Abbreviations

AA

A/B

A/G

F/E

Nav

W/Op

Anti-Aircraft

Air Bomber

Air Gunner

Flight Engineer

Navigator

Wireless Operator

 

 

Month and year: March 1945

 

24th March 1945

Place: Great Dunmow

 

Today Reveille was at 03.45 hours and normal work commenced at 05.00 hours in preparation for the Allied Assault over the Rhine.

 

GLIDER TOWING TO RHINE BATTLE AREA.

The Squadron commitment for this Operation was to tow 30 Gliders in one lift to landing zones just East of the Rhine near Wesel.  Troops, Jeeps, Guns and other equipment of Units of the 6th Air Landing Brigade, mainly Anti-tank and Artillery units were carried.  The 30 aircraft and gliders took off in 29 minutes under perfect weather conditions, the Squadron Commander leading.  During the forming-up one rope broke and one glider had to cast off.  One of these aircraft landed and lifted another glider, in addition to the one lifted by the spare crew, and endeavoured to catch up with the stream, but as they had not done so on reaching Brussels they returned to Base as ordered.  The weather over the whole route was magnificent, no better conditions could have prevailed.  There was no opposition on the route although small numbers of light A.A. Guns offered ineffective opposition near to the landing zones.  A smoke Pall, caused by the previous Artillery Barrage laid down hung over the landing zones, but visibility was good enough to pick out the individual landing zones without difficulty, and twenty eight gliders were released there.  After release one aircraft sustained very minor damage and all aircraft returned to Base.  Great credit is due to the maintenance of the aircraft and the handling by the pilots, as the Squadron had only one aircraft unavailable for re-supply, which however was not necessary owing to the success of the Ground Forces.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK123.  Crew:  W/C G.T. Wynne-Powell DFC (Capt), F/L C.R. Wileman (Nav), W/O Evans E.G. (A/B), F/S Simpson J. (F/E), F/L D.H. Jones (W/Op), F/S Rennessy M. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.05.  Time Down:  12.35.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ983.  Crew:  S/L W.A. Jack (Capt), P/O W.T. Atkinson (Nav), F/S Broad W.R.M. (A/B), F/S Bower J.A. (F/E), F/S Beckett R.I. (W/Op), F/S Perry C.W. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.20.  Time Down:  13.25.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ887.  Crew:  P/O C.V. Herbert (Capt), W/O Pratt E. (Nav), F/S Johnson C.A. (A/B), F/S Fletcher H. (F/E), F/S French E. (W/Op), F/S Hillier K.D. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.20.  Time Down:  13.20.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK117.  Crew:  F/L C.P. Gawith (Capt), F/L S.J. Payne (Nav), F/O I. Langdon (A/B), F/S Watson E. (F/E), F/S Jervis D.G. (W/Op), F/S Edwards H.E. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.20.  Time Down:  13.20.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ866.  Crew:  F/O J.D. Russell (Capt), W/O2 Delisle L.A.S. (Nav), W/O2 Hatcher C.R. (A/B), P/O P.E.R. Newstone (F/E), F/S Bright R.C. (W/Op), P/O S.R. Prossak (A/G).  Time Up:  07.20.  Time Down:  13.20.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ588.  Crew:  F/O R.F. Clement (Capt), F/L J.M. Hilton (Nav), W/O Bryce J.H. (A/B), F/S Schofield A. (F/E), F/O J.C. Martin (W/Op), W/O Hamley P.J. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.25.  Time Down:  13.40.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ948.  Crew:  P/O J.M. Marshall (Capt), F/S Duke S.C. (Nav), F/S Hopkinson H.W. (A/B), F/S Boardman A. (F/E), F/S Dalton (W/Op), F/S Booth J.E. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.30.  Time Down:  12.45.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV.  Crew:  F/S Burt F.W. (Capt), F/S Bateman A.L. (Nav), F/S Welford A.E. (A/B), Sgt Clague H.R. (F/E), F/S Norsworthy C. (W/Op), Sgt Doherty P. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.30.  Time Down:  13.15.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ865.  Crew:  W/O Marriott E.F. (Capt), F/S Pearce L.H. (Nav), W/O Riddell J.R. (A/B), F/S Palmer R. (F/E), F/O W.H. Boston (W/Op), P/O C.N. Jones (A/G).  Time Up:  07.25.  Time Down:  13.25.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ977.  Crew:  W/O Miller M.J. (Capt), W/O Howes J. (Nav), F/S Davies L. (A/B), F/S Husband C.F. (F/E), F/S Veitch D.E. (W/Op), F/S White S.E. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.30.  Time Down:  13.15.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ827.  Crew:  F/O A.E. Andrews (Capt), F/O H.A. Leader (Nav), F/O Parr W.J. (A/B), F/S Strong J.J. (F/E), P/O M. Potts (W/Op), W/O2 Wright C.C. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.30.  Time Down:  13.30.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK134.  Crew:  F/O Simpson L. (Capt), F/S Seary G.F. (Nav), P/O J.H. Loveless (A/B), Sgt Stevenson R.H. (F/E), W/O Bowen A.R. (W/Op), W/O Coon T.C. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.30.  Time Down:  12.50.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ554.  