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Summary of Events
| DATE | SUMMARY OF EVENTS |
|---|---|
| 9/4/42 | Sgt.
L.R.Clarke, Pilot Sgt. J.H.Scorer, Pilot Sgt. G.L.Cooper, A/Ob Sgt. I.D.Lowther, WO/AG Sgt. P. Milnes, WO/AG Sgt. B.E.B.Luchman, A/G Sgt. J. Glaves, Pilot Sgt. L.A.Seamark Pilot Sgt. W.J.Olde A/Ob Sgt. A.G.Pettitt, WO/AG Sgt. A.Elliot WO/AG Sgt. A.Giles AG P/O. N.G.Sprake, Pilot P/O. B.W.Ward, A/Ob Sgt. M.Baxter, Pilot Sgt. R.A.Mansell, WO/AG Sgt. O.R.Medgley, WO/AG P/O. P.G. Hopkins, AG posted from 23 O.T.U. wef. today. |
| 10/4/42 | Sgt Tidder WO/AG promoted to Temporary Flight Sergeant wef 1/3/42. Records Authority dated today. F/Sgt Tidder is now a Prisoner of War. |
| 11/4/42 | W/Cdr. G.M.N.Gibson D.F.C, Pilot reposted to the unit wef today, supernumerary pending posting Overseas. |
| 20/4/42 | Sgt V.R.Dufton, A/Ob (Missing 6/4/42) promoted to Temporary Flight Sergeant wef 1/3/42. Records Authority dated today. |
| 21/4/42 | F/Sgt W.F.Caldow, Pilot, posted to 1481 T.T. Flight (Gunnery Section) |
| 1/5 | Day training in paratroop dropping. 8 hours flying. |
| 2/5 | Day training in paratroop dropping. 24 hours flying. |
| 3/5 | Day training in paratroop dropping. 25 hours flying. POSTING - Sgt.A.V.Henshaw (Pilot) Sgt.K.S.Nicholls (Obs) Sgt.E.H.Bastow (WO/AG) Sgt.J.R.Brind (B/A) Sgt.R.H.Partington (Air Gunner) from 23 O.T.U |
| 4/5 | Squadron reverted to the fole of Night bombing. Stood down at 1600 hours. POSTING - S/Ldr.K.W.Kaufmann DFC from Air Ministry D.T.F. |
| 5/5 | Squadron detailed to attack STUTTGART. Seven aircraft detailed 5 took off. Four aircraft attacked the target. One returned owning to petrol leak, all bombs being brought back. Day flying 7 hours. Night Operations 37 hours. POSTING - P/O.J.A.Tooth (Air Gunner) from 103 Squadron. |
| 6/5 | Squadron stood down. Low serviceability prevented all but the most essential training. Day flying 5 hours. 2 hours Night flying. |
| 7/5 | Squadron stood down all day. 10 hours day flying. Night flying 1 hour. POSTING - Sgt.G.C.Hooper (Pilot) Sgt.D.Udell (Obs) Sgt.L.E.Holland (B/A) Sgt.J.Whear (WOAG) Sgt.W.Davis (A.G) from 22 O.T.U |
| 8/5 | Squadron ordered to attack WARNEMUNDE. 10 aircraft detailed 9 took off. All aircraft reached and bombed target area and returned to base. A successful operation. One aircraft attacked by fighters and returned the fire. Some photographs taken but not good. Day flying 10 hours Night flying 62 hours. |
| 9/5 | Squadron stood down. Day flying 9 hours. |
| 10/5 | Operations order but cancelled own to bad weather at 1740 hours. Day flying 13 hours. |
| 11/5 | Squadron stood down. No flying was possible during the day owing to weather conditions. POSTING - F/Sgt.A.Szmaites and Sgt.A.Scanlan A.B. from 264 Squadron. |
| 12/5 | Squadron Stood down. Day flying training 15 hours. |
| 13/5 | Squadron stood down. Day flying 19 hours. POSTING - P/O.M.F.Johnson (Pilot) P/O.W.C.Gregory (Obs) F/Lt.P.T.Candler (WOAG) Sgt.F.W.Thornton (B/A) Sgt.K.E.Kellar (A.G.) Sgt.J.P.Berry (Pilot) P/O.C.S.Carey (Obs) Sgt.I.L.Mantell (WO/AG) Sgt.G.S.Davenport (B/A) Sgt.J.Webster (A.G.) from 23 OTU. Sgt.W.T.Bent (Pilot) Sgt.A.A.Smith (Obs) Sgt.E.Sinclair (WO/AG) Sgt.I.Kennedy (B/A) from 27 OTU. Sgt.R.L.Cox (Pilot) Sgt.T.R.Rooney (Obs) Sgt.W.Quinn (B/A) Sgt.R.C.Biden (WO/AG) Sgt.L.W.Mallon (A.G) from 27 OTU. |
| 14/5 | Squadron order to operate but cancelled at 1720 hours. Day flying 6 hours. |
| 15/5 | Target received but operations cancelled at 2312 hours. Day flying 8 hours. |
| 16/5 | Operations ordered but cancelled at 2050 hours. Day flying 14 hours. Night flying 1 hour. |
| 17/5 | Squadron detailed for operations but cancelled at 1750 hours. Day flying 12
hours. POSTING - Sgt.C.P.Moores (A.G.) from 460 Squadron. |
| 18/5 | Squadron stood down. Day flying 12 hours. |
| 19/5 | Operations ordered. Six crews detailed to attack MANHEIM, but only five took off, one of these experiencing oxygen failure and bombed near LE HAGUE. Two crews carried out "Gardening" operations at LORIENT and four freshers attacked St. NAZAIRE. All aircraft returned safely. Day flying 12 hours. Night Operations 69 hours. Night flying training 3 hours. |
| 20/5 | Operations ordered but cancelled at 2200 hours owing to weather. Day flying 1 hour. |
| 21/5 | Squadron stood down. Day flying 7 hours. |
