CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
WATKINS |
First Name/s: |
John Noel |
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Service No/s: |
1669242 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Air Gunner |
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Awards: |
SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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25 Jul 1935 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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25 Nov 1943 |
Joined 576 Sqn at Elsham Wolds, Linconshire |
Auto loaded with initial creation of profile |
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11 May 1945 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
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03 Apr 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X2 |
Training |
1540 |
2100 |
5h20 |
P1 Plt Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise and practice bombing on the range. |
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03 Apr 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X2 |
Training |
1540 |
2100 |
5h20 |
P1 Plt Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise and practice bombing on the range. |
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06 Apr 1945 |
NG273 |
UL-Y |
Training |
1240 |
1535 |
2h55 |
P1 Plt Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
High level practice bombing on the range and air-to-sea firing. |
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07 Apr 1945 |
UL-B |
Training |
1425 |
1520 |
0h55 |
P1 Plt Off K. Fry |
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NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. |
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18 Apr 1945 |
ME801 |
UL-N |
HELIGOLAND |
1015 |
1455 |
4h40 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Target: Naval base, submarine repair yards, airfield & built-up area. Load: 12x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
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20 Apr 1945 |
NN806 |
UL-M |
Training |
1420 |
1450 |
0h30 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Practice sack dropping in preparation for Operation MANNA, the provision by air of supplies for the starving Dutch population. |
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22 Apr 1945 |
PA307 |
UL-W2 |
BREMEN |
1525 |
2040 |
5h15 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Target: Focke-Wulf aircraft factory and enemy troop concentrations. Flown in support of the British XXX Corps attacking the city. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 8x 500lb bombs. The Master Bomber aborted the attack due to extensive cloud cover which obscured the target. Crews were instructed to bring their bombs back, but the less experienced crews jettisoned their bombload at sea. |
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24 Apr 1945 |
RF197 |
UL-F2 |
Training |
1410 |
1730 |
3h20 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Low-level map-reading cross-country navigation exercise. |
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25 Apr 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X |
BERCHTESGARTEN |
0535 |
1350 |
8h15 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Target: Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ complex & SS barracks. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 4x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs. |
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29 Apr 1945 |
PA175 |
UL-K2 |
VALKENBURG AIRFIELD |
1155 |
1500 |
3h05 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. The dropping of emergency supplies to the starving Dutch population. Load: 4 'blocks'. |
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30 Apr 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
DELFT AIRFIELD |
1505 |
1820 |
3h15 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. The dropping of emergency supplies to the starving Dutch people. Load: 4 'blocks'. |
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02 May 1945 |
PA307 |
UL-W2 |
ROTTERDAM |
1310 |
1605 |
2h55 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. The dropping of emergency supplies to the starving Dutch people. Load: 4x 'blocks'. |
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03 May 1945 |
PA307 |
UL-W2 |
VALKENBURG AIRFIELD |
1030 |
1330 |
3h00 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. The dropping of emergency supplies to the starving Dutch people. Load: 4x 'blocks'. |
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05 May 1945 |
RA514 |
UL-R |
ROTTERDAM |
0655 |
0935 |
2h40 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. The dropping of emergency supplies to the starving Dutch people. Load: 4x 'blocks'. |
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08 May 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
ROTTERDAM |
1215 |
1520 |
3h05 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA; the dropping of emergency supplies to the starving Dutch people. Load: 4x 'blocks'. |
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11 May 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X |
FISKERTON TO BRUSSELS B58 |
1150 |
1335 |
1h45 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation EXODUS: positioning flight to Brussels Melsbroek B58. *On EXODUS flights, the crews carried only one gunner, normally the Rear Gunner who flew in the mid-upper turret. |
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11 May 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X |
BRUSSELS B58 – FORD |
nk |
nk |
1h15 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation EXODUS *On EXODUS flighths, the crews carried only one gunner, normally the Rear Gunner who flew in the mid-upper turret Load: 24 passengers |
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11 May 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X |
FORD – FISKERTON |
1705 |
1755 |
0h50 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Operation EXODUS *On EXODUS flights, the crews carried only one gunner, normally the Rear Gunner who flew in the mid-upper turret |
