAY 27
AM. hanging about. 1100. Ops ON. PM. out at a/c. “B” Baker. T-O 0003hrs. Sun. Target:- German Camp at Bourg [inserted] Leopold [/inserted]. (Belgium) On Target 0213 1/2 hrs. Bombs went. 18x 500lbs Some flak & fighter flares. Gunners saw one a/c shot down. No incidents for us. Diverted to Silverstone. Arr 0345, landed 04.26hrs. (Sun)
[Page break
MAY 1944
SUNDAY 28
Hanging about for petrol until 1600hrs. Back at Base 1645. Had tea -ham, egg & mash, & interrogation. Showered & went to bed. No sleep for 36hrs. Wizard weather for holiday. Scorching. Too hot for work, flew back with all windows open. Eric got out of Dock.
MONDAY 29
Practice Bombing 12-1245. DCO. at last. 11,000ft. Flew in shirt sleeves. Quite a nice line in the papers about Sats. raid. Wrote home & to my beloved after tea.
Thundery in the evening. Saw film show 1930 in camp.
[Page break]
MAY 1944
TUESDAY 30
Very cloudy, colder. Crew Con, 1000-1100hrs. Ops ON. Rather surprising Met. man reckoned no. PM. Wrote a short letter to Harold. DI’d a/c. Hot again after dinner. 1800 Ops scrubbed. Not sorry. Spent evening stooging about in the mess. Will soon be holding my darling again, only a couple of days now.
WEDNESDAY 31
Ops ON tonite. P.M. at a/c as usual. T-O 2210, bang on. Had “D” Donald. Went to Trappes, near Paris. About the third a/c to bomb. Half moon, & white st. below us. Rather worrying. Got of track after bombing. Made it up OK. Some flak about. Hell of a long route back. Phil satisfied about the bombing.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
THURSDAY 1
Landed 0415. Had flown thro’ storm on the way back, as going out. Very tired (6hr trip) bad lndg. P.As didn’t turn up, got away 1420, without pay. Got a lift into Donc. & 15.56 to Ks+. Met June 2035. Left 2250 on [underlined] her [/underlined] bike. Sat up until midnight gassing & lineshooting with Pop & Mum.
FRIDAY 2
Met June 1200 & visited inst. Shop for .30 mins. Had dinner with June. Met her again 1700. Told her about LACW D.B. A dim view I fear. Went to Ritz, “The Desert Song”. Wish now I’d not taken D. out, altho’ God knows I did nothing wrong. Don’t feel very happy over it now. Left June 2330.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
SATURDAY 3
Went to a show “Panama Hattie” in the evening.
SUNDAY 4
Went to Richmond, with Ivy & boyfriend. Beautiful day. My love for June is even greater, if possible, her honesty is amazing; most profitable day, - not in money. Wizard day all round
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
MONDAY 5
Spent P.M. at Rus. Pk. With June’s aunts & uncles. I love June more than I ever dreamed possible, & she returns it in full. Used to pray to God that June would love me half as I love her. Have been answered 200%.
TUESDAY 6
Saw show “Meet me Victoria,” – Lupino Lane. Very good.
[Boxed] Troops landed on N. Coast of France. Invasion begins. [/boxed]
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
WEDNESDAY 7
Stayed in at No 89. P.M. Evening – flicks. Am sure looking forward to next Leave.
On my knees when I got to bed.
THURSDAY 8
Go back today. Left Ks+ 1730. June came up, left 1700. Met Phil, & F/S Ridell (Banff.)
June looked very good, even if a bit prim, due to her perm. I Love her more than I would have thought possible, & she returns it in full. An excellent Leave, enjoyed every minute, & learned a lot. Have no doubts about a happy married life.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
FRIDAY 9
In bed 0015. Slept solidly 8 hrs. F/S Walker & S/L Watson missing. My chiefy thro’, also Phil’s, & Woolly’s W/O. Wrote to Aunt Alice mid-day. No Ops. Wrote to June 1800 hrs. Very tired, still. Glad we aren’t on tonight. Next leave 14th July. Wedding date 15th (Sat.)
SATURDAY 10
Ops ON tonight. In L-Love, an old a/c, no API or Monica. Did .20 local flying 1210-1230, just to see if I could still fly. Cloud base 900ft. Wrote to Stan. Guess he is in the invasion, somewhere. [Underlined] Ops [/underlined] scrubbed 1915. Issued with .30 revolver.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
SUNDAY 11
Wrote to Harold. Ops [underlined] ON. [/underlined] tonight. Hung about all evening, then briefed in a terrific rush. Had a row with crew, told I’m pretty unpopular, - too bossy. Didn’t realise it. T-O 2154. Rly. yds South of Paris. Ht. 5,000ft & less. Low cloud. Made [underlined] 3 [/underlined] runs before bombing. Had “L” Love. Trip went off OK. Good landing.
MONDAY 19
Landed 0222hrs. Up 1030 & paid £7/10/- 1150hrs. Ops [underlined] ON. [/underlined] tonight. In “Z” zebra, another old a/c. Briefed 2000hrs. Changed a/c to “J” for June. T-O 2335. Went to Amiens. Bags of S/Ls. Crew saw either 5 a/c or “scarecrows” go down. Most opposition I’ve met. Did a very long steady run-up. Target seemed to be pranged OK. Phil did .30 or so flying on the way back.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
TUESDAY 13
Landed 0354. Lousy lndg. Two a/c missing. In bed 0530. No OPS tonight. 27 a/c lost last night. Wrote to Grandma to try & scrounge some clothing coupons for June. Wrote to June after tea.
Saw flicker “Lifeboat” 2100hrs., utter waste of time. Load of tripe. Straightened out a few things with Phil & Dud over my Captaincy.
WEDNESDAY 14
Ops ON tonight. Have “B” Baker, which was “L” last Sun. Replace other “B”. – lost Mon. night. Get a [underlined] new [/underlined] a/c as soon as one comes into Flight. Received letters from Harold & Wilf. Briefing,- 2000hrs. Target Douai (France) T-O 0005HRS 15-6-44. On Target 0204 1/2. Not so lively as we expected. Very few S/Ls. 10/10 cloud from Δ to E/C. wizard. Bombed from 8,000ft.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
[Underlined] cont. [/underlined]
THURSDAY 15
Ron saw bombs burst 0205. Near T.Is. Landed 0400hrs. Received letter from my darling. 1200hrs. told we T-O 1700 for [underlined] daylight [/underlined] Op. 1400hrs. cancelled. Briefed 1830. At a/c 2030. S.O. U/S Revs. stuck at fully fine. [Underlined] OP scrubbed. [/underlined] for us. Annoying, but wrote to June 2220-2320 Target for tonight:-fuel dump near Rennes, (France.)
FRIDAY 16
Got up 1100hrs. Stand down. Target was well pranged last night. Jerry crashing pilotless a/c with 2,000lbs bomb on each, on London at a rate of 9 per Hour. Feel mad at this, worried for June. 1800 Went to flicks in Selby, then met Phil & Geordy in Y.M. Back in camp 2230.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
SATURDAY 17
Up 0930. Getting quite lazy. Ops ON. Ron on a 36 to go to his brothers wedding. Taking a W.O. W/OP tonight. Received a letter from June, & invite card for crew to wedding. P.M. at a/c. T-O 2315 HRS. Target:- supply dump at St. Martins L’Hortier ([deleted] F [/deleted]) 10/10 over target. Bombed glow of T.Is. Not permitted to go down. Got over London, outwards. Raid on, lots of flak; thinking of June. Very quiet trip otherwise.
SUNDAY 18
Landed 0320hrs. Bed 0500. Ops [underlined] ON [/underlined] tonight. Saw photo of last nite. Lovely picture of 10/10 st.cu. Briefed 2015. Ops scrubbed 2215. Had supper tho’. Can’t get to sleep before about 1.AM when we don’t operate.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
MONDAY 19
Ops [underlined] ON [/underlined] tonite. P.M. API fitted to Baker. Very pleased. Cleaned the Perspex of my cabin. Briefed 2000hrs. Target:- A [deleted] roc [/deleted] flying bomb installation in France. 2145 [underlined] OP scrubbed [/underlined] as we were ready to go to a/c. Scoffed the rationed. Very annoyed as these bombs have become a personal matter.
TUESDAY 20
OPS ON. Conference 1500. Told to stand by something big on!! 1830 another con. No gen, - go to bed & get some sleep. 2200 a/c loaded with I.Bs. Overload tank on. Told we T-O at 0600HRS. ???? Norway?? Bed 2200hrs. Received letters from Stan & H.C. Replied to Stan. Grandma has sent June 10 clothing coupons.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
WEDNESDAY 21
Crew Conf.1000hrs. Told we were to have gone to BERLIN, on target 1035hrs. Weather stopped it. To have been 2,500 bombers, & 1,500 fighters. Briefed 1400 for daylight over France. At a/c, at the ready till 1700. 1800 hrs. scrubbed. Everyone fed up. Bombload had been changed three times in two days. Received letter from June. 25 days to go now.
THURSDAY 22
OPS on [underlined] TODAY. [/underlined] T-O 1320. Target:- a doodle bug Ramp in France:- Siracourt. 18,000ft. Some accurate flak at F/coast. In first 5, with Wingco. In a pack, not formation. Went over Brentwood, saw Romford. Hundred [deleted] s of [/deleted] planes on. Back 1720. No fighters seen, ours [underlined] or [/underlined] jerry’s. A Tempest formated on us just after Reading on last leg. Letter from Stan. Wrote to June, sent £3 for her birthday. [Boxed] 13th trip [/boxed]
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
FRIDAY 23
Saw photo of yesterday’s do. Plotted as Sqdn’s 2nd best. Ground staff gave us a small piece of flak, from P.I. No damage. Briefed 1800 after some flapping. Sent card to June, for Mon. T-O 2256 after some bother with S.I. Flew down Eng. in formation. Op. Ht. 17,000ft. Target:- doodle-bug site at Oisemant. Very bumpy, - high concentration of both a/c & bombs. Target pranged. B Baker not fast enough for me, over 10,000ft.
SATURDAY 24
Landed (?) 0240:-Lousy. OPS. ON. Tonight. Briefing 1900hrs. Got wizard photo last night. Bombx plotted as straddling A/P. Target tonight:- P.Plane base at Rossignol. (France) A.P.I. went wrong. met. winds all to cock. Ht. 17,000ft 8 mins late on target. Everyone late. Very poor trip, all round. Wrote home. [Deleted] Rotten [/deleted]
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
SUNDAY 25
Landed 0440. Lousy. Bed 0600-1400. Saw photo:- one little T.I. in corner. Later plotted OK. Stand down. Wrote to “Winston Hotel“ Picc. to book room for our wedding night. Bed 2000hrs.
[Deleted] Wrot [/deleted]
MONDAY 26 June is 22yrs today.
Weather lousy. Stand down. Read complete novel “Four Just Men”. Wrote to Grandma. Received a letter from June. Flickers in mess 2000hrs. “George Washington slept here”. Very funny. Ideal way of seeing a film, in a armchair, with a glass of cider. All I needed to improve it, was June.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
TUESDAY 27
Up 0615. Briefed 0915 after 1 1/2 hrs wait. T-O 1140hrs. Went to big doodle-bug place between Calais & Boulogne. Ht. 17,000ft. Lot of Cu. Pitot head froze up at one time. Cabin frosted. Back 1448, cut up on the circuit. Made me so mad, Some guys should learn to fly. Have to stand by for Ops [underlined] tonight. [/underlined] Bed 2130. Received letter from Stan.
