In bomber command, originally published to critical acclaim in the u. On 3rd june 142 the squadron informed bomber command, the air ministry and the raf records office that the aircraft and crew were missing. About the feats of the squadrons, aircrew and aircraft of bomber command, but we know. Operation record book, and other materials which detail bomber command operations all note. Formed at ripon for home defence duties in yorkshire on 15 september 116, it was equipped with a variety of be2s and be12s, and these remained until re-equipment with bristol f2bs in 118. During the immediate period before world war two, the raf modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Initially trained by balloon command, at raf tichfield in hampshire as a. 011356 - united in effort: the story of no 53 squadron raf 116 to 176 air britain. Another home defence unit, no 78 was formed on 1 november at harrietsham. It is however a useful reference book and one thing it does illustrate is the staggering losses of an individual bomber command squadron. Likewise, cordinglys book is essentially a memoir of the. He was a wireless operator with 78 and 35 squadrons, was decorated with the distinguished flying. 205 The bomber command digital archive is an initiative of the international bomber command centre ibcc. 78 squadron raf, a heavy bomber squadron which became operational in july 140 and remained in action until the end of the second world war. They belonged to 4 group, raf bomber command and were based at. They are also believed to have dropped the greatest tonnage. Aircraft flown in were anson, whitley, martinet, halifax, dakota, liberator, prentice, harvard, provost and meteor. When it reformed at finningley on 12 april 137, it was in the bomber role, having been.
Haller, oliver destroying hitlers berghof: the bomber command raid of 25 april. He flew a total of 36 operations with 78 squadron, 18 daylight and 17 night operations with 78 squadron and one with number 10 operational training unit. Raf bomber command controlled the rafs bomber forces from 136 to 168. That squadron was assigned to the 1th bombardment group, of the 314th bombard- ment wing, of the xxi bomber command, of the twentieth air. Friends and relatives of this crew travelled over from australia to england in may 2013. The bomber command war diaries: an operational reference book. His raf training and experiences as a flight lieutenant navigator flying halifax bombers with 78 squadron bomber command based at raf breighton. 309 Sgt j w quincey of 78 squadron raf opened the throttles of his armstrong whitworth whitley bomber. Squadrons raised from bomber command otus, all went to other commands. Bomber command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft. On july 1th he and his crew began flying with 78 squadron.
44 lancaster 1s and 156 lancaster 111s delivered between october 144 and march 145 by avro yeadon and woodford. Subsequently, the squadron flew the first remote operational mission from uk soil towards the end of april 2013 and conducted its first remote weapons strike in afghanistan a few days later. This article considers the published writings of aircrew from raf. , famed british military historian sir max hastings offers a captivating analysis of the strategy and decision-making behind one of world war iis most violent episodes. Acknowledgements: sources used by us in compiling archive reports include: bill chorley - bomber command losses vols. 78 squadron 4 group bomber command - taken by steve clarke 15 dec 2015. And aircrew were met with the certainty of the squadron co. The lincolnshire bomber command memorial trust registered charity no. Vickers wellington units of bomber command combat aircraft book 133. 78 hew strachan observes that in the second world war. An illustrated account of the activities of an raf bomber command squadron during world war ii. Rcaf serving in raf squadrons, represents a history that has been largely. 58 Royal air force raf command during the second world.
78 squadron flew the most sorties in 4 group 6,337, suffered the highest percentage losses of any halifax squadron 245 aircraft lost and the third highest losses in bomber command as a whole. 103 squadron, in whose memory i established this facebook page, as well as for all those who have a connection or. On the night of july 2/30th 143 a force of 757 aircraft left bomber command airfields in england to. No 460 squadron was the only raaf squadron with bomber command for most of. He finished the war in command of 138 squadron, flying soe operations in to denmark and norway. I am still writing, at the age of 78 and have just completed my sixth book. 204 Although author george stratfords new novel, buried pasts. In that time, he flew 78 combat missions and was credited with downing 57 enemy. Bomber command squadrons could attack german naval vessels. The book tells the personal story of a bomber command pilot during his six years he spent servicing overseas. An irregular limestone boulder with an inset plaque. The squadron reformed on 26th october 2012 at raf waddington under the command of wing commander bird.
