RAAF aircraft dispatched, just under 6% (45 aircraft) were lost. A lot of the Commonwealth Crews flew in mixed Air crews, and one of my Uncles crew that were shot down and killed over Germany was a member of the RAAF. The damage caused by this raid was almost equal to the aggregate of damage in all other German towns attacked up to then and vindicated the tactics of concentration and incendiary attack. Only 25% were officers. Air Officer Commander-in-Chief Harris had no doubt that the Lancaster was the `finest bomber of the war’: William Morrow and Co Inc, 1974. The calibre of these men is exemplified by the deeds of Flying Officer L.R. This web site is dedicated to the aircrew of Bomber Command, and to all those mates who did not return, who served in the forefront of the war against the enemy for six long years, in which the squadrons were never withdrawn from operations. Messenger, Charles. All rights reserved. Last updated: 30 November 2020. Bomber Command. It's worth looking at. This was twice the size of any previous formation and, for the first time, used the bomber stream where all attacking aircraft flew the same route to and from the target and each was allocated its own place and height in the bomber stream. Arms and Armour Press, 1984. Jack Trist (Bomb Aimer), Fred Smith (Navigator), Harry Ellis (Air Gunner), Jack McQueen (air Gunner), Alan Baskerville (Pilot), Jack Goulding (Air Gunner). Window (aluminium strips dropped from the attacking aircraft to confuse the German air and ground radar) was first used during these raids with great success. By the end of 1941, 300 Australians (mostly pilots) were spread in small numbers to no less than 46 Bomber Command squadrons. Bomber raids a death sentence In England, in February, 1944, Hec was posted to the Royal Australian Air Force 460 squadron, joining a crew of a Lancaster Bomber. Five RAAF aircraft with 35 aircrew were lost, of whom 7 of the 20 killed were Australians. The Lancaster Aircrew Flying Log: every Crew Member was required to keep a Flying Logbook of every Flight he took including Air Tests, Transport, Training & Operational Flying.. 460 Squadron was based. The 16 Lancasters which made this attack carried 13 Australians, four of whom were captains of aircraft. Tribute to the men of 463/467 Lancaster RAAF Squadrons in Australia, continuing the bond, friendship and honouring our Veterans. Heavy bomber crews had a ten percent chance of baling out after being shot down. Battlefield The Battle of the Ruhr opened on the night of 5/6 March 1943 when 369 aircraft, including 33 from the three Australian squadrons, attacked Essen in a highly successful raid. 460 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. The RAF heavy bombers of World War II, namely the Stirling, Halifax, and Lancaster, normally had a crew of seven men. The crash saw him unconscious until 4 May, when he awoke as a patient in a German air force hospital in Baden-Baden. Air Crew Personnel. By the end of 1941, the fortunes of Bomber Command were at an ebb with the increasing effectiveness of German defences causing unacceptable losses. Germany took advantage of the fact that Berlin and other targets in central and southern Germany and in northern Italy could only be attacked on the long winter nights in its deployment of fighter and anti-aircraft forces. However, any raid against Berlin required a minimum of 500 miles flying over hostile territory. In Norman McIntyre’s photo album there is a photograph of him with three of Australian friends in the RAAF. It had a maximum speed of 287 miles an hour, a range of 1,660 miles, and a ceiling of 24,500 feet. Hampdens and Whitleys with four engined bombers which could carry twice the bombload of a medium bomber. Hodder and Stoughton (Aust) Pty Ltd, 1985. Harris suffered no doubts and said "Dresden was a mass of munitions works, an intact government centre and key transportation centre. This was the most highly decorated Australian squadron in Bomber Command, but had suffered the highest casualties. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea and waters. Their names appear on the helmets and are repeated on the wreath-like ribbon that scrolls across the canvas, complete with their RAAF wings floating like cherubs. During the Battle of the Ruhr, the famous dams raid took place. In her capacity as an official war artist, Stella Bowen was stationed with the Royal Air Force at Binbrook, Lincolnshire, where No. 455 Motto-Strike and Strike Again . Lynch himself was badly injured and spent many weeks in various hospitals. Mr Kingsford Smith said the demand for bomber crews was so great that Australian enlistees were often rushed through without proper training. From March until July, 43 raids were launched against the Ruhr causing extensive damage to many of the industrial cities of that region. Introduction. Stella Bowen’s (1893–1947) Bomber crew is a moving tribute to six Australians and one Englishman comprising a Lancaster bomber crew of No. He reported that the bomber was shot down in the vicinity of Lahr, near the Swiss border. Bomber Command had abandoned daylight bombing in favour of night bombing early in the war because of unacceptable losses. Dozens of searchlights speared skywards around the familiar box barrage of exploding anti-aircraft shells. The long mid-winter nights were now upon us: more darkness meant more distant targets. On 9 July 1941, Bomber Command received a formal directive which defined its main aim as "dislocating the German transportation system and destroying the morale of the civilian population as a whole and of industrial workers in particular." 2020 The Bomber Command War Diaries, An Operational Reference Book, 1939-1945. Bowen harboured a particular interest in group portraits with a preference for the decorative portrait: "I would much welcome the chance to do group portraits as a formal decorative scheme, with emphasis on linear design. 462 . No. a record of the aircrews who took part in the bombing raids carried out over europe by 460 squadron (raaf) bomber command, from 12th march 1942 to 25th april 1945, and the later manna and exodus operations. The training of the RAAF airmen who flew with Bomber Command was through the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) which linked training organisations in Australia and Canada. Britain held back from bombing Germany for the first eight months of the war and it was not until four days after Germany had invaded France and the Low Countries that permission was given for Bomber Command to attack targets inside Germany. 460 squadron (raaf) - pilots and crews. We pay our respects to elders past and present. 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