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17 May 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h10 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) simulated bombing attacks on Leicester. |
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19 May 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h10 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Three-aircraft formation flying. |
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29 May 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
2200 |
0150 |
3h50 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise. |
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11 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
0020 |
0145 |
1h25 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Practice high-level bombing at the Lee Marsh Range. |
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12 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
2100 |
0440 |
7h40 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise. |
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14 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
2300 |
0315 |
4h15 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise. |
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25 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
FLENSBURG |
0650 |
1150 |
5h00 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Exercise POST MORTEM 1: A test of the German air defence radar system. |
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26 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
1525 |
1645 |
1h20 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Air-to-sea firing. |
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27 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Test flight |
1315 |
1340 |
0h25 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Rigging test. |
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27 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
1430 |
1800 |
3h30 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise and air-to-sea firing. |
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29 Jun 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
FLENSBURG |
1015 |
1550 |
5h35 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Exercise POST MORTEM II; test of the German air defence radar network. |
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01 Jul 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
FLENSBURG |
1210 |
1750 |
5h40 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Exercise POST MORTEM III; test of the German air defence radar network. |
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03 Jul 1945 |
RA514 |
UL-R |
Training |
1010 |
1320 |
3h10 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. |
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04 Jul 1945 |
RA587 |
UL-U |
FLENSBURG |
1310 |
1835 |
5h25 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Exercise POST MORTEM V; test of the German air defence radar network. |
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22 Jul 1945 |
PB753 |
UL-X |
Incendiary disposal |
1645 |
1815 |
1h30 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Dropping 10,000 lb of incendiaries in the North Sea. |
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25 Jul 1945 |
NF976 |
UL-Z |
Incendiary disposal |
1645 |
1800 |
1h15 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Dropping incendiaries in the North Sea. |
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25 Jul 1945 |
NF976 |
UL-Z |
Incendiary disposal |
nk |
nk |
1h20 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Dropping incendiaries in the North Sea. Second sortie of the day |
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25 Jul 1945 |
NF976 |
UL-Z |
Incendiary disposal |
nk |
nk |
1h25 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Dropping incendiaries in the North Sea. Third sortie of the day. |
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26 Jul 1945 |
ME862 |
UL-J2 |
Training |
1355 |
1430 |
0h35 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. |
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27 Jul 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
Training |
0925 |
1000 |
0h35 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. |
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27 Jul 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
Training |
1310 |
1540 |
2h30 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
High-level practice bombing. |
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30 Jul 1945 |
RA587 |
UL-U |
Training |
0045 |
0140 |
0h55 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Night fighter affiliation. |
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02 Aug 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
1030 |
1250 |
2h20 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Loop homing and circuits. Burst tyre. |
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02 Aug 1945 |
RA587 |
UL-U |
Training |
1830 |
0020 |
5h50 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Night exercise 'BULLSEYE' |
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04 Aug 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Incendiary disposal |
1515 |
1720 |
2h05 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Dropping 6,000 lb of incendiaries in Cardigan Bay. |
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13 Aug 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Incendiary disposal |
1245 |
1455 |
2h10 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Dropping 6,000 lb of incendiaries in Cardigan Bay. |
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01 Sep 1945 |
NX562 |
UL-F |
Transit Woodbridge to Fiskerton |
1445 |
1605 |
1h20 |
P1 Fg Off K. Fry |
NOTES: |
Woodbridge to Fiskerton. The crew had positioned as passengers to Woodbridge on RA563 with the G M Henderson crew to collect NX562 which had been under repair since diverting in on 24 Aug 45. Crew names to be confirmed. |
PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public |
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public |