WEDNESDAY 28
Up 0030. Briefed 0130 & Meal 0300. T-O 0520. France again. T.O.T 0720. Bombs from Q nearly hit us. Too close for me. Shook me up. Landed 0855. Had a much needed shower; & bed 1200. Slept till 1930. Wrote to my darling.
[Page break]
JUNE 1944
THURSDAY 29
My crew stood down today. Ops [underlined] ON. [/underlined] Went to Snaith PM. saw Pay Accounts get 10gns. next Pay day. Back 1615. Diesel engine text book arrived. Wrote home. 2115. Wrote to my darling. Only a fortnight to go now, am counting the days.
Received a letter from June.
FRIDAY 30
Briefing 1530. T-O 1745. Target:- Villers-Bocage, France. 3 panzer divs. to be smashed. Biggest armada I’ve ever seen, Lancs & Hallys everywhere. Target obliterated. Told there was 250 a/c on the target. Seemed more. Most impressive. Glad to help the poor B.I. Geordie saw the bombs hit – bang on. No trouble.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
SATURDAY 1
Ops ON. Briefed 1200hrs. First a/c off, -us – 1530hrs. P. Plane base at Ouisement (see 23-6-44) We were bang on time, all others early. Very lonely, but some fighters kept us company on the way back. Bombed visually, about the only ones who did. Got letter from Winston Hotel, room reserved OK. Trip today quite good.
SUNDAY 2
OPS on. Scrubbed 1300hrs. Crew Con. 14.30-1530. Wrote to my darling. Did first part of Diesel course. Wrote to Stan. Weather lousy. GOT SHEETS at last.
(Note in 1987. These sheets were for June & me. Such things were [underlined] very [/underlined] difficult to obtain in 1944).
[Page break]
JULY 1944
MONDAY 3
Weather still duff. Briefing put back twice during the day.
Op scrubbed 1800, everyone having got dressed. Wrote to Harold. Received a letter from June. Roll on the 15th.
TUESDAY 4
OPS ON. T-O 1210: target P.Plane at St. Martin’s L’Hotier again. Hit by flak just as B/Ds opened. A.H knocked out & all suction gone;- no D.I. or T&B. Flew visually. S.O. packed up over Farnboro’. 10/10 Cu. except for a fair sized “chimney”. Descended, & landed at F. on 3. Phoned WIllky OK 1500. Landed 1515. Meal ready for us, & beds. Met [underlined] Riddell, [/underlined] spent night at his billet.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
WEDNESDAY 5
Damage assessed;- will take a week to repair. Left 1500, smart work. In London 1700. At No. 89 1815. So glad to see June, even if only for 2hrs. P.Planes busy, causes me a bit of worry. Phoned RTO & booked seats on 2315 train. Left R. 2100hrs. & got train OK. Borrowed £1-0-8d from my darling.
THURSDAY 6
Got to camp eventually at 1100hrs. De-briefed. Saw Adj; to see W/C, & asked if I wanted a commission. Given the bumpff. Think Dud is to get one, too. Received a total of [underlined] 6 [/underlined] letters, including one from June, & the Hotel. Wrote to my darling. [Deleted] Sent telegram to H. [/deleted]
[Page break]
JULY 1944
FRIDAY 7
Hanging about all day. Wrote out a report about our damage. Briefing 1930hrs. Target:- Nantes, near St. Nazire. Scrubbed 2100hrs. Posted letter to June, sent £9. Had 6 tries to see the Adj today, re the com. bumpf. Sent telegram to Harold re wedding.
SATURDAY 8
Papers checked by Adj. Ops on. Hanging about all day waiting for times of M.B etc. Finally postponed indefinitely. Wrote home. Received parcel from Harold:- 2 towels; 2 pr sox, vest & pants; very pleased.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
SUNDAY 9
Ops ON. Briefing 0900. T-O 1108hrs. Target Les Cotelliers flying bomb base. Some trouble finding target. Stooged around for 5-10 mins before finding it. Very bad flying weather over England. In cloud all the way with rain & ice. My 21st Op. 2000hrs. saw concert on camp by camp personnel quite enjoyable.
MONDAY 10
Stooged about all morning. Ops. ON. In L. Crew Conf. 1430. FP 1500 MB 1530. Target N.W of Paris. Ops scrubbed 1800 hrs. In billet most of the evening, being sketched by Joe.
Received a letter from my beloved, replied. Wired Stan & Wilf.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
TUESDAY 11
Ops ON. FP1400. At a/c 1500. Op postponed 1505. Back at a/c again 1640. Scrubbed 1645. Letter from Grandad;- won’t be at wedding. Disappointed. So many people have let us down, it makes me feel ill. June’s efforts wasted. She’s worked so hard, & now for so little. Feel pretty miserable. Had wire from Wilf:- nogo either.
WEDNESDAY 12
Ops ON. Mucking about all day, getting some M.T. hrs in. T-O 1805. Went to [deleted] the [/deleted] “Thrivern” near Paris. 200 a/c. very good concentration. Bombed on gee. Had a shell burst a few feet under the tail, hell of a bang. Three holes in skin of a/c:- one bit of flak. No one hurt. Landed 2240. Not a bad landing.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
THURSDAY 13
At Snaith PAs. 0910. Paid £9. Packed up & away 1200hrs. Raining. Got 15.50 train from Donc. Romford 2030. Met Stan at No. 89. June round home. Met her at home 2200. Lovely as ever. Not the slightest doubt!! Have done pretty well in presents it seems.
FRIDAY 14
Shopping this AM. Got officer type F.S. cap. Fixed taxis, etc. Blew £5 or so. Received £4 from Wilf. P.M. Ironing & pressing. At No 89 18.30. Saw June once or twice. Played darts for quite a while. Saw some of our presents. Amazed, they are wizard. Saw cake. Shook me rigid, better than I’d dared hope.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
SATURDAY 15
[Underlined] Our Wedding Day [/underlined]
Married [inserted] at [/inserted] St. John’s Church 2P.M. Very good Service, everything O.K. Went off 90% perfect. Very pleased, & fully satisfied. Stan made it. Joe Best Man.
SUNDAY 16
Arrived Marlow 1415 hrs for our honeymoon.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
MONDAY 17
Went to Windsor.
TUESDAY 18
Reading.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
WEDNESDAY 19
Henley.
THURSDAY 20
Came back.
Honeymoon 80% perfect. Weather beautiful, like June.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
FRIDAY 21
Back at camp 0815. [Underlined] 6 [/underlined] a/c lost last night. Harrison & Coture included. Shaken me. No Ops. Went to Snaith 1500 to see about an allowance for June. Very tired, bed 1930. Weather:- dull & windy.
SATURDAY 22
No Ops. F/A 11-1200. Lovely above the clouds. Feel quite happy. Evasive action leaves room for improvement. Wrote to my beloved 1530hrs. Evening:- posted June’s letter, saw flick “Quiet Wedding”:- June looked better than the film bride. In Y.M 2030-2130. Not exactly an exciting evening.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
SUNDAY 23
OPS ON. Briefed 1845. Target:- KIEL, Germany. T-O 2250, Joe all but forgot dividers & prot. T.O.T. 0120. 10/10 Stcu all the way. Saw the Town by a flash once. As expected, opposition rather heavy. Lots of flak;- 2 very close; no fighters. Saw an a/c on fire over the sea, on the way back, it went down after 2 or 3 mins. 6 a/c lost.
MONDAY 24
Landed 0405. Not a bad landing. Bed 0600-1300. Ops ON. a/c “C” fitted with wing [underlined] and [/underlined] belly overload tanks. 2000-odd galls. Target:- STUTTGART. T-O 2140hrs. T.O.T 0150. Easier trip than expected. Bomb-load 9 x 500lbs. Saw a He 111 & a S/E a/c. One a/c went down over T/A.
The KIEL raid is being plugged heavily by radio. [deleted] in papers [/deleted] No mail from my darling.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
TUESDAY 25
Landed 0540hrs. 8hr. trip. Very tired. Bed 0700-1500. Stand down. Got a letter from my beloved June. RAF lost 25 a/c last night. T.O & landed in daylight. MUG oxygen U/S, Geordie managed to improvise. Turret half U/S. 2 mins from Δ. R/Turret motor burnt out.
Wrote to June.
WEDNESDAY 26
No OPS. Nothing much doing. Have stirred up the Int. section this last day or so over the lack of security on camp. Have found out that it was pretty common knowledge about the Stuttgart raid. Shook me.
Wrote to Wilf.
[Page break]
JULY 1944
THURSDAY 27
Nothing doing. Stand by all day. Wrote to Aunt Alice.
FRIDAY 28
Up 0200. Briefing 0230. Op scrubbed 0600. Asleep till 1100. Briefed again 1400. T-O 1630. Target:- a forest in France, contents unknown, but very important. Bombed visually, led in by 2 mossys. Strip torn off me for being ahead of Sqdn. Only a/c on time at C.P.
No mail from June. Got a 21st card from “Mum & Dad” but has June’s handwriting??
[Page break]
JULY 1944
SATURDAY 29
OPS. ON. Got up 1000hrs. Briefed 1500HRS. Wrote to my darling; received a letter from her. T-O 1802. Target same as yesterday. Foret de Niepe. P.O. packed up at 9,500ft on climb. Flew 70 miles out to sea & dumped bombs. Landed OK [deleted] 9 [/deleted] 1947hrs.
SUNDAY 30
Am 21 yrs. today. No Ops. Did air test in Baker 1600HRS. New P.O. Main bearings packed up yesterday. Wrote to my darling; & home. Got a parcel from mess bar containing 3 birthday cards. From June, Her Mum, & Stan.
2130hrs went to Station dance & got a little merry. Not drunk.
[Page break]
JULY-AUGUST 1944
MONDAY 31
No Ops. Hanging about most of the time waiting for gen. Received stationery & wedding snaps from my darling. Wrote her another letter. In good form lately.
Evening did a spot of swotting on the diesel engine.
TUESDAY 1 AUG.
OPS ON. Nothing much doing A.M. Briefed 1630. At a/c 1830. Tried to T-O. swung off runway. Checked engines again & had another go. S.O. would give only 1300 RPM. Sortie abandoned. Cheesed off. Twice running. Sent wedding photoes back to June.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
WEDNESDAY 2
Hanging about all day. Didn’t operate.
Did a bit more reading on the diesel. Wrote to my darling again.
THURSDAY 3
Ops.ON. Took-off 1140. Target:- doodle bug site near Paris. No trouble, tho’ S.O. vibrated badly when leaving the target, for a time. Bit of H.F. quite accurate too. Didn’t touch us. ‘M’ came back with a bomb hole in his wing.
Wrote to June after tea.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
FRIDAY 4
Paid £4. 12.15hrs. Reduc. Of income tax allowed me almost pays my allowance (3/6d) to June. Very nice. No OPS. Very hot today. Went swimming in Selby baths 1630-1730. Saw flick; a Gert & Daisy film. Received a letter from Wilf.
SATURDAY 5
OPS.ON. Pulled out of bed 0715. T-O 11.17hrs. Foret de Niepe again. We were about the only a/c on track. Others seemed to be following the leaders. We ploughed our own furrow to the target. No trouble, good trip. Very hot day again, a ‘High’ almost stationary over Eng. Landed 1540.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
SUNDAY 6
OPS on. Not much doing A.M. Briefed 1530. T-O 1900. First a/c off. TOT 2101.Marshalling yard at Hazebrouck, France. Hit A/P. Bomb right across the lines! ‘B-Baker’ running beautifully. Last a/c down. Good landing. Lot of flak,- comparatively over Δ. Almost an ideal trip. Rather congested over Δ.
