Bomber Command.

Anyone’s relative grandpa-father in bomber command in the 2nd world war??

both my grandads were,one died after the war flying-testing meteor’s.he was the pilot of a pathfinder crew..!

the other is still alive,had along chat with him today about it,very intresting,quite moving too. 😕 19 years old,flying over enemy territory,1in3 chance of coming home.
did’nt get recognised as much as the battle of britain,i’d rather have been in a spitfire defending this country than flying over europe on kamikaze missions.
respect!

Good on them!
Mine were both Bevin Boys, working down the pits in Northumberland!

My Grandad was a Navigator in 630 Squadron, they flew Avro Lancaster BI and BIII Bombers. 630 squadron did exclusively night time bombing raids (motto: nocturna mors).
Unfortunately his plane was shot down over Dresden 2 weeks before the end of the war. The Plane broke into two in the air and one crew fell out and survived. The surviving crew member was taken prisoner, but when released 2 weeks later, he found the crash site and established that all the others were dead.
The only things I have are a photo of him in uniform and a copy of the letter the surviving crew member wrote to my grandma, explaining everything that happened.

My grandfather was a test pilot before joining Bomber Command as a pilot.

He did about 15 missions which is pretty good going as the life expectancy of bomber crew was something like 2.6 missions..

He ditched various bombers both in the sea and over ground, went on to be an RAF test pilot and flew ( I kid you not) over 1100 different planes including all manner of hurricanes and spitfires. He wrote two books which are fascinating but he insisted that he never wants them published….

My late father flew in Lancasters from various bases in Lincolnshire
Didn’t like to talk about the war that much, saw some of his crewmates burnt alive after a crash landing

He had only good words for bomber Harris and despite all the Yanks over here business spoke highly of their bravery for flying daylight raids

did’nt get recognised as much as the battle of britain

Damn right – 55,000 Bomber Command aircrew killed in WW2 – 79% of all RAF losses. No campaign medal and no recognition after the war as a result of political backtracking on the merits of mass bombing. Churchill was particularly guilty of ignoring Bomber Command’s role in the war. Absolute disgrace.

My great-uncle was a Lancaster pilot and Squadron Leader who got shot down three times: the first to be picked up in the Channel more than a day later; the second – over England by friendly fire – to be pulled badly burned out of the wreck by a passing drunk; the third and final over Dresden.

My Grandad’s brother was a Pilot Officer and flew the little known Hampden bomber (the ‘Flying Coffin’ as it was known) Later outclassed, and I think superceeded, by Wellingtons. Shot down over Norway in 1943 and didn’t survive. About all I know really, my Grandad never really spoke about him, having missed most of the war himself due to a bad motorbike accident in 1938.

Slightly related subject, another family member was killed in a plane crash in America in 1913, proably quite unusaul in those day.

The aircrew’s bravery and scrifice is unquestionable, but the effectiveness of the bomber campaign was dubious even at the time.

The bombing campaign wasn’t of any benefit militarily at all, very little anyway.
The major benefit was in morale on the home front, until El Alamain it was all we could do to be seen to be taking the fight to the enemy.

Any bomber crew asked how he could be part of dropping that many bombs on civilians in, say, Dresden would reply ‘Coventry.’

I think ‘carpet bombing’ was always next to useless. In Vietnam, the value of bombs dropped by the US, was enough to alternatively give every vietnamese man, woman and child the highest standard of living in the world. That was 20-30 years after WW2 and presumeably much more ‘advanced technologically’ and didn’t achieve anything.

For the last few months of the war, my late father was a Flight Engineer on Lancasters with 550 Squadron based at North Killingholme, Lincs.

According to his flying log book (which I’ve still got) he flew 7 missions, to Dortmund, Misburg, Hildesheim, Langendreer-Dortmund-Harpenerweg Oil Plant, Paderborn Town and Marshalling Yards, the BV Marine Works at Hamburg, and Nordhausen – they actually had to abort the last of these, and returned on 3 engines.

He would never speak about his operational experiences, but always used to reckon that the time he spent in the RAF (especially the period he was training in Canada) were the best days of his life.

I was named after my grandad’s brother. He was shot down in a 214 Squadron Short Stirling in April 1943. Only one crew member survived.

The bombing campaign wasn’t of any benefit militarily at all, very little anyway

The allied bombing campaign forced Germany to divert immense resources in terms of personnel and armaments away from the fronts. This undoubtedly weakened Germany’s war effort and has been recognised as such.

What it did not do was achieve a mass breakdown in civilian morale.

An old guy that I used to work with was a Spitfire pilot, he did his training in South Africa (same as my Grandad). I sometimes asked him about what ‘action’ he saw during the war, his standard reply was always “only in the nurses quarters!”

