Allied Losses and Incidents: All Commands

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NOTE ON DATES: IMPORTANT: For consistency, the Date is given as the date the mission TOOK OFF since the precise time of a loss is not always certain. Take Off date is unambigous and fixed in the official records, but obviously in those cases where the incident occurred before midnight UK time, then the Take Off Date will be the same as the Incident Date. Of course, most Bomber Command missions flew through midnight, therefore a Luftwaffe claim against a plane - or a locally generated crash report - may record the incident as occurring on the day following our Take Off Date. Bear this in mind when cross-referencing to our Luftwaffe Victories by Name/Date Database and other Luftwaffe sources. In some cases other sources may quote the date following our date, using locally generated reports as their source. To add to the potential for confusion, remember to take into account a Luftwaffe recorded date will be in local time, 1 hour ahead of UK time. When we discover a validated Incident Date we change our record if necessary.

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You searched for: “1944-06-12”

#	Name*	First Names	Rank	Service No.	Born	Nationality	Role	Awards	Air Force	Command	Unit	Aircraft	Type	Serial	Victories (Fighters)	Base	Time	Mission	Incident	Fate	Commemorated	Photo (Click to Expand)	Notes	Links/Archive Reports
1	Hedgecoe	Edward Richard					Pilot	DFC *		Fighter Command					9								KIA 1 January 1944 Ace
2	Dopson	Geoffrey William	W/O, Flt Lt				Pilot	DFC 1939-35 Star Aircrew Europe Star War Medal 1939-45	RAFVR	2TAF	80Sqn	Tempest			2			Ground attack, close air support					DFC Citation London Gazette 1 June 1945: ‘This Warrant Officer joined the Squadron in October 1944. His timely arrival marked the commencement of a long series of offensive operations flown deep into Germany and consisting of armed recces. and fighter sweeps. In such spheres, W./O. Dopson has proved to be a worthy contributor to the ever increasing total of successes by attacking 22 locomotives, several barges, motor transports and miscellaneous targets. To these claims he has added the destruction of an Fw. 190 and damaged another enemy fighter. His figure of operational hours has been achieved with constant keenness, initiative and offensive spirit. He has always pressed home his attacks with a fearless determination and complete disregard for his own personal safety.’ Commenced operational flying with 80Sqn as a W/O in October 1944, soon after the unit had converted to Tempests and, by the time of his recommendation for the DFC dated 10 march 1945, had flown 74 operational sorties. Of his air-to-air successes, official records reveal his destruction of an Fw. 190 five miles north-west of Rheims on 27 August 1944 and an Me. 109 over Dorsten, on 28 March 1944. Of this latter engagement his combat report states: ‘When in the Dorsten area two Me. 109s flew across our nose in a south easterly direction. I turned onto the starboard Hun closing from line astern and fired one 3-second burst from 150 yards closing to 50 yards from which I obtained several strikes on the under aide of the fuselage and just behind the cowling and also on the port wing root. A stream of whitish smoke was emitted, several pieces flew off the port wing and as the aircraft went into a gentle climb, the cockpit hood was jettisoned. I broke away just as the Hun entered cloud ... ’ On the last day of March 1945, and having been commissioned as Pilot Officer, Dopson shared in the destruction of a Ju. 188 seven miles north-east of Osnabruck: ‘I approached from line astern and fired one 4-second burst from 800 yards closing rapidly to within 50 yards, when I was forced to break violently to avoid collision. The E./A. was then in a gentle turn to port and on looking back I could see the port engine smoking and later catch fire ... ’
3	Dutton	Roy Gilbert	Sqd Ldr (later W/C)	39072	Hatton , Ceylon 2 March 1917	British	Pilot	CBE DSO DFC & Bar	RAF	Fighter Command	111Sqd 145Sqn 452Sqn RAAF (CO) 19Sqn (CO) 54 OTU 141Sqn 512Sqn 525Sqn (CO)	Huricane			19 (21 ?)					Died 1988-08-14	St. Lukes Churchyard, Whyteleafe, Surrey.		Battle of Britain. Born Ceylon Ace Destroyed 2 with 111Sqn before joining 145Sqn 1940-04-03. Shot down 9 more enemy aircraft over France. DFC 1940-05-31. As "A" Flight Commander during the Battle, Dutton shot down another 4 aircraft before the 8th of August, when he shot down 3 Ju 87's, adding 2 Bf 110's on the 11th and a Ju 88 on the 12th. Bar to DFC 1940-08-20. Wing Commander. Posted to RAF Drem on 28th August 1940 as non-effective sick. To RAF Hornchurch on 16th September 1940. Returned to 145 Squadron at Tangmere 22nd December 1940 as non-operational. Immediately posted to RAF Tangmere as non-effective sick.12th April 1941 to Kirton-in-Lindsey to form and command 452Sqn RAF, the first RAAF fighter squadron. CO 19 Squadron at Fowlmere on 15th June 1941, damaged a Me109 on the 23rd June. Staff at the Air Ministry on 16th July. Posted to 54 OTU Church Fenton on 3rd March 1942. Converting to Beauflghters, oined 141 Squadron on 17th April 1942 as a Flight Commander. Tour-expired, Dutton, attached to No. 1 ADF Croydon on 26th November 1942 and soon afterwards joined the Overseas Staff. Early May 1943 posted to HQ Middle East . 9th September took command of 4 Ferry Control at Habbaniya, Iraq. Appointed SASO 249 Wing on 1st April 1944. 12th December 1944 to HQ 46 Group as Wing Commander Ops. January 1945 CO 512 Squadron at Broadwell. March 1945 lead a glider train of over 400 tug and glider combinations with complete airborne division on the Rhine Crossing to a point between Weser and Emmerich. First to reach the area and his tug and glider combination came under heavy fire. He pressed on to the landing zone, several miles behind enemy lines. He only gave the order for the glider to be released when he was sure it would reach its objective. Awarded the DSO (gazetted 8th June 1945). CO 525 Squadron at Lyneham and Membury 15th June 1945 to 28th March 1946. He was ADC to the Queen. CBE. Moscow as a Defence and Air Attache in May 1968 and retired on 3rd December 1970 as a Group Captain, retaining the rank of Air Commodore.	Battle of Britain Database
4	Holt	Andrew Kenneth	Flight Lieutenant				Bombing Leader	DFC	RAFVR	Bomber Command	115Sqn	Lancaster				Witchford							DFC Citation. London Gazette 6 November 1945. The recommendation states: ‘Flight Lieutenant Holt has been the Bombing Leader on this 115Sqn for the past eight months. During this period he has flown regularly on operational sorties and has set a splendid example to the remaining Air Bombers in this Squadron. His first tour was carried out on heavy bombers in 1943, during which time such heavily defended targets as Stuttgart, Mannheim and Cologne were attacked. For his keenness, efficiency and courage, he merits the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’ Andrew Kenneth Holt, who was from Ely, commenced his operational tour as a Bomb Aimer and Bombing Leader with No. 115 Squadron, a Lancaster unit based at Witchford, Cambridgeshire in November 1944, and went on to complete 14 sorties to Germany by the end of April 1945. As stated in his recommendation, he had already carried out a tour of operations on heavy bombers, very probably Stirlings of No. 3 Group. That tour ended in mid-September 1943 with a strike against the Dunlop factory at Mont Lucon, his 19th trip, so presumably he was selected for attendance at a Bombing Leader’s course at short notice. He had previously participated in the ‘Firestorm’ attacks on Hamburg that July, in addition to the raid on Berlin on the night of 23-24 August, when 56 aircraft were lost, at that stage the most costly sortie of the War.
5	Dade	Lucian A Jr 'Pete'	Major	O-432184		USA	Pilot	Air Medal with 13 oak leaf clusters (2 silver, 3 bronze) Army of Occupation Medal Distinguished Flying Cross European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal National Defense Service Medal Silver Star World War II Victory Medal	USAAF	56th Fighter Group	63rd Fighter Squadron	P-47 Thunderbolt			5	Boxted UK							Source:afhra.maxwell.af.mil. American Air Museum ETO (European Theatre) Pilots of the 56th Fighter Group celebrated 800 victories and the second anniversary of their arrival in England at a party on 6 January 1945 at Boxted air base. he first P-47Ms, delivered in December, 1944, were rushed to the 56th Fighter Group, the last Eighth Air Force fighter unit equipped with the P-47. The P-47Ms began arriving on January 3, 1945. The 61st Fighter Squadron quickly converted to the new Thunderbolt, and immediately began to experience the same kind of engine problems they had confronted with the P-47C in January 1943. Three crashes due to engine failure, one fatal, led to the P-47M being grounded in late February, putting the 56th out of business. Dave Schilling’s extended tour as Group CO ended on January 27, and new CO Colonel Lucian Dade – who had been one of the original pilots in the 56th and who had served as squadron commander, operations officer, and deputy group commander – had to deal with the engine problems. When war-weary P-51Bs arrived for conversion training, Dade was able to stave off the dread Mustang when the engineers discovered the engines had been incorrectly “pickled” for overseas delivery, and the electrical harnesses had been corroded by exposure to salt air. With each engine completely overhauled by March 24, 1945, the engine problems were over and the group as a whole was ready to re-commence operations. P-47Ms were not fitted with underwing racks at first, since they were strictly fighters; they did however used the wing racks in the final two weeks of the war when they were primarily attacking German airfields. With only a few weeks of war left, the 56th demonstrated that the P-47M was indeed a “hot rod” that turned the Thunderbolt into an air superiority fighter. The unit was chosen to test the new T-48 incendiary round, designed to explode the low grade/high flash point fuels the Germans were using, which resisted ignition by .50-caliber strikes. In April, the 56th flew a series of airfield strafing attacks using the T-48 round, ending with Dade leading 49 P-47Ms to Eggebek airdrome on April 13, 1945, where they found 150 to 200 aircraft parked on the main field and two nearby satellite strips. With the 62nd Fighter Squadron flying top cover at 15,000 feet and the 61st Fighter Squadron orbiting at 10,000 feet, the 63rd Fighter Squadron made the attack. After a pass to suppress ground fire, the squadron made 140 individual passes, claiming 44 destroyed. This was followed by the 61st who made 94 passes and claimed 25 destroyed, with the 62nd then making 105 and claiming 26. One P-47M 44-21134 of the 63rd FS, UN-P, Teacher’s Pet, flown by 1st Lt. William R. Hoffman, was shot down; Hoffman was killed when his parachute failed to open. The mission total was 339 passes, 95 aircraft destroyed, 95 damaged, and more than 78,000 rounds of ammunition expended. Top scorer was 2nd Lt. Randall Murphy of the 63rd FS, who was credited following review of his gun camera film with 10 destroyed. Another strafing mission on April 16, saw the group’s final combat loss when Capt. John W. Appel of the 62nd FS was shot down, though he successfully returned to Allied lines the next day. On April 21st the group flew its final combat mission. After the war he remained in what soon became the US Air Force. In the summer of 1950, Dade was an Operations Officer with the 2nd Air Division at Landsberg, Germany. He retired in 1969 as a Colonel.
