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Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Aviation Books Limited
ISBN: 9781915335388
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
The honour of becoming the very first RCAF bomber unit to be formed overseas under the scheme to 'Canadianise' RAF Bomber Command was bestowed upon 405 Squadron, which came into existence on the 4 Group station at Driffield on the 23rd of April 1941. Equipped with the Merlin-powered Wellington Mk II, the squadron began operations in June and continued to operate in 4 Group's front line until converting to the Halifax in April 1942. In October that year the squadron was posted to Coastal Command for convoy and anti-U-Boat duties and it was during this period that the unit became 405 (Vancouver) Squadron. A return to Bomber Command in March 1943 took the squadron initially to the Canadian 6 Group, which had been formed officially on the 1st of January. However, after serving briefly with 6 Group, 405 Squadron became the first and only Canadian unit to serve in the Path Finder Force, by this time redesignated 8 Group. The unit continued to serve with distinction, converting to Lancasters in the late summer of 1943, often providing the Master Bomber and Deputy pairing for operations. The squadron developed an excellent record of serviceability and suffered remarkably low losses during 1944 and 1945. The squadron was twice commanded by Wing Commander, later Group Captain, "Johnny" Fauquier, a legendary figure in the annals of Canadian aviation, who commanded the famous 617 Squadron (Dambusters) during the final four months of the bombing war. The squadron's outstanding record of service and contribution to victory stand to this day as a testament to the character of the nation of Canada. This is the record of its operations with Bomber Command in the Second World War.A ret
Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Aviation Books Limited
ISBN: 9781915335388
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Get Book
Book Description
The honour of becoming the very first RCAF bomber unit to be formed overseas under the scheme to 'Canadianise' RAF Bomber Command was bestowed upon 405 Squadron, which came into existence on the 4 Group station at Driffield on the 23rd of April 1941. Equipped with the Merlin-powered Wellington Mk II, the squadron began operations in June and continued to operate in 4 Group's front line until converting to the Halifax in April 1942. In October that year the squadron was posted to Coastal Command for convoy and anti-U-Boat duties and it was during this period that the unit became 405 (Vancouver) Squadron. A return to Bomber Command in March 1943 took the squadron initially to the Canadian 6 Group, which had been formed officially on the 1st of January. However, after serving briefly with 6 Group, 405 Squadron became the first and only Canadian unit to serve in the Path Finder Force, by this time redesignated 8 Group. The unit continued to serve with distinction, converting to Lancasters in the late summer of 1943, often providing the Master Bomber and Deputy pairing for operations. The squadron developed an excellent record of serviceability and suffered remarkably low losses during 1944 and 1945. The squadron was twice commanded by Wing Commander, later Group Captain, "Johnny" Fauquier, a legendary figure in the annals of Canadian aviation, who commanded the famous 617 Squadron (Dambusters) during the final four months of the bombing war. The squadron's outstanding record of service and contribution to victory stand to this day as a testament to the character of the nation of Canada. This is the record of its operations with Bomber Command in the Second World War.A ret
Author: Peter Hessel
Publisher: James Lorimer & Company
ISBN: 9781550288841
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 262
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Book Description
The Mystery of Frankenberg's Airman is the account of painstaking research in a quest for the truth about an unsolved war crime.
Author: Roddy MacKenzie
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1399017756
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386
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Book Description
Roddy MacKenzie’s father served in Bomber Command during the Second World War, but like so many brave veterans who had survived the war, he spoke little of his exploits. So, when Roddy started on his personal journey to discover something of what his father had achieved, he uncovered a great deal about the devastating effectiveness of Bomber Command and the vital role it played in the defeat of Third Reich. He realised that the true story of Bomber Command’s achievements has never been told nor fully acknowledged. Roddy became a man on a mission, and this startlingly revealing, and often personal study, is the result. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph takes the reader through the early days of the Second World War and introduces all the key individuals who turned the Command into the war-winning weapon it eventually became, as well as detailing the men and machines which flew night after night into the heart of Hitler’s Germany. The main focus of his book is the destruction and dislocation wrought by the bombing to reduce, and ultimately destroy, Germany’s ability to make war. In his analysis, Roddy dug deep into German archival material to uncover facts rarely presented to either German or English language readers. These demonstrate that Bomber Command’s continual efforts, at appalling cost in aircrew casualties and aircraft losses, did far more damage to the Reich than the Allies knew. Roddy’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Roddy naturally highlights its contribution to Bomber Command’s successes, another aspect of this fascinating story which the author believes has not been duly recognized. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph will certainly raise the debate on the controversial strategy adopted by ‘Bomber’ Harris and how he was perceived by many to have over-stepped his remit. But most of all, this book will revise people’s understanding of just how important the endeavours were of those men who flew through the dark and through the searchlights, the flak, and the enemy night fighters, to bring the Second World War in Europe to its crushing conclusion.