Not bomber command but my Dad was an engine fitter with coastal command. He worked on Liberators, Hudsons & Blenheims, never flew (much) or dropped any bombs but I reckon he did his bit by keeping the U Boats at bay.

My great grandfather was a gunner/observer in WWI and a Chief Seargent Armourer in WWII on the Yorksire bases. Used to have great tales about the war. Used to bring some of the Canadian aircrew home for a home cooked meal and a decent nights sleep now and again. Then a few weeks later they were dead. Was one of the things that inspired me to become an airline pilot.

my wife’s great uncle was a gunner on Lancs. He was supposed to be on leave one night, but stepped in to cover for a sick mate. His plane didn’t come back

My late uncle (mothers brother) was a Flt. Sgt. Flight Engineer on Lancasters. Flew one mission short of a full tour before his unit was stood down at wars end.

My mother wrote a few pages of his recollections which make interesting reading.

My ex g/f’s great uncle was killed when his Lancaster crashed in Holland in 1945, carrying humanitarian aid as part of Operation Manna.

An uncle of mine was also a test pilot in WW2, flying mainly Mosquitos amongst other things. In turn my father worked for English Electric and Handley Page, highlights included being given the jump seat of a Victor bomber on a shakedown flight.

61 Squadron Lancaster at either RAF Skellingthorpe or RAF Coningsby

Bomber aircrew had the highest loss rate of any major branch of the British armed forces and had a worse chance of survival than an infantry officer in World War I.

55000 killed. We’ve got barely half that now and they are chopping even more. Meanwhile we can’t defend our shores and the only aircraft that does the job it was intended to is going to be scrapped before the replacement comes in, if it does. The middle east is kicking off and the world is potentially more unstable than at any time since those brave souls made the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget? Don’t make me laugh, the politicians decided bankers bonuses were more important a long time ago.

Meanwhile we can’t defend our shores

from whom? Surely our best defence is the truculent population ? Who would want a country full of bloody-minded Brits ?

My Grandad’s now 99 – he worked developing radar through the latter years of the war. In the early years, his job (as a boffin) was to follow the frontline, run in and grab any captured technology, then figure out what it was and how it worked.

Only fired his gun to open locked doors, or so he told me when I asked, aged 12….

The only story he’s ever told me involved a few days leave in (IIRC) Swannage when he had a rare opportunity to meet his wife to be. The Germans bombed the shit out of the place and they ended up in a railway tunnel, watching the dead and dying being wheeeled past on luggage trollies. The next morning they found their hotel, in which all the windows had been blown out, where they sat quietly watching the sun rise.

I shed some tears, but fortunately, he was too blind to see them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KGNPruDKwQ

My grandfather, Peter Hackforth, flew over Trafalgar Square on VE day in 1945, piloting the leading Lancaster. He seldom talked of what he did, save for dropping a lot of food onto Holland in 1944/45. He died a decade or so ago. I wish I’d talked to him more.

One of my wife’s relatives (the fantastically names Lancelot Ramwell) was killed flying a special ops Wellington just before the Normandy landings. According to a book written about his squadron history he was out gathering radio intel. The mission was so hush-hush that nobody else knew about it… including the RAF fighter that shot him down.

There is a memorial to him and his crew in a church in Macclesfield.

Blanket bombing stopped Khe Sanh being over run in 1968

Not in Bomber Command but my Grandad was in the RAF during WWII and was initially deemed to be unfit for active service. As a result he was made an aircraftman and put in a workshop (Dyce possibly?) where they repaired or salvaged aircraft which had been badly shot up. These were mainly Hudsons. It used to be pretty grim work as I think he used to have to see, and deal with, the remnants of the aircrew 🙁 .

He answered a call for volunteers to do some more technical work and after passing an aptitude test in Dundee he was sent down to England to become a radar operator – primarily tracking V1 flying bombs and trying to guide aircraft to intercept them.

In the last year of the war he was sent to Burma and Singapore to work on radar boats.

My Grandpa failed the radio Operators exam for bomber command, and was given a choice of training to be a gunner or a resuce boat coxswain instead. He chose the latter and spent his war in South Africa fishing trainee pilots out of the sea, which I guess was pretty fortunate…apart from the malaria

My grandad was a ships carpenter working for Waring and Gillows in Lancaster. He ended up making wings for Mosquitos. The other was on anti aircraft guns at Liverpool Docks, only 3 crews out of 20 survived apparently (he was one of them luckily). Sad that there’s not many of that generation left. My 2 great grandads from my dads side were gassed in the first world war, one at Vimmy Ridge and the other near to Epres. They died shortly after returning home. I really should record this type of info for the family in the future as it gets lost in time.

