Eight minutes to beuningen jan 2015 deel 2

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Harry aged 88, with his wife Peggy 86. .

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We raised a number of glasses of wine that night; this one was to his absent friends.

Harry centre, Jack right, and Jock left, in late 1941.

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Greg O’Nions.

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Greg (14220850) fought with the 69th West Riding Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery. They were merged with the 49th West Riding Field Regiment and in time 30 Corps, (part of the Second Army).

At the start of the war they were sent to and fought briefly in Iceland, before coming back to England and landing on D-Days’ Gold Beach.

The regiment fought its way across Europe and fought long and hard rarely more than three miles away from the front lines at any time; the three friends had very different wars. I have not yet traced Greg, but he did survive the war and does have a family.

Harry died peacefully in January 2013 and stories from his life were read from this section to an incredulous congregation. I am delighted that I have helped some of his memory live on.

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Meeting Ivy May Dalby (nee Smith)

This entry for Edwin Smith was found at the War Graves register in Uden and became the starting point for my search. I tracked Ivy (May) Smith nee Dalby down to living just outside Manchester with her second husband, Stan. Both May and Stan were delighted to tell me about their past times and even took greater interest in learning about the rest of the crew. The following passage comes from our meeting.

Edwin (Ted) Smith came from Blainagwent, near Abertillary in Wales and had been a miner before the war. Ted came from a large family as his mother had two children from her first marriage and six from her second. His brothers and sisters were called Walter, Florry, Marrion, Olive and John. The first set of children were not involved or included with the second set, but they came from a small valley in Wales were everyone knew everything about everyone else; and life just went on.

May had grown up one street away from Ted and they had been sweethearts since childhood. In between writing poetry and enjoying the Welsh countryside, Ted was a keen rugby player, boxer and pigeon fancier. To that point as a haulier (the person who led ponies up and down the mine), the most excitement he’d experienced was with one of his ponies who would consistently snatch Ted’s water bottle from its safe ledge and shake it, throwing the water everywhere.

Like most people from the valleys at that time he dreamed of a different life. Their prospects were limited to working the mines around the valley before marrying someone from the valley and then dying in the valley having been rendered blind, from ‘Pit Blindness’ caused by the poor light and gasses in the mines. Ted wanted more and war offered the chance of adventure he craved.

Ted and May married just as he joined the RAF and left for the Isle of Man to become a specialist Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. His letters home detailed his growing confidence and competence with electrics; he had risen to the challenge and was doing his part.

May was left at home and worked in a number of seasonal arcades, hotels and munitions factories making amongst other things, anti aircraft tracer shells and Horsa Gliders. To imagine May doing anything other than being a delicate and quiet lady is nigh impossible.

May and her family looked forward to the sporadic writings from Ted and were delighted when they received news that he would be coming home on leave. Almost to script and instead of Ted they received the telegram everyone dreaded. May was married and widowed inside two years.

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Edwin (Ted) Smith.

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Ted kept a fuller record of his flights, going right back to their Conversion Unit.

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This is one of the leaflets dropped over France in February 1943 referred to as ‘Nickels’ in Ted’s flight logs.

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TIM BARLOW One of the poems written by Ted to Ivy.

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TIM BARLOW Ted spoke incredibly highly of Roy Waterhouse. It seems that they all thought he was an excellent pilot and certainly equal to anyone that they had trained or flown with to that point.

Ted’s mother did not take the news well and for many years refused to believe that her son was dead.

She wrote on a number of occasions and over a period of nearly a year, trying to find out more but each time she met with the same sad news. May remembers that Ted had written on the inside of a desk drawer from the main dresser in the family home before he went to war, ‘Teddy Smith loves his mother’. It was found after the war and it put his mother back into a dark place. She was unconsolable and cried crouched over the drawer for months.

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TIM BARLOW May visited Ted (Smith) once whilst he was operational and she met Ted (Taff) Williams. She remembers his kindness and gentleness and later came to appreciate his kind words, as she tried to come to terms with the loss. In the following letter from Taff to May, he describes what he remembers, or at least what he thinks he should be telling.

In 1946 May was at a Spitfire exhibition in Manchester near her work at Afflecks & Brown (now Afflecks Palace) with her friend Mary. At some point a young ex-RAF mechanic answered her rhetorical question with the answer ‘radar’. ‘I wasn’t talking to you sprog’ she retorted and from there the young couple courted and started a sixty five year marriage. Stan joined the RAF on the day that LM325 crashed; 23 June 1943.

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May and her second husband Stan.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 12

Meeting Sallie Davies

Thomas Beavan Tomkins, ‘Beavan’ grew up in Hereford before moving to Blackwood and working in his family’s newsagents, goods shop and library until he qualified as a Sanitary Inspector. As a child he had been struck with Tuberculosis and over time earned the qualifications required to attain a position to help eradicate the disease though his work vetting houses and applications for tenancy in the poorer areas of Chanctonbury district outside of Brighton.

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TIM BARLOW His was a reserved occupation and despite trying to join the RAF he was refused twice. He eventually made the decision to resign from his position at the Council so he could do what he thought was his duty.

Beavan was married to Suzanne Langdale (Smith) and they had a daughter named Carol. After Beavan had joined up their marital home in London was bombed out. Suzanne joined the WRAFs and their daughter Carol stayed with his parents in Hereford.

Beavan pictured in 1939.

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Beavan enlisted in 1940 but did not see active service until 1943. As a child he had been struck down with TB, which left him with complications that followed him thoughout his life. Making good use of his time between courses, hospital stays and postings he picked up qualifications and awards by completing more courses than was necessary. His efforts were noted and he was earmarked for promotion.

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Beavan Tomkins and his wife opposite.

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Sergeant Major Suzanne Langdale Tomkins.

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Beavan Tomkins with his sister and sons.

Beavan centre with his mother and Suzanne, his brother and nephews.

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Suzanne with one of her sister’s in law and nephews.

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Beavan, back row second from left, with his class mates in Florida.

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Sketches made by Beavan of Fairey Battles.

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Tomkins and his crew were temporarily broken up and required to cover positions in other crews.

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Beavan (back left) and his original crew.

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Beavan was the second and final man to escape the Lancaster on that fateful night but died on his own several miles from his crew. In the letter from Ted Williams, he talks about not seeing ‘those belonging’ (identification tags) to Beavan whilst he was being interrogated, confirming that his body was not found at the crash site. By working out his landing position and approximate parachute descent path, I think that Beavan must have been injured in the initial attack and succumbed to those wounds during or shortly after his journey back to terra firma.

Suzanne never remarried. After leaving the WRAF she worked for Gallup all her life, dying in 1987.

Carol became a librarian, never married and had no children, she died in 2007. Beavans original crew survived the war.

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Beavan only met his daughter once, when she was six months old.

Sallie and Geoff Slade.

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TIM BARLOW Section 13

Meeting Laraine Sugden

Laraine is one of Vincent’s (Vin) nieces. Born after his death she knew very little about him or his life, although his memory lived on with those that remembered him. She told me he came from a large family and was one of four brothers and two sisters; John, Ray, David, Agnes and Marie. The family came from Chorlton-cum-Hardy near Manchester and had strong links with the Merchant Navy.

When the boys became old enough their father took them all to work with him at sea, ‘to give them a trade’. Ray remained in the Merchant Navy, while David chose the Royal Navy and Frank the Army. Vincent turned his back on the sea, and against the wishes of his family, pursued his own aerial adventure, as the mid upper gunner in a Lancaster! Vin had ginger hair and an enormous personality, he was not married and had no children. Vincent was the only member of his family lost to the war.

Their father had been a lifelong mariner who crossed the Atlantic ‘hundreds of times over the years’ bringing vital supplies throughout the Battle of the Atlantic, but died peacefully in about 1943 leaving their mother to bring up the children.

Vincent Sugden.

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Vincent’s father.

John (Laraine’s father) and Margaret, their mother.

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An article published in September 1950, with two slight mistakes.

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Meeting Peter Ronald Cooper

Ronald Bertram Cooper was the youngest of six children born to John and Lily. Son of a former train driver, in India, Ronald grew up in and around his parent’s haberdashery shop in Rochester. He quickly earned a reputation as a talented and hard working student, inside and outside of school and college. He excelled at his studies and sports, competing at cricket boxing and football in and around Kent.

Ron is fifth from left in the back row.

Brothers Cooper: Terry, Ronald and Frank in 1942.

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Ron joined up in 1941 and trained as a ‘Fitter’. A dedicated student he kept meticulous notes whilst learning his new trade, selections of which follow. They highlight the attention to detail required of the recruits to learn, qualify and contribute to their cause. The original document contains 130 pages and the amount of topics that were studied is overwhelming. Especially bearing in mind he was being given a machine gun to operate, which is not as easy as it initially sounds; Ron Cooper was their tail gunner.

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Ron with a class in 1943.

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Dear Mr and Mrs Cooper.

I am so sorry to have to write you like this you see I am a great Pal of Ronnie’s. The first thing I must write about is that his personal kit will be coming along through the RAF. Some of the more valuable things I am sending myself. Well at least I think they are.

May I add that missing is a very vague term and believe me that the lads are often perfectly ok and certainly not in enemy hands. I think I will leave the rest to your imagination.

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I must say cheerio now, for I hate to say anything else. Well at least I’d rather finish up on a cheery note.

I am yours very sincerely.

Geoff Sgt F.G.Reynolds 1233251

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In reply to a letter from their Squadron Commander, Ron’s father drafted.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 15

Meeting Shirley Nicholas

For background research I spoke with Pete Johnson trained with the crew of LM325 at 1656 HCU and was made operational two days before they were at the same squadron. He flew the first Lancaster into their new home at Ludford Magna, with Roy and LM325’s crew slightly behind him, and then flew the same missions LM325 but flew with ‘B’ Flight. Pete survived and went on to instruct his new trade at the same HCU where he had trained. He finished by saying, “Some people were lucky, some were not”.

He said his lasting memory of the raids is of fear. Fear of the responsibility of looking after his men, surrounding his own life and that which they were about to do. Pete said the groups of men became incredibly close; indeed life revolved your crew, it was very rare to find crews mixing. Whilst they might have been doing the job for the King and the war effort, they flew for each other.

In comparison the crew of LM325 spent much of their time on the ground with the likely cause being a shortage of aircraft after the loss of their original plane. The crew of LM325 had more time to develop a very close relationship with Roy. “Ted Williams loved flying with Roy” said Pam Williams; and “Ted Smith would have flown anywhere with Roy, he adored him” said Ivy May Dalby.

Doris met Roy’s parents in 1950 and presumably found some comfort in their meeting and kept in touch for a period.

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My mother and Grandfather, Cyril, at the Memorial Service.

Arthur, Roy’s father, had been a journalist working for The Mail and the Brighton Argus. Covering sports and racing they had lived at 38 Nutley Lane, Reigate before moving to 33 Grange Road, Strood, Kent, and then to 193 Goring Way Reigate, Kent, after the war. Very little was known about Roy. He enlisted in 1940/1, underwent training and took his chance to ‘do his bit’.

Almost immediately and following the death of her son Elsie’s hair turned from dark brown to white.

Whether a medical explanation can be attributed the change or not, Elsie and the family believed that the news turned it white. Ken, another of Roy’s first cousins, remembered his Aunt Hilda receiving the news of Roy’s death by telephone and that she cried inconsolably for a very long time on, at and near the telephone. He asked why and tried to help, but being eight he didn’t understand why he couldn’t. Arthur died on the 23rd June 1959.

Roy was an only child whose father died in the early 1950’s, his mother died by the late 1950’s. I met with Shirley Nicholas, one of Roy Waterhouse’s first cousins. She remembered little about him being born after his death but Roy’s memory, and passing, had a lasting effect on his mother Elsie, and the family.

Shirley told me about a visit she made to an Aunt of hers many years ago. There had been many pictures of a slim man, in uniform and civilian dress, which occupied at least one shelf, of her cousin Roy. Shirley is making efforts to obtain the pictures.

Shirley and her husband Frank have two sons and a daughter, Peter, Paul and Anne. They had not known much of Roy and his exploits, who was slipping from their families memory. But following my initial contact the whole family has made great efforts to discover more. Shirley, Frank, Peter, Paul and Anne and their wives, husband and children were all at a wedding the weekend I met them.

The wedding was for the last of the maiden Waterhouses, and whilst the name died out of their family that weekend, it was also taking a new and prominent place in their family history.

I am delighted to have been able to help provide an insight into what Roy did, and to refresh his story to them. The family are continuing to search for a picture of Roy, and I thank Shirley for the following images:

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Shirley recognised Elsie Waterhouse who is stood to the left of the propeller blade with Arthur on the right. Edith and Doris are marked with an ‘x’, Ted is laying flowers in the centre.