Author: Martin Bowman
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 184884493X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282
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Book Description
This massive work provides a comprehensive insight to the experiences of Bomber Command s pilots and aircrew throughout World War Two. From the early wartime years when the RAF s first attempts to avenge Germany s onslaught were bedeviled by poor navigation and inaccurate bombing, to the final winning onslaught that finally tamed Hitler in his Berlin lair, these volumes trace the true experiences of the men who flew the bombers. Hundreds of first-hand accounts are punctuated by the author s background information that put each narrative into wartime perspective. Every aspect of Bomber Commands operational duties are covered; day and night bombing, precision low-level strikes, mass raids and operations throughout all wartime theaters. Contributions are from RAF personnel who flew the command s different aircraft from the early Blenheims and Stirlings to the later Lancasters and Mosquitoes. Each volume is full of accounts that tell of the camaraderie amongst the crews, moments of sheer terror and the stoic humor that provided the critical bond. The five volumes of this work provide the most vivid and comprehensive work on the outstanding part played by RAF Bomber Command in their vital role in the destruction of the Third Reich."
Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844687368
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 375
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Book Description
During the immediate period before World War Two, the RAF modified its command structure to rationalize for rapid expansion. Bomber Command was divided into six operational groups, each flying the same type of aircraft. In 1939 5 Group was flying the Handley Page Hampden, a fast, modern aircraft that carried a large payload. However, during the early daylight raids into enemy occupied Europe it suffered great losses due to its defensive armament leaving too many blind spots. The Group now turned to night bombing and mine-laying operations. During November 1940, the first Avro Manchesters entered service but were to prove dangerously unreliable. It was not until the Avro Lancaster began arriving in strength that the Group began its proud history of successful and often highly dangerous raids into the Reich, the most famous of which was No 617 Squadrons attack on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams.Between 1939 and 1945 the Group flew 70,351 sorties with the loss of 1,888 aircraft. This book contains a lengthy narrative of the groups operations and contains individual squadron statistics, their commanding officers, stations and aircraft losses. It provides a detailed reference for one of the RAFs most important and successful operational groups.
Author: Chris Ward
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844687325
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212
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Book Description
6 Group was born out of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which, among other things called for the formation of 25 Canadian Squadrons in Britain. This figure was later downsized. The Canadian vision was of a Canadian force operating independently alongside Bomber Command in the manner of the American 8th, but skillfull negotiating by the British resulted in Canadian Bomber squadrons operating within the RAF under RAF control but funded by Canada. On the 1st of January 1943 most of the existing RCAF squadrons were brought together on stations in North Yorkshire and County Durham to form 6 Group. By the end of the war 14 Squadrons were operational and one other had been posted to the Pathfinders. After an uncertain beginning the Group became an efficient and valuable contributor to Bomber Command's campaigns. Beginning predominantly with Wellingtons the Group was re-equipped with a mixture of Halifaxes and Lancasters, including the Hercules powered MkII and the Canadian built MKX.
Author: Norman Franks
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473847273
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282
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Book Description
Aviation historians will know that the Avro Lancaster bomber is the most famous aircraft to have fought with RAF Bomber Command during World War Two. They will know too that, of the 7,366 that were built, over 3,400 were lost on operations and a further 200 plus were destroyed and written-off in crashes. Operational sorties flown totalled more than 156,000, carrying over 600,000 tons of bombs to targets all over Europe. But this came at a terrible cost. With extensive losses on some night operations, occurring when bombers were pitted against a dedicated German night-fighter arm (as well as anti-aircraft fire) it is not surprising, or even incredible, that just 35 Lancasters managed to complete 100 or more sorties during the course of the war. A number of them actually achieved well over one hundred sorties, and a few were tragically lost after reaching this amazing figure.This book covers the history of these 35 incredible Lancasters, featuring many photographs of both aircraft and crew members drawn together in an effort to create a photographic record of these veterans. In addition, there is a section dedicated to many Lancasters that, whilst not achieving this almost magic total, either through eventual loss or the ending of the war, did achieve a large number of operations. Pictures of these have been added so that their achievements, as well as the achievements of the crews who flew in them, can be viewed together.