6	Crompton-Batt	R E	Sqd Ldr				Master Bomber Pathfinders	DFC & Bar	RAFVR	Bomber Command	7Sqn RAF												AN OUTSTANDING “PATHFINDER MASTER BOMBER” (73 RAIDS) DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS (1944) & BAR (1944). 7Sqn AIRCREW EUROPE, GSM BORNEO & QCVSA “QUEENS FLIGHT” GROUP of ELEVEN. S/LDR R.E. CROMPTON-BATT.
7	Cork	Richard John ("Dickie")					Pilot	DSO DSC		Fighter Command					11								flew with RAF and FAA,KIA 14 April 1944 Ace
8	Crook	David Moore					Pilot	DFC		Fighter Command					8								KIA 18 December 1944 Ace
9	Kenward	Vivian Frederick Roy	Flight Lieutenant		Hucclecote Gloucestershire		Bomb Aimer	DFC & Bar	RAFVR	Bomber Command	76Sqn 582Sqn	Halifax, Lancaster				Middleton St George							DFC Citation London Gazette 13 August 1943. The recommendation states: ‘This Officer has completed 29 sorties as a Bomb Aimer and flown for a total of 184 operational hours. He has made several attacks against the heaviest defended targets including Berlin, Bremen, two to Hamburg, three to Italy and six to the Ruhr. He has been extremely successful in obtaining a very high number of good photographs and holds first place on the Squadron record ladder. This Officer possesses a fine offensive spirit and setting his mind on the task in hand has always directed his aircraft skilfully into the target despite the most intense flak opposition. His tenacity and unconquerable spirit of determination to achieve his object, has always been a source of inspiration to the whole Squadron. He is recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’ Bar to DFC Citation London Gazette 13 August 1945. The recommendation states: ‘Flight Lieutenant Kenward is visual Bomb Aimer to a very successful Marker crew, who have on a number of occasions been detailed as Deputy Master Bomber. Now on his second tour, Flight Lieutenant Kenward is an exceptionally keen and able Bomb Aimer with a high sense of responsibility and unfaltering determination. He is strongly recommended for a non-immediate award of a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross.’ Flight Lieutenant Vivian Frederick Roy Kenward, DFC., who was born in Hucclecote, Gloucestershire, and educated at Dover Grammar School, enlisted in the RAFVR in July 1940, shortly after he had assisted in the evacuation at Dunkirk in a Dover fishing boat. Commencing his initial training as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner in March 1941, Kenward eventually transferred to Bomb Aimer duties and joined his first operational posting, 76Sqn, a Halifax unit, at Middleton St. George, in May 1942. On the last day of the month Kenward participated in the 1000 Bomber Raid on Cologne, and from then until completing his first tour of 30 sorties in August 1943, was regularly employed on the German run. From August 1942 until April 1943, his Squadron C.O. was none other than Leonard Cheshire. The latter quickly made his mark on the Squadron’s personnel, his pre-raid briefings being renowned for their no-nonsense approach: ‘His [Cheshire’s] main achievement lay in setting and maintaining extremely high standards of technical competence for aircrews and ground-crews alike. 'To avoid being shot down is not enough,' he would tell the crews. 'You must avoid being shot down in such a way as not to prejudice your chances of finding the target.' 'If there are many guns and the bursts are forming a box round you, get out of the box as quickly as you know how. If the shells form a general loose barrage not predicted against you as an individual, take no evasive action at all. You may just as easily fly into a shell as away from it.' These very words must have been ringing in the ears of Kenward’s pilot on the night of 6-7 September 1942, when his aircraft was coned by enemy searchlights over Duisburg for 40 minutes, a terrifying experience which was immediately followed by collision with a barrage balloon - all of the paint on the Halifax’s underside was scraped off but crew and aircraft safely reached home. Then on the night of 23-24 October, having been credited with a direct hit on a factory in Aachen earlier in that month, Kenward found himself appointed Bomb Aimer to Leonard Cheshire’s crew for an attack on Genoa. Both men would later give accounts of this night, Cheshire claiming, in an interview with the author Russell Braddon, that it was one of the most memorable sorties of his time with 76Sqn: ‘This, then, is the background of Cheshire’s next tour. And yet, again, when asked about this period, he merely purses his lips against joined finger-tips, looks rather vague - and not much interested - and announces: '76Sqn. Yes. Well, they made me a Wing Commander. Can’t remember much else except it was 1942. Oh, and I distinctly remember the occasion when we were flying home from Genoa. Never forget it!' They had just successfully bombed the Italian city. To do so, they had flown a long and arduous course over the Alps. Now they had to do it again, in reverse, to get home. They were tired and jaded with nervous exhaustion that arrives when a job is done but hours of tedious flying lie ahead. Cheshire was flying on George, his automatic pilot, and had gone to sleep. He was woken by fierce gun-fire and found an enemy biplane fifty yards on their tail, firing point-blank. 'He missed. My Rear-Gunner never fired on him at all. I took violent evasive action but he got within fifty yards again. And again he missed. I was a bit terrified for a while. Fortunately, after that, the other plane couldn’t hope to catch us again so we stooged off home. Just about the closest I ever got to being shot down by a fighter, all the same. He just couldn’t have missed, but he did. Twice! So I remember it rather well.’ Kenward gives an even more modest account of the evening’s proceedings: ‘On a trip to Italy, it could have been Genoa, we were attacked by an old Italian fighter - it still had fixed under-carriage and spats. Our Gunners shot it down, so we cruised around in the brilliant moonlight for a while to see whether another one would turn up. For some reason we had plenty of petrol, so we went off course to see Mont Blanc in the moonlight - lovely.’ Amazingly, however, Kenward makes no mention of the fact that his skipper was none other than Leonard Cheshire. But his Flying Log Book reveals a probable reason in the form of a dispute concerning their landing after the raid. Kenward’s entry states, ‘Ops. Genoa - Fine Trip Over Alps - Crashed - Benson’. Immediately below this statement is a pencilled inscription that softens the blandness of ‘Crashed’ with ‘Swung on landing’. The handwriting bears a remarkable likeness to that of Cheshire! Whatever had occurred between skipper and Bomb Aimer that night, Kenward never again flew with Cheshire, although it is not without interest that he did fly with the next C.O. of 76Sqn on two occasions towards the end of his tour in June 1943. Clearly his skills as a Bomb Aimer had made their mark - he had been commissioned as a Pilot Officer back in January 1943. Another crash landing that undoubtedly left a lasting impression on Kenward was more serious: ‘Towards the end of my first tour we had an accident about which I now tell you. The Mid-Upper Gunner had jammed his leg when moving the turret and could not move. We returned to England very short of fuel and found everything covered by fog. Something had held us up en route and the usual stations with FIDO had been put out. The pilot told all the crew to jump except for me and the injured Gunner. We called up on the emergency waveband and an aerodrome said that they would fire rockets above the airfield. Unfortunately, perhaps because of the fog, only one of these exploded over a satellite airfield. This lit up for a few seconds and we commenced landing - it had lit up the curved perimeter track and we could not stay on it. Luckily we hit a pile of sand which took away the wheels and then we ran through a wooden hut full of wireless sets. All of this slowed us down until we hit a house. I jumped out into the best room - onto the sofa. The aircraft caught fire and burned within the house. The amazing thing was that the injured man got up and away but could not move for three weeks afterwards. We stopped at another house for help but our pilot, who was Irish, was mistaken for a German by the woman owner and she came for us with a carving knife - we ran!' Kenward completed his first tour of operations in July 1943, with an outing to Nuremburg, and was awarded the DFC. More or less grounded in the interim, he returned to the operational scene with 582Sqn, part of No. 8 Group, Path Finder Force, in August 1944, flying his first mission, in a Lancaster, to Stuttgart on the 25th of the month. Thus ensued a busy second tour of some 40 sorties, many of them flown in support of the operations in France, marshalling yards, V.1 sites, docks, factories and enemy batteries being among defined targets. And, as evidenced by Kenward’s account of an attack on Calais on 24 September, enemy opposition was rarely absent: ‘We were told to bomb Calais, which was holding out - there was [apparently] no defence so we could go in at 1000 feet. We were the leading squadron of three and I was the Primary Marker. Luckily I was to drop bombs and markers. As we approached it seemed like a piece of cake - no fighters, nothing. We opened the bomb doors and released the bombs. Immediately we did this all hell broke loose. Unknown to everyone a regiment of bofors guns had got into the pocket and they had waited until we were going to bomb. We were hit quite badly in the engines and fuselage but behind us there was murder as they could not miss. The following two squadrons did not follow the Light Brigade - they turned away to fight another day. We were in real trouble as the Captain asked me for the nearest airfield. I knew that Manston was just behind Folkestone and we turned to land there. It was only a little fighter forward airfield and although he put on every brake we had, we stopped about 30 feet short of the control tower where they were all flat on the floor expecting a Lancaster to run in to them.’ Towards the end of his second tour, Kenward was regularly acting as the Primary Marker, especially as the final onslaught on Germany commenced - he flew in the famous raid on Dresden on the night of 13-14 February 1945, when masses of incendiaries kindled the worst ‘firestorm’ of the War - 1600 acres were devastated and over 35,000 casualties caused. Yet intense opposition was confronted elsewhere, a raid on Magdeburg on the night of 16-17 January being a case in point, when nearly 5% of the attacking force was lost. In late April Kenward finally completed his second tour - and 72nd sortie - in a strike on Bremen, and was awarded a well-deserved Bar to his DFC He was demobilised as a Flight Lieutenant in April 1946. Kenward Crew
10	Lake	Ronald Charles						DFC	RAFVR	Bomber Command	625Sqn RAF	Lancaster				Kelstern				Survived war			Enlisted RAFVR July 1941. Pilot training in November of the same year. He subsequently attended several courses in the U.S.A. and obtained an ‘Above the average’ pilot’s rating before returning home in November 1942. November 1943 was posted to 625Sqn, which was operating in Lancasters out of Kelstern, Lincolnshire. After just two local flights with his new crew - one of which ended in a crash landing - Lake was among those detailed to attack Berlin on the night of 18th-19th Non 1943, flying as a 2nd Pilot. Aborted as a result of trouble with his aircraft’s starboard outer engine, trouble that returned on his next visit to the “Big City” four nights later. Majority of Lake’s 11 intended trips to Berlin went ahead as planned, the last of them being flown on the night of 15-16 February 1944. One of the lucky ones to survive, Lake also completed sorties to a host of other heavily-defended enemy targets, Augsburg, Brunswick, Dortmund, Duisberg, Dusseldorf, Essen (twice), Frankfurt (thrice), Schweinfurt and Stuttgart (twice) among them. May 1944, Lyons and Dieppe. Strike against Mailly-le-Camp on the night of 3-4 May 1944, when 42 Lancasters were brought down by enemy night fighters. Lake’s luck held and he successfully completed the final sortie of his tour of operations against Terngier on the night of 31 May 1944.