Roy’s Grandparents and Uncle Cyril c1946.

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Roy’s Uncle Cyril, Aunt Ethel and a young Shirley c1948.

Shirley, second from right and on Frank’s left, with Anne on her left and her husband Mike far right.

Peter and wife Samantha are second and third from right. Paul was travelling north at the time, but we had already met in an internet chat forum, hosted by www.lancaster-archive.com!

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN There are no known pictures of Roy because his father and mother and their respective siblings lost contact shortly after the war finished.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 16

Jack’s unknown sweetheart

Pictured sometime in spring or early summer 1943, off-duty life was what you made of it. I am unsure as to how long they might have known each other but they are pictured on two separate occasions here. The only thing I know for certain is that their friendship ended suddenly and the lady pictured will have lost a friend without warning or notification.

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TIM BARLOW Guessing these two pictures might have been taken in the vicinity of Hull, off I set. Once there I was pointed towards Cleethorpes as the most likely candidate; with the nicest beaches and a tradition of coastal holidays and holiday makers.

On arrival I found some locals that were the very fabric of the area, running donkey ride and deck chair hire businesses on the seafront. Conveniently the deck chair attendant also owned a photography shop. He remembered and proved that the rifle range used to be on the beach, just to the left of his cabin, and the jetty in the second picture was built over in the 1950's. An RNLI station and a few shops now stand in their place.

The all-knowing deck chair attendant.

Some things do remain the same.

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The site of the firing range is now occupied by a slightly more twentieth century and less entertaining form of amusement.

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TIM BARLOW Having established the location of the pictures I set about exploring leads with some local papers and whether or not they might be able to help. I received a very positive email from one of the paper’s reporters.

“Good Morning Tim, My name is Barry and I deal with the local history section in the Doncaster Free Press. My editor Kath passed your letter to me regarding your search for information on the young lady in the photographs of your great uncle. I have just returned from a week's holiday and am a little upside down just now but will soon catch up, please leave it with me for now.

One amazing coincidence I must mention. I did a double take when I read your story when I realised what the subject was. My dad was an armourer on Lancasters with 101 Squadron based at Ludford for two years in the early forties when the squadron moved from Holme on Spalding Moor! What a small world? He died a few years ago, but as he became more infirm I took him to a couple of reunions at Ludford where he met some old ground crew and local residents. It all sparked my interest in aircraft, World War II and Ludford as well as aviation in general which has been a hobby of mine for many years. Just thought I would mention that, because your letter really made me think back. All the best for now, Barry Crabtree”.

We are working on trying to find out who she is and an article has been placed looking for the young woman in question.

Do you recognise this lady?

If you know who she is please will you get in touch?

These pictures were taken in 1942/3, in Cleethorpes, when she is about 20 yrs old.

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A long overdue ‘return’ to Ludford Magna

Colin Goddard recommended that I paid a visit to Ludford Magna. Armed with my Trench Art and Victor’s (Abs’ son in law) words in my ears, ‘tell them you’ve brought it back from the Germans’, off I set. Unannounced I landed at the White Hart and a very kind landlady listened to my quest and disappeared behind the bar to her little black book. Several phone calls later she came back having tracked down and made an appointment for me to meet the church warden (in twenty minutes and it would have been sooner but she was in the middle of having her hair done!). She also gave me the name of the farmer that owns the land the airfield now lies on, I called him and arranged a meeting.

Barbara Guthrie and I met at the church and she began proudly telling me about the village’s life around the squadron. In stark comparison to the village now, the hustle and excitement around having a nine hundred acre airbase ripped through the tranquil countryside village. Possibly the most exciting night of all was when a German BF110 followed some Lancasters all the way home, finding nothing to shoot down he set about strafing the high street. For years after the war the village elders would point out the scars and chipped masonry in the village, a gift from the adventurous German.

I had cut into Barbara’s afternoon so the conversations were shortish. We agreed to keep in touch and talk again before and at the September reunion, she gave me a number of names of people that I should speak with and we said farewell. The pictures speak for themselves, the memory of the crews is still strong with the villagers, and they are being remembered.

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The White Hart, Ludford Magna.

This plaque is on the wall at the front door.

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TIM BARLOW The roll of honour conatins a footnote written by Bomber Harris.

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I met Paul Davey and discovered that his father had bought the farm in the 1970s, giving Paul the best space possible to grow up. He happily asked “Can you imagine being able to grow up playing on an old RAF Bomber base?” He spent many an hour with his metal detector around the armoury turning up .303 shells “by the box load” along with pieces of Lancaster and copper wire. For nearly 431

TIM BARLOW forty years Paul has been involved in the former airbase’s history and he took pleasure in giving me a guided tour.

Most of what used to be run way, buildings or airfield features have gone, but there are a number of tell tale signs that hint at once was. Most of the concrete hard standing, runways and hangar spaces was ground up into aggregate and became part of Humber Bridge. That’s after the base had been a THOR missile defence site during the cold war. Paul gave me a very informed tour of the site and pointed out nearly all of the features that are detailed on the map overleaf.

Almost the entire site is now covered with grain sweeping gently back and forth and it covers with some grace a site that “has to be associated with so much death”. Paul told me of places where Lancasters had crashed and the circumstances under which they did. Remembering that in the 1980s a Lancaster was excavated and the crew finally given proper burials. At the time it and they had been filled over, burying it and the body parts of the crew. Breaking his train of thought he told me the cinema, ‘was just over there’. Life was varied for residents and it involved a lot of walking as the barracks lay at least a mile from the runways and hangars.

As we drove around Paul pointed out small groups of trees dotted about amongst the almost ready crops. He said that inside each grouping is a building that has been demolished leaving rubble, making the ground unworkable. He showed me the dispersal areas, the barbers, the barracks and the armoury but when I look at this map I am struck by how small it seems. Trying to imagine the relentless activity around the nine hundred acre airfield is very difficult. The site has been at peace for many years now but it still gives back pieces of its history during ploughing.

When Paul was younger the film ‘The Memphis Belle’ was filmed four or five miles away on another of Lincolnshire’s airfields. He managed to get a days work as an extra and I can remember waiting to see the film. He told me that he had learned the epic war story of a bomber and its missions had to be based on an American plane and crew otherwise they would have never got the funding to make the film. We gave a cheer to all of those crews that haven’t made it into film history, you are being remembered.

We talked for hours stopping at points all around the crop fields and wondered about what once was.

We spoke with wonder, fascination and passion about war stories that we had heard and feats of what seem incredible gallantry; that were daily and normal occurrences. We agreed that the fighting generation is under appreciated and hoped against hope that in some way we can do our part to keep their memories and stories alive. Paul spent an unscheduled afternoon with me and I am incredibly grateful. He had very kindly prepared some papers for me to have a look at that included the following pictures.

This control tower was the last place or person in the UK to have had contact with LM325 before I brought parts of it back nearly seventy years later.

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The East to West runway was used for take-off and South to North for landing. The extra distance was needed for landing because of the rudimentary brakes employed on their planes. If they overshot the runway there was a small field and then the village church. I learned that a number of crews got a lot closer to it than they wanted, but thankfully the church and the village survived the war with only a few scars. The village of Ludford Magna runs along the top of the picture. The key follows.

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TIM BARLOW Key: 1, barracks and living quarters. 2, briefing rooms, cinema, mess halls etc. 3, dispersal, where each plane ‘lived’. 4, FIDO fuel tanks. 5, X Marks the spot. 6, Armoury. 7, One of seven hangars. 8, takeoff runway 2. 9, landing runway. 10, fuel dump. 11, takeoff runway 1.

X Marks the spot (Number 5 on the map on the previous page). The East to West runway was the regular take-off strip due to the head wind that regularly exercised itself across the rolling countryside. Paul and I estimated that the point the Trench Art takes up here was about the last place it would have touched the airfield as it took off towards Germany. The piece of runway that can be seen was four times wider originally, but the distance from the rise in front of the tree line was all that was needed to get the aeroplanes and their cargo airborne. LM325 in part came home today.

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101 Squadron Reunion & Memorial Ceremony

On the first weekend in September every year 101 Squadron has a reunion, dinner and memorial service for 101 Squadron to remember those crews that they have lost. It has given the family members and surviving crews a focal point for their grief and remembrance over the years and this year I was there.

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The congregation was full and in fine voice as the memories of the fallen were remembered; and remembered well.

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The Chaplain-in Chief of the Royal Air force, The Venerable AVM Ray Pentland, flanked by Wing Commander Kevin Brooks, Officer Commanding 101 Squadron, leads the ceremony.

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All of these men flew and crewed Lancaster’s except Rowland, fourth from right who was part of their ground crew.

Veterans together. The man on the right was a Gunner and shot down a jet powered ME262 on its first pass. He was awarded an instant gallantry medal because had he not; the entire crew would have perished without question as that Messerschmitt was at least three times faster than they were.

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Barbara had been promising scones and tea and she, along with the WI, delivered. The crews, their families, friends and villagers all chatted for hours in the village hall, with the ‘Will it, won’t it?’ question. The awful weather looked like it would force the Lancaster from making its appearance.

I had taken the Trench Art and some of my pictures along hoping to find out something about anything and the gentleman pictured (George, an ex-pilot, sat at the table) duly obliged. He pointed out landmarks and recalled stories from the airfield. It was commented that he had crash landed his Lancaster and ended up in front of a pub. Recalling the same story from Pam I found the picture with Ted and the Tail Gunner. Piloted by George Harris, George chuckled as he remembered Ginger Congerton.

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Ginger Congerton pictured second from left.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN At the reunion I was given a number of copies of records that made interesting reading.

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TIM BARLOW At the end of the speeches made after dinner at the 101 Squadron dinner, a wife of a veteran Lancaster Pilot told a poem. She would write one and tell it each year, but this year was different.

Told from the perspective of the spirits of their former crew mates, as if they are watching them in the Hall, and saying it themselves. Personal beliefs aside the words and verses were beautiful, and everyone believed it. It is common to hear reports of the spirits of Fighter and Bomber Command and that set me thinking.

In 2012, 101 Squadron will be closing its hangar doors permanently, once again.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 19

Reynolds F.G.

Pam Williams had told me that the original navigator (Set Operator) had not been on board on the 23rd June 1943 and it appears that there is a twist in the tale of this section also. With details from the ORB I found F G Reynolds had trained with the rest of LM325’s crew since their early days at the HCU, but their first operational flight together left its mark on him.

He developed a nervous complaint that saw him unable to fly and hospitalised. He remained on the base for one month before being kicked out of the squadron and sent to RAF Eastchurch. Whilst sidelined in the hospital he wrote this letter to Ron Cooper’s parents:

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For the transcript see page 397.

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See transcript P462.

Everyone that was sent to Eastchurch faced a charge of ‘Lacking Moral Fibre’ (LMF) and given a choice. The ‘defendant’ would be allowed to join the army, where candidates with such a charge suffered particularly badly, or they were allowed to retrain for a slightly more dangerous or unpleasant role in the RAF. Geoff was reassigned to the Path Finder Squadron, again flying Lancasters, which needed two Navigators as they had to operate secret and highly specialised navigational equipment. They were to drop marker flares and bombs that would guide the stream onto the correct target and needed to be 473

TIM BARLOW very accurate. They flew at the outside of the bombing stream which was a very dangerous place and their squadron suffered accordingly.

Having taken himself from the frying pan to the fire, life was not going to be easy. He had bought himself an extra year and a half’s training away from operational duties before being sent across the skies of Europe once again now flying with F/O G.B. Hampson.

The following is copied from: 156 Squadron archives (available from www.156squadron.com) and show that Reynolds and his crew flew the following missions. On one of their last sorties Reynolds was given the chance to show he ‘lacked’ nothing. In actual fact he would exceed the requirements of a crew member in an unenviable situation.

Hampson and crew’s 156 Squadron Missions: Rego

Date

Target

PB517

17/02/1945

Wesel

PB375

20/02/1945

Dortmund

PB375

21/02/1945

Worms

ND593

12/03/1945

Dortmund

ME378

14/03/1945

Homburg

PB507

16/03/1945

Nurnburg

ME378

24/03/1945

Harpenwerg

SW259

25/04/1945

Wangerooge

Supporter. Task. HARPENWEG. Target attacked at 1627 hrs from 15,000 ft. Bearing 037. IAS 160.

Mission Date: 24/03/1945.

On the run up to the target F/O G.B. Hampson's aircraft received a direct hit in the rear of the bomb bay, the bombs did not explode but some fell from the shattered bomb bay. A large explosion was seen with flames, followed by clouds of black oily smoke. Flak was predicted to have been the cause and several other aircraft were hit around them.