| 22/5 | Four fresher crews ordered but no main. Freshers cancelled at 1715 hours. Day flying 5 hours. Night flying 1 hour. |
| 23/5 | Squadron stood down. Day flying 8 hours. |
| 24/5 | Operations ordered both main and freshers. Main cancelled at 1750 and freshers at 1840. Day flying 15 hours. |
| 25/5 | "Main" target received but cancelled at 1425. No freshers ordered. No flying was possible during the day. |
| 26/5 | Squadron stood down. Day flying 2 hours. |
| 27/5 | "Main" effort stood down in the morning and freshers at 1230. Day flying 10 hours. |
| 28/5 | "Gardening" ordered but cancelled at 1630 hours. No freshers. Day flying 1 hour. |
| 29/5 | Four "main" crews ordered to attack Paris. One aircraft located target which was mostly clouded over. One aircraft unable to locate target from 1300 feet. Bombs brought back. The two remaining aircraft were unable to locate target, one jettisoning bombs in sea and the other returning with load. day flying 12 hours. Night Operations 28 hours. |
| 30/5 | 22 crews took off to attack COLOGNE. One aircraft returned with port engine trouble, the bombs being jettisoned in the sea. Two aircraft containing fresher crews failed to return. There were P/O G.H.CAFFEY(Captain) F/SGT.J.W.SMYTH (OBSERVER) SGT.J.M.McALEAVEY (WO/AG) SGT.G.S.WATSON (BOMB AIMER) SGT.I.C.MCKEAND (AIR GUNNER) SGT.N.A.LOWDEN (CAPTAIN) P/O.W.H.GREGORY (OBSERVER) F/LT.P.T. (NO NAME) (WO/AG) SGT.F.THORNTON (BOMB AIMER) SGT.L.W.MALLON (AIR GUNNER) Day flying 15 hours. Night operations 100 hours. |
| 31/5 | Squadron order to operate against Hamburn but this was cancelled at briefing at 1853 hours. Day flying 2 hours. |
| 1/6/42 | Squadron was ordered to attack ESSEN. 19 aircraft were despatched. One crashed shortly after taking off. All aircraft report poor weather conditions over the target area and some admit they bombed on E.T.A. Others claim to have hit ESSEN. |
| 2/6/42 | Squadron ordered to attack ESSEN. 10 aircraft despatched. Two aircraft returned early with technical trouble. The other aircraft all reported having reached the target and successfully bombed it. |
| 3/6/42 | The Squadron was detailed to attack BREMEN. 4 aircraft desptached. All aircraft reached and bombed target area. |
| 4/6/42 | The Squadron was ordered to proceed in the near future to Salisbury Plain area to train in the role of paratroop dropping under Army Co-operation Command. |
| 5/6/42 | The Squadron packed up in readiness for move. |
| 6/6/42 | The road party move to THRUXTON AERODROME, the satellite for ANDOVER where it was to be stationed during the attachment under Army Co-operations Command. Operational control of the Squadron executed by No. 38 Wing. |
| 7/6/42 | Air Party left for THRUXTON. |
| 8/6/42 | Training in paratroop dropping commenced. |
| 9/6/42 | Training in paratroop drpping with dummies. |
| 10/6/42 | Training in paratroop drom by day and first dusk dropping with dummies |
| 11/6/42 | Dropping with dummies. |
| 12/6/42 | First time Squadron dropped men. Despite poor weather, member of the 3rd Parachute Bn. were successfully dropped on the Battalion Dropping Zone. |
| 13/6/42 | Training in paratroop dropping with dummies continued. |
| 14/6/42 | First full scale rehearsal with members of the 1st Parachute Bn. Eleven aircraft of the Squadron sucessfully dropped men in the vicinity of Lark Hill Camp. |
| 22/7/42 | (Cont'd) Sgt R.A.Evans (WO/AG) Sgt.R.K.McGrath A/G Sgt H Darn. WO/AG posted to No. 1. R.A.F.Depot supernumerary non-effective missing w.e.f. today. |
| 23/7/42 | Sgt.A.V.Henshaw Pilot posted to R.A.F. Binbrook supernumerary non-effective sick w.e.f. today. |
| 24/7/42 | Sgt.W.J.Godly posted to the unit w.e.f. today from 15 O.T.U. |
| 26/7/42 | The following aircrew personnel were posted to No. 1. R.A.F. Depot supernumerary non-effective missing w.e.f. to-day:- Sgt.W.Harper WO/AG Sgt.N.E.R.Carrell Pilot Sgt.S.W.Walliter Obs Sgt.J.O.Straffen WO/AG Sgt.R.Bush A/G Sgt.S.J.Oertel WO/AG S/Ldr.O.L.Olsson Pilot F/O. J.A.Goring Obs P/O.W.S.Findlay WO/AG Sgt.A.H.Collison A/G F/Sgt.W.A.Penny A/G F/Sgt.D.C.West Pilot Sgt.G.L.Cooper Obs Sgt.I.D.Lowther WO/AG Sgt.P.Milnes WO/AG Sgt.B.E.B.Luckman A/G P/O.N.G.Sprake Pilot P/O.B.N.Ward Obs Sgt.O.R.Kedgley WO/AG Sgt.R.A.Mansell A/G Sgt.D.W.Moss A/G |
Researched in 2002 by Martin Milnes
Updated in 2025 by Benjamin Milnes