11	Cheshire	Geoffrey Leonard	Wng Cmdr				Pilot	Victoria Cross DSO DFC	RAFVR	Bomber Command	617Sqn	Lancaster											VC Citation: This officer began his operational career in June, 1940. Against strongly-defended targets, he soon displayed the courage and determination of an exceptional leader. He was always ready to accept extra risks to ensure success. Defying the formidable Ruhr defences, he frequently released his bombs from below 20,000 feet. Over Cologne in November, 1940, a shell burst inside his aircraft, blowing out one side and starting a fire; undeterred, he went on to bomb the target. About this time, he carried out a number of convoy patrols in addition to his bombing sessions. At the end of his first tour of operational duty in January, 1941, he immediately volunteered for a second. Again, he pressed home his attacks with the utmost gallantry. Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Duisburg, Essen and Kiel were among the heavily-defended targets which he attacked. When he was posted for instructional duties in January, 1942, he undertook four more operational missions. He started a third tour in August, 1942, when he was given command of a squadron. He led the squadron with outstanding skill on a number of missions before being appointed in March, 1942, as a station commander. In October, 1943, he undertook a fourth operational tour, relinquishing the rank of Group Captain at his own request so that he could again take part in operations. He immediately set to work as the pioneer of a new method of marking enemy targets involving very low flying. In June, 1944, when marking a target in the harbour of Le Havre in broad daylight and without cloud cover, he dived well below the range of the light batteries before releasing his marker-bombs, and he came very near to being destroyed by the strong barrage which concentrated on him. During his fourth tour which ended in July, 1944, Wing Commander Cheshire led his squadron personally on every occasion, always undertaking the most dangerous and difficult task of marking the target alone from a low level in the face of strong defences. Wing Commander Cheshire’s cold and calculated acceptance of risks is exemplified by his conduct in an attack on Munich in April, 1944. This was an experimental attack to test out the new method of target marking at low level against a heavily defended target situated deep in Reich territory. Munich was selected, at Wing Commander Cheshire’s request, because of the formidable nature of its light anti-aircraft and searchlight defences. He was obliged to follow, in bad weather, a direct route which took him over the defences of Augsburg and thereafter he was continuously under fire. As he reached the target, flares were being released by our high-flying aircraft. He was illuminated from above and below. All guns within range opened fire on him. Diving to 700 feet, he dropped his markers with great precision and began to climb away. So blinding were the searchlights that he almost lost control. He then flew over the city at 1,000 feet to assess the accuracy of his work and direct other aircraft. His own was badly hit by shell fragments but he continued to fly over the target area until he was satisfied that he had done all in his power to ensure success. Eventually, when he set course for base, the task of disengaging himself from the defences proved even more hazardous than the approach. For a full twelve minutes after leaving the target area he was under withering fire, but he came safely through. Wing Commander Cheshire has now completed a total of 100 missions. In four years of fighting against the bitterest opposition he has maintained a record of outstanding personal achievement, placing himself invariably in the forefront of the battle. What he did in the Munich operation was typical of the careful planning, brilliant execution and contempt for danger which has established for Wing Commander Cheshire a reputation second to none in Bomber Command. Extract from “The London Gazette” of 8th September, 1944
12	Freeborn	John Connell			1919-12-01 Middleton, Leeds		Pilot	DFC & Bar *	RAF	Fighter Command	74Sqn 602Sqn 118Sqn	Spitfire			14					Survived war. Died 2010-08-28			Battle of Britain Ace In 1939, he shot down another RAF fighter in a friendly-fire incident that marked the first death of an RAF fighter pilot in the war, as well as the Supermarine Spitfire's first aerial victory. The following year, he flew more operational hours than any other RAF pilot during the Battle of Britain. He joined the RAF on a short service commission in January 1938. In training, he was flying solo after only 4 hours 20 minutes logged flight time, a little over half the average; his accuracy at firing whilst in the air was more than twice the average. Commissioned as an acting pilot officer on probation on 26 March 1938 he initially flew Gloster Gauntlets, but in October 1938 he joined 74 Squadron, and from February 1939 flew Spitfires. In July 1939 Freeborn was one of the 74 Squadron pilots to fly Spitfires to France to celebrate Bastille Day with the French Air Force. On 6 September 1939, Freeborn took part in an action later called the Battle of Barking Creek, in which two 56 Squadron Hurricanes were intercepted and shot down by aircraft from 74 Squadron, thereby becoming the first aircraft destroyed by a Spitfire. Freeborn shot down the aircraft killing Pilot Officer Montague Hulton-Harrop. Freeborn felt that his commanding officer, Sailor Malan, tried to evade responsibility for the incident. At the ensuing court martial, Malan testified for the prosecution against his own pilots, stating that Freeborn had been irresponsible, impetuous, and had not taken proper heed of vital communications. During the trial, Freeborn's counsel, Sir Patrick Hastings, called Malan 'a bare-faced liar.' Though the court exonerated Freeborn completely, he regretted the death of Hulton-Harrop for the rest of his life. In 2009, he said, 'I think about him nearly every day. I always have done... I've had a good life, and he should have had a good life too.' Pilot Officer on 17 January 1940, action was over Dunkirk covering the British Expeditionary Force's escape. 74 Squadron was there for six days from 21–27 May 1940. During that time they scored 19 confirmed kills—two of them Freeborn's—and 10 probable kills, with only four losses. During one action his engine was hit by return fire from a Junkers Ju 88 and crash-landed in France. Evading the advancing German troops, at one point pinned down by machine-gun fire hiding in a cemetery, he walked for several days to Calais, where a Blenheim took him back to England. Freeborn fought throughout the Battle of Britain as part of 74 Squadron. On 10 July he claimed a Bf 109 of JG 51 and on 24 July shared a Dornier Do 17 'unconfirmed'. Another Bf 109 was claimed on 28 July. On 11 August 1940, the squadron flew into battle four times in eight hours, destroying 23 enemy aircraft, three by Freeborn (2 Bf 110s and a Bf 109) and damaging 14 more. That evening, back at base in Hornchurch, Winston Churchill congratulated the squadron and their ground crew. On 13 August he claimed a Dornier Do 17, but was shot down again, although he wasn't hurt. Freeborn's accomplished flying made him an ace during the Battle of Britain, with seven confirmed kills and he was awarded the DFC on 13 August 1940 and promoted to command a flight on 28 August. DFC citation: 'This officer has taken part in nearly all offensive patrols carried out by his squadron since the commencement of the war, including operations over the Low Countries and Dunkirk, and, more recently, engagements over the Channel and southeastern England. During this period of intensive air warfare he has destroyed four enemy aircraft. His high courage and exceptional abilities as a leader have materially contributed to the notable successes and high standard of efficiency maintained by his squadron.' He claimed another Do 17 on 11 September and a share in a JG 27 Bf 109 on 17 November. By the end of November he had been with his squadron longer than any other Battle of Britain pilot and had flown more operational hours. Three Bf 109s (and one shared) were claimed on 5 December. Bar to his DFC citation read: 'This officer has continuously engaged in operations since the beginning of the war. He has destroyed at least twelve enemy aircraft and damaged many more. He is a keen and courageous leader.' Following American entry into the war at the end of 1941, Freeborn was posted to the United States. He trained pilots at bases in Alabama, then moved on to test piloting new aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt (which he hated), the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, B-17 Flying Fortress and A-20 Havoc. In December 1942 he returned to the UK and served as a flight commander with 602 Squadron flying Spitfires. He flew escort operations to bombers attacking German shipping and installations on the French and Dutch coasts. In June 1943 he joined 118 Squadron as commanding officer, again flying Spitfires. This only lasted three months before the squadron moved to Scotland for less-confrontational patrolling and training duties. On 1 January 1944, he was promoted to the temporary rank of squadron leader. He was promoted to war substantive squadron leader on 30 April. In June 1944 Freeborn was promoted to become the RAF's youngest flying wing commander, commanding 286 Wing based at Grottaglie in southern Italy. This was a period of frenetic activity, attacking German installations and convoys in the Balkans and defending Allied ones in Italy. In December, he was posted to RAF Netheravon.