What followed was an episode of valour and courage which might never have been recorded had it not been for the superb airmanship on the part of the Captain, and the selfless devotion to duty of the survivors. After the hit the Captain was informed that the aircraft was on fire and that his Flight Engineer had a badly wounded leg. The aircraft was developing into a dive and full of smoke, he gave the order to abandon. In the meantime the Captain continued evasive action in view of the flak.

A large shell hole was near the mid-upper turret and with the aircraft full of smoke. It was assumed the mid-upper gunner had either fallen through the hole or baled out without his parachute. The Captain found he could control the aircraft and he signalled the Set Operator who was helping the wounded Flight Engineer through the escape hatch and into the night, to stop.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN As the Flight Engineer was being dragged back into the aircraft another direct hit shattered his left leg at the knee, severing it except for a few tags of flesh. The Rear Gunner, who had clambered precariously from the rear turret, over the gaping holes in the fuselage, with the Set Operator; carried their Engineer to the flight deck beside the Pilot.

The Flight Engineer (an ex Medical Orderly) directed and assisted the dressing of his own wounds, and injected himself with morphia in the left wrist. In spite of his wounds he continued giving advice to the Pilot regarding fuel state and changing fuel tanks. The Navigator 1 and Wireless Operator were taken P.O.W. after being ‘subjected to violent treatment by an angry local mob.

Finally, Flying Officer Hampson reached an airfield. The bomb doors were open. The hydraulic gear and the flaps were unserviceable. Nevertheless, the undercarriage was lowered by means of the emergency system and Hampson brought the severely damaged aircraft safely down. A landing made all the more precarious by virtue of the fact nine 500lb. bombs were still caught up in the damaged bomb bay. This officer displayed the finest qualities of skill, courage and coolness.

Flight Sergeants Mann and Reynolds gallantly supported their captain and their conduct throughout was exemplary. Sergeant Bowers, though grievously injured, set a magnificent example of courage, fortitude and devotion to duty. His example will long be remembered. In his official report on the incident, Mann’s skipper gave due recognition to his Rear-Gunner’s calm courage and to the valuable assistance he rendered to Bowers - the latter’s shattered leg was amputated soon after the Lancaster reached Manston.

The remaining four crew members returned home to receive immediate decorations. A C.G.M. to the Engineer, Sergeant Dennis Bowers - though grievously wounded, set a magnificent example of courage and fortitude, so much so that The London Gazette stated that his example would ‘long be remembered.’ A Distinguished Flying Cross for F/O Hampson. A Distinguished Flying Medal for F/Sgt Reynolds & F/Sgt Mann.

Geoff survived the war.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 20

Werner Baake

Werner Baake was born on 1 November 1918 at Nordhausen in Harz and his upbringing was amongst some of the most picturesque mountain ranges in Germany. Like his RAF adversaries Baake craved excitement and also rose to the challenge in 1939. He joined the Luftwaffe and was posted to I./NJG 1, based at Gilze-Rijen in Holland, on 21 November 1942, located near Breda in the south of the Netherlands. These pilots received glory in Germany as they were ‘defending’ the Reich against intruders.

On the night of 11/12 June 1943 he claimed his first two victories and three more on the night 22/23 June. By the end of August Baake had shot down fifteen planes, been promoted, rewarded and posted to a new squadron 3./NJG 1 based at Venlo in Holland.

On 22 January 1944 Baake was again promoted to Staffelkapitän of 2./NJG 1 and shot down a Lancaster over the Urft Dam on the night 27/28 January to record his 24th victory. Baake’s Bf 110 G-4 (W.Nr. 740 062) “G9 + ML” had been hit by return fire in the engagement. He and his crew baled out, Baake survived unharmed but his Bordfunker Uffz; Waldbauer was killed.

Baake was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I/NJG 1 on 2 October 1944, succeeding Major Paul Förster (8 victories) who had been killed on 1 October. He claimed three victories on the night of 5/6 and was eventually credited with 41 victories from 195 missions by the end of the war; all of his victories were recorded at night.

Werner survived the war but I can find no trace of him until records of his career at Lufthansa which was formed in 1954. It would be a haven for ex-Luftwaffe pilots trying to get out of the post war German ruins. Werner had married but had no children. His wife died in the 1990’s.

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Time

A/c Type Unit

Location / Comments

1 12.6.1943 1:10

Wellington 1./NJG 1 1km NE Neerschoten: 5.500m

2 12.6.1943 2:43

Halifax

3 17.6.1943 0:59

Lancaster 1./NJG 1 Neerpelt Krs. Limburg: at 7.000m

4 22.6.1943 1:30

Wellington 1./NJG 1

5 22.6.1943 1:37

Halifax

6 23.6.1943 0:55

Lancaster 1./NJG 1 15km ESE Utrecht: 6.800m

7 23.6.1943 1:38

Lancaster 1./NJG 1 3km SW Beuningen: 6.000m

8 23.6.1943 1:53

Halifax

9 25.6.1943 1:10

Wellington 1./NJG 1 Driel: 6.000m

10 14.7.1943 1:30

Halifax

11 24.8.1943 2:18

Lancaster 1./NJG 1 05 Ost S / FJ-86c: 5.200m

12 28.8.1943 2:10

Stirling

1./NJG 1 20km W Augsburg: 3.500m

13 28.8.1943 2:15

Stirling

1./NJG 1 25km NW Nürnburg: 3.500m

14 31.8.1943 23:25

Stirling

3./NJG 1 SW Lemmer: 4.500m

15 31.8.1943 23:30

Halifax

3./NJG 1 16km S Antwerp: 4.200m

16 1.9.1943

0:59

Lancaster 3./NJG 1 bei Hennigsdorf: 6.000m

17 6.9.1943

0:15

Halifax

18 6.9.1943

2:00

Lancaster 3./NJG 1 5km E Kaiserslautern: 4.500m

1./NJG 1 5km NW Gorinchem: 5.000m

3km SW Bergeyk: 5.000m / Wellington (HZ520), RAF

1./NJG 1 3km S Uden: 3.000m

1./NJG 1 6km NW Utrecht: 5.500m

1./NJG 1 3km SE Dinter: 5.000m

3./NJG 1 8km Germersheim: 4.500m

19 27.9.1943 22:40

Lancaster 3./NJG 1 4km N Quakenbrück: 4.000m

20 3.11.1943 19:13

Lancaster 3./NJG 1 bei Helmond: 6.500m

21 3.11.1943 19:36

Lancaster 3./NJG 1 bei Essen: 5.800m

22 20.12.1943 19:00

Lancaster 3./NJG 1

23 20.12.1943 21:00

Halifax

24 27.1.1944 22:50

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 16km SW Aachen

Föuron-St. Pierre: 5.500m / Lancaster II (DS758) “EQ-H” of 408 Sqn, RAF

3./NJG 1 NW Eindhoven: 3.200m

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN 25 11.4.1944 23:37

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 100km W Haarlem

26 25.4.1944 0:26

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 Loop op Zand-Tilburh: 5.400m

27 25.4.1944 2:18

Halifax

2./NJG 1 bei Werkendam: 6.000m

28 4.5.1944

0:20

B-17

2./NJG 1 50km W Venlo: 6.400m / not confirmed?

29 6.5.1944

23:35

Mosquito 2./NJG 1 1km NE Herkendorf: 8.000m

30 7.5.1944

0:09

B-17

2./NJG 1 W Venlo: 7.500m / not confirmed?

31 12.5.1944 0:42

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 28km NE Huckhofen: no height

32 23.5.1944 1:14

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 SW Neerpelt

33 17.6.1944 1:10

Halifax

34 22.6.1944 1:22

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 W Aachen at 5.300m

35 22.6.1944 1:46

Lancaster 2./NJG 1 W Aachen at 5.200m

36 4.11.1944 19:36

Halifax

Stab 8km NW Mettingen I./NJG 1

37 6.11.1944 19:23

Lancaster

Stab 12km SE Doetinchen I./NJG 1

38 24.12.1944 18:50

Lancaster

Stab I./NJG 1

39 5.1.1945

19:05

Halifax

Stab 50km N Emden I./NJG 1

40 5.1.1945

19:12

Halifax

Stab 80km N Emden I./NJG 1

41 5.1.1945

19:44

Halifax

Stab 50km W Hanover I./NJG 1

2./NJG 1 Eeindhoven: 5.500m

Werner’s awards Iron Cross 1st Class (1939), Iron Cross 2nd Class, Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 September 1943) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe, German Cross in Gold on 16 January 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1.

I met at Marcel Hogenhuis at The (Dutch) 1939-45 Study Group. He has been researching the GilzeRijen airfield and very kindly let me have a copy of the flight log from the 23rd July 1943 from his archive.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN A4fter shooting down forty one allied aircraft and killing around 280 allied airmen, he would meet his own end in the very same way. Crashing to earth in a burning and broken aeroplane.

Baake was a flight captain with Lufthansa and was killed in an aircraft accident at Heilbronn on 15 July 1964. Werner Baake died with Karl Babor and Rudolf Bacherer whilst they were test flying a new plane. The Boeing took off for a training flight from Wuerzburg-Ansbach at 09:33 and the crew reported reaching 13000 feet at 09:38. The IFR flight schedule was abandoned and the crew continued to carry out some training maneuvers on the Roethenbach beacon. A complete roll was flown, but while attempting a second roll, the plane went out of control in the inverted position. The Boeing became overstressed and disintegrated in flames.

Date:

15 JUL 1964

Crew:

Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3

Type:

Boeing 720-030B

Passengers:

Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0

Operator:

Lufthansa

Total:

Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3

Registration: D-ABOP

Airplane fate:

Written off beyond repair)

C/n / msn:

18249/262

Location:

near Ansbach (Germany)

First flight:

1962

Phase:

Manoeuvring (MNV)

Engines:

4 Pratt & Whitney JT3D-1

Nature:

Training

Sources: www.luftwaffe.cz/baake.html, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wernerbaake, www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de.

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(damaged

www.cieldegloire.com/001_baake_php, www.enotes.com/topic/werner_baake,

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 21

Beuningen Memorial Service 2012

By the time the Memorial Celebrations occurred again in 2012 I had finished the investigation.

Written up, I set off to deliver it to its respective contributors, some of whom had travelled with me to Beuningen.

Hetty and Ab.

Ton and Diny receive theirs, as Ab and Hetty watch on.

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Peter, Shirley Nicholas and John Waterhouse, Shirley’s brother, who prior to my investigation, John had not known that he had even had a cousin called Roy or anything about him.

Anne Bruisten with Victor.

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Geoff and Sallie Davies.

This year I was invited to raise the British flag, as a growing contingent of school children and their families watched on.

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The Mayor receives his copy.

As does the school and their Head Teacher.

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We all visited the war graves in Uden.

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Above: Anneka and Victor lay flowers at Vince’s grave, for Laraine, pictured below.

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Above: Carolyn lays flowers at Ted’s grave, for Ivy and Stan, pictured below.

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Above: Els lays flowers at Ronnie’s grave, for Peter, pictured below.

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Harry above and Pam below.

Over dinner on our last night I was struck by, and shared with everyone, the thought that whilst we were very new friends, everyone seemed like incredibly old friends, everyone agreed. It was also 69 Years earlier to the day that our relatives were doing the same thing, although under very different circumstances.

2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the crash and there are plans in place for more of those involved and affected to make their way, en masse, to remember.

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Wing Commander Kevin Brooks and Warrant Office Steve Taylor receive a copy on behalf of 101 Squadron. Steve and Kevin are also pictured on p445,6, where Steve, in more formal attire leads the salute at the Memorial Stone. They very kindly gave me a copy of the Battle Orders for the 23rd June 1943, pictured overleaf.

Nearly seventy years after the war ended, Bomber Command and its wartime crews were honoured with this statue in central London.

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TIM BARLOW Wing Commander Brooks, Commander In Chief of 101 Squadron, and Warrant Office Steve Taylor

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In December 2012, almost two years after the initial thought to start this project, it’s finished. It has been an incredible journey and I am delighted to have been able to find and include that which I have. It is now being translated into Dutch.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Section 22

Only Birds and Fools, by J. Norman Ashton DFC

In 1946 Norman Ashton wrote down his memories of war and being a master printer, typed and bound two copies in leather with gold leaf decoration. It was his son that made the decision to publish them in 2002.

In 2012, seeing a book written by a Flight Engineer from Lancasters available for sale I thought I might learn something so I purchased a copy through eBay. On page two the author wrote of his lifelong fascination with coincidences. And that on his thirtieth birthday had been informed of his movement order to attend training at RAF St Athan, and that his hometown friend Jack Osborne had also received the same notification, on the same day. To my absolute amazement on page two, and then throughout the book Jack’s name, picture and memory appeared. You can’t imagine my surprise at finding a book written by Jacks friend and colleague in my post box. I had found another needle in another haystack, only this time it had really found me!