MONDAY 7
OPS ON. Yesterday’s photos bang on. Wrote to my darling, received a letter from her. Briefed 1600. Army support south of Caen T.O.T. 2303. One min from Δ M/B gave “Lemonade”. Cheesed off. Jettisoned bombs 10MS. W. of Cherbourg. Brought back 4 x 1,000lbs. (max.) Ailerons jammed for a couple of secs. on way out. Wrote to Wilf.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
TUESDAY 8
Bed 0230. Called 0830 – “Scramble”. Paniced for an hr. then it was scrubbed. P.M. Had a short sharp storm. Hail bigger than peas. 2000hrs. saw show on camp. Very good, but smutty at the finish.
WEDNESDAY 9
OPS.ON. Called 0730. T-O 1120. Target:- fuel dump in Foret de Mormal Wizard prang. Ron saw our bombs straddle the A/P. Getting good these days. T.O.T. 1304 hrs. In B. S.O. gave only +2 in S gear at R.B. Woolly finished now, his 30th trip today. My 30th too. Wrote to June 1940hrs.
Wrote home 2150hrs.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
THURSDAY 10
No ops. Hanging about all day. Yesterday’s photoes bang on, -as expected. Mail from June & Stan. June has furniture permits now; what a wife! Wrote to Stan.
FRIDAY 11
OPS OM. T-O eventually 1330. Target:- rly. yds. at Somaire (France) Among first to bomb. Had to dodge a load of bombs from some fool flying at 15,000. We were at 10. Have another M/UG. Cloud-hopping on the way back. Not a particularly good trip, tho’ bombs fell on target. Two bombs went safe! Load 9 x 1,000lbs, 4 x 500lbs. Received letter from June, as promised.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
SATURDAY 12
OPS ON. Briefed 1800. Target:- Opel M.T. works at Russelsheim. T-O 2120, in ‘B’. T.O.T. 0016. Training AE taken of by another a/c. Wizard fire in Target area. Seen nothing like it. 0120 both P. engines cut out at 10,000ft for 10-15 secs. Made me flap. 0130 shot up by accurate flak. P.O. U/S. Sweating & praying all the way back. Thirty or more mins to E/Coast.
SUNDAY 13
0226 Landed (?) on Woodbridge Strip. Shaken up a bit. Nerves stretched. Place well organised. Left 1530. Returning via London. Met by June & Mum & Pop at Lvrpl. St. Stn. Spent night at no. 89. Didn’t get much sleep tho’ not for lack of trying. Too much in love with my wife.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
MONDAY 14
Up [underlined] 0600 [/underlined] Ugh! At Ks+ 0840. Left 1030, in camp 1730. Two a/c were lost on Russ. Letter from June waiting for me.
TUESDAY 15
Up 0545. OPS on. T-O 1007. Target:- N/F ‘drome in Belgium – Tirlemont. Hit it. 2,000 a/c hitting N/F ‘dromes this morning.
A ‘chute -no. 13 – is missing & I’m holding the can. Wrote to June, cycled to Selby to post it 2000.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
WEDNESDAY 16
OPS on. A German target. Not at all happy. Briefed 1730. Target:- Kiel again. Very unhappy. T-O 2130. In Z Prayed all the way round. God heard me, & looked after us. Z a wizard a/c. Twice nearly hit by other a/c. Saw no fighters. Bags of flak. Two good fires going in the town. My 34th trip. Shot a line to Public Rel. Off. after de-briefing. [Underlined] Very [/underlined] glad to get to bed.
THURSDAY 17
No OPS. Paid 4gns. 1415. 1430 Crew Conf. Wrote to June & Harold. Bed 2030. Received a letter from June.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
FRIDAY 18
Mail from June & Stan. Stan going abroad soon. OPS on. Briefed 1830. [Underlined] Happy Valley [/underlined] Niggly. At a/c 2130. P.O. rev counter U/S. Bags of flap. Couldn’t put it right. Not sorry at all. OP scrubbed. Not keen on flying this side of Leave. [Underlined] Four [/underlined] a/c failed to get off.
SATURDAY 19
Got up 1130. Stand down. Good, another day nearer leave. Did some binding on on Diesel course P.M.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
SUNDAY 29
Nothing on. Raining heavily all day. Am on the hooks for a missing ‘chute. My commission thro’, w.e.f. July 28th. A couple of short plays in concert hall 2015. Passed the evening. Have got 290-odd clothing coupons.
MONDAY 21
Running around most of the morning getting Warrants for rest of crew. Had to go to Snaith. Left Doncaster 1600hrs. Ks+ 2000hrs. Met by my darling wife. Happy now.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
TUESDAY 22
Walked around Ilford most of morning looking for a tailor to make me a uniform. Nogo. P.M. Went to Moss. Bros., fitted me out in an hour. Very pleased & thankful. Met June 1700 at Ps. Weather duff, rain & drizzle all day. 1900 saw “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at Havana. Quite good.
WEDNESDAY 23
A.M. running around R. P.M. Collected uniform from Moss’s. Tea at June’s Gran’s Ilford. Weather;- hot & clear, bit muggy. Bought a canvas bag:- holdall, 56/-
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
THURSDAY 24
Did a bit of shopping A.M. P.M. & evening raining hard. Played Rummy after tea, lost 4d.
FRIDAY 25
Went up to town. Wore my nice new uniform. A snoop shook me by saluting me. Managed to cope. Saw a Deanne Durbin film, absolute bind. Bought a suit case 26/6.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
SATURDAY 26
Stayed in R. Evening spent at flickers “Up in Mabel’s Room”, very funny.
SUNDAY 27
Went to Leytonstone 1600:- foursome. Pleasant afternoon. Evening played rummy again, lost a bit more.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
MONDAY 28
Took June to work, dumped big bag at Ks+. Back home 1000, got changed, left 11.44. Dinner at ‘Super’ with my sweetheart. Left Ks+ 1600. Walked most of the way from Selby, got to camp 00.45. 29th Dog-tired, arms aching.
TUESDAY 29
First day as an officer on camp. Have [underlined] n’t [/underlined] enjoyed it. Boobed in mess several times. Handed in kit, started getting cleared. Moved to No. 4 Site. Rather a strange feeling to be called “Sir”. Received a letter from Wilf. Wrote to my beautiful wife 2000hrs.
[Page break]
AUGUST 1944
WEDNESDAY 30
No OPS. Continued a while more running round with C.Chit. 1500 Crew Conf. Wrote to Harold & Aunt Alice. Joe’s commission is now thru. Very pleased.
1900hrs. good dinner. Fish & chips very well cooked, plums for desert.
THURSDAY 31
Ops ON. but not for me, very annoyed. Down for [underlined] practice bombing [/underlined] 1500hrs. Just about the last straw!! a/c was U/S, very pleased. Wrote to June & Wilf.
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 1
No Ops today. F/A & air test 1100. In ‘B’. Carried a spare Eng. for a test for him, & a Hgte. pilot – for a ride. P.M. Standing by. Ops on & off in 5 mins. Letters from my darling, & Harold.
SATURDAY 2
OPS on. Meal 0830 F.P. 0930. Scrubbed 1330. Got rations tho’. Spent P.M. chasing round Selby & York looking for rug-canvas. Nogo. Weather lousy. 2100 Wrote to June. [circled] A5 [/circled]
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
SUNDAY 3
OPS. [underlined]] ON. [/underlined] Briefed 1030, then postponed T-O 1515. Target:- Drome at Venlo, on Belgium-German border. Opposition negligible. In ‘B’, a/c & weather both lousy. Last 50ms back Q8B 200-550ft. Diverted to Carnaby. Landed 10-15ft high. All but hit a Lanc. on the way back. Stood a/c on its tail, cleared [underlined] his [/underlined] tail by less than 10ft. Thought it’d come, so did crew. ‘Drome was very well lit.
MONDAY 4
T-O from Carnaby 11.40 without Joe. Landed at base 12.02. hrs. No mail from June, Expected some. Running around all afternoon, with very little result. 2100hrs. spoke to F-Fox’s captain. He’d stopped a shower of bombs, a 1,000lb er thro’ fuselage, belly of a/c ripped out, port tail-plane hit by another, & S. side of fuselage scraped. Very shaky do.
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
TUESDAY 5
1000hrs. natter by Winco on rubber cheques. 10.10. went sick with upset stomach & hauled into dock. Was sick twice during the night, very little sleep. Slept big part of day; wrote to June. Not a very good letter, I fear. Feel pretty ropey.
2200 hrs. Joe brought in a letter from June. Feel [underlined] much [/underlined] better.
WEDNESDAY 6
Feel OK this morning. Wrote to my darling again. Got up 14.30. Did a bit of reading on the Diesel engine. Think I’ll take it up seriously.
One of the WAAF nursing orderlies is rather frisky, today. Weather still lousy. Joe got my F603’s fixed up at Snaith. Very pleased.
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SEPTEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 7
Came out of dock 12.20.hrs. P.M. spent clearing up stores etc. Got £5 advance from P.A.s. Weather:- raining all day. Received another letter from my darling.
FRIDAY 8
Saw Doc 1000. OK. Got rest of the day off. Wrote to June. P.M. Walked round Leeds with Joe looking for rug-canvas. Nogo. Raining hard so got soaked. Back in camp 2010.
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 9
Up 0145HRS. OPS [underlined] ON. [/underlined] T-O. 0610 for Le Havre. M/B scrubbed it over Δ. 10/10 Cu. Started 5 1/2 mins late. Only 1min late at Δ. Dropped bombs in sea near a convoy. Some went off & bounced a/c. Ht. 2,300ft. Wasted effort but another one chipped off. Brought 5 x 1,000lbs S.A.P. back. Ropey landing as usual. Wrote to my beloved 1700, got 1830 post. Made a rug needle from ali tubing.
SUNDAY 10
OPS. ON. Lovely day. Briefed 1130. Le Havre again. T.O.T. 1645 1/4. Wizard bombing, terrific concentration. Our B/S U/S. Phil straddled T.I.s tho’. Very pleased with the trip. Made a good lndg. too.
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SEPTEMBER 1944
MONDAY 11
OPS. [underlined] ON. [/underlined] Briefed 1330. Target:- Gelsenchkirchen, (Ruhr). T-O 1455. T.O.T. 1830 1/2. Very heavy opposition. Flak thick enough to walk on. Saw a Hali go down, Phil saw its tail break off. I felt a bit sick;- but very busy at the time. Two other a/c seen to go down. Used ‘George’ a lot today. B/Ht 17,600ft. Made a good lndg. 2025. No mail from June?? Received a letter from Stan.
TUESDAY 12
OPS ON. T-O 1601 hrs. for Munster, B/Load 1 cookie & 3 cans of IB’s. 1830hrs S.I. oil press failed at O. Ness. E.R. rather niggly. Very good lndg. Others said trip was reasonable. Mail from June, Stan & Wilf. Wrote to June 2100. Sent off Test 4 of Diesel Course. Good chance of being screened by the 26th. Maybe 14 days. (Yesterday’s raid was very successful, our photo:- A/P bang on!!
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 13
No Ops. Hung about all morning. Did 1/2 hr “Link”:- rdg magazines. Its stupid to give us Link now. Given a handbook,- “The a/c Captain” if you please: I have two more trips to do to finish 1st tour!!! Another letter from my beloved. Heard from the Bank today. Wrote to June & Grandma.
THURSDAY 14
Am stood down today. P.M. In York with Joe. Got some writing paper:- that’s all. Looking for sack-cloth,- nogo. Back for dinner, (1900) Did a bit more of D. course. Sqdn. Recalled from OP. Target was Wilhemlshaven. Joe bought parts of a miniature radio set. Spent evening sorting it out.