13	Eagleson	Owen David 'Ginger'	FO	NZ 421689		New Zealand	Pilot		RNZAF	Fighter Command	486Sqn (NZ)				26 [22+4] (20+3 sh V-1s)					Survived. Died October 30 1994.			Tempest Diver (V1) ace 1944 POW
14	Gracie	Edward John ("Jumbo")					Pilot	DFC		Fighter Command					10								KIA 15 February 1944 Ace
15	Kirkcaldie	John Allan	Flight Lieutenant	1310	Born on the 04th June 1905	New Zealand	Pilot		RNZAF										See his brother's archive report for further brief details	Died of natural causes at Wellington Park Hospital on the 02nd December 1944 after being admitted in March 1944	Wellington Cemetery (Karori). Grave 184. P.P		Read Archive Report
16	Grant	Reginald Joseph Cowan	WCdr			New Zealand	Pilot		RAF RNZAF	Fighter Command	145Sqn 485Sqn (NZ) 122Wg				8 [7+1]					Killed 1944-02-28			Ace
17	Bramwell	William 'Smasher'	Flight Lieutenant		1917-11		Air Gunner	DFC DFM	RAFVR		10Sqn 156Sqn	Halifax											Master Bomber and Pathfinder crews DFC Citation London Gazette 19 November 1944. The recommendation states: ‘Flying Officer Bramwell has completed 55 operational sorties, 31 of which have been with the Path Finder Force, including 29 Marker sorties. He was awarded the immediate award of the DFM after his eighth sortie. Some of the targets attacked have been heavily contested areas of Germany and Italy. This Officer is an outstanding Gunner in a crew which have carried out Master Bomber duties on eight occasions, both by day and by night. His vigilance and efficient directions to his pilot have been contributory to many successful evasions of enemy aircraft. He has been at grips with the enemy on many occasions, and proved himself to be a most cool and resolute Gunner. He has set an example of keenness and devotion to duty of a very high standard to other Gunners in the Squadron, and I strongly recommend him for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’ DFM Citation London Gazette 24 November 1942. The immediate award recommendation states: ‘This Air Gunner has been with No. 10 Squadron since 9 July 1942 and has to date carried out 10 sorties comprising 54 hours operational flying. On the night of 26 September 1942, Sergeant Bramwell was Rear-Gunner in an aircraft returning from operations when, whilst passing over the Danish coast at 4000 feet, he sighted an M.E. 110 at 500 yards on the starboard quarter. Almost immediately, and before he could give any warning to the Captain, the aircraft was suddenly struck by shells from an enemy flak ship below, a hole 18 inches across being torn in the fuselage and the intercom put out of action. The Rear-Gunner vainly shouted for the Captain to turn to starboard, but unaware of the presence of the fighter, the Captain swerved to port to evade the fire from the flak ship. The enemy fighter continued to fire as he closed in, making strikes with cannon and machine-gun fire on the tail and fuselage. Sergeant Bramwell with praiseworthy fighting spirit replied with two long bursts, the second of which both he and the Mid-Upper Gunner saw entering the starboard engine of the fighter, and which burst into flame, turned over and plunged down into the sea. Hampered by his Captain being fully occupied with the flak ship below and completely unaware of the presence of the fighter, Sergeant Bramwell displayed the greatest resolution in carrying on, hampered and unaided, a single combat with the M.E. 110. Undeterred by the flak from below, his unflinching determination in the face of almost point blank enemy fire from astern was characteristic of the highest traditions of the Service, and had undoubtedly set an admirable example to all Gunners of this Squadron.’ William 'Smasher' Bramwell was born in November 1917 and worked as a grocer in Bolton, Lancashire before enlisting in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1940. Quickly earning the sobriquet of 'Smasher' - for dropping a tray of coffee cups down the stairs - he commenced training as an Air Gunner in August 1941 and was one of those OTU personnel to be assigned to the 1000 Bomber Raid on Bremen in June 1942. Shortly afterwards posted to No. 10 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Melbourne, Yorkshire, he flew his first operational sortie as a Rear-Gunner, against Le Havre, on the night of the 11th-12th. In September he participated in strikes against Saarbrucken, Bremen (‘Flak fairly heavy and some small holes were sustained in both mainplanes and elevator while over target’), Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Wilhelmshaven and Flensburg, winning his immediate DFM on the latter sortie on the night of the 26th-27th. Back in action over Kiel on the night of 13-14 October, Bramwell’s Halifax was badly hit by flak over the canal, at one time trailing 300 yards of flame from an engine, ‘But our luck held, and we got home once more.’ The same month also marked the beginning of a concerted Squadron effort against Italy, Genoa and Turin each being visited on three occasions over the next few weeks. Bramwell would later recall the thrill of flying over Mont Blanc, and to seeing a blackout-free Geneva all lit up with the lake reflected in the moonlight. In December Turin was assigned to the Squadron on two more occasions, but the German brief was not left unattended, Mannheim and Duisberg also being on the agenda. January 1943 saw Bramwell assigned to Lorient (twice), Colerne and two mine-laying operations, and on one of the latter outings, on the night of the 21st-22nd, he shot up a U-Boat’s searchlight and a small boat. Flying the final sortie of his first tour against Hamburg in early February, Bramwell was posted out of the Squadron for duties as an Instructor, and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in March. Subsequently bored by life away from the operational scene, he volunteered for the Path Finder Force and was posted to 156Sqn, a Lancaster unit operating out of RAF Upwood, in January 1944. Assigned to Squadron Leader T. W. G. Godfrey’s crew, he flew his first mission, against Berlin, on the night of 15-16 February, Schweinfurt, Augsburg and Frankfurt following in the same month. And the German scene very much remained the brief in March, Bramwell and his crew visiting Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Essen. April saw 156Sqn attacking Aachen, Rouen, Cologne and Dusseldorf, the latter sortie, on the night of the 22nd-23rd nearly ending in disaster, when Bramwell’s aircraft collided with another Lancaster over the target area - ‘Starboard tail fin, starboard aerial damaged. Mid-Upper turret also damaged.’ But from May until July, which latter month marked the end of Bramwell’s second tour, the Squadron was mainly assigned to French targets, intially in support of the Normandy landings, but latterly against a number of V. 1 sites. And on eight of these operations Squadron Leader Godfrey acted as Master Bomber, including a strike against the marshalling yards at Paris on D Day itself. On two occasions, moreover, their Lancaster was hit by flak, over the Bois-de-la- Haie on 17 July, and again over Andebelke on 20 July. And on a mission to Lescatelliers three days later, Godfrey managed to evade two German night fighters. Bramwell, who had been advanced to Flight Lieutenant back in March, finally completed his tour with a trip to Hamburg on the night of 28-29 July, and he relinquished his commission at the end of the year on the grounds of ill-health. Bramwell Crew
18	Ingram	Mervin Robert 'Bruce'	SLdr			New Zealand	Pilot		RNZAF	Fighter Command	611Sqn 601Sqn 243Sqn 152Sqn				14 [8+6]					Killed 1944-07-11			Ace 933
19	Cockbain	Stephen Legh	Sqd Ldr	67707			Pilot	DFC MiD 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45	RAFVR	Bomber Command	102Sqn (Ceylon) 44Sqn	Lancaster							Flying Accident. Veteran of a tour with 102Sqn in 1941-42. Decorated for his gallantry as a pilot in 44Sqn in March 1944. Killed in a flying accident in January 1945	Killed	Oxford Botley Plot H/1. Grave 249.		DFC Citation London Gazette 9 June 1944: ‘In March 1944, this officer was pilot of an aircraft detailed for a mine-laying mission. On the outward flight the aircraft was attacked by a fighter and sustained much damage. One engine was useless, the upper cupola of the mid-upper turret was shattered and the hydraulic gear was damaged. Despite this, Squadron Leader Cockbain succeeded in evading a second attack and went on to the target to complete his attack-task. This officer has completed a large number of sorties and has displayed great skill, leadership and devotion to duty.’ Stephen Legh Cockbain was born in 1916, the son of Thomas and Edith Cockbain of Verwood, Dorset. Educated at a Preparatory School in St. Leonard’s-on-Sea and at St. Wendelin’s, Arundel, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force in late 1940. Having then gained his “Wings” and been commissioned as a Pilot Officer in June 1941, he was posted to No. 106 Squadron, a Hampden unit operating out of Coningsby, in October of the latter year, and he remained actively employed until August 1942, by which stage the Squadron had converted to Lancasters, via two or three months on Manchesters. Cockbain flew his first sortie - against Lorenz - in October 1941, and went on to complete at least another 20 missions before being posted to a conversion unit. Thus trips to such targets as Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Essen, Hamburg and Mannheim, in addition to more specialist strikes - such as those against Schipol airfield and the Heinkel factory at Warnemunde. And squadron records reveal that His Manchester was hit by flak on a strike against Cologne on the night of 30-31 May 1942. In December 1943, and having been advanced to Squadron Leader and mentioned in despatches for his good work at his conversion unit (London Gazette 14 January 1944), Cockbain returned to operations with an appointment in No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of Dunholme Lodge. But it was not until 15 February 1944, that he flew his first sortie - a strike against Berlin. Leipzig, Frankfurt, Essen and Aachen followed in quick succession, prior to No. 44 turning its attention to French targets around April - thus strikes on such targets as Paris La Chapelle and Salbris. And on D-Day itself, Cockbain was detailed to attack bridges around Caen. A fortnight later, in a strike on Wesseling on the 21st, his Flying Log Book records that his Lancaster was jumped by a night fighter and most of the starboard elevator and rudder controls shot away. Such was the extent of the damage that he ordered his crew to bale out, four of them taking to their parachutes before he regained some control and decided to go for base. He made it. Cockbain was now ‘rested’ with an appointment in Ferry Command, in which capacity he was killed while piloting a Stirling to Maghaberry in Northern Ireland on 14 January 1945 - ‘One of the starboard engines was seen to be on fire and the aircraft started to turn, which became steeper, and went into cloud and crashed out of control in a diving turn at Home Farm, Annesley Park, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.’ Cockbain was buried in Oxford (Botley) Cemetery.
20	Harrison	Geoffrey Austen					Pilot			Fighter Command					5								KIA 12 June 1944 Ace
21	Browne	Allen Edward	WCdr			New Zealand	Pilot		RNZAF	Fighter Command	488Sqn (NZ) 89Sqn RAF				6								Ace Mosquito N France 1944 4 (Shores)
22	Hudson	James Douglas					Observer Navigator	DFC Air Efficiency	RAFVR	Bomber Command	101Sqn 100Sqn	Blenheim						Ferry	Emergency in flight	Safe, interred by Vichy			Douglas Hudson joined the Manchester Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1939 as an Air Observer. After training he was posted to 101 Squadron flying Blenheims. Whilst ferrying a Blenheim to Heliopolis via Malta, Douglas and his crew had to make an emergency landing in Tunisia and were interned by the Vichy French. Douglas spent two and a quarter years in three POW camps, escaping and being recaptured twice. He was repatriated in November 1942, when North Africa was liberated. In January 1944, Douglas joined 100 Squadron as a navigator on Lancaster Bombers at Waltham, from where he completed a tour of 30 operational flights over Nazi Germany and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In his autobiography ‘There and Back Again – A Navigator’s Story’ Douglas powerfully expressed his views on the Lancaster aircraft. ‘The Lancaster could be our salvation, our cradle or perhaps our coffin. She possessed weaponry of matchless peer. Loved or hated, her potential powers of destruction from the air were unequalled. She bolstered the morale of a British public, which had been tyrannized since 1940 by the Nazi war machine, and bolstered the morale of an even greater European public, living under German occupation and subjected to the Nazi yoke. The roar of her engines and her sisters’ engines as they thundered overhead on their way to the German targets, gave those beleaguered citizens new hope. Rugged, robust and reliable, she remonstrated only when ill treated. As the devil incarnate she terrorized and was feared and hated by the enemy. She obeyed our bidding. Rocked in her cradle and in the warmth of her cabin I was able to suppress the dreaded fears of adverse possibilities. Calmed by the comforting, continuous roar of her engines which drowned all other extraneous noises, time would pass quickly for me as I worked incessantly until we reached the target. Then I would go up front, look around and take in the awesome proceedings.’ Douglas spent his latter years back in ‘Bomber County’ and worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Bomber Command so that the sacrifices of over 56,000 should never be forgotten.