Author: Peter Jacobs
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473870054
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258
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Book Description
As part of the Aviation Heritage Trail series, the accomplished military author and former RAF Officer Peter Jacobs takes us to the county of Yorkshire and to its many bomber airfields of the Second World War.From the opening day of hostilities, RAF Bomber Command took the offensive to Nazi Germany and played a leading role in the liberation of Europe. Yorkshires airfields played a key part throughout, initially as home to the Whitley squadrons of No 4 Group and then to the four-engine Halifax heavy bombers; indeed, Bomber Commands first night operation of the war was flown from one of the countys many bomber airfields. Then, as the bombing offensive gathered pace, Yorkshire welcomed the new all-Canadian No 6 (RCAF) Group, after which all of Bomber Commands major efforts during the hardest years of 1943/44 against the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin involved the Yorkshire-based squadrons.Most of Yorkshires wartime bomber airfields have long gone, but many have managed to retain the flying link with their wartime past. For example, the former RAF airfields of Finningley and Middleton St George, and the factory airfield of Yeadon, are now the sites of international airports, while Breighton, Burn, Full Sutton, Pocklington and Rufforth are still used for light aircraft flying or gliding and Elvington is home to the magnificent Yorkshire Air Museum.From airfields such as these came countless acts of personal courage and self-sacrifice, with two men being awarded the Victoria Cross, Britains highest award for gallantry. Stories of both men are included, as are tales of other personalities who brought these airfields to life. The stories of thirty-three airfields are told in total, with a brief history of each accompanied by details of how to find them and what remains of them today. Whatever your interest, be it aviation history or more local, the county of Yorkshire has rightly taken its place in the history of Bomber Command.
Author: Alan W. Cooper
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1783409002
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 330
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Book Description
The first recipient was Flight Sergeant Leslie Wallace, a wireless operator with 83 Squadron, who extinguished a major fire in his Lancaster and despite his severe wounds returned to his radio until the crippled aircraft returned to England. The final CGM was awarded to Flight Sergeant John Couglan in Vietnam, when he assisted boarding casualties in the face of heavy fire from the Vietcong. In between there are a host of tales that recount incredible feats of courage.Lengthy appendices list recipients of the medal and other statistics concerning the award.
Author: Martin W. Bowman
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473822289
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
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Book Description
This, the fourth volume of a five part work that provides a comprehensive insight into all aspects of RAF Bomber Command in World War Two, begins in the spring of 1944 with a completely new insight on the catastrophic raid on Nuremburg on the night of 30/31 March and follows with the disastrous attack on Mailly-le-Camp in May. Gradually, the Allied Bomber Offensive began to bear fruit and in June 1944 the invasion of Normandy took place under an umbrella of almost total Allied air superiority. RAF Bomber Command was to play a huge part in what proved to be the final steps to ultimate victory, returning to the mass raids on German cities by night and even mounting raids on the Reich by day. The authors well-tried formula of using background information interspersed with the crews personal narrative takes you raid by raid through each tour of ops while carrying full bomb loads in sub-zero temperatures, blighted by atrocious weather conditions and dogged by fear of fire, death or serious injury or having to endure months if not years of miserable existence and near starvation behind the wire in notorious PoW camps. The path to peace was paved with the unmitigated slow ebbing of courage with an ever-present possibility of death unannounced from a prowling night fighter, nondescript and unseen, as night after incessant night, shattered and ailing bombers could run out of luck to crash in some foreign field while other crews, almost home almost empty - ran out of fuel and died horrible tortuous deaths in twisted and tangled wreckage. Not for them the glory that was accorded The Few but as Winston Churchill said: Fighters are our salvation, but the bombers alone provide the means of victory.