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 15
Battle of Britain Day. Stood down again today. P.M. Bought some rug wool (Kt) & pinched two sandbags. Tried rug-making 1800hrs, -failure, need a pukka needle. Eric is [underlined] on [/underlined] tonight as a spare gunner.
Wrote to my loving wife 2040hrs.
OP is a night trip, not sorry I’ve missed it; getting a bit jittery.
SATURDAY 16
No OPS. My A/FO is thro. Sewed on the braid P.M. Made wire rug needle & did three hours rug-making. Result quite satisfactory, but is rather slow at present. Miss June an awful lot, a week to go. The sooner the better. OPS on at 0300 tomorrow. Clocks back an hr. BLACKOUT GOES TONIGHT.
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
SUNDAY 17
Up 0520. T-O 0909hrs. Target:- Boulougne. Bang on!!! Had trouble with S.I. Concentration dangerously thick. Saw an a/c 30ft dead above us with bombs [underlined] on [/underlined]. Moved rather smartly. He went round again. Bombing well concentrated, 3 M/Bs on, [underlined] none heard [/underlined]. Fog at base, landed as per Farnboro’ effort. P.M. Wrote to my beloved & did 3-4 hrs rugmaking. OK now.
MONDAY 18
No OPS. Received letter from June as expected. Spent afternoon rug-making again. Improving the quality now, if not the quantity. Progress satisfactory. Received a letter from Grandad;- wrote to Wilf.
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SEPTEMBER 1944
TUESDAY 19
No OPS. Again. Cheesed. Letter from Mum, replied. Cheque book from bank. 1400 at Snaith PA to query my pay. Spent rest of day to 1900hrs. rugmaking. Received another letter from my beloved; & replied. Joe’s radio working now. Am quite pleased with my rug-making, takes an awful long time to do so little tho’.
WEDNESDAY 10
No OPS [underlined] AGAIN. [/underlined] Ops on 11.00, off 12.00. My hopes went up, & down. 1400-1530hrs. buried W/C Wilkerson. He was killed in a ‘Baltimore’ several days ago. Sorry:- he gave me a break once. Could’ve broken me. Did a bit of shopping in Selby, & continued rug-making. Received another letter from my darling.
Wrote to Stan.
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SEPTEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 21
OPS ON. Briefed 1300. Target:- Bottrop (Ruhr). Scrubbed 1400, we were at a/c. Rugmaking again. P.M. Wrote to [deleted] Stan [/deleted] June.
FRIDAY 22
OPS on & off in half an hour. Same target. Rugmaking getting on OK now. Have decided not to go on leave till next trip is done, & C. of I. over lost ‘chute is finished. Can’t go till C. of I. is done, anyway.
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SEPTEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 23
Nothing doing. Finished the wool part of rug. Taken about 22hrs. Wrote to my darling wife 2035hrs.
SUNDAY 24
OPS ON. T-O 1545 for [underlined] CALAIS [/underlined]. Took 64 mins to get to Δ. M/B scrubbed it:- disgusted. Ht 2,000ft. Bags of L/F. Didn’t get hit; in V. Had to go out into N. Sea to dumped 2000lbs of bombs. Landed 2009. Good landing. Had 8 x 1,000lbs on board. Weather very sticky. My 40th trip. Completed first tour. (A Snaith a/c shot down over Δ. Didn’t see it.)
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
MONDAY 25
Screening confirmed. Note from Bank, Moss Bros. paid. C of I started. Took 1/2 hr. of my time this morning. Asked to go to a S. [deleted] OU [/deleted] OUT. ‘Phoned home, wired June. Spent evening in mess. Twenty four hrs. to go & I’ll be with my beautiful wife. Roll on!! Have 14 days leave, (& nights) (M/B believed to have scrubbed CALAIS. op because of weight & accuracy of L/F. Some chaps damaged.
TUESDAY 26
Got away 1410hrs. after a spot of running around. Phil staying to fill in Com. papers this P.M. Very pleased. Left Don. 1435. In London 2050hrs. [Underlined] 1 1/2 hrs. late [/underlined] June & Joy waiting for us. Got home 2230hrs. Didn’t sleep very well, as expected.
[Page break]
SEPTEMBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 27
Up 0600, went to Ps with June. Spent most of time round No. 26. Had dinner with June, tho’. Met her 1700. Got wet as it rained & I had no mac. Harold was with us. Evening spent at June’s aunt Lizzie’s house.
THURSDAY 28
Got up [underlined] 0845. [/underlined] Round home (26) most of the day. Met June 1700. Saw flick 1900 “Canterville Ghost”. Very good.
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SEPTEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 29
Same programme as yesterday. Saw “Going my Way”. Bing Crosby. Not so good.
SATURDAY 30
Left St. Pancras 1530 for Bedford, arr. 1650. At H.C. 1815. Took rations this time. Bed 2130.
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OCTOBER 1944
SUNDAY 1
Up 0900. Saw Phil - & new baby girl – A.M. P.M. Indoors nattering. 1800-1900 Chapel. Bed 2145. More in love with my wife every time I see her. The capacity doesn’t get any bigger;- but stronger.
MONDAY 2
Left Bedford 11.10. Train packed. In London. 12.40. Went to Bank & made my account joint, with June. Wandered around for an hr. or so, came home.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
TUESDAY 3
[Deleted] Did some shopping A.M.
Saw flick “Story of Dr. Wassel” A true story messed up by Hollywood. [Boxed Stayed in this evening [/boxed] [/deleted]
WEDNESDAY 4
[Deleted] A [/deleted]
Saw “Dr. Wassel” this evening.
Made it properly at last.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
THURSDAY 5
A dull day. Went to Ilford Hipp. 1800. Show was so so.
FRIDAY 6
Dull day. Went to Southend after dinner. Very cold wind. Had no mac or coat. Brought back a jar of cockles. Home 2100. A doodle bug passed over Shenfield Stn. at 2000hrs, we were waiting for a connection.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
SUNDAY. 8.
[Deleted] SATURDAY 7 [/deleted]
Went to Chadwell Hth. with Mick & got cockles & winkles. P.M. Sam, Ivy & Norman arrived. Played rummy after tea, won two games. First time I’ve ever won a penny at cards.
SAT. 7.
[Deleted SUNDAY 8 [/deleted]
After dinner went up to town with June. After a bit of difficulty got seats for a show “The Banbury Rose”, quite good. Home 2230. In love with June more than ever, although a day or two ago had some queer ideas. Must have been barmy.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
MONDAY 9
AM. Bought a pair of slippers for June. Also shoes for self. June back at work, met her 1700. Saw a flick 1900hrs. “Mr Emmanuel”. Bit boring.
TUESDAY 10
Up 0600, went to Ps with June. Went round home (26), then packed, left 1100hrs. Met Phil at Ks+, & Joe at Donc. Came to camp by bus, arr. 1915, just nicely for supper. Mail from Stan & Wilf & statement from Bank.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 11
10.00hrs. asked if I’m posted. I am! To Lossiemouth, last place I wanted. Got cleared in an hour. Went to P.As. 1400. Found I’d £26- odd to come. Weather lousy. Wrote to June 2015. Spent an hour or two in crews’ billet nattering, until 2230.
THURSDAY 12
Packed. Told I’ll be attending a D.C.M. soon as principal boy. Had crew photo taken. Left 1200. Arr. Perth, via Edinburgh 2030. Spent night at Salutations Hotel. (Charge 11/6d) Didn’t sleep very well. Room contained twin beds. Oh June! wherefore art thou?
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
FRIDAY 13
Up 0630. After a lot of bother, -changing etc. arr. camp 1500. Got my cycle here without paying for it. Met Chick Henderson. Tea 1730. First full meal for 18hrs. Food so-so. Wrote to June & hotel. Have claimed marriage allowance & £1 expenses.
SATURDAY 14
0915 saw Groupie. Filled in more forms. Started [underlined] GROUND-SCHOOL. [/underlined] Airmanship & Navi. Told I’ll get the chance to [deleted] fly [/deleted] fly a Master, & a Hurri. Seriously thinking of getting June up here. G/C says I may be here for [underlined] 18 MTHs [/underlined] Food is quite good Weather lousy. Sent 11/6d to Hotel in Perth. Wrote to Phil.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
SUNDAY 15
Did a bit of stooging about first off. 1030 went to Int Lec. on [underlined] Briefing & De-briefing. [/underlined] PM. Did some Navi & Air. 1hr. ea. Wrote to June, & bank asking about marriage allowance.
MONDAY 16
Attested 3 yrs. ago. Called as usual by WAAF batwoman at 7AM. 2hrs. Navi 0815-1015. Am quite keen on this. 1030-1230 Air:- Electric props. P.M. Went to Lossie twice, & cleaned my bike. Navi 1645-1745. Wrote to Mum & Dad.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
TUESDAY 17
Stooged about all morning. Received mail from June, feel a [underlined] lot [/underlined] better. P.M. Did 1.30hrs Air:-engines. Replied to my darling. Asked about getting Gin & whisky from the mess. Gin probably whisky doubtful. Sent June another 20 coupons.
WEDNESDAY 18
Wrote to Harold 0845. 1000hrs:- a successful shopping expedition to Elgin. Fixed up cycle saddle & mud-guard. Put shoes in for repair, ready in [underlined] 3 days [/underlined] :-max. time. Chap was ready to do them in 30 [underlined] mins. [/underlined]P.M. In Air. Hangar for a couple of hrs. 1800 Went to Elgin, saw flick “The Purple Heart”. Wrote to Stan 1600hrs.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
THURSDAY 19
Wrote to Wilf 0845. G/S again Navi 1030-1230. Plotting. P.M. in decomp. Chamber. Went up without oxygen, to 26,000ft. Received a letter from June, & spent the evening replying. Rather bored here, & lonely.
FRIDAY 20
Received my Log-Book. 1030-12.00 Air. (Oxygen & carb.) No mail yet from crew-??
Spent some time checking & re-checking my Log book. P.M. In a terribly mess. Don’t know how I got such ridiculous figures. Robbing myself of about 9hrs. 1830 saw “Captains Courageous” at camp flick. Different from expected. In Gee room 1545-1745. Happy as a sandboy.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
SATURDAY 21
A.M. Finished checking log book after some difficulty. P.M. Did 1hr Air, then went to Elgin to do a bit more shopping. Received mail from my darling. After tea wrote to June, bathed:- so to bed.
SUNDAY 22
A.M. In mess readin most of the morning. Wrtoe to Joe. Dinner was lousy. P.M. Got back to diesel course at last & got another lesson done. Received flying gloves from June. Wrote her a short letter after tea.
Am Cheesed off, - so bored.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
MONDAY 23
Navi all morning in D.R.I. Didn’t get along so well. P.M. Told I’m to attend a C.M. Oct 30th. As a witness. Believed its to do with the money I had stolen from me when at Rufforth. Did some painting in Air Hangar 1530-1730. Something to do; & better than school. Saw flick “Standing Room Only” on camp. 1830. Quite good.
TUESDAY 24
Had most wizard dream of my beloved June last night. Did some more painting this A.M. Letter from June; found the stone of her engagement ring. P.M. Drew £5 from Bank. May need it of I can wrangle a day at home, Sat mid0day to Sun. 1900 went to a special radar lecture. Quite good. Wrote to June 2000hrs.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 25
A.M. reading Diesel gen till 1000hrs. Air exam for pupils. Mail from Home enclosing a quid. Got a bottle of Gin for June’s Mum. P.M. Spent in changing over the tires on my bike. Evening spent sitting in the mess. Nothing else to do. Tried to get a ticket for an “all-girl” camp show tomorrow night. Was [underlined] one [/underlined] too far down the line. Bed 2130hrs. Jimmy Seal believed alive, in Germany. “Missing” for over 2YRS.