23	Collyns	Basil Gordon 'Buck'	FLt			New Zealand	Pilot		RAF	Fighter Command	65Sqn 19Sqn RAF				7 [5+2]								Hurricane Channel 1941;Mustang ace France 1944 85
24	Boyce	Ernest Avery	Flight Lieutenant		1915 Bristol		Pilot	DFC 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Air Efficiency Award, Malta, 50th Anniversary Medal	RAFVR		42Sqn 86Sqn 203Sqn 69Sqn									Survived war. Died Frenchay Hospital Bristol Sep 1993			Flew in over 30 different types of aircraft, undertook 2,553 hours and 50 minutes of flying hours during the Second War, and flew at least 164 operational sorties - many of which were with 69 Squadron, whilst based at Luqa, Malta DFC Citation 7 Jan 1944: ‘Flight Lieutenant Boyce is a pilot of Number 69 (G.R.) Squadron, and has now completed one hundred and fifty operational sorties involving a total of six hundred and ninety four hours flying. Since his arrival on Malta on 24th April 1943, he has flown forty eight sorties with a total of two hundred hours flying. This officer has been engaged in the Mediterranean theatre of operations continuously since 9th June 1941. Operating from the Middle East with Blenheim, Maryland and Baltimore aircraft he took part in many offensive operations, including low level shipping strikes and patrols. During his tour of duty in Malta his work on anti-submarine patrol has been of the highest value to Allied convoys. Flight Lieutenant Boyce’s flying ability has always been of the highest and he has spared no effort to ensure that each task allotted to him is carried out to a satisfactory conclusion. By his example and enthusiasm for operations this officer has proved himself an invaluable member of the Squadron. ’ educated at South Bristol Central School. Enlisted for air crew in 1939, commissioned in 1942. Act. Flt. Lt. Boyce is the second of three brothers in the RAF and Fleet Air Arm, the youngest of whom, Sgt. A.G. Pter Boyce, was a PoW in Germany. A son of Mr and Mrs T. G. Boyce, Flt. Lt. Boyce, was a fitter with Bristol Gas Co. before entering the RAF a few months before the war. Went to the Middle East. Has made a dozen operational flights. He is well known in Bristol sporting circles, being a keen track runner with the Imperial Club, and boxing champion of South Central School.’ Boyce joined the RAFVR in March 1939, and carried out his initial pilot training at No. 33 and No. 11 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training Schools. He was posted for operational flying to 42 Squadron (Beauforts), Thorney Island, in May 1940. Boyce flew in one operational sortie with the Squadron, which was the bombing raid on Vaernes Airfield, Norway, 20 June 1940. After postings to No. 1 School of General Reconnaissance, No. 1 O.T.U., Silloth and to the Coastal O.T.U. at Chivenor, Boyce was posted to 86 Squadron (Blenheims), Gosport in February 1941. The Squadron were engaged in convoy escorts duties off the East Anglian coast from the end of March 1941. Boyce flew on a number of escorts before being posted overseas for service with 203 Squadron. Having flown via Gibraltar and Malta, Boyce joined his new squadron at Kabrit, Egypt during the first week of June 1941. He flew Blenheims in a large number of reconnaissance missions over the Mediterranean, and advanced to Warrant Officer in October of 1941. Boyce was commissioned Pilot Officer in March 1942, and continued to be engaged on anti-submarine and shipping patrols - now in Marylands. Boyce was posted to No. 2 Aircraft Delivery Unit in August 1942, and flew a large number of aircraft across Africa over the following months. Boyce advanced to Flying Officer, and returned to operational flying with 203 Squadron (Baltimores) in February 1943. He briefly commanded ‘A’ Flight, before transferring to 69 Squadron (Baltimores) at Luqa, Malta, in April 1943. Boyce flew a large number of shipping reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols between April - December 1943. He married a Maltese girl during his posting, 17 July 1944. Having advanced to Flight Lieutenant in June 1943, Boyce returned to the UK and was posted as a pilot to Ferry Command Pool at Melton Mowbray in January 1944. After a number of postings, Boyce undertook a course to qualify as an instructor at No. 3 Instructors School, Lulsgate, from October - November 1944. Subsequent postings included the Empire Flying School, Hullavington; 105 O.T.U., Bramcote; No.. 1381 Transport Conversion Unit, Desborough; and No. 1383 Transport Conversion Unit. Boyce was posted to the Metropolitan Communication Squadron in March 1946, and his final posting was to the R.A.F. Establishment Transport Flight at Farnborough in May 1948 (awarded the Air Efficiency Award in March 1946). He left the service in December 1948, and subsequently joined 2152 Squadron, Air Training Corps at Filton, Bristol, in 1955. During his career he flew in over 30 different types of aircraft, undertook 2,553 hours and 50 minutes of flying hours during the Second War, and flew at least 164 operational sorties.
25	Knight	Jack Muit	Flight Sergeant	NZ/4210031	08th February 1924	New Zealand	Pilot		RNZAF	Fighter Command	19Sqn	Corsair		NZ5292			925			Missing - believed killed	Bourail Memorial. Panel 6		Born on the 08th February 1924 at Waiuka. Worked as a farmer on his fathers farm at Taurangaruru. Served in the home guard. Enlisyed at Seagrove on the 15th August 1942. With 3 Elementary Flying Training School 03rd April 1943. With 2 Flying Training School on 24th July 1943 aster a period of sick leave. Plot badge awarded on the 27th September 1943 and promoted to sergeant on the 20th November 1943. With 20 Operational Training Unit flying the P-40 on the 12th December 1943. Joined 19 squadron on the 02nd February 1944. With squadron to South Pacific on the 18th February 1944. Taking off in Corsair NZ5292 at 09.25 hrs and whilst staffing a boat and jetty his engine appeared to catch fire. Th pilot baled out at 10:30 hrs but his chute failed to deploy before he struck the water. Bourail Memorial. Panel 6. He was nearing the end of his second tour of operations.	Some details here: Archive report
26	Kilmartin	John Ignatus 'Killy'	Wng Cmdr		1913-07-08 Dundalk Ireland	Ireland	Pilot	OBE DFC	RAF	Fighter Command	43Sqn				13 + 3 shared					Survived war. Died 1998-10-01			Battle of Britain. Ace Ace Posted to 1Sqn in France on 3rd November 1939. He shared in the destruction of a Do17 on the 23rd. On 2nd April 1940 he claimed a Me109, on the 20th a Ju88 and a He111, on 10th May he shared a Do17, on the 11th destroyed two Me110's, on the 12th a Me109, on the 14th two Me109's, on the 15th and 16th two Me110's and on the 17th he destroyed two more Me110's and damaged a He111. Exhausted pilots of 1Sqn withdrawn to England on 24th May. Kilmartin was posted to Sutton Bridge to instruct at 6 OTU but on 11th June he was posted to 5 OTU Aston Down. He crashed on the aerodrome there on 16th August in Hurricane P3452, unhurt. On 4th September he rejoined 43 Squadron at Tangmere, claimed a Me110 destroyed on the 6th and a Me109 on the 7th. Commanded 602Sqn at Ayr in April 1941. 10th May 1941 to form 313Sqn at Catterick but the posting was changed and he went instead to West Africa. Commanded 128Sqn at Hastings, Sierra Leone in March 1942 and led it until August, when he returned to the UK. In November he went to 504Sqn at Middle Wallop, as supernumerary Squadron Leader. Commanded 504Sqn in January 1943 and on 30th March was promoted to lead the Hornchurch Wing, which he did until 30th May. In 1944 led 136 Wing TAF Typhoon Wing. Served in Burma on Thunderbolts and commanded Medan airfield in Sumatra.
27	Donaldson	Herbert Allison	W/O	215802	1922 Selby		W/Op	Conspicuous Gallantry Medal	RAF	Bomber Command	199Sqn RAF	Stirling				Lakenheath, North Creake							Stayed at his post after being seriously wounded by shell splinters in a low-level clandestine mission over France CGM Citation. London Gazette 31 March 1944. The immediate award recommendation states: ‘Just after crossing the enemy coast at the start of a special low-level operation, the aircraft in which Sergeant Donaldson was Wireless Operator was heavily and accurately engaged by machine-gun fire and by light flak. The wireless set was damaged and the aircraft set on fire and the Wireless Operator was hit several times in the leg and thigh by shell splinters. With the help of the Flight Engineer, he proceeded to put out the fire and then proceeded to repair his set which he succeeded in restoring to working order. When all this had been quickly and efficiently done, Sergeant Donaldson mentioned quietly to his Captain that he thought he had a “hole in his leg, but nothing to worry about.” The aircraft again came under fire and was further damaged, but Sergeant Donaldson calmly went on with his duties, making light of his injuries and reassuring the crew as to his ability to keep his set going. Although in great pain, Sergeant Donaldson continued for several hours, and remained at his post until the aircraft arrived at dispersal when he was removed in the ambulance. At no time did he cease his duties nor was his voice heard except to give information connected with his duties. The cheerful courage, the coolness in danger and the efficiency which this Wireless Operator displayed have been an outstanding example to all his comrades and are worthy of the highest traditions of the Royal Air Force.’ Volunteered for the RAF in November 1940. Eventually called up in January 1941Training as a Wireless Operator 199Sqn, a Stirling unit, at Lakenheath, in October 1943. Allocated to the crew of an Australian pilot, Flying Officer P. Barson [afterwards a Flight Lieutenant, DFC], his first three missions were mining trips to the Frisians, Bordeaux and the Gironde, but in the middle of the following month, he participated in strikes on Leverkusen (‘Slight damage by flak to starboard outer’) and Mannheim, the latter having to be abandoned due to oil pressure problems. Thereafter its Stirlings either being employed to drop arms and supplies to the French Resistance, or to participate in radio counter-measures operations (RCM), comprising Window or Mandrel patrols. Four sorties to ‘Special Targets’ with Wing Commander N.A.N. Bray, DFC in January and February 1944. It was back with Flying Officer Barson, however, on the night of 5-6 March, that Donaldson won his CGM. He later wrote of his time on clandestine missions with 199Sqn: ‘I always thought that the best jobs we did were for the French Resistance. We began by practising low-level flying over the River Ouse. If you look at Ely on the map, about six miles N.W. there are two parallel waterways. We had to fly low over the water meadows in between. Only bright moonlight helped over the continent. We got down as low as possible over the Channel, up the cliffs, across the Second Front defences, then it was map reading all the way. Crew members were allocated different viewpoints and called off landscape features as we passed over. Tony, the Navigator [Flying Officer A.A. Duckett], would direct the plane from the map. We had to find a clearing in a forest or a particular field. The Maquis were supposed to flash a torch with a code letter but it was dangerous for them to be flashing lights and sometimes we had to do a square search. We carried about 20 cannisters which we understood contained guns, printing (for false papers) and photographic equipment. The latter was surrounded by thick rubber and was too bulky to go in the bomb bays, so it was placed in the fuselage and it was my job to fasten the static line to the airframe, open the hatch in the floor and push the radio out when I got the signal. Bill, the Rear-Gunner [Sergeant W. Ghigi] would then count the parachutes as they passed below, so that we would know if we had hang up. The secrecy on the ground did not always apply - I think it was Haute Savoie - we could see Mont Blanc in the moonlight in the distance - and the people we were looking for were in a valley with a great bonfire, and they waved like mad as we passed over them. We turned around at the end of the valley, dropped the stuff, then away home. It was a long trip - 8.40 hours - and the old Bristol Hercules radials never coughed once ...’ Of the equally clandestine RCM missions, Donaldson later wrote: ‘We never carried bombs on BSRCM operations. For these efforts we had an extra crew member, a special Wireless Operator. He was a very nice bloke [Flying Officer E.C. Ted Little], who took care never to usurp my position. His radio equipment was stacked along the fuselage in blue-grey boxes, but it still brought memories of a more homely bit of apparatus and I’m sure Ted got bored with the rest of us passing him in the plane and asking, 'Frying tonight?' ... The idea was to put a screen across the enemy radar so that the direction of a bomber force could not be seen. After a few goes someone got the idea of getting some units to 'breakdown' and leave a hole in the screen through which the enemy would be able to detect a 'fake' bomber force, spot its direction and possible target. I assume that sometimes this misdirection worked well enough but on one occasion the ‘Teutonic psychology’ was misinterpreted and lots of night fighters found themselves in the main bomber stream and we had a bad night ...’ Donaldson went on to complete a tour of nearly 40 operational sorties, most of them of the above described nature, 199 latterly operating from North Creake: ‘Every time we landed away from base we would be asked where we came from. After a couple of months we heard every possible variation about a certain ‘creek’ and paddle!’ Rested at No. 1 (O.) AFU. at the end of 1944, he logged his final flight in mid-April 1945 and was demobilised in May 1946. Donaldson retired to Yorkshire.