A classic aircrew europe bomber command hamburg raid halifax pilot casualty. I helped found the aog church in coopers plains in 157 and was the parklands christian college business manager for 6 years finishing in 2007. 78 squadron reformed in november 136 at boscombe down when b flight of no 10 squadron was raised to full squadron status. Posting to india, harris took command of a squadron in mesopotamia in. The bcatp enabled thousands of australian airmen to train in their homeland and in canada before joining operational squadrons, and, while many served in raf units, others were gathered together in those formed within the royal australian air force. 463 squadron operated throughout the war with only two flights instead of the usual three. I am interested in learning about the history of 78 squadron, and in bomber command in general. He addresses it to his girlfriend, jenny and it seems the perfect introduction to our next topic: bravery. 003 03851; no 413 squadron operations record book orb, 18. He is one of very few bomber command pilots to survive three tours of operations. 011260 - nobody unprepared: the history of no 78 squadron. Although boeing lost the contract to the douglas b-18 bolo. All powered by bristol hercules xvi radial engines. Deliveries commenced oct 143 and completed mar 144. 129
1 and 2, martin middlebrook and chris everitt - bomber command war diaries, commonwealth war graves commission, tom kracker - kracker luftwaffe archives. We are currently compiling a memorial book, if you know of anyone whose. Father j p lardies comments as inscribed on the bomber command memorial wall in nanton, ab. These cards give the aircrafts movements during its time in service. This richly illustrated book chronologically describes the course of operation overlord through 357 specific events. Air ministry, air historical branch ahb, the raf in maritime war, ii: the. This letter is excerpted from hastings book bomber command 103-104. 8 wellesley mk i aircraft of no 76 sqn taken at raf finningley in april 137. The squadron lost 546 aircrew, 225 of whom were australian, and 78 aircraft. On the 1th july 144 whilst serving with 78 squadron, raf bomber command. Competing against douglas and martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the boeing entry prototype model 2/xb-17 outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps performance specifications. On top of the sea wall, a memorial plaque remembers the crew of 115 sqn wellington r3202 ko-j. The horror and the glory: bomber command in british memories since 145. 521
Report this image 78 squadron - taken by nobody aka ian s. 5th august 118 by the beginning of 117 the german high command was losing faith in the extremely costly air ships campaign, which overall had. Chorley, bomber command losses of the second world war, vol/40, midland counties publications, isbn 0 0457 85 7 v holland nobody unprepared: 78 squadron raf woodfield 2002 tom sawyer only owls. The value of the australian contribution to the success of bomber command cannot be overstated. By the start of the second world war, the squadron was flying the armstrong whitworth whitley and was acting as a reserve squadron taking on pilots who had passed out from the group pool training units. I joined the gideons in 164 and was the australian president 176-78. The bomber command war diaries, an operational reference book, 13-145. Item compiled by david fell with photo from my archive. 959 A telegram, along with a follow up letter from the commanding officer, was sent to the next of kin of each crew member advising them that he was missing as the result of air operations on 2nd / 3rd june. They have compiled a book of letters which they presented to aircrew remembered for. This book is the history of the 78 raaf fighter squadron, smuttee was the codename used by the squadron after they joined the war in the pacific, in 143. 460 squadron raaf, breighton, signed white swan hotel visitors book on 7 may 142. A study of bomber command losses that night determines that this aircraft was 78 squadron whitley v z6555 lost with no survivors from sgt. Flying log book, and one scrapbook that capture and reflect the period of. For people interested in sources and books these can be found on the.
The squadron originally flew twin-engined whitley aircraft, later converting to the 4-engined halifax. We are currently compiling a memorial book, if you know of anyone whose ashes have been. 1144182 and the university of lincoln are partners in delivering the ibcc. The book and cd-rom cover bombing sorties, mining, supply. Airfields, operating dates and aircraft types for no. Inscription 78 squadron/ 4 group, bomber command/ yorkshire/ 13 - 145/ to all who served inscription legible? Yes commemorations. B finch, editor, head of raf information media training and technical publications. Cyril j bartons royal canadian air force pilots flying log book. He survived 78 operational trips in bomber command, starting out on hampdens in 140, going on to complete his second tour on the avro manchester and lancaster. Tags: 578 squadron; aircrew; meteor; operational training unit; raf bishops court; raf. Robert jackson, a former raf pilot, is a prolific author of military. 850 7 depending on the squadron and the period, these educate.
10 squadron, originally flying heyford night bombers. 78 squadron formed on the 1st of november 116 at harrietsham as a home defence squadron. 78 squadron was first formed at newhaven on the 1st of november 116 as a home defence unit, tasked with intercepting enemy zeppelins attacking the south coast. 452 Abbreviations commonly used on air ministry forms 78 aircraft movement cards. Air ministry form 78 was used to record the allocation of an aircraft to units, and the dates on which damage was sustained and. 78 squadron - bomber, armstrong whitworth aw38 whitley bomber command, 4 group history. Text on his time with 502 squadron; and ted rayners book on convoy. By the outbreak of the second world war, the squadron was based at raf dishforth. With firsthand descriptions of the experiences of aircrew from 13 to 145based on one hundred interviews with veteransand a harrowing narrative of. Second world war 13-145 total names on memorial: 0.
As was the case throughout bomber command, these results came at considerable cost. In this raid, a force of 45 hampdens and 28 whitley aircraft attacked hamm however only 31 aircraft claimed to have been able to bomb the target area. As my annual tribute to my late uncle, on the anniversary of his death, i am tonight marking the 78th anniversary of the death of my uncle, flight engineer, sgt gwilym nicholls, of raf no. Scholars have tended to ignore superstition among raf bomber command aircrews in the. Vs flew out of topcliffe on 27 november 140 to bomb docks and shipping. Raf bomber command losses of the second world war, vol. Once the engines had developed full take-off boost. 429 The 78 squadron badge and motto are above the text, with small relief outline of a halifax aircraft below. 75 squadron image: drapeau nouvelle-zelande new zealand. In this particular book we follow the training and posting at an active squadron of bomber command during the war of air gunner/wireless operator john.
10 lancaster 1s to lm310 and 340 mk 111s remainder delivered between november 142 and october 144 by avro yeadon. Bloody fools fly at night chris ward 78 squadron bomber command profile no. In 13 5 group was flying the handley page hampden, a fast, modern aircraft that carried a large payload. 78 squadron raf, a heavy bomber squadron which became operational in july 140 and remained in action until the end of the. 800 The story of no 78 squadron, 4 group, bomber command which became. 78 squadron was reformed in november 136 from b flight of no. The boeing b-17 flying fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 130s for the united states army air corps usaac. Letters from a bomber command pilot was launched in september 2017 at the raf club in london which some 30 people attended, including the vice chairman, air commodore peacock-edwards who wrote the foreword. Operations record books seen at the public record office in kew show that 2 whitley mk. An operational reference book, 13-145 martin middlebrook, chris everitt.