THURSDAY 26
0815-1015 Air. Lecture on Dinghy & ‘Chute drills. Went to Elgin, collected shoed, & left another pair for repair. Letter from June, bless her. Air Lec. 1545-1700. Played checkers with F/O McMaster, he beat me each time. Be with my angel in 48hrs:- I hope!
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
FRIDAY 27
AM. Stooging about. Got Warrants & booked out. Paid mess bill 19/4d. Left camp 1230, got Aberdonian at 1900hrs.
SATURDAY 28
London 0815. Home (89) 0945. Front room looks wizard. Met June 1200. P.M. Went to tea with Mrs. Monk. Home 2000hrs. [Deleted] B [/deleted] Played rummy for an hor. 21-2200 hrs. Finished up won. Had a good start. Bed 2245. As expected, I couldn’t sleep, tired as I was. Love June more than ever.
[Page break]
OCTOBER 1944
SUNDAY 29
Saw Mum & Pop 1100hrs. Left No. 89 1440. June came to Ks+. Arr. York 2106, & Rufforth 2230. Met [underlined] Joe [/underlined] in the mess. He’s on N.I. course. Rest of crew on [underlined] indefinite leave. [/underlined]
MONDAY 30
D.C>M. this morning, 1000hrs. Only rqd. For 3mins. Left York 1445. Went to Blyth & spent the night with Harold. Given a super supper by one of the Wrens. Bacon, tomies & bread, fresh Milk & jam tarts. Had a spot of rum later.
[Page break]
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1944
TUESDAY 31
Breakfast in bed 0800hrs. Left camp 1300hrs. Harold came to Newcastle. Travelled all night, with an F/O from [underlined] Stornaway [/underlined]. He’d just become a father. Nice chap.
WEDNESDAY 1 NOV
Arr. camp 1030. Packed up [deleted] parq [/deleted] parcels for June & Pop. P.M. Posted parcels, collected repaired shoes. Drew £5 from bank. Wrote to June 1815.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 2
AM. Got 3lbs rug wool from Elgin. 1100:- wet Dinghy drill in Elgin. Tried it with Flying suit & M. West. PM. Made out lecture notes for Drills;_ D,P, & B/L mds. As a sort of exam for me. Evening:- patched battle dress trousers. Got a fire going. Used wet & green wood & lots of paper. Miss June badly.
FRIDAY 3
AM. Posted to Gunnery Flt. Did 1hr flying with F/LT. Baker. Wimpy seems awful slow, but lighter. PM. Saw C.I. met Ginger. No Flying. Drew harness & mae West. Received letter from June. Replied, also wrote home. Cheesed off.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 4
Airborne 3 times today. Don’t like the R/H seat. Bit sick second trip. Went to camp flick 1830. “The Angels Sing”, enjoyed it muchly. Had intended going to Elgin. Weather lousy & no bus by 1815.
SUNDAY 5
Nothing doing this morning. Weather cold, but fine. Hung about all afternoon Was to have flown, but too windy for the Hurribox’s. Wrote to June 1925. Line-shooting after supper with P/O Fry & F/O Anderson.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
MONDAY 6
Flew two details, 1AM, 1PM. Mail from Aunt Alice & June. Replied to June 1600hrs. Spent the evening nattering to F/O Anderson.
TUESDAY 7
0915 A/B. Cloud base 800-1000ft so scrubbed it. Approach wicked, landing OK. Hung about rest of day, - Weather U/S. Mail from Stan & home. Replied to Stan. Got an invitation to a dance at [underlined] Burn. [/underlined] Got £2 expenses for C.M. [Underlined] Boobed, [/underlined] intended to get 3. Made up parcel for June. Received shirt & scarf from her.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 8
A/B 100 after a lot of messing about. A/B again 1345-1500hrs. C/S all the time. Hard work. Had ‘B’ again. Had the engines cutting at tops of C/S. Mail from June, replied. Forgot to post her parcel. Did a bit on the Diesel course 2130-2200.
THURSDAY 9
No flying – too windy. A gale on. Went to Elgin 1530. Had tea at Austin’s with F/O Cartwright. Two drinks later with two more chaps. Flicks 1815-2050. No a very hot show. Back 2130. Definitely decided to have June up here. Probably in the New Year.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 10
One detail AM. Two P.M. Did O.S. at 65 MPH. Shaky do. Mail from my darling, also from Wilf. Replied to June. Party for erks, in Lossie 1830 onwards. Got merry, good time had by all. Quite a respectable meal laid on. Egg (dried) bacon sausage & chips. Back 2230.
SATURDAY 11
Two details A.M. Made a lousy landing, O.S. C.I. saw it & ‘phoned up Flt. 1 detail P.M. Finis 1500. Camp flick 1830. “Fallen Sparrow” not so hot. Worried about myself. Afraid of the Wimpy Keep living that crash over again. See the C.I. if I can’t get over it soon.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
SUNDAY 12
Very miserable day. Nothing to do. Wrote to June P.M. not a very good effort. Met a chap from 69 course Assinibion. He’s a pupil.
MONDAY 13
Lousy weather again. Saw C.I. 1215 about getting off Wimpeys. Mail from June as expected. Wrote home. Got some hessian in Elgin. Saw “Phantom of the Opera”, 1830 in camp. Said ta-ta to Woolly. He leaves tomorrow.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
Weather lousy, no flying. Found two scrap drogues, linen. Gave them a home. Made a rug needle. P.M. spent hemming new rug & drawing on the design. Wrote to my darling.
WEDNESDAY 15
Did two details A.M. Dicing with Death, first one. Claggy. PM. rug making. Mail from June, Stan, Mum. Stan on leave, wrote to him, 1820.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 16
Did a double detail A.M. Had the afternoon free, -rugging again. 20.00hrs. saw Ensa show “Ladies in Retirement”. Very good, a drama. Wrote to June, & Wilf. Think this rug will be much better than the other.
FRIDAY 17
No pupils to fly, so got day off. Rugging all morning. In Elgin 1400 Got some Xmas cards & a scarf for Reg. Evening – did a little more on Diesel course. Mail from my darling. Drew £5.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 18
One detail A.M. New course. Formation. Don’t like F., no future. Weather better. Two details P.M. one C/S/ Did another 1 1/2 hrs. on the rug. Wrote to June.
SUNDAY 19
Did one detail A.M. Cloud clamped. Did circuit at 150-250ft.
P.M. Saw Wingco & Adj about going to a Con Unit. Rugging again after tea. Nearly half way. Have put in 14 hrs. so far. Wrote a dull letter to Grandma.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
Monday 20
Flew 3 details. C/S much better. Made the worst landing ever today. The last one. G Flt. Really in trouble today. Finished all the course. More rug-making after tea, another 2 1/2 hrs. Looks OK. so far. Mail from my beloved 1200hrs.
TUESDAY 21
No work. Spent most of AM. rugging again. Lovely weather. Letter from Stan. Wrote to June. In Elgin 1600. Tea in ‘George’ café, dried egg, chips bacon & saus. Saw flick Abbott & Costello “Hold that Ghost”. Funny.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 22
Hung about all AM. Nothing on. Mail from June, as expected Rugging all afternoon & evening. Finished pushing the wool thro’. Only to be backed now.
THURSDAY 23
Day off. 0830 Wrote to June. Spent most of the morning in the mess. Shopping P.M. Got backing & some XmasS cards. Did more rugging after tea. Wrote to Harold.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 24
No work again. Hanging about all morning. Rugging PM. & evening. Finished 2202. About 35 working hrs. Packed it up for posting 2230. Mail from my darling.
SATURDAY 25
Still no work. Was to have done one detail, but won the toss. Another letter from June. Wrote to her, posted rug. Went into Elgin 1600. Saw “lady in the Dark”. Quite good. Supper if “59 Café.” Fish & chips, wizard. Lovely fire for me in room on return. Bang on!
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
SUNDAY 26
Flew one detail 0930-1030. S & L. A/G’s dire!!! Rest of day off. Wrote home. If I could only be within reasonable distance of London!! Almost a whole week off, & no use for it.
MONDAY 27
AM. No fly. a/c all iced up. P.M. A/B 1430 approx. a/c vibrating violently 1440 ordered “Bale out”. Only W.O.P. got out. Landed at Dalcross. W/C came up, flew a/c. As expected “Nothing wrong.” Am sick of it. Flew it back OK. See Adj. tomorrow about posting. In mess 2100 had natter with Doc. Given 4 tablets to help me sleep.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER 1944
TUESDAY 28
AM. Spent writing out report. Vic Baker says I’m to have a go on singles. Drew £5 from Bank. P.M. Saw W/C & Adj. W/C a bit more civil. Adj. grounded me. Says I’ll be away in 2-3 weeks. Maybe Transport Cmd. Hope so. & see the Old man Thurs. Have said I will not fly Wimpys again. Adj. sympathetic. Was talking to the Old Man at the time of trouble. Wormald (WOP) in dock. Not hurt.
WEDNESDAY 29
1030 Saw G.C. Adj. said he’ll put me on Leave in a couple of days. Met Beaumont (EF & SFTS.) Did a spot of painting. No mail from June since Sat. ???? Bit worried. Wrote to her, also home. Did Lesson 9 of Diesel course. “Dining In” Parade in mess. Didn’t go. Lot of bull.
[Page break]
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 30
AM. Read letter that’s going to Group, re.me. OK. Got C.C. & made out Leave app. Form (2-15 Dec.) P.M. spent in getting cleared. 1730. Adj. tells me [Underlined] Leave is scrubbed. [/underlined] Mail from my darling, at last. All OK. 1830 Saw Ensa show. So-So. Ventriloquist, Lloyd Nelson, was very good. Paid mess bill, £3-2-11.
FRIDAY 1 DEC.
Painting straight edge on hangar floor all morning. Messing about all the afternoon. F/LT. Blanks spilt a load of white paint down his front, most of it inside his blouse. Considered very funny. Wrote to June 1300.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 2
Feel sick. Couldn’t eat breakfast. Painting hangar floor AM. Felt very ill 1100hrs. PM. Sitting round fire, nattering. Mail from my darling, as expected. She’s received the rug OK. Made up parcel containing a bottle of Gin. Got it from mess bar a few days ago. Started a letter to Stan. Went to flick 1830. Projector U/S, - no flick. Film “The Nelson Touch.”
SUNDAY 3
Day off. Breakfast 0920. In mess all day. Finished Lesson 10 of Diesel course. Completed Stan’s letter. Started reading a book “All this & Heaven too.” Saw flick 2100. Talk 1900, on Discipline, C.Ms etc. Quite good.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
MONDAY 4
A.M. Painting hangar floor with broom again. Hands rather sore now. P.M. In bombing lect. 1545, just listening. Reading all evening. Book very interesting. Vic Baker tells me that the G.C was approached re my leave, nogo.
TUESDAY 5
Messing about in the Hangar all day, as usual. Spending every spare 1/2 hr. or more reading the book. Letter from Stan. Posted from Iceland. Saw film “Princess O’Rouke” 1830. Very good. Wrote to Stan. No mail from June. Had expected a letter.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 6
Dreamt last night, unpleasantly, of my darling. Her love had died, & she regretted marrying me. Must be certain that that never comes true; certainly can’t see it. Went into Elgin 1030-1215. Got only one more Xmass card. Mail from June. No doubt about her love for me! Wrote back 1300hrs. Letter was a bit better than my recent efforts. Did 2hrs Link this afternoon. Gave 2 Engineers an hr. apiece. W/C O’ [indecipherable] is back. Wonder if this will increase my chances of leave?