28	Ibbotson	Desmond					Pilot	DFC *		Fighter Command	54Sqn 112Sqn 601Sqn				11								KIA 19 November 1944 Ace
29	Clouston	Wilfred Greville	WCdr		15th January 1916	New Zealand	Pilot	DFC	RAF	Fighter Command	19Sqn				12 [9+3]					PoW			Ace Spitfire Dunkirk Battle of Britain POW Singapore 1941 85 Killed on the 21st June 1944 when the vehicle he was travelling in was staffed by allied fighters.	Archive report Other details here
30	Johnson	James Edgar 'Johnnie'		754750 (airman), 83267(officer)	1915-03-08		Pilot	CB CBE DSO & 2 Bars DFC & Bar Officer of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) Croix de Guerre (Belgium) Legion d'Honneur (France) DFC USA Air Medal USA Legion of Merit USA	RAF	Fighter Command	19Sqn 616Sqn 610Sqn 127 Wing RCAF 443Sqn RCAF				38					Survived war. Died 2001-01-30		Johnson at Bazenville Normandy July 1944 With 610Sqn	Battle of Britain (marginally) Top British Ace of War In 1940 Johnson had an operation to reset his collarbone which severly restricted his flying till 1941 when he and began flying regularly. He took part in the offensive sweeps over German-occupied Europe from 1941 to 1944, almost without rest. Johnson was involved in heavy aerial fighting during this period. His combat tour included participation in the Dieppe Raid, Combined Bomber Offensive, Battle of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and the Western Allied invasion of Germany. Johnson progressed to the rank of Group Captain by the end of the war and Air Vice Marshal subsequently. Johnson was credited with 34 individual victories over enemy aircraft, as well as seven shared victories, three shared probable, 10 damaged, three shared damaged and one destroyed on the ground. Johnson flew 700 operational sorties and engaged enemy aircraft on 57 occasions. Included in his list of individual victories were 14 Messerschmitt Bf 109s and 20 Focke-Wulf Fw 190s destroyed making him the most successful RAF ace against the Fw 190. This score made him the highest scoring Western Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe. See Archive Report
31	Cotter	John	Flight Lieutenant					DFC 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45	RAFVR		27Sqn RAF	Beaufighter, Mosquito											DFC Citation London Gazette 12 June 1945. The original recommendation states: ‘During the past 26 months this officer has completed 42 operational sorties over Burma and Siam, 39 in Beaufighters and 3 in Mosquitos, totalling 201 hours operational flying. He has achieved the following results: 14 locomotives destroyed or damaged.16 large steamers (some river, some coastal type). Many sampans. 60 to 70 motor transport. Much rolling stock. Many locomotive shelters and warehouses. On 26 July 1943, he was hit by L.A.A. fire whilst over Padaung. He sustained severe wounds in the leg. In addition the hydraulics and A.S.I. were put out of action. Despite his injuries, Flight Lieutenant Cotter flew his aircraft 300 miles back to base, landing safely. He was unfit for flying for three months due to his wound. This officer by his disregard for personal safety, and his eagerness to fly on operations as often as possible, has set an example to his brother pilots which is rarely excelled. He is strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’ John Cotter, who was born in Cork in June 1912, but later settled at King’s Norton, was a talented athlete, having twice come second in the English Decathlon Championship and also represented the country in the long jump, pre-war. Enlisting in 1940, he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and would appear to have been employed out in the Far East. Be that as it may, and having seen service in North Africa, he joined No. 27 Squadron (a.k.a. “The Flying Elephants”), a Beaufighter unit based at Agartala, Bengal, in December 1942. But it was not until March 1943 that the Squadron went operational with sorties over Burma and Siam, the relevant O.R.B. entries graphically illustrating the punishing agenda of ground strafing sorties undertaken by the likes of Cotter and his fellow pilots (copies included). And the hazards of such activity were all too apparent when he was seriously wounded in the leg in June 1944, the same month in which his C.O., Battle of Britain V.C., Wing Commander J. B. Nicholson, received a new posting - Nicholson’s D.F.C. was won for services with No. 27, which he had assumed command of in August 1943. A vivid and frank account of No. 27’s war may be found in Beaufighters Over Burma, written by one of its pilots, David J. Innes, in which Cotter is referred to on several occasions. Yet a very personal and more illuminating record of Cotter’s inner thoughts is to be found in the above described diary. He penned the following entry on 27 June 1945, on hearing news from home of his DFC In it he reveals how he had nearly “chucked his hand in”: ‘ ... Looking back I can remember only once when I felt like chucking my hand in at “ops.” That was when “Chalky” White and Sam Cross failed to return. We had been close friends ever since July of 1942 when Chalky and I were in hospital together [as a result of the fall of Singapore?] and afterwards on leave. He was my keen rival at tennis and it would have given him great satisfaction had he ever been able to beat me. Sam Cross was an extremely likeable fellow, immensely proud of his young wife and infant son. Next to myself they had been longer on the Squadron than anyone else. Both would have been genuinely pleased at my DFC, and both would undoubtedly have earned one before finishing. When they didn’t return I felt I ought to pack it up before I met a similar fate. However, I got over the feeling, and was intensely annoyed when I was posted away from the Squadron ... My narrowest escape was undoubtedly when I was wounded. If the bullet had been a couple of inches higher my knee would have been completely shattered, and if I hadn’t been carrying a surplus of maps, the tibia and fibia would have been severely shattered. It was a lucky escape. Lucky, too, my emergency hydraulics worked ...’ Cotter latterly took up duties alongside the 14th Army on Visual Control Post Duties (V.C.P.D.), from January until May 1945, not, as it transpired, anything like the ‘rest period’ envisaged by his seniors and, having been granted a permanent commission after the War, served for many years in the Secretarial Branch. He was finally placed on the Retired List as a Squadron Leader in February 1959.
32	Chalmers	Christopher Walter					W/Op/	DFC DFM BEM	RAF	Bomber Command	15 OTU 99Sqn (Madras) 148Sqn	Wellington				Kabrit Egypt							DFC Citation London Gazette 14 November 1944. The recommendation states: ‘Flying Officer Chalmers has, on this his second operational tour, completed 19 very successful sorties with this Squadron, including four attacks against Berlin, on all of which he has displayed keen determination and a steadfastness of purpose worthy of the highest praise. This Officer is a Wireless Operator of outstanding ability, whose knowledge and general airmanship have proved to be of immeasurable value to his Captain on may occasions, and Flying Officer Chalmers shares in no small measure the credit due to the crew, of which he is a member, for the success of the operations carried out by them. Undeterred by the heaviest enemy opposition, this Officer has, with exceptional coolness and skill, at all times completed his allotted task, and by his cheerful disposition coupled with a dogged determination, has been a fine example to all, considerably aiding the high morale of his crew. The consistent good work by Flying Officer Chalmers and his unfailing devotion to duty at all times merit his recommendation for an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’ DFM Citation London Gazette 15 May 1942. The recommendation states: ‘This airman commenced operational flying in May 1940. Before joining his present Squadron, he carried out eight raids over Germany and German occupied territory; he also took part in an attack on Turin, being a specially selected member of the aircrew. He has now completed a total of 38 sorties involving 160 flying hours. Throughout he has displayed the highest standard of efficiency which, combined with his determination and enthusiasm, have set a splendid example.’ BEM Citation London Gazette 12 June 1977. Christopher Walter Chalmers was born in Aberdeen in 1909 and was educated at the Robert Gordon College. Afterwards travelling to Australia to take up farming, he returned to the U.K. in 1930 to run his own piggery at St. Katherine’s, Fyvie, but in 1939 elected to enlist in the Royal Air Force. His operational career as a Wireless Operator began at the end of May 1940, when he was despatched on a sweep over Lyme Bay in an aircraft of No. 15 OTU Two Nickel sorties followed in August and October and at the end of the year he was posted to No. 99 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, a Wellington unit operating out of Mildenhall. Five operations were completed that December, against Turin, Mannheim, Le Havre, Ludwigshafen and Berlin. Emden followed soon into the new year. In February 1942, Chalmers was posted to 148Sqn, a Wellington unit operating out of Kabrit, Egypt. From here, the Squadron played a vital role in supporting the operations of the 8th Army, in addition to hitting targets in Crete and Greece. For his own part, between February and October 1941, Chalmers brought up his tally of operational sorties to 38, Tripoli being visited on four occasions and the dreaded Benghazi “Mail Run” completed seven times. Gazetted for the DFM in May 1942, Chalmers enjoyed a period of rest and was commissioned in the following year. Returning to the operational scene with No. 101 Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire, in early 1944, he completed his first sortie, against the German capital, on the night of 20-21 January. Two more trips to Berlin followed in quick succession, during the last of which his Lancaster was attacked by three enemy night fighters during its bombing run. And with the exception of perhaps half a dozen French targets in the run up to the Normandy landings, Chalmers and his crew, piloted by Squadron Leader C. B. Morton, spent the remainder of their seven month tour returning to Germany, another Berlin run, the disastrous Nuremburg raid of March 1944 and Frankfurt (twice) making up the agenda. The gallant Chalmers completed his second tour with a strike against Domleger on the night of 2-3 July 1944. Afterwards returning to the world of farming, Chalmers was awarded his BEM for services at the Institute for Research on Animal Diseases at Compton, Berkshire.