I traced the author’s family (Pauline Saunders) and learnt. Norman was ten years older than Jack.

Doris had been in the same singing club as Norman’s sister who she had also taught sewing at night school. She in turn had been in Jack’s class throughout school. And it was Norman who had taken Jack on as an apprentice printer and given him his first real job. Norman saw Jack find himself through his fledgling career, and then to go on seize life and an RAF career with the same exuberance. Norman had indeed kept an eye on Jack throughout training and they studied for and passed their exams together. Keeping in touch and meeting each other and their crews when they could, Norman was affected forever when he heard the news that Jack was missing.

Norman visited Edith and Doris and whilst on leave assured them that there was still hope of Jack being with the resistance, and making his way home. Then despite hearing from Edith that the news from the Red Cross, chose to believe there was still an outside chance of the news being wrong. It was only upon receipt of a picture of Jack’s grave from the Dutch family that had adopted the grave that made Norman finally accept the bitter truth.

After the war Norman came home to his wife Dot, who had been part on an anti aircraft battery of some repute, resumed his career in Printing and started a family. He spoke of his memories, and recalled stories of war for his five children and they all knew the name Jack Osborne when I spoke to them. They very kindly provided me with a number of details and pictures included in earlier sections. Norman’s son decided to have the book published after his father’s death, and in doing so set in place another series of events that would come almost full circle, and just when I had hit another brick wall. I am stunned and incredibly pleased to have met Norman’s children and been able to include details of Jack’s life that could have very easily never been found.

Norman earned his honour and distinction, completing 54 sorties, 29 with 103 Squadron and 25 with 156 Pathfinder Squadron. He was promoted to Flying Officer and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Crew Star with Bar.

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Norman and his bride Dot in 1943.

Norman pictured in 1945.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

Some time after I first spoke with Pauline she contacted me to inform me that she had discovered one or two items that she thought might be of interest. They very much were.

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Norman endeavoured to find out more from his friends who were all stationed throughout Lincolnshire, it being nick-named ‘Bomber Country’. Occasionally snippets of information would get out. The following letter details why Jack’s crew were grounded and what the problem had been with his original Navigator.

The letter details some harrowing and terrifying truths of their first operation. We know what happened on their third, so what could have happened on their second?

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As we know, Edith struggled with her loss for many years and it was with friends like Norman trying to give closure to the tragic events that she eventually remarried in the late 1960’s. Family tale has it that because she could not work and did not have any money her new husband took advantage of her by heavily controlling her life and selling all of the family posessions. It did give Doris the chance to finally leave home and start her own life.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Appendix

Geoffrey Whittle’s ‘hairy event’

524

Invaluable sources and resources

527

The Lancaster

531

Links to Lancaster archive footage

555

Stalag Luft VI

557

Jack’s, and the crews, Decorations

559

The real cost of war

563

Rupert Brooke war poem

573

The crew of LM325

574

LM325 SR-J

575

Osborne family grave

577

Index

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Geoffrey Whittle, DFM, Navigator, Squadron Leader retired.

Having received Geoffrey’s foreword for inclusion I had to elaborate on the ‘hairy events’, in which actually plays down the following. This passage was written by his Squadron Commander in 1943: “As they made their run up to the target they were coned by many searchlights, engaged by heavy flak and at the same time attacked by a night fighter. Fire took hold inside the fuselage, the compass was wrecked by canon shells and all intercommunications with other members of the crew failed.

The situation became critical when one engine caught fire and the trimming cables had been burnt through. They also lost all of their oxygen. The crew demonstrated a determination and calm courage worthy of the highest praise.

Undeterred by the perilous situation prevailing and in full knowledge that an abandonment of the aircraft might become necessary at any moment, Sergeant Whittle continued to coolly concentrate on his navigational problems without thought for his personal safety and displaying a commendable disregard for danger as they fought the fires and avoided flak, fighters, heavy cloud and rain.

By his skill and efficiency as a Navigator and his whole hearted co-operation with his Captain and other members of the crew whilst passing through a thickly infested enemy fighter region, Sergeant Whittle undoubtedly added a magnificent contribution towards the safe arrival back in this country of his aircraft.

Sergeant Whittle throughout his operational tour has shown constant courage, determination and tenacity of a high order. I strongly recommend his unconquerable spirit be rewarded by an award of the Distinguished Flying Medal”.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Invaluable sources and resources

A Brookes 'Bomber Squadron at war' (Ian Allen 1983) Ab and Hetty Bruisten Aircrew Remembrance Society Anne and Mien Bruisten B Noble 'Noble Endeavours' (Private 1998) Chorley’s Guides Colin Goddard De Gelderlander E J Powles en.wikipedia.org/wiki/avro_lancaster, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/strategic_bombing_during~_world_War_II en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wernerbaake F Hardboard 'Familiar Voices' (Able 1988) Feast 'Carried on the wind: wartime experiences of a special duties operator with 101 Squadron' (2005) Geoffrey Whittle German Federal Archive Google Harry Chisnall Hesmondhalgh 'Some fun to say the least - 101 Sqn' (spiral bound) Ivy May Dalby J Barlow Laraine Sugden Leo Mckinstry – Lancaster Netherlands War Graves Committee.

Pam Williams Paul Davey Pauline Saunders Peter Cooper Peter Nicholas R Alexander '101 Squadron RAF: Special Operations' (Private 1979) Ton and Diny Las Website - 12 O’Clock High – Luftwaffe site WM Investigation LLP wn.com/night_bombers , www.156squadron.com/101default.htm, www.156squadron.com/101display_squadronlog.asp?yearz....11 www.192.com www.51squadron.com/Memorabilia/Stories/EngineerTraining/EngineerTraining.htm, www.abebooks.com www.aircraft-list.com www.aircrew.org.uk www.aircrewrememberancesociety.com www.airmuseum.ca/mag/exag0103.html www.aprohead.com www.aviation-history.com www.avrosys.demon.co.uk/bomber/cutaway.htm www.axishistory.com 527

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www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/ww2_summary_01.html www.bomber-command.info/acrhur.htm www.bild.bundesarchiv.de www.cieldegloire.com/001_baake_php www.constable.ca www.copyright-free-photos.org.uk www.deroeck.com www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/gettrdoc?location=u2&doc.pdf&ad=ada420055 www.encyclopedia.com www.enotes.com/topic/werner_baake www.exulanten.com/bombg2.html www.exulanten.com/ruhr.html www.fas.org/spp/aircraft/part03.htm www.fiskertonairfield.org.uk www.flickr.com/photos/imlsdcc/4120717764/ www.gordonstooke.com/460squadron/books/fbw.htm www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=416 www.histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/air/eur/sbc/gd/flak.html www.history.co.uk www.historylearningsite.co.uk/german_night_fighters www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/101_wwII.htm www.historyofwaronline.com/ww2-2.html www.homepage.ntlworld.com/billchurley/Ludford.html www.images-for-school.org.uk www.iwm.org.uk www.kansaspress.ku.edu/westfla.html www.lancaster-archive.co.uk www.lancasterbombers.com www.lincsaviation.co.uk, www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt/german-antiaircraft-defense-flak.html www.ludford.org.uk www.luftwaffe.cz/baake.html www.mediastorehouse.com www.militaryfactory.com www.nazi.org.uk www.rafa.org.uk www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/jun43.html www.raf.mod/organisation/101squadron.cfm www.raf/mod.uk/docs www.raf-bombercommand.co.uk www.rafwarboys.co.uk www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de www.ronaldhomes.co.uk www.stelzreide.com www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,774405,00.html#ixzz1GIzuRJgQ www.war44.com www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft_lancaster.html www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/royalairforce/101sqd-raf.php#ghaigh –stories www.worldwar2aces.com/panzer-tank/flak-88/

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN www.ww2dbm.com www.ww2f.com www.ww2talk.com www.ww2images.com

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN The Lancaster

Sources: www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft_lancaster.html, www.bbc.co.uk, www.aviationhistory.comen.wikipedia.org, www.156squadron.com, www.rafwarboys.co.uk, www.lancasterbombers.com, www.lancaster-archive.com.

Designed by Roy Chadwick (shown above) a total of 7,377 Lancasters were built in the UK and Canada and fifty-nine squadrons operated them. Flying 156,000 sorties mostly at night they delivered 608,612 tons of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations and was scrapped in 1947.

Fifteen percent of aircrew losses occurred in training accidents. Many more died returning to their bases after a long and terrifying bombing mission with battle-damaged aircraft and injured men at the controls. Bad weather and fog would also take its toll on tired crews, many of whom crashed in the freezing wastes of the North Sea. Confined crew positions and bulky flying gear also made it almost impossible to escape a crashing Lancaster. Two thirds of those crews lost by the RAF have no known grave.

A Lancaster crew was expected to survive for only three weeks and luck played a huge part of their survival. Of the total number of Lancasters built, half were lost by the end of the war and in one month alone, when the losses were at their highest, of sixteen crews based at RAF Fiskerton, three completed their tour of thirty operations, one crew was listed as prisoners-of-war, one crew was listed as killed-in-action and ten crews were listed as failing to return; a staggering loss rate of eighty percent.

If operational life was bad, life on the ground wasn't much better. Tin huts on hastily built airfields were freezing cold in winter and baking hot in summer. The accommodation sites could be miles from the messes and dining halls where there was never enough food. The crews took pills to keep them awake when on operations and pills to make them sleep when they returned.

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TIM BARLOW What was the cost of a successful mission?

The following is an approximate cost to the British economy based on 1943 prices to build, arm, and supply ground and air crew for a Lancaster Bomber for one operational bombing sortie.  1 Lancaster cost £42,000.00 to purchase. (This assumes minimal profits being made by the manufacture ≈ £1.3-1.5 million in 2005 currency.)  1 Lancaster required 5,000 tons of hard aluminium or the equivalent of 11 million sauce pans.  1 Lancaster required the equivalent manufacturing capability required to build 40 basic automobiles of the period.  1 Lancaster absorbed the equivalent man hours as it takes to build one mile (1.61 km’s) of a modern motorway.  1 Lancaster carried the equivalent radio and radar equipment to fabricate one million domestic radios of the period.  Each member of a Lancaster crew cost £10,000.00 to train.  The average cost for a Lancaster was therefore £70,000 or £80,000 if the crew consisted of 8 crew members.  To fuel, bomb, arm and service a single Lancaster required an additional £13,000.00. This also includes an allowance for the cost to train the ground crews.

To allow one Lancaster Bomber to be made ready for each operational raid it took the effort of some thirty-eight personnel.  7 aircrew (pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless operator, mid-upper gunner, rear gunner)  1 Flying Control Officer  2 Assistant Flying Control Officers (usually WAAF’s)  1 Parachute Packer (usually WAAF)  1 Airman/women to drive and operate the Oil Tanker  2 Airman/women to drive and operator the 2500 gallon Petrol Bowser  7 Armourers to prepare, transport the bomb train and then load into the aircraft  1 Tractor drive to pull the bomb train to the aircraft (often a WAAF)  8 Ground flight mechanics (up to 8)  7 Specialists to service the radar, wireless, etc system (Up to 7)  1 Meteorologist (Weather man)

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

Avro Lancaster Specifications: Details for Lancaster I Length: 69ft 4in (21.08m) Wingspan: 102ft 0in (31.00m) Height: 20ft 6in (6.23m) Maximum Speed: 287mph (462km/h) Cruising Speed: 200mph (322km/h) Ceiling: 19,000ft (5,793m) Range: 2,530 miles (4,072km) with 7,000lb (3,178kg) bomb load.

Powerplant: Four Rolls Royce Merlin XX, 22 or 24 of 1,280hp each.

Payload: Up to 22,000lb bombs carried internally. Later versions modified to carry a variety of single high explosive bombs of 8,000lb (3,632kg), 12,000lb (5,448kg) or 22,000lb (9,988kg) for special missions.

Defensive Armament: 2 x .303 Browning machine guns in nose turret, 2 x .303 Browning machine guns in mid-upper turret and 4 x .303 Browning machine guns in tail turret. Early models also had ventral turret with a single .303 machine gun while special versions were stripped of armament to carry increased bomb loads.

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EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

Source: www.avrosys.demon.co.uk/bomber/cutaway.htm 535

TIM BARLOW Radio, radar and countermeasure equipment The Lancaster had a very advanced communications system for its time. Most British-built Lancaster’s were fitted with the R1155 receiver and T1154 transmitter, whereas the Canadian built aircraft and those built for service in the Far East had American radios. These provided radio direction-finding, as well as voice and Morse capabilities.