THURSDAY 7
Usual mucking about all day. Letter from Harold. No word of posting, no hope of leave, feel very unhappy. Went to section booze-up in “The Crown” 19-2100. Just 10 of us. Had 2 beers, 2 whiskies
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 8
Painting hangar floor again. Still fed up as can be. Letter from June 1700. Tells me Joe & Ivy have fixed “The Day” for 13-1-45. 1800 Wrote to my sweet. Saw camp show 20.00hrs. 2 1/2 hrs. First half very poor, second, very good. A girl sang “The Holy City,” – perfect.
SATURDAY 9
0830 Finished book “All this & Heaven Too”, - verdict:- very good. Did a bit of painting AM. Killing time all afternoon. Saw flick 1830 “Destination Tokio,” quite good as a film, interesting.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
SUNDAY 10
Day off. Spent most of the day reading. Am bored almost to tears. Wrote to Harold. Oh how I want to get out of this place. To go South where I could see my June on a day off.
MONDAY 11
Weather lousy. Raining hard all day. Mail from my darling as expected, bless her. Replied 1300hrs. Did a bit of painting during the day. Mail from Stan & Wilf 1700hrs. Stan still in Iceland 28-11-44. Wrote home 2000hrs. sent cheque ‘019’ for £7.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
TUESDAY 12
1100hrs in Elgin. Posted letter home with £7 in cash. Destroyed cheque. Drew £10 from Bank. Got a piece of hessian, for another rug. Letter from Grandad. Obtained a fair-sized piece of P.S. rather dirty, but useful.
WEDNESDAY 13
Usual wasted day. Received a letter from June, as expected. Replied 1300. Letter to her was very short. She didn’t send Bank statement:- a pardonable mistake, but for a moment I lost my temper. Why??? My nervous condition is certainly bad.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 14
More painting, occasionally. Read “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Got it yesterday, finished it 20.00hrs. Hope of Xmass Leave. (6 days.) F/LT [inserted] Blanks [/inserted] arranging it for me.
FRIDAY 15
Day same as usual. Letter from my darling, replied 1300hrs. Miss meeting 19-20.00 hrs.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 16
Did a little painting. Finished book “Lord Tony’s Wife.” Received a letter from Mum, - Aunt Katie passed away. Xmass card from Stan. 1830 at camp flicks “Hour Before Dawn.” Tripe.
How I miss June!! Pray that I be with her Thurs. Have prayed every night, & know I won’t be disappointed.
SUNDAY 17
Did a wee spot of floor painting A.M. the W/C has signed my Leave app. Only the G/C now. P.M. Wrote to my darling wife. Reading most of the time. General Service lecture 19-2000hrs. Hygiene & Sanitation.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
MONDAY 18
Finished painting lamp shades. Mail from June, Stan & home. Wrote to Stan 1900hrs. Finished reading “The Cross-eyed Bear,” a very poor book, I think. Xmass camp draw drawn 1800hrs. First prize £100, over 100 prizes, didn’t get one. Debating whether or not to scive off tomorrow. Nothing to do on camp.
TUESDAY 19
Couldn’t get my warrant, blast them. As usual everyone is scared of everyone else. Killing time all day. Xmass card from Harold. Saw flick “Gung Ho. “ Not so hot.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
WEDNESDAY 20
Got warrant 1045hrs. Tried to get a lift south by air. Too foggy in the south, no a/c went. A Sqdn. landed here last night;- just my luck. Left camp 1230. Got Aberdonian 1800. Good feed in Princess Cafe 1730. A bloke in Aberdeen asked me for “something to get a meal with” as he was “down & out”. He had a tweed jacket on that I’d’ve liked. Was very rude to him.
THURSDAY 21
Ks+ 0920. Went to No.26 1100hrs. Phoned Inst. Shop 1120; met June 1230 for lunch at “Super” cinema. Collected her 1700hrs. Weather:- foggy & miserable, Stomach giving me trouble. Ivy & Norman came round later in the evening. [Deleted] Comple [/deleted] June gave me a pocket watch for Xmass. She’s got a dressing-gown: but I can’t see thro’ it!! X
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
FRIDAY 22
Up 0610. Was going to go to Ps with June, but tummy too bad. 1040 at Bank, London, querying my account. Got it straight, drew £5. Lunch with June at Lyons. Ilf 1240. Collected her 1700hrs. Went to her Gran’s at Ilford. Home 2030. Brought back cake & chicken. June received a necklace & 34/- from Inst. shop. for Xmass-box.
SATURDAY 23
Up 0900 after a somewhat restless night. Awake from 0400 onwards. Drew £5 from bank, June £15. Fog cleared. Trying to buy shoes for June & myself this afternoon – nogo. 1830 flicks, Bing in “If I had my way.” Seen it before.
X
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
SUNDAY 24
1530 visited Mum & Dad, left 1905, saw Mrs. Seal for 30 mins, there. 20.00, at Ivy’s home until 2100. Very enjoyable afternoon & evening. June is lovelier & sweeter than ever. Mum gave me a cake to take back, Mrs. Seal gave us a chunk of Xmass cake.
[Underlined] Received recall telegram 0900. [/underlined] Return by 1200 hrs. 27-12-44.
MONDAY 25
Xmass dinner at Aunt Lizzy’s house. Stayed until 2230. Quite an enjoyable time. June a bit sick later in the evening.
Returned to no. 89 to sleep. (Only June & I.)
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
TUESDAY 26
Up 0845; June had tea & toast in bed for once. Left 0950. Train from Euston1300hrs. Changes at Carstairs, Perth & Aviemore. Company to Crewe with a RAF officers wife. Left Carstairs 2315.
WEDNESDAY 27
Arr. Camp 0710hrs. Slept till 1200. Am posted to Pocklington to pick up a crew for [underlined] Transport Cmd. [/underlined] All my prayers answered. Got cleared again during the afternoon. Feel happier than for weeks past. Saw camp show 1830hrs. free. Not bad.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
THURSDAY 28
Left 1330. Got Aberdonian 1800hrs. York 0300hrs 29th
FRIDAY 29
Arr. York 0300. Met P/O Fenwick (SFTS) He’s in T.Cmd. Freeman went into the sea Boxing Day. His mate. Glad to have met him. Train to Pock. 0748, arr. 0820. Very cold. At camp I’m unwanted, sent on indefinite leave! Can hardly believe it. Left York 1800 hrds. At Ks+ 2345. Very foggy. Have sent June a telegram, telling her to have next week off.
[Page break]
DECEMBER 1944
SATURDAY 30
Hung about Lvpl. St. Stn. all night. 0200 nattering to Mr. Seal. Arr. No 89 at 0600hrs. as June was getting up. Had an hr. or two’s sleep, & collected kit bag from Ks+. 1700 at No. 26 for a party. Harold home. Not a bad little do. tho’ I incurred June’s displeasure. Very sorry, I’d never hurt her, knowingly.
SUNDAY 31
Up 10.00hrs. P.M. Visited by Joy. Gave her Lockets & money for blankets as a wedding present. Got Ron’s & Geordie’s addresses & crew photo. Stayed until 20.00. Very glad we were able to see her again, hope we can get to the wedding. Took 3 hrs. to get home.
X
[Page break]
CALENDAR FOR 1943
[Calendar]
[Page break]
MEMORANDA
Joe Dudley.
559, Footscray Rd., New Eltham, SE.9.
N Phillips.
118c, Croftdown Rd.,
Highgate Rd., London N.W.5
E.G. Dunton.
37, Courtland [deleted] Ave [/deleted] Drive
Alvaston, Derby.
649746 W.O.
L. Woodridge,
127, Huddersfield Rd.,
Staly Bridge,
Nr. Manchester
Cheshire.
14-844. F/S R.E. Adams
61, Littlemore St.,
Balby
Doncaster
Yorks.
[Page break]
MEMORANDA
Ilford 3040. Ex. [deleted] IT.[/deleted] 44.
André Maurios.
174058 [deleted] 174508 [/deleted] F/O. Anderson, Lossie.
F/S R. Stobbs
28, Ridley St.,
Klondyke,
Cramlington
Northumberland.
[Page break]
[Deleted] Library ? [/deleted]
[Page break]
Printed page
[Page break]
Back of diary
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
Jim Allen's 1944 Diary
Description
An account of the resource
A diary recording events during 1944. Includes detailed notes on operations, military life, the weather etc.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jim Allen
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1944
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One printed diary with handwritten annotations
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Diary
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
YAllenJH179996v1
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
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
IBCC Digital Archive
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Anne-Marie Watson
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.
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
France
Great Britain
England--Yorkshire
England--London
England--York
France--Paris
Scotland--Elgin
France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944
1944-06-30
1944-06
1944-07
1944-08
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-08-07
1944-08-08
1944-08-15
578 Squadron
aircrew
bombing
bombing of Luftwaffe night-fighter airfields (15 August 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
crash
entertainment
faith
Gee
ground personnel
love and romance
military discipline
military living conditions
military service conditions
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
pilot
RAF Rufforth
tactical support for Normandy troops
training
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1242/16313/LAllenJH179996v1.1.pdf
c9fc81707756633917b840cabd806864
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, Jim
J H Allen
Description
An account of the resource
18 items. The collection concerns Flight Lieutenant James Henry Allen DFC (b. 1923, 179996 Royal Air Force). He flew a tour of operations as a pilot with 578 Squadron. The collection consists of a number of memoirs, photographs and a diary. It includes descriptions of military life and operations and his post-war life and work.
The collection has been loaned to the IBCC Digital Archive for digitisation by Steve Allen and catalogued by Barry Hunter.
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
2016-05-12
2019-02-05
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, JH
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
Jim Allen’s Royal Canadian Air Force pilots flying log book
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.
Description
An account of the resource
Royal Canadian Air Force pilots flying log book for J H Allen, covering the period from 2 December 1942 to 14 January 1947. Detailing his flying training, operations flown, instructor duties and post war squadron duties. He was stationed at, RCAF Station Assiniboia, RCAF Station Estevan, RAF Hullavington, RAF Banff, RAF Harwell, RAF Rufforth, RAF Burn, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Merryfield, RAF Stoney Cross, RAF Leaconfield, RAF Stradishall, RAF Homsley South, RAF Bassingbourn and RAF Wratting Common. Aircraft flown in were, Tiger Moth, Anson II, Oxford, Wellington III and X, Halifax II, III and V, Stirling V and York C1. He flew a total of 40 operations with 578 squadron. 19 night and 21 daylight. Targets were, Malines, Berneville, Morsalines, Trouville, Orleans, Boulogne, Bourg Leopold, Trappes, Massey Palaise, Amiens, Douai, St. Martin L’Hortier, Siracourt, Oisemont, Rosingal, Mimoyecques, Wizernes. Villers Bocage, Les Catelliers, Thiverny, Kiel, Stuttgart, Foret de Nieppe, L’Isle Adam, Caen, Foret de Mormal, Somain, Russelsheim, Tirlemont, Venlo, Le Havre, Gelsenkirchen, Munster and Calais. His pilot for his first 'second dickie' operation was Sergeant Harrison.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Great Britain. Royal Air Force
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Mike Connock
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
One booklet
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Text. Log book and record book
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
LAllenJH179996v1
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.
