Volume 7 raf bomber command profiles 1 by chris ward isbn. In march 1919 the squadron returned to the uk and it was disbanded on 31 december 1919. Inaction by the raf downham market memorial appeal please note, 214fms 218 gold coast and 623 squadron have no connection or dealings with this appeal. Since 10 squadron disbanded in 2005, the squadron is the only operator of the vc10.
Ps geordie criab was a lad from my home town vernon bc canada whose crew was the only recorded bomber rammed after hitler ordered his fighters in 1945 to kamikaze themselves after running out of ammunition. Originally founded at farnborough in 1917 as part of the rfc, squadron 101 served as a nightbomber squadron on the western front, 1 was demobilized after the armistice and re. Amongst them are three classics, miles tripps eight passanger is recognised as one of the great books on bomber command aircrew. Much of the history of the secret telecommunications war against the germans during the second world war is still classified and shrouded in mystery, including the radio counter measures rcm of raf squadron 101. Bomber command training 19423 part of the training needed to fly the lanasters bombers during ww2 before flying lancasters on operation at 460 squadron, our crew were required to train on other bombers which included the vickers wellington and the handley page halifax ii. It was the main reason that the men of bomber command did not get a campaign medal. In 1941 the squadron changed to a medium bomber squadron with the vickers wellington. The squadron was to fly on more raids than any other raf bomber command unit but paid a heavy price, losing 1176 aircrew killed in action. Its aircraft were now the upgraded vulcan b1a fitted with the ecm tailpod. In the 1960s, it became even more powerful because it had v bombers and canberras.
Sources used by us in compiling archive reports include. The history of 514 squadron raf 514 squadron served in the rafs no. In 1946 no 101 squadron moved to raf binbrook and flew the avro lincoln until 1951 when it became the first raf unit to equip. I read it in preparation for an upcoming trip to lincolnshire, where there is a museum on bomber command. Second world war royal air force 9 squadron raf bomber command 9 squadron raf museum. You may find what you are looking for in raf operations record books and aircrew logs. Books can be reserved, please see covid19 message on home page for details. This work, in hastingss characteristic prose, profiles the harrowing experiences of bomber commands aircrew from 193945, the entire length of the air war of europe. These include royal flying corps rfc and royal naval air service rnas squadrons incorporated into the raf when it was formed on 1 april 1918, during the first world war. Raf bomber command during the second world war imperial. British military aviation in 1940 the royal air force, 19391945 war over holland, may 1940 books jim brookbank before the dawn. Formed at farnborough in 1915 as an artillery observation unit, 10 squadron was absorbed into the fledgling raf before being disbanded for the first time in 1919. Don charlwoods and miles tripps books caused sensations when they were first published, giving a personal and very direct view of what life was like in bomber command at different times in the war. It began the war operating the vickers wellington from marham, norfolk, but active operations did not begin until the german invasion of norway in april 1940.
Special duties squadrons were approximately of twoflight size. This book contains a full quotation of the two paragraphs quoted here, and cites the source as albert speer. Made up of about 30 british commonwealth heavy bomber squadrons, a reduction of the original plan of about 1,000. It received a major slice of britains economic and technological resources, and many of its brightest and best. The aim of this site is simple, to perpetuate the memory of a generation of young men drawn from every part of britain its commonwealth and the dominions who served with no. Shop online for 34 squadron military history books at discounts up to 63%. Bomber command books from mention the war publications, merthyr tydfil. Airfields, operating dates and aircraft types for no. To get an idea of what the records look like have a look at the below examples which show the summary of events and the records of events of 101 squadron for december 1943. Yates book came out somewhat later, but was, and is, remarkable for a first book written at the age of 77.
Wartime experiences of a special duties operator with 101 squadron raf bomber command. Chris wards profile of 101 squadron is a comprehensive history of the unit through world war two and contains details of every aircraft operated between 1939 and 1945. This is closely followed by bill jacksons three stripes and four brownings and dickie austins high adventure. It operated lancasters from wratting common as part of bomber commands main force until the end of the war, disbanding on 14 august 1945. All images relate to aircraft and aircrew from my fathers squadron during world war 2. Raf bomber command controlled the rafs bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. But of interest to 550 squadron because on pages 247 and 248 avc johnson describes an event where a lancaster bomber attacks a german military column on two low passes all guns blazing. The squadron is still operational in the present day, flying the airbus voyager in the transport tanker role. A training squadron at the outbreak of war, it lost its identity when it was absorbed into an operational training unit otu. During world war 2 12 squadron suffered the second highest percentage losses in bomber command. Listed below are a number of biographies and autobiographies of airman who at one time operated and served with no.