Airborne Cigar (ABC) This was only fitted to the Lancasters of 101 Squadron and was effectively three aerials, two sticking out of the top of the fuselage and one under the bomb aimer's position. These aircraft carried a German speaking crew member on board and were used to jam radio to German night fighters and feed false information on allied bomber positions to them.

Method of Search At night the Germans would send one aircraft (a/c) along your course with identification lights on and send one behind you on your tail; or have one come out of the moon. On any of these occasions a crew should be sure to search on the opposite side of the a/c for the real attacker.

Their favourite position is to come from below and climb up to 300 yards from you, directly underneath, stall his a/c and rake your fuselage with machine-gun and cannon fire. Invariably the bombs explode and the bomber disintegrates. So every now and then have your pilot do steep turns so you can search below the aircraft for fighters.

Searchlights co-operate with the fighters in many different ways. Sometimes they send a series of dots in your direction. Sometimes they wave along your course. Sometimes they search for you and cone you. If this happens and they suddenly go off, then you know a fighter has found you. If there is cloud cover below, the searchlights light up the clouds and you are silhouetted for the fighter above you.

Jerry also uses what we call the "chandelier flares." This is either a single large flare or a group of 3 5 flares. They are shot from the ground and hang in the air for a long time at your level. They light up everything for miles around and show your position to the fighter.

One of the most important things to remember is Jerry loves a "sleeping target." If he finds that you know he is there he will, 9 times out of 10, go away and find another bomber.

Cameras Cameras were fitted to the Lancasters and recorded the chaos as it unfolded beneath them. With automatic fuses linked to the bomb type, the evidence of the raid would be captured. They were the subject of confusion and even suspicion in Bomber Command. Was the camera an official spy?

Their officers wondered whether the crews would become demoralized or even if the photography were made into some kind of a competition with a place on the photographic ladder for all the

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN aircraft of a station? It was certain that flying straight and level waiting for the flash photograph for 45 seconds after the bombs were released was hated by all the aircrews.

By 1943 all aircraft were fitted with cameras, and their flash photographs showed that two-thirds of all the bombs dropped fell within 3 miles of the aiming point. One cause of waste was ‘Creep back’.

Bomber crews did not fly up to the aiming point, but released their bombs early in the face of Flak, and those following bombed earlier still. These were the crews referred to contemptuously by Air Marshal Bennett as the ‘Fringe Merchants.’ In one raid during August 1943 the ‘Creep back’ extended thirty miles from the target.

A catch phrase of the time was ‘Press on regardless!’ a cynical mockery of anything heroic. During a tour of operations the greatest danger lay in the first five trips which sustained a forty percent casualty rate. Those who survived became fatalistic and ‘couldn’t care less’ (another phrase of the time) and then the early high morale would start to decline. Crews passing the 20 operations mark began to think that, after all, they might have a chance of survival and began to fly carefully. The last few ops became a time of terrible tension and again the loss rate rose. Solidarity and strength of relationships between crew members became all-important, and Flight-Commanders would watch for any signs of friction between members of a crew. An incompatible crew gradually fell apart and would surely go missing.

Morale In the years immediately before the war, the R.A.F. could have been considered as a very exclusive club whose members included a high proportion of officers with Public School backgrounds. The elite training colleges like RAF Cranwell turned out highly skilled airmen in comparatively small numbers. The threatening clouds of war changed all this as an enormous and rapid expansion took place.

Of the aircrews that began the war, not one in five hundred would live to see the end of it. There were not going to be enough commissioned officers to provide crews for the bomber fleets and by the middle years of the war, three quarters of the aircrews were sergeants from diverse social backgrounds, but a sergeant could fly a bomber equally as well as an officer. The W.A.A.F. cleaning the blackboards after a raid wiped out the names of sergeants by the hundred. Death had no class distinctions.

Between March and July 1943 — 872 bombers and 6000 airmen were lost. In addition 2126 heavy bombers were severely damaged or crash-landed in England. In fact 4.7% of the bombers were lost over the target and 16% overall. These losses were insupportable and the nightly prospect of sudden death haunted the front-line crews.

Among the air-crews ‘the jitters’ were not unheard of and a high proportion of pilots were reporting something wrong with their aircraft. ‘Mag drop’ was a favourite let-out (engine not giving full power).

The continuous influx of new crews to replace those now missing was a smooth and well-oiled operation and nothing could be worse for morale than numerous empty places at the mess tables. The new boys would arrive from the Operational Training Units within a day of the squadron having suffered fresh losses, and they would regard the surviving crews as experienced veterans, not realizing that some of these airmen themselves had completed only two or three operations.

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TIM BARLOW Vegetius, a Roman military writer of the fourth century, wrote — ‘No great dependence is to be placed on the eagerness of young soldiers for action, for fighting has something agreeable in the idea to those who are strangers to it.’ The Aircrew Detention Centre at RAF Eastchurch and Sheffield were crowded with an average of 2000 unhappy souls living like convicts. The charge against all of them was L.M.F. (Lacking Moral Fibre). The stigma of this charge was so bad, and the further realization that all aircrew were volunteers gives some indication of the state of morale at this time. They knew they had practically no chance of survival. The surprising thing is not the two thousand who opted out, but the many thousands of others who carried on.

Armament - Defensive While eight .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns were the most common Lancaster armament, twin .50 in (12.7 mm) turrets were later available in both the tail and dorsal positions. A Nash & Thomson FN64 periscope-sighted twin .303 in machine gun ventral turret was fitted to early aircraft, but fitting was soon discontinued and the turret often removed as it was hard to sight, especially at night.

When the threat of attacks from below began to be appreciated in the winter of 1943/1944, modifications were made. Including downward observation blisters mounted behind the bomb aimer's blister and mounts for .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns or even 20 mm cannon, firing through ventral holes of various designs. The fitting of these guns was hampered as the same ventral position was used for mounting the H2S blister.

Bombs of infinite variety Before an effective night-bombing attack could take place it was necessary for the bomber crews to know that they had found the target, and before the advent of sophisticated electronics there was only one way to find the target and that was by using magnesium parachute flares. In the beginning the flare turned out to be a double-edged weapon. Very often the dazzle from the flare was so bad that the bomb-aimer could barely see the ground, and in heavy mist or low-lying cloud the luminous haze threw a ghostly pall of smoky light over the target area, so that bombing became guesswork.

Later came the 7 inch hooded flare, complex but effective. This was a 7 inch diameter black tube 63 inches (160 cm) long with a half-inch red band near the nose end, and it weighed up to 85 pounds (38.5 kg). The asbestos hood pulled out of the tube and formed the shade between the flare itself and the parachute so that all the light was deflected downwards where it was needed and not into the eyes of the bomb-aimer. The 750 000 candle power of magnesium alloy burned for three to four minutes.

After the flares came the T.I. (Target Indicator) or marker bomb used by the Pathfinders. It took the form of a light-case 250 pound (113 kg) missile packed with impregnated cotton wool which was designed to burst 3 000 feet (915 m) above the ground and then cascade hundreds of small red balls which burned vividly for as long as 10 minutes. The Germans found them impossible to simulate and very difficult to extinguish and anyone attempting to put them out did so in the sure knowledge of being on the target spot for a huge load of high explosive. These were the marker bombs that changed the outlook for night bombing and led the mainstream bombers onto the target.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN S.B.C. (Small Bomb Containers) Were metal trunks in the bomb-bays which contained the 21-inch-long (53 cm) hexagonal 4 pound (1.8 kg) thermite incendiaries. Each canister held 90 of these bombs. They were released from the aircraft in showers, and were a real danger to other aircraft as they had no ballistic properties for aiming purposes. Each incendiary struck the ground or roof with a whip like crack and a white flash, and then flared with an intense flame that quickly set fire to tarmac or roofing timber. These bombs were dropped by the hundred thousand.

30 Pound Bomb (Incendiary Bomb) Known as the 30 pound (13.6 kg) phosphorous bomb. 810 mm long, dark red with a broad light red band around the body. Easily identifiable unless it exploded, in which case it was advisable to be some distance away. Pieces of phosphorous flew 30 metres or more and other pieces kept floating down for at least 15 seconds after the initial explosion. Persons in the area where such bombs had dropped were advised not to go too near too quickly. ‘If the smallest piece of flaming phosphorous lands on your clothing you should remove it at once and douse it in water. Then scrape it off or it will re-ignite.’ The final comment of that instruction is worth recording. ‘This bomb is a horrifying weapon; they were widely used and they were most ineffective, being believed by both armourers and air-crews to be 60 per cent ‘dud’. The M.C. (Medium Capacity) was a similar type of bomb.

The 250 Pound Incendiary 61 inches (155 cm) long without the fuse. Colour: red overall with two 2 inch (50mm) black bands separated by a 2 inch (50 mm) bright red band near the nose. Maximum body diameter 12” (30.5 cm).

The Mark 1 was filled with a mixture of phosphorous-rubber-benzene. The Mark II filling was delicately referred to as a ‘sticky inflammable mixture’ which the Germans knew to be largely phosphorous.

These bombs were horrifying weapons of war to be dropped at the height of a raid when they would probably catch hapless firemen or rescue workers, turn them into torches and set fire to the injured.

The terrible thing about phosphorous was that it could not be put out. The method advised for dealing with it was to smother it in sand but there was no satisfactory treatment for bad phosphorous burns on a human body.

In Hamburg after the firestorm, hundreds of people were standing up to their necks in water in canals or supporting themselves on quayside piles. To the horror of the authorities these people were all found to be phosphorous-fire victims. If they raised themselves from the water some part of their body or limb would burst into flame. The area was cordoned off and the following night S.S., police, and troops moved into the area and clubbed or shot everyone until a silence descended on the area.

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TIM BARLOW 1000 Pound Medium Capacity Bomb Was the other general-purpose bomb used in the great night offensive. Amatol or TNT filled it had a delay or impact fuse and here again there were a large number of ’duds’.

4000 Pound Medium Capacity Bomb Better known as ‘the Pink Pansy’ this was a really beautiful bomb. It was stuffed full of rubber, benzole and phosphorous that ignited on impact and burned with a great pink flash of fire visible for miles.

As the bomber offensive against German cities gathered strength new bombs were added to the air force armoury and some of which were highly specialized, far too complex and expensive to be used to demolish cities and kill people.

4000 Pound High Capacity Bomb – Cookie, (also in 500 and 1000 Pound variants) Three nose pistols, dark green overall. 1/2 inch red band 8 inches (20 cm) from the nose, and a 2 inch (50 mm) light-green band 2 inches (50 mm) from the nose.

Overall length 110 inches (279 cm) and maximum body diameter of 30 inches (76 cm). It contained 3x930 pounds (1x783 kg) of Amatol 60/40 and was the first of the big-blast bombs designed for area bombing. Euphemistically called a ’Cookie’.

8000 Pound High Capacity Bomb This was a larger edition of that described above. They were nothing more than large steel bins crammed with high explosive. They had no fins or aerodynamic qualities but one bomb could demolish several acres of masonry.

Tallboy Was the name given to one of the deep-penetration bombs. Torpex-filled, it was a streamlined bomb designed to cause an underground earthquake, and thus demolish anything standing on the ground above.

Tallboy was 21 feet (6.4 in) long, shiny blue-black in colour and weighing 12 030 pounds (5x460 kg). This was another bomb invented by Barnes WaIlis of ‘Dam Buster’ fame. From 20,000 feet (6086 m) this bomb travelled faster than sound and penetrated 90 feet (27 m) into the earth before exploding. Wallis had off-set the fins so that it spun like a top and this stabilized it in supersonic flight. The crater from this bomb measured more than 100 feet (30 m) across.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN 854 Tallboys were dropped on special targets such as railway viaducts, tunnels, and the extremely thick concrete protecting the U-boat pens. The 16 foot thick (4.9 m) reinforced concrete was shattered as well as the U-boats it sheltered.

Grand Slam Was the ultimate in conventional bombs if one can describe this 22 000 pound monster nearly 27 feet (8.2 m) long as conventional in any sense of the word. Only the Lancaster fitted with the most powerful engines and minus bomb-bay doors could even lift it to 18 000 feet (5 486 m). When the first Grand Slam was lifted by a Lancaster of 617 Squadron other crews of the squadron watched in wonder and alarm. On the ground a Lancaster wings appear to spread in a straight line, but now the wings were a graceful arc, curving up at the tips as they took the strain of the ten tonner. Only 41 of these great bombs were built.