Belgium
Canada
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea
Atlantic Ocean--English Channel
Belgium--Leopoldsburg
Belgium--Mechelen
Belgium--Rossignol
Belgium--Tienen
Canada--Assiniboia, District of
England--Berkshire
England--Cambridgeshire
England--Hampshire
England--Somerset
England--Suffolk
England--Wiltshire
England--Yorkshire
France--Amiens
France--Boulogne-sur-Mer
France--Caen
France--Calais
France--Douai
France--Le Havre
France--L'Isle-Adam
France--Nieppe Forest
France--Nord (Department)
France--Normandy
France--Oisemont (Canton)
France--Oise
France--Orléans
France--Paris
France--Pas-de-Calais
France--Somain
France--Trouville-sur-Mer
France--Yvelines
Germany--Gelsenkirchen
Germany--Kiel
Germany--Rüsselsheim
Germany--Stuttgart
Netherlands--Venlo
Saskatchewan--Estevan
Scotland--Banff
Scotland--Lossiemouth
Germany--Münster in Westfalen
France--Villers-Bocage (Calvados)
France--Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Saskatchewan
Canada
Germany--Ruhr (Region)
France--Les Catelliers
France--Morsalines
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1944-05-01
1944-05-02
1944-05-08
1944-05-09
1944-05-10
1944-05-11
1944-05-12
1944-05-22
1944-05-23
1944-05-24
1944-05-25
1944-05-27
1944-05-28
1944-05-31
1944-06-01
1944-06-11
1944-06-12
1944-06-13
1944-06-14
1944-06-15
1944-06-17
1944-06-18
1944-06-22
1944-06-23
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
1944-06-27
1944-06-28
1944-06-30
1944-07-01
1944-07-04
1944-07-09
1944-07-12
1944-07-23
1944-07-24
1944-07-25
1944-07-28
1944-07-29
1944-08-03
1944-08-05
1944-08-06
1944-08-07
1944-08-08
1944-08-09
1944-08-11
1944-08-12
1944-08-13
1944-08-15
1944-08-16
1944-08-17
1944-09-03
1944-09-09
1944-09-10
1944-09-11
1944-09-12
1944-09-17
1944-09-24
1945-06-30
1945-07-04
15 OTU
1663 HCU
20 OTU
578 Squadron
Advanced Flying Unit
aircrew
Anson
bombing
bombing of Luftwaffe night-fighter airfields (15 August 1944)
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
Cook’s tour
Flying Training School
Halifax
Halifax Mk 2
Halifax Mk 3
Heavy Conversion Unit
Initial Training Wing
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Operational Training Unit
Oxford
pilot
RAF Banff
RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Burn
RAF Harwell
RAF Hullavington
RAF Leconfield
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Paignton
RAF Rufforth
RAF Stoney Cross
RAF Stradishall
RAF Wratting Common
RCAF Estevan
Stirling
tactical support for Normandy troops
Tiger Moth
training
V-1
V-3
V-weapon
Wellington
York
-
https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1067/11523/APearsonBM180312.1.mp3
f54de849aa13ddb751063f82b77dc740
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
Pearson, Betty May
B M Pearson
Description
An account of the resource
An oral history interview with Betty Pearson (b. 1928) She lived in Lincoln and discusses her brother-in-law William Mollison Walton
The collection was catalogued by IBCC Digital Archive staff.
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
2018-03-12
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
Pearson, BM
Transcribed audio recording
A resource consisting primarily of recorded human voice.
Transcription
Text transcribed from audio recording or document
MC: This interview is being conducted on the behalf of the International Bomber Command Centre. The interviewer is Mike Connock and the interviewee is Betty Pearson. The interview is taking place at Betty Pearson’s home in Lincoln on Monday the 12th of March 2018. Also in attendance is son Stuart Pearson and —
GW: Gillian.
MC: And Gillian.
GW: Watkin.
MC: Watkin. Ok, Betty. Thank you for doing this interview. Just, just as a start just tell me a bit about where you were born and where —
BP: I was born in Bracebridge.
MC: Oh, so you are a local lass.
BP: Yeah.
MC: When was that?
BP: 1928.
MC: 1928.
BP: Yeah.
MC: So, tell me about who you want to talk about today.
BP: My brother in law.
MC: Your brother in law.
BP: Bill Walton as I knew him. William.
MC: William.
BP: William Walton.
MC: William Walton.
BP: Yeah.
MC: Yeah. And how did you come to meet him?
BP: Well, we used to go, my sister and I used to go to North Hykeham dance. A village dance every Saturday night and Bill was at the RAF Swinderby finishing his training I think and he used to come with his friends to the dance, to the Hykeham dance and that’s how they met. I was allowed to go. I was six years younger than my sister. I was allowed to go if I stayed in her company. But I knew they didn’t want me there so [laughs] I used to, I made my own friends unbeknown to my sister.
MC: So, what do you know about Bill?
BP: Well, I knew he was Scottish and he lived just outside Perth and they got on very well together.
MC: Where was he born? Do you know?
BP: I don’t know but it was in Scotland of course.
MC: Yes.
BP: I think probably in the Perth area, because his parents were farmers.
MC: How old was he when he joined the RAF? Do you know?
BP: Oh, I think he was about nineteen. He was a pilot when he was nineteen.
MC: Really? You don’t know where he did his training?
BP: At Swinderby.
MC: Oh, yeah he was at Swinderby.
BP: Yeah. Yeah.
MC: At the time, yeah.
BP: Yeah.
MC: Yeah. So when did, did you follow him through his career? Did, you know, were you aware where he went? What squadron he went to.
BP: No. I don’t know the, I think Stuart’s got all that business down, haven’t you? The squad, squadron number and everything.
MC: So, tell me your story about, about Bill. What do you know about him?
BP: Well, I know that they were courting for quite a while and he was often on duty flying his plane and she used to see him when he wasn’t flying of course. And then we moved from North Hykeham, my parents and my sister and I to an off licence in Bracebridge and I think I was fifteen. I knew I wasn’t allowed to serve beer so I couldn’t have been sixteen but I could eat sweets and chocolate, and I used to test the beer out of the pump. My dad used to say, ‘Have you been at this beer?’ ‘Well, I’ve got to see it’s alright, dad.’ [laughs] So, that was, that was the off licence. We were there quite a while before all this flying business happened. And of course sweets were on coupons in those days and the kiddies all used to come in with their ration books and I used to be able to cut the points out, and serve them the sweets and I enjoyed doing that. It was lovely. And then one day it was the beginning of the sweet coupons and the shop was absolutely packed out and there I was serving sweets. Didn’t look up. I hadn’t got time to look up until the shop was empty and when I did look up there was this airman in a mucky old battledress just inside the door. I didn’t recognise him he was so dirty. But then I realised who it was. Unfortunately, my sister wasn’t there. She was at the pictures with mum. So they had a bit of a shock when they came home. You can imagine.
MC: So was that when he came back from —
BP: Yes, after having been missing.
MC: So how did you, how did your sister find out about him going missing?
BP: Well, they were engaged to be married, and they were due to be married in about six weeks time. And I think they informed her. Well, they would do wouldn’t they? That he was gone missing.
MC: And he just turned up at the door.
BP: He just turned up. Yeah.
MC: So, I mean, do you know any of the, how he evaded or what happened, you know, to him?
BP: Stuart’s got all that information.
SP: The actual type written copy.
MC: You’ve got a copy of the —
SP: I had it from the War Office.
MC: From the, his escape report. Yeah.
SP: Yeah, but this is, this is the word equivalent of it.
MC: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
SP: This is exactly what he wrote. Do you want me to read it out?
MC: Yeah. You can do. Yeah.
SP: Right. “Flight Lieutenant William Mollison Walton DFC. 97 Squadron, Bomber Command, RAF.” And this is the gist of the message. “We took off from Coningsby at 20.50 hours on the 24th of June 1944 to bomb flying bomb bases in the Pas de Calais area. We were attacked by a fighter at a point south of Etaples. I baled out during the night 24th 25th of June and landed at Brimeux.” He gives a map reference then. “In a lake approximately one hundred yards square, in the middle of which there was a small island. I made my way to the island and was obliged to stay there in hiding for two days because of German activity in the area. I believe the Germans were searching for my crew and myself. During the morning of the 27th of June I left my hiding place after having disposed of my parachute and Mae West and made my way southwest around the village of Beaurainville where I hid in a wood for the remainder of the day. The wood was close to a farm which I kept under observation with a view to obtaining help when it became dark. I approached the house at night and was immediately taken inside. I remained here until the 25th of August. Ten days after my arrival I was visited by the chief of the Resistance organisation at Hesdin. On the 25th of August I was moved to an address in Hesdin and remained there until I contacted British troops on the 3rd of September. My flight engineer, Flight Sergeant Mayhew was killed when the parachute failed to open and was buried by the French at Marles Sur Canche.” And that, that’s his report basically. Three days after he was, he was found by the British troops, so I would presume when he got back to this country.
MC: So, Betty how, how long would from when he went missing to when he came back was it that, so your sister was unaware what happened to him.
BP: I think it was about six weeks.
MC: Yeah. Yeah.
BP: I can’t remember dead accurately but it was about six weeks.
MC: So, it must have been a worrying time then.
BP: It was. Yeah. Everything was ready for the wedding.
MC: Yeah. Yeah.
BP: The wedding dress on the back of the bedroom door. The cake was made already. So my sister and my mother and myself went up to Perth to spend a week with his parents. That’s when we met the fortune teller in Perth, Market Square and she was dead accurate. She really was.
MC: So did, did [pause] so when he came back so that they obviously, obviously got married.
BP: Oh yes.
MC: Was that fairly quickly?
BP: Then he was stationed at all sorts of different places, in the New Forest and Malvern.
MC: And she moved around with him.
BP: Of course. They got married and then —
MC: Yeah.
BP: The two went all over.
MC: Did he relate any of his other stories of his operations?
BP: No. No.
MC: No. No. No.
BP: No. Didn’t speak, well not to me anyway. Might have done to my sister. I forgot to mention that the fortune, the fortune teller said that he’d got a bandage around his head and he would come back. And she said to him, she said to my sister, ‘You were about to get married but you will do but not just yet.’ And the bandage was around his head when he, when he was found. Yeah. He had got injured around, just around there. As he came down I suppose.
MC: Was he in good spirits when he came back? Was he? I mean, obviously he must have been to get, to get back from evading.
BP: Yeah.
BP: I don’t know who brought him back. It’s not in your report is it?
HW: No.
BP: So, how he got back over the Channel, I assume somebody must have brought him over.
MC: What, what year was that? Can you remember? [pause] 1944, is that right?
BP: I would think about that time.
MC: Yeah. Yeah. Did you say that it said —
SP: Just after D-Day.
MC: Yeah. It’s alright. You can come in. You’re alright.
SP: Yeah. Just after D-Day.
MC: Yeah.
SP: So obviously he introduced himself to the British troops who were invading Normandy.
MC: Yeah. So what raid was he on? Do we see?
SP: It was a raid to a place called Prouville, which was a big —
MC: Oh, Prouville. Yeah. Yeah.
SP: V-1 flying base.
MC: Yeah. That would have been supporting the D-Day invasion.
SP: Yeah.
MC: I should think. Yeah. Yeah.
SP: Shot down by a night fighter.
MC: What else can you remember, Betty?
BP: Not a lot really except the wedding when we, if there’s anything on there that I haven’t told you about [pause] When he left the RAF he joined the civil aviation. Most of that was spent in Scotland somewhere.
MC: Do you know where he did his flying training?
BP: Yeah. Swinderby.
MC: Oh, I don’t think he would have. He was a pilot, wasn’t he?
BP: Oh yes.