33	Herrick	Michael James	SLdr			New Zealand	Pilot		RAF	Fighter Command	25Sqn 15 RNZAFSqn				8 [6+2]					Killed 1944-06-16			Ace KIA 105
34	Hitchcock	Walter Henry 'Wally'	Flt Sgt				Air Gunner	DFM	RAFVR	Bomber Command	635Sqn RAF	Lancaster Pathfinder				Downham Market							DFM Citation. London Gazette 13.4.1945. The recommendation states: ‘This Air Gunner has completed 44 sorties against the enemy and is now engaged on his second tour of operational duty. His outstanding ability and cheerfulness have been an inspiration to his crew and in the face of extreme danger he has displayed gallantry of a high order.’ Walter Henry 'Wally' Hitchcock commenced his operational career as an Air Gunner with No. 635 Squadron, a Lancaster Path Finder unit based at Downham Market, Norfolk in June 1944, with a trip to Tours on the night of 11th-12th. He had already completed sorties to Le Mans, Berlin, Essen, Frankfurt (twice) and Stuttgart with a regular unit of Bomber Command. The period June to July 1944 witnessed No. 635 attacking largely French targets in support of the Normandy landings, in addition to V.1 sites, Caen, Tours and Lens being among the dozen or so such places to be visited. During the latter raid on Lens on the night of 15-16 June, fellow 635 Squadron member, Squadron Leader I. W. Bazalgette, acted as Deputy Master Bomber. Hitchcock would participate in several more sorties alongside him prior to his V.C.-winning exploits over Troissy St. Maximin in early August. Another renowned Squadron character was the C.O., Wing Commander S. Tubby' Baker, DSO DFC who went on to complete his 100th operational sortie early in the new year. From August onwards, however, the Squadron gradually returned to the more challenging brief of Germany, Essen, Munich and Stuttgart being among the heavily defended chosen targets - Hitchcock visited the latter city on three occasions. But it was not until mid-January 1945 that he completed his first tour of operations, with an outing to Merseburg on the night of the 14th-15th, his 44th sortie. An insight into Hitchcock’s time with 635 may be found in Strike Hard, in which he is quoted on several occasions. He states that he was given just two weeks holiday in Torquay at a hotel run by the RAF following completion of his first tour, immediately after which he was returned to the Squadron to commence his second tour. And his second tour did indeed commence in February 1945, with an outing to Cleve on the 7th, Politz on the following night and another to Mainz at the end of the month. March witnessed sorties being flown against Mannheim, Chemnitz, Dessau, Witten and Hamburg, and April another strike against Hamburg, in addition to outings to Kiel, Potsdam and Heligoland, the whole bringing Hitchcock’s final tally of operations to near the 60 mark. His second tour actually ended with the memorable strike against Hitler’s 'Eagle’s Nest' and Berchtesgaden on 25 April 1945. Considerable damage was inflicted on the area, the attack lasting for one and a half hours with two assault waves. Although Hitler was at the Reich Chancellory in Berlin at the time, he cannot have failed to have been moved by the final damage report - the local S.S. Barracks and the private residences of Bormann and Goring were among the key buildings to be severely damaged or destroyed. For his own part, 'Wally' Hitchcock celebrated the successful conclusion of his operational career in style: ‘We gathered with our groundcrews, who always did a marvellous job on our aircraft, at the Crown pub for a last session. All I can remember about that was attempting to return to the camp after dark on my bike and riding straight into a brick wall, which did neither myself or the front wheel any good.’
35	Hart	Kenneth Graham					Pilot	DFC		Fighter Command					9								KIA 28 December 1944 ( Italy) Ace
36	Costello	Maurice James 'Morrie'	FO			New Zealand	Pilot		RAF	Fighter Command	118Sqn 249Sqn 91Sqn				5 [2+3] (2 V-1s)								Ace Spitfire MTO UK 1942-1944
37	Hogg	Charles	Sgt later Flt Lt	1341935	Lothian		Air Bomber	DFM	RAFVR	Bomber Command	35Sqn RAF	Halifax											Survivor of an operational tour of 32 sorties, including the Hamburg ‘firestorm’ raids and the Peenemunde raid DFM Citation London Gazette 15 February 1944. The recommendation states: ‘This Air Bomber has participated in numerous operational sorties against some of the enemy’s most heavily defended targets. His reliability and accuracy is worthy of the highest praise and his keenness and enthusiasm sets a fine example to the rest of the Squadron. In recognition of his outstanding record of service, this NCO is recommended for the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’ Training as a Bomb Aimer in July 1942, gaining nearly 80% in his AB Initio Bombing Course at R.A.F. Picton. Posted 35Sqn, a Path Finder unit then operating with Halifaxes, in April 1943, he flew his first mission, against Essen, on the 30th of that month. Other German targets hit over the next eight weeks included Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf (twice) and Krefeld. On the night of 15-16 July, Hogg’s aircraft was detailed to attack the Peugot factory at Montbeliard, a raid that typified the difficulties confronted by the Path Finder Force in trying to mark smaller targets. 35’s markers were just 700 yards off centre, but the final result in terms of French civilian casualties was devastating. A few nights later, on the 24th, Hogg and his crew flew the first of three successive sorties against Hamburg, raids that culminated in terrible ‘firestorms’ and some 40,000 casualties. Then on the night of 17-18 August, they participated in the famous attack on the rocket research establishment at Peenemunde. According to one newspaper report Hogg received a ‘special certificate for accurate bombing and photography after the raid on Peenemunde’. Hogg’s operational tour finally ended in February 1944, included 3 trips to Berlin, and another 3 to Mannheim. Awarded the DFM and commissioned, he was employed on instructional duties until the end of the War.
38	Anderson	Alan Ford	Grp Cpt		1910 Simla India		Pilot	DSO & Bar DFC Commander Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953;	RAF	Fighter Command	613Sqn RAF 228Sqn RAF	Hector bi-plane, Lysander, Tomahawk, Mustang								Survived war. Retired to Minorca. Returned to UK, died December 2002 aged 92			1940 Suicidal sorties over Calais in an obsolete 170 m.p.h. Hector biplane. Led the first ever single-engined fighter sortie to Germany from the U.K. Many low-level sorties flown over Holland in the latter period of war with 2TAF. See Archive Report. DFC Citation London Gazette 5 November 1940. The original recommendation states: ‘During the months of May and June 1940, this officer was in charge of 613 Squadron which operated during the evacuation of the B.E.F. In spite of the fact that this squadron was without previous experience of operational flying, a number of important sorties were successfully accomplished in the face of heavy anti-aircraft fire. Squadron Leader Anderson took part in each of these which included the bombing of batteries in the vicinity of Calais, and the dropping of ammunition and water for the garrison holding the Citadel there. All these operations were successfully carried out. This was substantially due to the confidence and enthusiasm which Squadron Leader Anderson inspired in his junior officers and to his magnificent leadership.’ DSO Citation: London Gazette 5 February 1943. The original recommendation states: ‘Wing Commander Anderson has been in command of No. 268 Squadron since December 1940. At the time the Squadron was equipped with Lysanders and in order to get some sort of operations for his pilots he arranged for dusk and dawn patrols off the East Coast. In May 1941 the Squadron was re-equipped with Tomahawk aircraft and by September was fitted with a No. 19 A.F. wireless set giving larger range. On 19 October 1941, the first attack was made on targets at Ijmuiden and Dan Helder in Holland with the Wing Commander leading. Several other attempts were made by Wing Commander Anderson but were abandoned owing to lack of cloud cover or fog. In December, in order to get further operational experience, Wing Commander Anderson asked for and obtained permission to be attached to R.A.F. Ibsley with a view to getting combat experience. Working under 10 Group, Wing Commander Anderson and three pilots carried out convoy patrols. In January 1942, owing to the numerous mechanical failures of the Alison Engine, H.Q., Army Command, stopped operational flying. Throughout the above period the Squadron continued its normal role of training with H.Q. No. 2 Corps. In April 1942, the Squadron was re-equipped with Mustang aircraft and in June, at the request of Wing Commander Anderson, it was permitted to carry out shipping reconnaissance off the Dutch Coast. In August 1942, the Squadron was attached to No. 12 (Fighter) Group for full fighter operations and was equipped with V.H.F. and operated on interceptor patrols, shipping reconnaissance off the Dutch Coast and attack of ground targets in Holland and Germany. It has been due to the personal effort of Wing Commander Anderson that his squadron has been enabled to carry out offensive operations and he himself has always led the first of any new type of sortie. In October, Wing Commander Anderson led a section of four Mustangs to North-West Germany and attacked targets on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. This was the first time that single-engined fighters based in England had attacked targets in Germany. Throughout this period, Wing Commander Anderson has led: 6 Tomahawk operations over Holland; 2 Mustang “Rhubarbs” - one over Holland and the other over Germany; 12 Mustang shipping reconnaissance operations; and 3 Mustang interceptor patrols over the North Sea. Wing Commander Anderson has always displayed the greatest initiative to get his squadron onto offensive operations. he is a born leader and has instilled an operational attitude into not only the pilots but also the N.C.Os and ground crew as well. He is absolutely tireless and one of the most enthusiastic Commanding Officers I have met. Through his magnificent leadership, courage and example he has produced in 268 Squadron a thoroughly sound and reliable fighting unit not only in its primary role of Fighter Reconnaissance but also in its secondary and more offensive roles.’ Bar to DSO Citation London Gazette 27 April 1945. The original recommendation states: ‘Between 15 December 1944 and 21 February 1945, Group Captain Anderson carried out 6 reconnaissance sorties over enemy territory. Besides bringing back valuable information, this officer and his No. 2 made the following claims: 1 1000-ton ship destroyed (seen on fire); 2 1000-ton ships severely damaged (one on fire); 1 minelayer damaged; 1 tug destroyed; 3 tugs damaged (one on fire); 3 barges severely damaged; 1 500-ton ship and sundry small M.Vs damaged; 1 ferry damaged; 2 M.T. destroyed; 1 Met and 1 A.F.V. damaged. These attacks were carried out often in the face of intense accurate flak and twice Group Captain Anderson’s aircraft was hit and damaged. Since the date of his last award this officer has carried out 49 sorties over enemy territory, some of which were to provide photographs necessary during the planning of “Overlord”. Besides the claims made above, he has scored successes against a number of different types of target including 16 locos damaged, parties of troops on the ground, and damage to transport vehicles of all descriptions, at all times displaying a fine offensive spirit and courage of a high order. Group Captain Anderson has proved himself to be an outstanding Commanding Officer. The Recce. Wing he has commanded in the Field since August 1944 has achieved magnificent results whilst working with 1st Canadian Army. The results achieved, at a small cost to the Wing, are an indication of its efficiency. This high standard is very largely due to the efficiency of its Commanding Officer and the magnificent example he sets to the rest of his unit.’ Order of Orange Nassau Citation London Gazette 31 October 1947. The original recommendation states: ‘Group Captain Anderson commanded No. 35 Reconnaissance Wing from 30 August 1944 until 1 December 1945. The Wing operated from Gilze Rijen and Mill during the winter of 1944-45. During this period his Wing was responsible not only for tactical reconnaissance and artillery spotting, but also for provision of photographic cover extending deep into enemy territory, without which detailed plans for operations by the Army and Air Force could not have been made. Group Captain Anderson proved himself to be a courageous leader; he himself flew a great number of operational sorties and frequently insisted on leading missions which, by the nature of their tasks, expected heavy opposition. Under his inspiring leadership the Wing carried out all these tasks in an exemplary manner.’