Delayed Action Bombs Delayed-action bombs were dropped at frequent intervals during a raid. If a stick of bombs were dropped, someone might notice the gap where an explosion failed to take place, and remember to report it as a ‘dud’ or a delayed-action bomb. This happened quite frequently during the raids on London, and gave the authorities a chance to cordon off the area until the bomb exploded or was rendered harmless by the bomb-disposal people. When hundreds of bombs a minute were falling during a saturation raid there was no chance of such a warning. Delayed-action bombs were set off by mechanical pistols of various types, all extremely ingenious and effective. One of these devices called the ‘47 pistol’, operated as follows. As the D.A. bomb left the bomb-bay a linen cord, still attached to the aircraft dragged the safety-pin from the pistol which rotated a pulley, and this in turn screwed down a bolt upon a tiny bottle of acid. The spilled acid ate through a sheet of celluloid which retained a spring-loaded striking-pin. As the celluloid dissolved, the pin with nothing to retain it struck the detonator.

Interesting Facts British G.P. bombs were only half as effective as German light-case bombs of the same weight. But, when it was discovered that a simple aluminium additive fed to existing mixtures would improve the explosive power of British bombs by one hundred per cent the request for the necessary aluminium powder was refused because of aluminium shortages.

Bomber Command’s insatiable appetite for bombs meant that less dependable types were used. One report says that 25 per cent of all high-explosive bombs failed to explode. An accurate German survey of 30 000 bombs dropped on oil-refineries shows that 18.9 per cent of all R.A.F. bombs and 12.2 per cent of all U.S.A.A.F. bombs did not explode. On this evidence, it is a tragedy that so much of Bomber Command’s effort was wasted getting the bombs near their targets.

In the Second World War it was recommended that every bomber leaving Britain carry two pigeons in case of emergency. If the plane was shot down, pigeons were dispatched carrying the survivor's coordinates for rescue or recording.

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TIM BARLOW No one ever wrote messages on bombs. The chalked messages ‘With Love to Adolf’ or something similar, were always done by press photographers. Armourers were always conscious of death at their elbow and did not consider bombs a fit subject for comic remarks.

Lancaster Bomb Loads Sources: www.lancaster-archive.com, "The Avro Lancaster" by Francis K. Mason, 1990

Bomb loads for non-Pathfinder aircraft varied between aircraft and/or the target being attacked. The most common loads are listed below. Bomb loads for Pathfinders generally consisted of Red, Yellow, or Green Target Indicator (TI's) and/or coloured sky marking flares marker flares.

Area Bombing Raids (Max. Incendiary) - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "ARSON" Target Type: General 12 Small Bomb Containers (SBC), each loaded with 236 x 4 lb No. 15 Incendiary and No. 15x Explosive Incendiary (1 in 10 mix) bombs. Total bomb load: 14,000 lbs.

Area Bombing Raids (Industrial Demolition) - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "ABNORMAL" Target Type: Factories, Rail yards, Dockyards 14 x 1,000 lb Medium Case (MC), General Purpose (GP) RDX or US short-finned High Explosive (HE) bombs. With mix of instantaneous (nose-armed) and long-delay (up to 144 hours, tail-armed) fusing.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Area Bombing Raids (Blast, Demolition and Fire)

- Bomber Command Executive

Codeword: "COOKIE/PLUMDUFF" Target Type: Heavily Industrialised Cities 1 x 4,000 lb Amatol, Minol or Tritonal filled, impact-fused High Capacity (HC) bomb. 3 x 1,000 lb short-finned, short-delay, tail-armed HE bombs, and up to 6 SBC's with 4 lb or 30 lb incendiary bombs.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast and Max. Incendiary) - Bomber Command Executive

Codeword: "USUAL" Target Type: General (most common Lanc bomb load) 1 x 4,000 impact-fused HC bomb and 12 SBCs each loaded with either 24 x 30 lb or 236 x 4 lb No. 15 or 15x incendiary bombs.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast and Demolition) - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: PLUMDUFF-PLUS Target Type: Heavily industrial areas. 1 x Mk.I or Mk.II 8,000 lbs HC containing 6,361 lbs of Amatex, with barometric or impact fuse and up to 6 x 500 lbs MC or GP bombs with instantaneous or long-delay fusing.

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TIM BARLOW Maritime Anti-Submarine Patrol - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: not known Target Type: Submarines. Emphasis on fuel for long endurance.

6 x 500 lbs and 3 x 250 lbs (Mk. I, II and III) anti-submarine bombs fused for sub-surface detonation, and 5 x 250 lbs SAP bombs, tail-armed with 0-2 sec. delay for surface attack (not used after 1942).

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: not known - Target Type: General Medium-Range Low-Level Attacks 6 x 1,000 lb MC or GP bombs, tail-armed with mix of 11 sec to 60 min delay fusing. Capacity limited (in 1942) by dependence on long-finned bombs, up to 3 x 250 lb, GP bombs sometimes added.

Carpet Bombing of Tactical Targets - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "No-BALL" (for V1 sites) Target Type: V1 and radar sites, armour concentrations 1 x 4,000 lb HC, impact fused bomb (Cookie) and up to 18 x 500 lb MC or GP bombs, short-finned with mixed instantaneous and delay fusing.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Raids On Docks, Fortifications, Ships, Etc.- Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "PIECE" Target Type: Docks, Fortifications, Ships, etc.

Up to 6 x 2,000 lb armour piecing bombs with 0.05 sec delay, tail fusing, 3 x 500 lb MC, SAP or GP, or 250 lb GP bombs frequently added.

Air-Sea Mine Laying Sorties - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "GARDENING" Target Type: Docks, Ports, Seaways Up to 6 x 1,850 lb parachute mines with magnetic and/or acoustic actuation.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast and Demolition) - Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "TALLBOY"

Target Type: Submarine Pens, Battleship Tirpitz. Raids On Exceptionally Strong Structures.

1 x 12,000 lb deep penetration, spin-stabilised bomb containing approx. 5,760 lb of Torpex D. Usually with trip-fused 0.01 sec delay. Carried by Lancasters with bulged bomb doors.

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TIM BARLOW Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "GRAND SLAM" Target Type: Submarine Pens, Underground Factories 1 x 22,000 lb deep penetration, spin-stabilised bomb containing approx. 11,000 lbs of Torpex D. Carried only by Lancaster 1 (special) with bomb doors, mid-upper turret and much equipment discarded to limit the aircrafts weight.

Airframe Source: www.avrosys.demon.co.uk To begin the story of the Lancaster Airframe, we must go back to the Manchester, as this is where the venerable “Lanc� started life.

In September 1936, the Air Ministry issued specification P13/36. It was to be a twin engined medium bomber with dive-bombing capability. A. V. Roe (Avro), among other British Companies, answered this specification with a submission to the Ministry in January 1937. The aircraft was called-Type 679, later to become the Manchester.

The Manchester represented an enormous challenge to Avro, as they had no experience of all-metal stressed skin construction. Nor had they attempted such a large aircraft before. The initial design was to have a wingspan of 72ft, and a fuselage length of 69ft. All of the bomb load was to be carried in the fuselage, and all fuel and oil to be contained in the wings. The estimated gross weight was 37,777lbs. The dihedral angle (the difference, in degrees, between the wings from rest position, to those experienced whilst carrying weight) on the outer wings was 7 degrees. The tail plane carried twin fins, although this was probably due more to tradition rather than technical reasons. The heart of the Manchester was the combined wing and fuselage centre section.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN The structure of the wing centre section was based on two spars of simple construction, both consisting of mass booms and plate webs. Running at right angles were two fuselage longerons which formed the basis of the cabin floor and the bomb bay roof. The aircraft needed to be "simple" to aid easy manufacture, and a high rate of production. Light alloy was used for the manufacture of most components, and stampings and pressings were used to minimise hand fitting work.

The fuselage was a light alloy monocoque structure, with skins flush riveted to a framework of formers and stringers. It comprised four sections, making for easy transport, both when new, and after a repairable accident.

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In addition to its two spar construction the wing incorporated ribs built of plate webs and drawn angle flanges. The skins were flush riveted and skin overlaps were minimised. Flying control surfaces were to be ball bearing mounted, operated by cables sized to minimise circuit stretch.

After acceptance by the Air Ministry, a contract was issued for the manufacture of two prototypes.

On 1st July 1937, a further contract was issued, for the supply of 200 production aeroplanes. In January 1937, Avro had already decided that changes needed to be made to the design. This was quite common at the prototype stage. The fuselage length changed to 69ft 4.5ins, and changes were made to the shape and skin curvature, to make design and manufacture more straightforward. From a previous 72ft, the wingspan went up to 80ft 2ins. Tail plane span remained at 28ft, but the fins and rudders were moved fully outboard. The aerofoil section now selected was the NACA 23000 series, 23018 over the centre section, 23018 reducing to 23009 for the outer wing. Avro production experience up to this time was largely as a woodworking firm. A production contract for 1,000 Bristol Blenheim Aircraft in 1937, gave the company valuable experience of stressed skin construction. Avro were breaking new ground, in the milling of Hiduminium L40 spar sections of the size required for this aeroplane. The main centre section incorporating the parallel cord wing centre section formed the heart of the aircraft. The wing incidence was set at 4 degrees up to the fuselage centre line.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

A high proportion of the fuselage length was of constant cross section, with heavier frames at the transport joints. This reduced the amount of tooling required. When fully assembled, the bomb bay was 33ft 3ins long, by 5ft 6ins wide. Bomb bay doors were 2ft 8ins wide. Operated hydraulically with sequenced hydraulic locks.

As with the fuselage design, the wing was divided into transportable sections. The 28ft 6inch parallel wing centre section passed through the main fuselage section. The undercarriage bays and the Rolls Royce X-24 Vulture engines were contained in nacelles mounted at the outboard ends of the wing centre section. The depth of the parallel section was 2ft 11inch, 18% thickness/chord ratio being selected at the best compromise between airframe strength and aerodynamic drag. The fuel tanks were mounted between the wing spars, and held in place by simple strap and turnbuckle attachments.

Access was gained from the underside of the wings.

The outer wing was a straight tapered two spar assembly from rib number 22 to rib number 5. Span of the outer wing structure, was 21ft 5.5".

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At the root-end transport joint was another braced frame rib. Outboard of this were all pressed ribs, with flanged lightening holes, and riveted vertical stiffeners. The outer wing tapered from 18% thickness/cord, down to 9%. The main spar was likewise tapered. Detachable wing tips of 4ft 6inch span were added to the outer wing at rib 5.

The wings had detachable trailing edges incorporating the flap assembly, and ailerons. The centre section had a hinged, detachable, leading edge, for easy access. The flaps were simply hinged in two sections to accommodate the change and were operated by a single push-pull tube, with a series of links. The aileron hinges were externally mounted. Engine sub frames and undercarriage attachments were bolted to the front spar/engine rib joints in the centre section. The engine sub frame used a pinjointed tube and socket structure.

The tail plane and fin layout made for simple construction and attachment. With a width of 28ft, the tail plane was made in two halves. It was of a two spar and pressed rib construction, with light stringers on the same principle as the wing. It used constant section spar boom extrusions and tapering plate webs. The spars extended beyond the aerodynamic surface to secure the fin posts at simple bolted joints. The prototype fins were 8ft 10inch tall. The rudders and elevators were carried on hinge brackets. The flying control surfaces were all metal, the elevator having a manually operated trim tab, as did the rudder.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Engines

There were two main types of engine used in the Avro Lancaster Bomber. The Rolls-Royce Merlin and the Bristol Hercules. The majority of aircraft built, 95% used the Rolls-Royce Merlin, 60 degree, V12, petrol engine. The Merlin, was water cooled [30% Glycol], using wet-liner technology. Serious design of the Merlin, started around 1933. Its flying days started in 1935, giving a good span of development time before being required in volume for Aircraft to defend our Nation, during 193945. When the first Merlin I was built, Rolls-Royce employed less than 7,000 people. By the end of World War II, the Company employed over 55,000 people.

Being an upright, [camshafts mounted uppermost] in line "V" engine, this kept the frontal area to a minimum, cutting down on drag. With a cylinder bore of 5.4" and a stroke of 6", the cubic capacity came out at 1650 cu inches, or approximately 27 litres. (Nearly 17 times bigger than a 1.6 litre Ford Focus). Ratings varied from around 1,000 hp, to 2,200 hp [RM17SM-30 psi boost] and above.

Combat rpm was 3,000. The advent of 100 octane (Esso) fuels, (1944 150 octane) enabled boost pressures to rise, and horsepower with it. This showed without doubt, the amazing strength of the original design.