MC: Yeah.
BP: And then he went to East Kirkby didn’t he Stuart?
MC: Yeah. So he —
BP: Yeah.
MC: He could well have done his flying training in Canada.
SP: Do you know, I —
BP: He did. He did. He did some in Canada, yeah. I remember now.
MC: He did. Yeah. Yeah.
SP: I remember you telling me that.
MC: Yeah.
BP: I’ve got here that he was training for his, to be a pilot at aged nineteen to twenty.
SP: He, he did get a —
[recording paused]
MC: He got the DFC. We do know.
SP: He did, yeah.
BP: Yeah. Yeah, he had to —
[recording paused]
MC: You have a read of it. Just read a bit out. Fill it in as you feel like —
BP: When I first met Bill it was North Hykeham village dance when he met my sister, Doreen. He was stationed at Swinderby, completing his training for a pilot and was aged only nineteen to twenty. He was a regular visitor to our home in North Hykeham, and they eventually became engaged. He moved stations. RAF, in brackets, and soon became a pilot and flew over Germany and later completed two tours and was promoted to flight lieutenant. My family and myself moved to an off licence in Lincoln, and their marriage was arranged. The wedding dress hung on the back of the bedroom door and the cake was made. Within six weeks of the wedding Bill was reported missing. My mother, myself and Doreen went up to Scotland to stay with his family for a week, and went one day to Perth to have a look around [cough] Excuse me. We saw a sign for a fortune teller. Doreen removed her RAF brooch and went inside. The information the lady gave her was very, was unbelievable, ‘You were going to get married weren’t you?’ She said, ‘Well, you still will. He will come back and has a bandage on his head because he landed in a tree.’ And I don’t know whether that was true, that bit. He was on an island. There may have been a tree. I don’t know. We went back to Lincoln and I helped in the shop. Doreen went back to work. I was serving sweets when the, in the shop when one Sunday, too busy to look up, the shop was full of people cashing in their sweet coupons. Sweets of course were rationed and it was the start of the month so the children all came in to spend their points. When the shop was empty, about fifteen minutes, I looked up, and there was a scruffy man in a scruffy RAF battle dress inside the door. Of course, it was Bill and I told him mum and Doreen were at the pictures. The reunion took place an hour later and the wedding a few weeks later, and that was it.
MC: But yourself you actually grew up during the war then.
BP: Oh yes.
MC: Yeah. So what do you remember about the area around Lincoln? There must have been a —
BP: Oh, well we lived at Hykeham and I used to cycle sixteen miles a day to work at the GPO, Guildhall Street when I was fourteen. Four miles there. Four back at lunchtime. Back again in the afternoon and four back. Sixteen miles a day. And I remember one day I cycled to work and there was a policeman on duty at the Stonebow as there was in those days and he stopped me. He said, ‘Sorry miss. You can’t go any further. There’s a bomb down there.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m sorry,’ I said, ‘But I’ve got to be at work at 8 o’clock.’ ‘Oh, alright then. Go on.’ They let me go down Mint Street. Where the bomb was I’ve no idea but I went to work. That was it.
MC: So there must have been a lot of airmen around in those days. There were a lot of —
BP: Oh, there was. All over the place. Yeah.
MC: Can you remember seeing the aircraft in the air?
BP: No. It wasn’t so much that, no. But I know one day when we were still at Hykeham, there was a bomber came over and we could recognise it by the sound of the engines. My dad had built a shelter in the garden and we all trooped down there when the siren went. One of the neighbours who was a gentleman of about seventy, he used to bring his knitting in. He used to do his knitting in the shelter. And the bomb dropped just over the road from where we lived funnily enough the [pause] there’s a crater in the field opposite and my sister thought it was her fault because she opened the door at the wrong time and the light came on. But that’s the main thing I can remember about the war really.
MC: So, what did your dad do during the war?
BP: My dad, he worked at Rustons. He was just in between those ages where he was too old to join up. He was too young in the First World War, too old in the Second. So he never went in the Forces but it was a good, you know it was a wartime job if you like he did at Rustons.
MC: And did you have any siblings? Any brothers and sisters?
BP: Only my sister, Doreen.
MC: Yeah.
BP: So —
MC: She’s the, she’s the one that married Bill.
BP: Yeah.
MC: Yeah, obviously. Yeah.
BP: Yeah.
MC: What did they do after the war? Did they stay in Lincoln? They got up to Scotland or what?
BP: Well —
MC: You said he joined the civil airlines.
BP: When he left the RAF he did. Yeah. He was in the RAF for quite a while after that and then he joined the civil aviation.
SP: Air traffic control.
BP: Yes. Yeah. Traffic. Yeah.
MC: Oh, he was air traffic control. Oh right.
BP: And then he went to, he was at Dyce, Aberdeenshire and —
GW: Prestwick.
BP: And Prestwick, yeah. They lived at Ayr when he was at Prestwick. And he was in the New Forest as well. That was nice.
MC: Certainly moved around from one end of the country to the other.
BP: They did. Malvern. He was at Malvern. Yeah.
MC: So were they good days in Lincoln in those, in that period when you —
BP: Oh we all enjoyed it, you know. They call it the good old days didn’t they? It wasn’t of course but remember I was only fifteen so I was allowed to do more than if it had been, you know, ordinary times I think.
MC: Let’s just. I mean I think we talked about his squadron. He was in ’97.
SP: 97 Strait Settlement Squadron.
MC: Strait Settlement, that was right.
SP: Yeah. Yeah.
MC: I thought they were Pathfinders.
SP: He ended, I think he ended up as a Pathfinder.
MC: Yeah.
SP: I believe so.
BP: He did, yeah. He did. Yeah.
MC: With, yeah do you know if he went to any other squadrons?
SP: I don’t to be honest.
MC: No.
SP: His daughter might be able to help on that one. She’s got some information.
MC: Does, does she still have his logbook and stuff like that?
BP: Yeah. They have got his flying logbook but there’s very little information in it strangely enough about the crash. About when the aircraft was shot down. I have got that. I can, I can dig that out.
[recording paused]
MC: You say she’s got an original letter from the French family.
SP: Yeah, from the French family and she’s had problems getting it translated. I don’t know whether that would be of any use to you.
MC: Absolutely, yeah.
BP: I mean the uni could translate that surely.
MC: Yeah. That’s right. Yeah. No. It’s, it’s very good because that’s the sort of thing that the archives need.
BP: Yeah.
[recording paused]
MC: So did, were you old enough to go to the dances in them days?
BP: My goodness me, yes. I was only allowed to go if I stayed with my sister.
MC: With your sister, you said. Yeah
BP: She was six years older than me you see.
MC: And how old were you?
BP: When I started to go to the dance, and put my lipstick on when I got outside.
SP: When you got outside.
BP: I’d be about fourteen I should think.
MC: Fourteen. Yeah.
BP: Yeah. And I probably looked a little bit older. I used to get plenty of dance partners.
SP: Yeah. I bet you did.
MC: Yeah.
BP: That’s where I learned to dance.
MC: Yeah.
BP: North Hykeham Parish Hall.
MC: Yeah, a lot, were there a lot of RAF boys at the —
BP: Oh, God. Yes.
MC: They were all RAF boys at the dances.
BP: Plenty of partners, and the local lads didn’t like that much at all.
MC: No.
SP: Yeah.
MC: Where did you have the dances did you say?
BP: North Hykeham.
MC: Oh, North Hykeham.
BP: There’s a church hall just near the church there.
MC: Oh, the church hall. Oh right. Yeah. So where did the lads, the RAF lads come from? Do you know which stations?
BP: Swinderby.
MC: Mainly Swinderby.
BP: Yeah.
MC: Yeah.
SP: Yeah. He did learn to fly in Canada because I remember you telling me that. I think he probably told me as well.
BP: Yeah.
SP: Learning to fly in Canada. But, yeah I can, I can well his son was the same age as me and I can’t remember my Uncle Bill talking about the war at all.
BP: No.
SP: Did he —
BP: No. No.
SP: He did, I think he did recall an incident where they were taking off and a Lancaster flying in front of his exploded, you know. Faulty bomb and the whole thing went up. I remember that.
BP: I can remember you telling me that. So he must have told you.
SP: Well, either me directly or dad.
BP: Yeah. Yeah.
SP: It might have been dad. I do remember that so —
[recording paused]
MC: Yeah. I mean you say about the, you know it being too late and yeah, and the politics, yeah.
SP: Yeah. It beggars belief it’s taken that long. The rate of attrition amongst bomber crew was, well as you know was huge wasn’t it?
MC: And you talked about Coventry.
SP: The apologists for Dresden I think had an influence on the decision not to commemorate Bomber Command’s exploits, but I think if we had a conversation with the relatives of the Mayor of Coventry at the time, he might have something to say about that. So whether politics has played the major part in this delay I don’t know but I think the Centre’s an amazing building. I love the way it’s so interactive, and I think that will help a lot of the younger people get a grasp of what they actually went through in the war because they live in the IT age and it’s very technically advanced isn’t it, the information?
[recording paused]
MC: So, I gather Bill is obviously no longer still alive.
BP: Oh, no. He died when he was about sixty two.
MC: Sixty two.
BP: Yeah.
MC: He wasn’t very old then.
BP: Cancer. No. And my sister as well. She was sixty two. They both died.
MC: Oh really. Both died at sixty two.
BP: Yeah.
MC: Oh, goodness me. Yeah.
BP: Well, Doreen was six months older than Bill and she died six months after Bill had died so they were the same age more or less.
SP: Are we —
[recording paused]
MC: So, when are you actually he was obviously brought back through the lines by the French.
SP: Yeah.
MC: And then he —
SP: I’ll just —
MC: And then he tied up with the British troops did he?
SP: Yeah. I’ll just re-read this. These are his exact words.
MC: Is that what you read before?
SP: Yeah. The document says, “Secret,” at the top of it but I don’t think that applies anymore, do you? For a while I did wonder about that because being an ex-copper, signing the Official Secrets Act I thought maybe I shouldn’t be doing this but God, it was 1944. “On the 25th of August I was moved to an address in Hesdin and remained there until I contacted British troops on the 3rd of September.
MC: Oh. So he contacted the British troops.
[recording paused]
MC: Right, it’s just to say thank you Betty. Anyway, thank you for the interview, and to you, Stuart.
SP: No problem.
MC: Much appreciated, and we’ll, we’ll get this on file. Thank you very much to both of you.
BP: You’re welcome.
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
Interview with Betty May Pearson
William Mollison Walton
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Mike Connock
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
2018-03-12
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.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
APearsonBM180312
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
00:22:31 audio recording
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Spatial Coverage
Spatial characteristics of the resource.
Great Britain
England--Lincolnshire
France
France--Hesdin
Description
An account of the resource
Her brother-in-law William Mollison Walton, after training to be a pilot in Canada, was based at RAF Swinderby with 97 Squadron. In 1944 his aircraft was attacked and he baled out. He spent two days on a small island where he buried his parachute, He was eventually being taken in by a French family. William was visited by the chief of the resistance organisation and was taken to Hesdin where he remained until British troops helped him back home. William ended up as a Pathfinder.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sue Smith
Julie Williams
Temporal Coverage
Temporal characteristics of the resource.
1944-06-24
1944-06-25
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
Civilian
Conforms To
An established standard to which the described resource conforms.
Pending revision of OH transcription
97 Squadron
bale out
bombing
bombing of the Pas de Calais V-1 sites (24/25 June 1944)
evading
home front
love and romance
Normandy campaign (6 June – 21 August 1944)
Pathfinders
RAF Swinderby
Resistance
superstition