The squadron was reformed in march 1928 at raf bircham newton as a day bomber squadron. During the second world war, it destroyed many german cities and several of nazi germanys industries. Raf bomber command was created in 1936 and comprised the rafs light and heavy bomber squadrons. Two weeks later it moved to france to operate as a night bomber squadron. Upon publication, bomber command, winner of the somerset maugham prize, attracted controversy but today is widely considered a classic account of one of the longest and bloodiest campaigns of world war ii. Royal air force operations record books 19111963 the. Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the royal air force raf. In 1938 the squadron was equipped with the bristol blenheim. Much of the information on the lack of accuracy and the success of the germans at dispersing production are already in the public domain. Overviews like the individual aircraft histories will be of great use for amateur researchers. Our growing list of titles focuses on the aircraft, squadrons and above all the men and. Other squadrons of the raf include those from commonwealth air forces which have served within the raf structure and squadrons of the fleet air arm.
In 1930 the squadron became a torpedobombing unit and was the first squadron to receive the vickers vildebeest in november 1932. The squadron reformed again on 1 october 1944, when c flight of no 115 squadron at witchford was raised to squadron status. Wartime experiences of a special duties operator with 101 squadron raf bomber command feast, sean on. Chris has also written extensively about bomber command, producing not only the squadron profiles, but also books about five of the eight groups in the command during the war. British military aviation in 1940 the royal air force, 19391945 rickard, j 17 march 2007, armstrong whitworth a. Over the course of the war, it developed from a limited and relatively ineffective force into a weapon of immense destructive power. Jewish raf special operators in radio counter measures.
Shortly after the end of the first world war the squadron was based near dublin and in 1924 it relocated to kent. Buy 10 squadron raf bomber command profiles by chris ward, ian macmillan isbn. Wartime experiences of a special duties operator with 101 squadron raf bomber command by feast, sean isbn. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Hastings has a particular skill at weaving together the different aspects of a war such that one can see both the broad max hastings is arguably the top british war historian working today. In 1946 no 101 squadron moved to raf binbrook and flew the avro lincoln until 1951 when it became the first raf unit to equip with the english electric canberra jet bomber. The majority of the records consist of standard raf form 540 diary pages with a mix of handwritten and typed formats. After a short period of operations from raf foulsham, the squadron transferred to its permanent home at raf waterbeach, cambridgeshire, in december 1943, some aircraft travelling from the old base to the new via a raid on berlin.
No 101 squadron reequipped with bristol blenheim monoplane bombers in june 1938 and moved to raf west raynham in may 1939, joining no 2 group, bomber command. Bomber command books is the sales site for mention the war ltd. Formed in august 1943 it operated until disbanded in august 1945. The squadron reformed on 15 october 1957 as part of raf bomber commands v bomber force maintaining the uks strategic nuclear deterrent, equipped with avro vulcan b1s from raf finningley, and in 1961 the squadron moved from finningley to raf waddington where it remained until disbandment in 1982. Bomber command books is a community site from mention the war publications, a. The unit flew on more bombing raids than any other squadron in bomber command, but suffered the highest casualties, with 1176 airmen killed in action. Not a bomber command book it is the story of j e johnnie johnson later air vice marshal johnson, who served with fighter command squadrons throughout the war. Raf bomber command controlled the rafs bomber force from 19361968.
Bomber command books is a community site from mention the war publications, a specialist in publishing and selling. These were replaced the following year with the avro lancaster. List of royal air force aircraft squadrons wikipedia. The bomber command war diaries, by matrin middlebrook and chris everitt. Royal air force combat reports 19391945 the national archives. The squadron remained operating in bomber command for the duration of the war. It provides the reader with a myriad of facts and the opportunity to compare the records of a single squadron with another. This modest force gave britain the means to immediately strike back at. If you can provide copies of any log books of former no. On the 15th december 1942, 100 squadron reemerged at raf station waltham, close to grimsby, in lincolnshire, equipped with lancaster mkiii aircraft.
The squadron had stumbled in its journey, but it was just a stumble, as 100 torpedo bomber squadron metamorphosed into 100 bomber squadron in bomber command back in england at the end of 1942. The following pages include copies in full or in part of log books i have managed to view and copy over the past few years. In 1939 raf bomber command had 23 operational bomber squadrons, with 280 aircraft. It flew 5,160 sorties and 1,129 men lost their lives in 188 aircraft. Tragedy at raf downham market the last remaining dispersal point and remaining piece of run way dugup.
Bomber command books from mention the war publications. I am very cynical of fresh take books often they are only published if they take a controversial. The squadron was reformed as a night bomber unit on hyderabads at raf upper heyford on 3 january 1928, before moving to raf boscombe down in 1931 and later on to raf dishforth in 1937 to form part of the newly created no. The following is reproduced from the 101 squadron history with the kind permission of raf brize norton the 101 squadron raf website has lots more information about the squadron and a searchable crew database world war 2.
665 773 1351 166 156 1218 141 1257 1381 1422 893 556 551 579 280 307 743 858 1491 616 1446 1530 146 1340 1363 792 462 597 1102 1677 354 449 1567 1164 89 1158 886 1061 383 1249 1223