My grandad was a wireless operator and flew in Halifax and Lancaster bombers.

He served in a commonwealth crew with Canadians and New Zealanders and until recently three of them would talk at least once a fortnight. Sadly he’s now the last surviving member. We occasionally mention his experience and he gets quite teary eyed about it. Mind you, some of the tales of my great grandad in the tanks were quite horrific to.

My brother found a book recollecting memories of Canadian pilots during the war and there was a picture of his crew. We got it for him one christmas.

It’s disgraceful there has been no recognition of Bomber Harris boys. They did as the country asked of them and were shunned afterwards. Shameful.

Tail End Charlie – excellent book about the blokes who flew bombing raids.

If you want a bit of light reading. “Bomber Stream Broken”, “Maximum Effort”, and “The Bombing of Nuremberg” written by James “Chips” Campbell.

He did 38 ops with No 158 Halifax out of Lisset in Yorkshire.

Old family friend.

My Grandad served as a fitter on Lancasters, unfortunately i know next to nothing about which squadron etc as my Grandma doesnt talk about it.

My GF’s Grandad was the Adjudant for 618 Squadron who were to carry the smaller Barnes Wallis invented ‘Highball’ bomb against the Tirpitz, although it became obvious that the range was way to far. He ended the war in Australia where the bombs were going to be used against Japanese ships.

My Grandad was in Bomber Comman- Wellington Bombers as Radio Op and Gunner.

He suvived the 20 sorties which made up the tour (I think that was the number). I have a copy of his log book and makes interesting reading, missions over Berlin etc.

He only crashlanded once (lucky!) and broke his arm when his plan had to limp back after getting hit.

His best story is how they used to drop German ration cards to try and upset food supplys! I’ve got one of them at home.

He’s 90 this year and still going strong, was a keen cyclist which is how I got into it.

from whom?

From any Tom Dick or Harry that wants to sail in. Russian subs come and go as they please and landing boatfuls of drugs or illegals is probably the safest occupation these days!

I had the honour to meet some of the Pathfinders having a reunion in the Sgts Mess at Wyton in 2003. Mr Vice was 73! I wonder how many are still going or if they’ve managed any more reunions. they surely won’t be having many more. Fantastic blokes who really enjoyed themselves and made me feel very humble.

my mothers sisters husband, flew liberators with USAF over SE Asia. Was shot down in 43 and became a Japanese POW. He was very quiet man and he never spoke of his experiences.

This is my dads entry on the 630 Squadron website, seems I was mistaken in my post above, it was Leipzig not Dresden.

My father, F/O John (Jack) Hopwood (Navigator) served in this squadron and was killed in action over Leipzig on the 10th April 1945. I was 5 and my brother was born three months later. I still have his service medals but sadly my mother, who never remarried, threw away his logbook which I used to love to look at when I was a boy. My father was in the Nottingham City Constabulary before the war and, as such was not required to join up but he did so, I believe in 1942 when he was sent to S. Africa for training. He attended No. 9 Air Navigator’s Course at No 47 Air School Queenstown, S Africa. As far as I know he was posted to 630 sqn on his return and after receiving his commission. Because I do not have his logbook I do not know any more about the operations he took part in. I have a photo of his crew marked ‘Aircrew (Lancaster) J. Joey’. I also have a letter from F/O P.J. (Paddy) Flemming, one of the surviving crew members, dated 18th Dec 1945 which was sent to my mother and which tells the story of the night their aircraft was shot down. He and another crew member (I think his name was Sgt.Ivor Lynn) were blown out of the aircraft and luckily their parachutes opened but the aircraft with the remaining members of the crew crashed in the same field that Paddy Flemming landed in and he witnessed the aircraft bursting into flames. He was taken prisoner but was soon released as the war was soon to end. Unfortunately, I do not have the original letter, only a copy which is not too clear on one page but I am happy to send it and the crew photo to anyone who is keeping records of the squadron if they are of interest. I remember as a 7 year old in 1947 having been invited with my mother to spend a weekend visiting F/O Sassoon’s parent’s house and being thoroughly frightened because it was so large! I believe the crew members who died were F/O R J Sassoon Pilot F/O J Hopwood Navigator F/Sgt M S Munro Sgt W H R Jenkins Sgt S C Walton

My grandad was only 9 when the war started, but he has vivid memories of people being blown to bits in his neighbourhood (Essex Thames estuary coast…)

I feel terribly guilty that, while he was telling me some tales of those days last weekend, I blurted out “just for balance though, we [the RAF] did kill ten times as many German civilians”. Everyone went quite quiet and I realised what a terrible faux pas that was… Idiot. 🙁

Sorry, just had to confess this somewhere.