The engine was a veritable mass of gears. The sketch below shows this to great effect. Each bank had a single overhead camshaft, opening and closing four valves (exhaust valves had sodium cooled stems) per cylinder, using long rocker arms. Pistons were a forged design, of 6 to 1 compression ratio. The connecting rods were steel forgings, two per crank throw, and six throws in all. Engine lubrication was of the dry sump type, with one pressure side and two scavenge sides. In the drawing below, the pickup tube can clearly be seen in the shallow sump pan. The coloured drawing shows the lubrication path. At the rear of the engine sat the centrifugal supercharger. This blew down a tube in the centre of the engine, with manifolds leading off to the inlet ports. The carburettor was mounted at the rear, on the bottom of the supercharger, [updraft]. The British Merlin used an SU carb, and the American Packard Merlin used a Bendix Stromberg pressure injected carb.

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The Merlin weighed in at a sprightly 1430 lbs (XX version). Propellers used on the Merlin, were RH tractor. The Rolls-Royce Merlin was and still is an amazing engine, a true British thoroughbred.

After the War, a good many racing car engines owed their true heritage, in part, to the fabulous Rolls-Royce Merlin V12.

Merlins were built in 5 locations, Rolls-Royce Crewe, Rolls-Royce Derby, Rolls-Royce Glasgow Ford Motor Company Manchester, and Packard Motor Company in Detroit. Over 160,000 new engines were built during World War II. Over 100,000 of the total were built in Britain. A further 50,000 Merlins went through the repair workshops at various locations.

Airframe

Engine Variant

Prototype

Rolls-Royce Merlin X, 1,145 hp.

Mk I

Rolls-Royce Merlin 1,280hp/1,620hp

XX,

22

or

Mk I Special Rolls-Royce Merlin 22 or 24, 1,280hp/1,620hp Mk II

Bristol Hercules VI or XVI, 1650hp

Mk III

Packard-Merlin 28, 1,300hp Packard-Merlin 38, 1,390hp Packard-Merlin 224, 1,640hp

24,

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Mk VI

Rolls-Royce Merlin 85, 1,750hp

Mk VII

Rolls-Royce Merlin 24, 1,620hp

Mk X

Packard-Merlin 28, 1,300hp Packard-Merlin 38, 1,390hp Packard-Merlin 224, 1,640hp

553

TIM BARLOW

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Links to Lancaster archive footage

                     

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuhLexhVbUoandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LoHTY1LCBIandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJjUNFSq844andfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw13h-MmnVs www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uBjwbuquD4andfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIIqY81T67Eandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQkWSSLQQd8andfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW6TK1SSkJUandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCcHOeHfgp0 www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUfThs9swCIandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQszUWcamP8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=13OgxUDd4TEandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tnQulHcWaIandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-ONKg5ci3Iandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALgSbuYXCeY www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J6uI8do-CAandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5DRedcsRAY www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXwdeDrwoK4andfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3tJv44CswEandfeature=relmfu www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhmRrTsv55Yandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0JsPXg-e1sandfeature=related www.youtube.com/watch?v=6llT2ZYg-4Eandfeature=related

555

TIM BARLOW

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Stalag Luft VI, Heydekrug, Germany, (Enlisted Men)

Sources: www.b24.net/stalag6.htm, www.wartimememories.co.uk/pow/stalagluft6, www.303rdgb.com/pow-links, www.remember-history.com, en.wikipedia.org, www.panoramio.com.

Location: Near the old Prussian-Lithuanian Border at Heydekrug, 40 km Northwest of Tilst.

Opened: In September 1943 to admit British and Canadian NCOs who were former POWs at Stalag I at Barth. The first Americans arrived in February 1944.

Camp Description: Three Compounds - One American, one British, one Joint American/British.

The compounds contained 10 stone brick barracks, each with a capacity of 552 men, and 12 wooden huts each housing 54 POWs. Men slept in double-decker bunks with tables, stools and lockers. With a barracks capacity of 6,168 the camp came to hold 10,400. Many were quartered in tents. The 10,400 figure is believed to have been underestimated.

Opened: From August until September 1944. Temporary POW Camp to replace the original Stalag Luft VI, which was closed in July 1944 after complaints by the Red Cross.

Camp Description: In summer 1944, Stalag Luft 6 in the East was closed, not only because of complaints from the International Red Cross but also because of the Russian pressure against the Germans along the Russian front. The POWs of Luft 6 were transported to the new Luft 4. Luft 4 opened on May 12 with up to 6500 POWs living here. Once the camp was full, allied officers were taken to the Luft 1 and 3 like before. Enlisted men were taken to Luft 4 near Grosstychow and to the brand new Stalag Luft 6 in the west of German Reich at St. Wendel.

557

TIM BARLOW

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Jack’s, and the crew’s, Decorations

1939 - 45 Star

Terms: The star was awarded for six months service on active operations for Army and Navy, and two months for active aircrew between 02 September 1939 and 08 May 1945 (Europe) or 02 September 1945 (Pacific).

Bar: Battle of Britain: This bar was awarded to those members of the crews of fighter aircraft who took part in the Battle of Britain between 10 July and 31 October 1940.

Ribbon: The ribbon consists of three equal stripes: dark blue, red and light blue (Representing the Navy, Army and Air Force).

559

TIM BARLOW Aircrew Europe Star

Terms: The Star was awarded for two months of operational flying from the UK over Europe between 03 September 1939 and 05 June 1944. It was not awarded after D-Day. The Aircrew Europe Star may not be awarded until the 1939-1945 Star has been qualified for by 60 days service in an air operational unit. The total requirement to earn both stars is four months (120 days). A crewman was not awarded this medal if he was killed in action or shot down and made P.O.W. before he reached 60 days.

Bars: If later entitled to a second or third star, its bar would be worn: ATLANTIC or FRANCE AND GERMANY Ribbon: The ribbon is light blue with black edges with narrow yellow stripes between the blue and black (representing continuous service by day and night).

Because of the average life spans of aircrew and the nature of the war, this Star is the rarest of the three awarded. It seems that Jack and his crew should not have qualified for this medal?

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN 1939-45 War Medal

Terms: The War Medal was awarded to all full-time personnel of the armed forces and merchant marines for serving for 28 days between 03 September 1939 and 02 September 1945.

Description: A circular, (.800 fine) silver medal, 1.42 inches in diameter. The British issue medals were made of cupro-nickel.

Obverse: The obverse shows the crowned coinage effigy of King George VI, facing left, and the legend GEORGIVS VI D: BR: OMN: REX ET INDIAE IMP: Reverse: The reverse device shows a lion standing wanton on the body of a double-headed dragon. The dragon's heads are those of an eagle and a dragon to signify the principal occidental and oriental enemies. At the top, just right of centre are the dates 1939/1945 in two lines.

Mounting: A plain, straight non-swivelling suspender with a single-toe claw.

Ribbon: The ribbon is 1.25 inches wide and consists of 7 coloured stripes: red, dark blue, white, narrow red (centre), white, dark blue, and red.

561

TIM BARLOW

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN The real cost of war

This section will list all the country's that fought or were fought over during World War II. Eventually each country will also be described in a fair amount of detail as to what role they played, be it as one of the Allies, as part of the Axis, or in some cases both. Neutral countries will also be described, but only in so far as their impact on military conflict.

Albania Status: Independent (1938) Type of Government: Monarchy Religion: 66% Muslim and 34% Christian Alignment (1938 - 1945): Italian Colony 10th Apr 1939 - 8th Sep Population: 1,500,000 (1938) 1943 Albanians - 1,300,000 Occupied by Germany Casualties (1939 - 1945): Unknown Greeks - 100,000 8th Sep 1943 - ?? Dec Macedonians - 100,000 1944 Civil War ?? Dec 1944 - Jul 1945 Australia Status: Dominion of the British Commonwealth Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 - 1945): Population: 7,700,000 (1939) Allied Partner Casualties (1939 - 1945): Australians 7,625,000 3rd Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep Soldiers (Allied) - 31,200 Killed Aboriginal - 75,000 1945 Belgium Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 10th May Casualties (1940 - 1945): Population: 8,367,000 (1939) 1940 Soldiers (Allied) - 9,096 Killed Flemish - 4,800,000 Allied Partner Soldiers (Axis) - 11,000 Killed Walloons - 3,200,000 10th May 1940 - 28th Resistance - 16,000 Killed Germans - 300,000 May 1940 Civilians - 30,500 Killed Jews - 67,000 Occupied by Germany Jews - 29,000 Killed 28th May 1940 - 2nd Sep 1944 Allied Partner 563

TIM BARLOW 2nd Sep 1944 - 8th May 1945 Brazil Status: Independent Type of Government: Democracy Religion: Christian

Population: 41,000,000 (1942) Portuguese - 26,650,000 Mulattos and Negroes 14,350,000

Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 22nd Aug Casualties (1942 - 1945): 1942 Soldiers (Allied) - 948 Killed Allied Partner 22nd Aug 1942 - 7th May 1945

Bulgaria Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 1st Mar Casualties (1941 - 1945): Population: 6,200,000 (1939) 1941 Soldiers (Axis) - 3,000 Killed Bulgars - 5,475,000 Axis Partner Soldiers (Allied) - 9,000 Killed Turks - 620,000 1st Mar 1941 - 8th Sep Partisans - 1,000 Killed Jews - 63,000 1944 Civilians - 3,000 Killed Remainder - 42,000 Soviet Satellite Soviet Occupation - 40,000 Killed 8th Sep 1944 - 7th May 1945 Canada Status: Dominion of the British Commonwealth Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Population : 11,500,000 (1939) British - 8,000,000 French - 3,000,000 Aboriginals - 500,000

Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 10th Sep 1939 Allied Partner 10th Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 44,893 Killed

China Status: Independent Type of Government: Warlord Alliance Religion: Various Population: 450,000,000 (1931) Chinese - 447,000,000

Alignment (1937 - 1945): Isolated war with Japan 7th Jul 1937 - 7th Dec 1941 Allied Partner

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Nationalist) - 1,500,000 Killed Soldiers (Communist) - 500,000

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Tibetans - 3,000,000

7th Sep 1941 - 2nd Sep 1945

Killed Civilians - 11,500,000 Killed

Denmark Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 - 1945): Casualties (1939 - 1945): Neutral Soldiers (Neutral) - 13 Killed Population: 4,100,000 (1939) 1st Sep 1939 - 9th Apr Soldiers (Axis) - 4,000 Killed Danes - 4,094,000 1940 Soldiers (Allied) - 1,886 Killed Jews - 6,000 Occupied by Germany Resistance - 1,300 Killed 9th Apr 1940 - 4th May Civilians - 4,000 Killed 1945 Jews - 400 Killed Estonia Status: Independent Type of Government: Dictatorship Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 16th Jun 1940 Casualties (1939 - 1945): Occupied by Soviet Soldiers (Neutral) - 200 Killed Population: 1,134,500 (1939) Union Soldiers (Axis) - 5,000 Killed Estonians - 1,000,000 16th Jun 1940 - 27th Jul Soldiers (Allied) - 2,000 Killed Russians - 100,000 1941 Partisans - 1,000 Killed Volksdeutsch - 30,000 Axis Satellite Civilians - 2,800 Killed Jews - 4,500 27th Jul 1941 - 22nd Sep Jews - 2,000 Killed 1944 Soviet Occupation - 62,000 Killed Occupied by Soviet Union 22nd Sep 1944 - 7th May 1945 Finland Status: Independent Type of Government: Democracy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral Population: 4,000,000 (1939) 1st Sep 1939 - 16th Jun 1940 Finns - 3,598,000 Axis Partner Swedes - 400,000 29th Jun 1941 - 7th Sep 1944 Jews - 2,000 Neutral 7th Sep 1944 - 8th May 1945 France Status: Independent 565

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Neutral) - 26,923 Killed Soldiers (Axis) - 55,000 Killed Civilians - 3,000 Killed

TIM BARLOW Type of Government: Democracy Religion: Christian

Population: 40,800,000 (1939) French - 38,890,000 Germans - 1,500,000 Jews - 300,000 Russians - 100,000 Italians - 10,000

Alignment (1939 - 1945): Casualties (1939 - 1945): Allied Partner Soldiers (Allied) - 132,437 Killed 3rd Sep 1939 - 25th Jun Soldiers (Axis) - 19,500 Killed 1940 Soldiers (POW's) - 60,000 Killed Occupied by Germany Resistance - 107,000 Killed 25th Jun 1940 - 25th Aug Civilians - 79,000 Killed 1944 Jews - 77,000 Killed Allied Partner German Occupation - 26,000 Killed 25th Aug 1944 - 8th May Gypsies - 18,000 Killed 1945

Germany Status: Independent Type of Government: Dictatorship Religion: Christian Population: 73,000,000 (1938) Germans - 70,990,000 Poles - 1,000,000 Jews - 707,000 Russians - 200,000 Danes - 30,000 Gypsies - 28,000 Wends - 20,000 Frisians - 15,000 Lithuanians - 10,000