39	Doherty	Eric Steele	Flight Lieutenant	NZ/415290	Born 29th July 1922	New Zealand	Pilot	DFM DFC (US)	RNZAF	Fighter Command	242Sqn				7							AR Archives	Spitfire V and IX ace Sicily Italy 1943-1944 725(Sqn ORB Shores) Eric Doherty was a student at the time of his enlistment with the RNZAF in September 1941. Trained with 53 Operational Training Unit. Also served in No. 5 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit. Returned to 53 OTU as an instructor in October 1944. Served with 242 Squadron in North Africa, Italy, Syria, Corsica Served- WW2- Fighter Command in North Africa, Middle East, Italy, England. Was credited with seven victories, others damaging many vehicles and ships destroyed or damaged. DFM DFC (US). Left the RNZAF in October 1945. Joined the RNZAF Territorials in December 1948. Shortly after he retired from the Insurance business de was involved in a car accident whilst visiting in Australia and died on the 19th June 1980. Buried at Southport Lawn Cemetery, Queensland, Australia. DFM Award dated 25th November 1944. 'For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flights from Corsica under American Command June 19th,1944'. Husband of Lois Eva Doherty Born 11th December 1925 - died 16th September 2020, age 94. Father of Phillip William Steel Doherty Born 19th June 1956 - died 14th July 1983, age 27
40	Coston	R G V 'George'	Flying Officer				Navigator, Bomb Aimer	1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45	RAFVR	Coastal Command	59Sqn	Liberator				Ballykelly		Anti Submarine and Convoy Patrol		Survived			Present at the destruction of at least one U-Boat. Enlisted October 1941, training as a Navigator in Canada. September 1942, posted to 59Sqn, a Coastal Command unit operating Liberators out of Ballykelly, in July 1943. Til August 1944 he flew in excess of 30 operational sorties, anti-submarine or convoy escort. Present at two U-Boat actions. Verified by 59’s Operational Record Book against U-470 during the course of convoy ON. 206 on 16 October 1943, when his aircraft was captained by Pilot Officer W. G. 'Wes' Loney, RAAF ‘Directed by S.N.O. to U-Boat fully surfaced (210 ZZ 40). Attacked under moderate flak and straddled the hull with first four Depth Charges. Under heavier flak the remaining four DCs were dropped close alongside and the U-Boat was seen to dive at about 60 degrees. None of our crew were injured and damage was received only in the port tyre and a hole in the port tank.’ Eye-witness statement made by one of Coston’s crew, Flight Sergeant 'Bill' Sills, in which he states: ‘George [Coston] was a Navigator par excellence; he was a tremendous chap in other ways, one of which was his courage. On the U-470 attack we made four passes in all, getting shot up for our pains. The Germans were not friendly! It was due to Wes’ supreme low flying, in which we climbed over the conning tower, that I had a straight view down inside the U-Boat from a very close standpoint. We were so low that I believe our top camouflage could have been seen from the conning tower. We did not experience much flak on the final run and Wes made a classic drop of DCs from the starboard quarter. Fifteen bods were seen in the water and we whistled them up a destroyer to collect them. Unfortunately, owing to the imminent danger of further attacks, it could not stop and steamed slowly through them with nets out to catch them - this added up to just two. We attacked on P.L.E., and lost between 100 and 300 gallons of fuel from being shot up. I reckoned 100 and Wes 300, so we settled on 200! We also had our port undercarriage suffering from a 20mm. shell or two. We climbed to Rated Altitude without superchargers and headed back home to Ballykelly. I eased off the mixture until the cylinder temperatures rose, getting it as lean as possible. This caused a drop in airspeed which upset George as he was worried we would not make it, especially as the action had taken place at the bottom end of the Denmark Strait and we had quite a long way to go at night. George couldn’t be blamed as he was as keen as the rest of us to get back safely. We made it but the landing was, to say the least, interesting. We lost the complete port wheel and finished up on the remains of the oleo leg. Still, we were on the runway - just. On dipping the tanks we found that we had about a teaspoon full of fuel in each tank - I estimated we had about 15 minutes left! Wes got a well-deserved immediate award of the DFC for that.’ During another patrol on 13 January 1944, Coston and his crew inflicted serious damage on the U-621. 59’s Operational Record Book: ‘The notable achievement of the month was an attack by F./O. Loney and crew on a fully surfaced U-Boat on the 13th. The U-Boat was visually sighted from eight miles 060 Red from 2,000 feet, and an attack was made, the approach being made out of the sun, during which the U-Boat altered course to starboard and opened up heavy flak at four miles. The aircraft tracked over the conning tower at 50 feet, from 120 Green, and six depth charges were dropped - the first exploded alongside the hull but the remainder, spaced at 50 feet, overshot. A second attack was made and two depth charges, spaced at 60 feet, were dropped from a similar approach, tracking over the U-Boat half way between conning tower and stern - this stick fell across the stern and explosions were seen to straddle the stern. Three machine-gun attacks were then made and hits were obtained on and around the conning tower. Two minutes after the last of these attacks the U-Boat dived, finally disappearing at a steep angle with no way on, stern up, leaving no debris, but pale discolouration of the water. The U-Boat was observed to be of the 517-ton type, with two-step conning tower. No damage was sustained by the aircraft.’ U-621’s log adds further information from the enemy’s perspective: ‘1510 hours: Liberator closing at 7,000 metres, altitude 500 metres. Ordered fire at 5,000 metes, 3-7cm. gun jammed after three shots. Aircraft glides in, going down to 20 metres, crosses over boat starboard to port, three bombs, one bouncing against the conning tower; all detonated at 10-20 metres depth. Boat lists strongly to port. I have only one 2cm. gun firing, as the others are jammed. (Able Seaman) Thomas seriously wounded and died soon afterwards. Enemy crosses boat in every attack from starboard to port at altitude of 10-20 metres. Because he apparently has no more bombs and all my guns are jammed, am going to dive. 1527 hours: Boat going down rapidly at bow at 60 degrees, down to 40 metres, both electric motors running full ahead; listing 12 degrees to port; control board for electric motors on fire. 2058 hours: Surfaced. 2145 hours: Thomas handed over to the sea. Decided to return home because of the damage that could not be repaired.’ Tour ‘expired’ Coston saw no further operational flying and was released from the service in early 1946.
41	Chamberlain	Eric	Fl/Sgt.	2216207				DFM	RAFVR	Bomber Command	428Sqn RCAF	Halifax	II			RAF Middleton St. George							Transferred to 156 Squadron after May 1944
42	Chisholm	John Henry Mackellar					Pilot			Fighter Command					7								KIA 15 September 1944 Ace
43	Balfour	Robert Hamish "Jimmy"	FLt			New Zealand	Pilot		RNZAF	Fighter Command	18 RNZAF Sqn				5 [4+1]								P-40 ace Solomons 1943-1944
44	Hall	Bevan Mason	FO			New Zealand	Pilot		RAF	Fighter Command	486Sqn (NZ)				9 [6+3] (all V-1s)					Killed 1944-12-27			Ace
45	Knights	Robert	Flt Lt				Pilot		RAF	Bomber Command	617Sqn	Lancaster											(1921-2004) British Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant, a bomber pilot with 617 Squadron who participated in the three major attacks on the Tirpitz during World War II, culminating in the sinking of the German battleship on 12th November 1944. Signed 7 x 9.5 photograph of Knights in a head and shoulders pose wearing his RAF uniform. Signed ('Bob Knights') in black ink with his name alone, in later years, to the base of the image.
46	Iveson	Douglas 'Hank'	Wng Cmdr	86384			Pilot	DSO DFC & Bar	RAFVR	Bomber Command	76Sqn (CO)									Survived war. Died 1986	Memorial plaque, Holme Industrial Estate, Yorks	Courtesy Flight Magaqzine	Commissioned 5 October 1940. DFC with 76Sqn 29th May 1942 as Acting S/Ldr. DFC Citation: '... completed many successful sorties including two daylight attacks on Brest. During one of his night sorties, in full moonlight, he was attacked by an enemy fighter but, by his skilful evasive action, his rear gunner was enabled to destroy the attacker. One night in April 1942, Squadron Leader Iveson was the captain of an aircraft detailed to attack the German naval base at Trondheim. He completed this mission, despite intense anti-aircraft fire and a very light sky. After dropping his bombs, he remained over the target area for some time in order to divert the fire from aircraft which were still attacking. He has displayed courage and keenness of an exceptionally high standard.' Bar to DFC 11th June 1943. Citation: '... took part in the daylight raids against the German battle cruisers at Brest in December 1941, and was awarded the DFC for his part in the attack on the enemy naval base at Trondheim in April 1942. Since then S/Ldr Iveson has taken part in numerous sorties over targets in Germany and the Middle East. On one occasion he skilfully led a section in a daylight raid on Heraklion, and after securing excellent photographs withdrew without his aircraft having sustained any serious damage. On another occasion he made a successful low-level attack en gun emplacements.' DSO 1st September 1944 with 76 Squadron. DSO Citation: '... outstanding squadron commander whose magnificent leadership, great courage and zeal have inspired all. Since being awarded a Bar to the DFC, Wing Commander Iveson has completed many Bombing missions against dangerous and difficult targets and the successes obtained reflect the greatest credit on the skill and resolution of this officer. He has rendered much loyal and devoted service.' Post-WW2 flew Vulcans from Waddington in 1958. Died in 1986.	yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk
47	Checketts	John Milne 'Johnny'	W/Cdr	NZ/403602		New Zealand	Pilot	DSO DFC	RAF	Fighter Command	611Sqn 485Sqn (NZ) 142 Wg RAF				16 (2 V-1s)								Spitfire ace Channel N Europe 1943-1944 145Wing Commander John "Johnny" Milne Checketts, DSO, DFC (20 February 1912 - 21 April 2006) was a New Zealand World War II Flying ace, who destroyed 14½ enemy aircraft, had three probables and damaged 11. He was shot–down twice – once over the English Channel, when he was rescued from the sea by the Royal Navy, and once over occupied France, when he was returned to the United Kingdom by the French Resistance.	Archive loss report Obituary Report
48	Bradshaw	Frank	Flight Lieutenant	410442	Born 2nd February 1919 in Carlton, Victoria	Australian	Air Gunner		RAAF	Bomber Command	44 Sqn		Lancaster			RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire				Survived the war/ Passed away on the 13th October 1980			His flying operational service commenced on the 15th April 1944 with 44 Squadron and finished on the 11th October 1944 after 33 sorties. He then commenced a ground tour as a Gunnery Analysis officer at 55 Base after which he was repatriated to Australia on 7th July 1945. He was discharged from the RAAF and transferred to the RAAF Reserve on the 16th September 1945, being surplus to present (then) personnel requirements.
49	Fokes	Ronald Henry ("Ronnie")					Pilot	DFC		Fighter Command	92Sqn 257Sqn				13								KIA 12 June 1944 Ace
50	Gohsler	Harry R	1st Lt	O-824473		USA	Pilot		USAAF	356th Fighter Group	359th Fighter Squadron	P-47 Thunderbolt. (P-51 Mustang from Nov 1944)							1 Luftwaffe destroyed				Source: afhra.maxwell.af.mil ETO (European Theatre)