Crew:  F/L C.B. Elliott (Capt), Sgt Hodges W.A. (Nav), Sgt Lowe G.H. (A/B), Sgt Alexander N.O. (F/E), Sgt Gibson D.N. (W/Op), Sgt Chapman G.R. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.30.  Time Down:  13.35.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK296.  Crew:  W/O Keogh R. (Capt), W/O Mead R.W. (Nav), F/S Humphries K.C. (A/B), F/S Stephens D. (F/E), F/S Sellick P.K. (W/Op), F/S Curtis W.N. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.25.  Time Down:  13.05.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK410.  Crew:  F/L J.R. McGarnett (Capt), F/S Lynch P.B. (Nav), F/O R.J. Carless (A/B), Sgt Smith F.J. (F/E), F/S Desborough H.C. (W/Op), F/S Samuel R.J. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.35.  Time Down:  13.00.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK304.  Crew:  F/L G.C. Murray (Capt), F/O K.C. Back (Nav), W/O Hooper H.C. (A/B), F/S Gould A.J. (F/E), P/O M.J. Greenslade (W/Op), F/S Herbert J. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.05.  Time Down:  12.40.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ932.  Crew:  P/O F.D. de Rose (Capt), F/O B.P. Crocker (Nav), F/S Carwood F.B. (A/B), F/S Pearman F.W. (F/E), W/O Chaffey N.R. (W/Op), F/S Griffin P.W. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.10.  Time Down:  13.30.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK250.  Crew:  W/O Johnson W.S. (Capt), F/O J.P.G. Dow (Nav), F/O J.J. Hackett (A/B), Sgt Tennant A. (F/E), Sgt Campbell M. (W/Op), Sgt Scott H.E.J. (A/G).  Time Up:  08.45.  Time Down:  12.15.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ847.  Crew:  S/L B.H. Derridge DFC DFM (Capt), W/O Carey F.K. (Nav), W/O Peacock L.E.A. (A/B), F/S Steele F.C. (F/E), P/O B.S. Hardy (W/Op), W/O2 Sterling J.R. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.15.  Time Down:  12.40.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK432.  Crew:  F/L W.P. Bell DFC (Capt), F/L C.E. Bradshaw (Nav), W/O Tod P.A. (A/B), F/S Northfield A.T. (F/E), F/S Bridges D.E. (W/Op), F/S Dutton S. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.10.  Time Down:  12.55.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ899.  Crew:  P/O P.C. Jordan (Capt), F/S Pountney L.K. (Nav), P/O J. Etkin (A/B), F/S McLeod N.J. (F/E), F/S Sykes W. (W/Op), F/S Hall W.E. (A/G).  Time Up:  08.45.  Time Down:  13.05.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK935.  Crew:  F/O K.H. Wilson (Capt), P/O B.H. Cummins (Nav), W/O Anderson J. (A/B), Sgt Lydon S. (F/E), W/O Mathieson C.A. (W/Op), F/S Lewis J.B. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.10.  Time Down:  13.30.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV EF303.  Crew:  F/O C.A. Neale (Capt), F/O E.J. Wheeler (Nav), F/O E. Cutts (A/B), F/S Keenan K.E. (F/E), F/S Thompson N.S. (W/Op), F/S Westlake K.J. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.20.  Time Down:  13.35.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ952.  Crew:  P/O S.W. Rabbits (Capt), F/O A. Ferguson (Nav), F/S Davies R.P. (A/B), F/S Kearns R.S. (F/E), F/S Mensley J.K.S. (W/Op), W/O Cornish H.M. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.15.  Time Down:  18.50.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ921.  Crew:  F/O P.S. Deacon (Capt), F/O H.M. James (Nav), F/O Kempster A.S. (A/B), F/S Keiller J. (F/E), F/S Everitt J.T. (W/Op), F/S McCausland R.A. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.35.  Time Down:  13.15.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ973.  Crew:  F/O D.S. McKenzie (Capt), F/O R.W. Passingham (Nav), P/O H.A. Gleeson (A/B), F/S Selby G.J. (F/E), F/S Hynes S. (W/Op), F/S Bedford R.G. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.15.  Time Down:  13.15.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ977.  Crew:  P/O P.G. Edgecombe (Capt), F/S Bracey P.W. (Nav), F/S Marriner P.W. (A/B), Sgt Sinclair D. (F/E), F/S Butcher W. (W/Op), Sgt Woods F.C. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.40.  Time Down:  13.10.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV EF277.  Crew:  F/S Dann C.M. (Capt), Sgt McKenzie R.C. (Nav), F/O M. Thomas (A/B), Sgt Shaffer M. (F/E), Sgt Harries E. (W/Op), Sgt Copping A.M. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.15.  Time Down:  13.30.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LK294.  Crew:  F/S Harrison J.A. (Capt), F/S Jutsum F.C. (Nav), F/S Viney G.J. (A/B), Sgt Venning J.E. (F/E), F/S Rowlands P.H. (W/Op), Sgt Dunn F.E. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.15.  Time Down:  13.30.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ980.  Crew:  F/O B.R. Hawes (Capt), P/O J.G. Downard (Nav), F/O J.R. Parry (A/B), Sgt Smith P.J. (F/E), Sgt Lomas G.H. (W/Op), Sgt Butterworth S.A. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.35.  Time Down:  13.15.

 

Aircraft Type & Number:  Stirling IV LJ887.  Crew:  F/L J.C. Dunkley (Capt), P/O D. Roxburgh (Nav), F/O R. Cooper (A/B), Sgt Towers T.A. (F/E), F/S Hubble L. (W/Op), F/S Rutland R. (A/G).  Time Up:  07.15.  Time Down:  13.05.