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Alignment (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Axis) - 3,350,000 Killed Axis Partner Civilians - 3,043,000 Killed 1st Sep 1939 - 8th May Jews - 205,500 Killed 1945 Gypsies - 20,000 Killed

Great Britain and Northern Ireland Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Population: 46,000,000 (1939) English - 38,000,000 Scots - 4,000,000 Welsh - 2,500,000 N. Irish - 1,500,000

Alignment (1939 - 1945): Casualties (1939 - 1945): Allied Partner Soldiers (Allied) - 298,950 Killed 3rd Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep Civilians - 64,000 Killed 1945

Greece Status: Independent Type of Government: Dictatorship Religion: Christian Population: 7,460,00 (1939) Greeks - 6,900,000 Turks - 190,000 Vlachs - 150,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 28th Oct

Casualties (1940 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 17,200 Killed Soldiers (Axis) - 2,000 Killed Civilians - 362,000 Killed

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Macedonians - 81,000 Jews - 78,000 Chams - 30,000 Bulgars - 30,000

1940 Jews - 67,000 Killed Allied Partner Resistance - 55,000 Killed 28th Oct 1940 - 23rd Apr 1941 Occupied by Italy, Germany, Bulgaria 23rd Apr 1941 - 18th Sep 1944 Civil War 28th Oct 1940 - 7th May 1945

Hungary Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Population: 8,000,000 (1937) Magyars - 6,800,000 Volksdeutsch - 560,000 Szeklers - 400,000 Jews - 400,000 Slovaks - 160,000

Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral Casualties (1940 - 1945): 1st Sep 1939 - 20th Nov Soldiers (Axis) - 237,000 Killed 1940 Civilians - 100,000 Killed Axis Partner Jews - 268,000 Killed 20th Nov 1940 - 7th May Gypsies - 28,000 Killed 1945

Iceland Status: Danish Possession Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian

Population: 140,000 (1939) Icelanders - 140,000

Alignment (1939 - 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 9th Apr Casualties (1940 - 1945): 1940 Unknown Allied Partner 9th Apr 1940 - 4th May 1945

India Status: British Dominion Type of Government: British Administration Religion: Hindu and Moslem (Majority)

Population: 384,000,000 (1939) Indians - 384,000,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Allied Partner 3rd Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 36,092 Killed Soldiers (Axis) - 2,615 Killed Civilians - 1,500,000 Killed

Italy Status: Independent Type of Government: Dictatorship 567

TIM BARLOW Religion: Christian Population: 40,000,000 (1939) Italians - 37,600,000 Friulis - 1,000,000 Sardinians - 1,000,000 Volksdeutsch - 200,000 Slovenians - 60,000 Croats - 60,000 French - 50,000 Catalans - 15,000 Greeks - 15,000 Albanians - 15,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 11th Jun 1940 Axis Partner 11th Jun 1940 - 8th Sep 1943 Occupied by Germany 8th Sep 1943 - 2nd May 1945

Casualties (1940 - 1945): Soldiers (Axis) - 200,000 Killed Soldiers (Allied) - 69,729 Killed Partisans - 65,000 - Killed Civilians - 144,000 Killed Jews - 4,500 Killed

Japan Status: Independent Type of Government: Oligarchy Religion: Buddhist

Population: 73,000,000 (1931) Japanese - 73,000,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral Casualties (1941 - 1945): 1st Sep 1939 - 7th Dec Soldiers (Axis) - 1,926,500 Killed 1941 Civilians - 393,000 Killed Axis Partner 7th Dec 1941 - 2nd Sep 1945

Luxembourg Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian

Population: 290,000 (1939) Luxembourger's - 288,000 Jews - 2,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 10th May 1940 Occupied by Germany 15th May 1940 - Sep 1945 Allied Partner Sep 1944 - 7th May 1945

Casualties (1940 - 1945): Soldiers (Axis) - 4,000 Killed Civilians - 5,000 Killed Jews - 1,000 Killed

Netherlands Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Population: 8,900,000 (1939) Alignment (1939 -

Casualties (1939 - 1945):

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Dutch - 8,460,000 Frisians - 300,000 Jews - 140,000

1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 14,900 Killed Neutral Soldiers (Axis) - 10,000 Killed 1st Sep 1939 - 10th May Resistance - 5,500 Killed 1940 Civilians - 38,000 Killed Allied Partner Jews - 102,000 Killed 10th May 1940 - 15th May 1940 Occupied by Germany 15th May 1940 - 7th May 1945 Allied Partner 8th May 1945 - 2nd Sep 1945

New Zealand Status: Dominion of the British Commonwealth Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 Population: 1,700,000 (1939) 1945): New Zealanders - 1,605,000 Allied Partner Maori - 95,000 3rd Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 13,075 Killed

Norway Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral Population: 3,100,000 (1939) 1st Sep 1939 - 9th Norwegians - 3,098,300 Apr 1940 Jews - 1,700 Occupied by Germany 9th Apr 1940 - 4th May 1945

Casualties (1940 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 4,790 Killed Soldiers (Axis) - 3,024 Killed Resistance - 1,481 Killed Civilians - 1,000 Killed Jews - 762 Killed

Poland Status: Independent Type of Government: Dictatorship Religion: Christian Population: 34,325,000 (1939) Poles - 24,358,000 Ukrainians - 4,857,000 Jews - 2,880,000 Byelorussians - 1,100,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Allied Partner 1st Sep 1939 - 29th Sep 1939 Occupied by

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 320,000 Killed Soldiers (Axis) - 35,000 Killed Partisans - 97,000 - Killed Civilians - 2,900,000 Killed Jews - 2,500,000 Killed 569

TIM BARLOW Volksdeutsch - 794,000 Gypsies - 36,000 Remainder - 300,000

Germany Gypsies - 24,000 Killed 29th Sep 1939 - 17th Jan 1945 Allied Partner 17th Jan 1945 - 8th May 1945

Romania Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Population: 17,400,000 (1939) Romanians - 12,840,000 Hungarians - 1,400,000 Ukrainians - 780,000 Volksdeutsch - 750,000 Jews - 728,000 Bulgars - 366,000 Gypsies - 260,000 Turks - 177,000 Remainder - 99,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 23rd Nov 1940 Axis Partner 23rd Nov 1940 - 23rd Aug 1944 Soviet Satellite 25th Aug 1944 - 7th May 1945

Casualties (1940 - 1945): Soldiers (Axis) - 306,000 Killed Soldiers (Allied) - 64,000 Killed Civilians - 5,000 Killed Jews - 420,000 - Killed Gypsies - 36,000 - Killed Soviet Occupation - 75,000 Killed

South Africa and Namibia Status: Dominion of the British Commonwealth Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Population: 11,400,000 (1939) Natives - 9,000,000 Afrikaners - 1,200,000 British - 1,000,000 Other - 200,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Allied Partner 6th Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 3,863 Killed

Sweden Status: Independent Type of Government: Democratic Monarchy Religion: Christian Alignment (1939 Population: 6,500,000 (1939) 1945): Swedes - 6.497,000 Neutral Lapps - 3,000 1st Sep 1939 - 2nd Sep 1945 Thailand Status: Independent Type of Government: Monarchic Dictatorship Religion: Buddhist

Casualties (1939 - 1945): Soldiers (Axis) - 45 Killed

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

Population: 17,000,000 (1939) Thais - 15,300,000 Chinese - 1,000,000 Malay - 500,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 8th Dec 1941 Axis Partner 8th Dec 1941 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1940 - 1945): Unknown

United States of America (USA) Status: Independent Type of Government: Democracy Religion: Christian Population: 131,000,000 (1939) British - 36,000,000 German - 32,500,000 Irish - 18,000,000 African - 14,500,000 Italian - 10,000,000 Other - 20,000,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 8th Dec 1941 Allied Partner 8th Dec 1941 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1941 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 408,200 Killed Civilians - 1,000 Killed

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Status: Independent Type of Government: Communist Religion: Atheist Population: 190,000,000 (1939) Russians - 100,000,000 Ukrainians - 15,400,000 Uzbekis - 10,000,000 Kazakhs - 5,000,000 Byelorussians - 4,400,000 Azerbaijanis - 2,500,000 Tajiks - 2,500,000 Georgians - 2,100,000 Turkmen - 2,000,000 Jews - 1,907,000 Kyrgyz - 1,500,000 Armenians - 1,300,000 Kabardins - 700,000 Ossetians - 600,000 Chechens - 350,000 Volksdeutsch - 340,000 Tatars - 300,000 Bulgars - 200,000 Greeks - 125,000

Alignment (1939 1945): Neutral 1st Sep 1939 - 22nd Jun 1941 Allied Partner 22nd Jun 1941 - 8th May 1945 Neutral 8th May 1945 - 9th Aug 1945 Allied Partner 9th Aug 1945 - 2nd Sep 1945

Casualties (1941 - 1945): Soldiers (Allied) - 13,300,000 Killed Soldiers (Axis) - 408,000 Killed Civilians - 6,500,000 Killed Jews - 1,000,000 Killed

571

TIM BARLOW Gagaus - 100,000 Others - 38,678,000

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

Rupert Brooke (1887-1915)

If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England's, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blessed by the suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away, A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given, Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts a peace, under an English heaven.

573

TIM BARLOW The crew of LM325

Jack Osborne

Ron Cooper

Ted Williams (survivor)

Vin Sugden

Roy Waterhouse Roy Waterhouse

Beavan Tomkins

Ted Smith Ted Smith

“For your tomorrow, we gave our today” – unknown Allied soldier, World War II.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

575

TIM BARLOW

The Osborne family grave in Hindley after a little cleaning. On Jack’s death Edith had the marble carving laid with Robert’s grave. It reads, “In loving memory of Sgt Engineer J Osborne No 1539830 RAF. Shot down over Nijmegen on 23rd June 1943. Interred at Uden Military Cemetery, Holland. He died that we may live. A token of love from Mother and Sister”. On Edith’s death Doris added both names to the gravestone.

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN

Simon, this is for you.

577

TIM BARLOW

EIGHT MINUTES TO BEUNINGEN Index

101 Squadron 101 Squadron Operation Record Book 1950 Memorial Ceremony A day in the life of Wireless Operator A.V.Roe Lancaster Bomber Ab Bruisten Acknowledgements Battle of the Ruhr Beavan Tomkins Beavan Tomkins’ grave Beavan Tomkins’ service records Beavan Tomkins’ surviving medal and ring Beavan Tomkins' letters home Beuningen Beuningen Liberation Ceremonies Beuningen Police Report of 23rd June 1943 Beuningen Silent March Bomber Command Campaign Diary Corkscrew Manouevre Dedication Eight Minutes to Beuningen Engineer Brevet Harry Chisnall Invaluable Sources and Resources Jack Osborne Jack Osborne's grave Jack Osborne's letters home Jack Osborne's Logbook Jack Osborne's Medals Jack Osborne's Service Records Laraine Sugden LM325 SRJ Lancaster Aircrew LM325 - Final Eight Minutes LM325 – Crew Of LM325 - Pieces Of LM325 - U-Bar LM325 Crew's operational records LM325 Propellor Memorial Lost Love Nickels Norman Ashton Pam Williams Peter Ronald Cooper Only Birds and Fools Pilot & Engineer Notes Places of Interest in the UK Prisoner of War RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor RAF Ludford Magna RAFVR Notice Papers Reynolds. F.G - a narrow escape Reynolds. F.G - Lacking Moral Fibre?

Reynolds. F.G - letter to Cooper's parents

579

55, 423 99 186 64 495 202 6 115 97, 337 223, 375, 488 340 375 349 205 213, 485 137 213 109 65 6 131 36 277 491 9, 13, 87 168, 224, 487 77 44 199 51 553 64 233 532 221, 227, 268, 376, 381, 407, 423, 434, 267 85 211 417 316 13,28, 82, 497 243, 492 383 497 138 11 265 56 58, 423 31 471 471 397

TIM BARLOW

Ronald Cooper Ronald Cooper's grave Ronald Cooper's letters home Ronald Cooper's Machine Gun notes Ronald Cooper's medals Roy Waterhouse Roy Waterhouse's grave Spiritual Homecoming Sallie Davies Shirley Nicholas Stalag Luft VI Sweetheart Wings Ted Smith Ted Smith's poetry Ted Smith's grave Ted Smith's letters home Ted Smith's Logbook Ted Williams Ted Williams letter to Ivy May Smith Ted Williams letter to Mrs Tomkins Ted Williams recalls: Ton and Diny Las Vin Sugden Vin Sugden's grave Werner Baake

93, 222, 491 394 385 306 85, 409 217, 488 423 337 409 265, 523 37 95, 297 320 223, 327 310 299 89, 200, 247 329 368 237, 270 235 91, 377 222, 489 126, 477