Carpe Diem - 576 Squadron RAF - The Crews

CREW MEMBER PROFILE
Surname:	WILKINSON		First Name/s:	Joseph

Service No/s:	1590798	Service:	RAFVR	Branch:	Air Gunner

Awards:	1939-1945 Star, France & Germany Star, 1939-1945 War Medal

Return

Date	Event	Aircraft Flown
SERVICE RECORDS
11 Jan 1943 11 Jan 1943	Applied to join the RAF, underwent his aircrew medical and was recommended tor training as Aircrew Hand, Wireless Operator, or Air Gunner.
18 Jan 1943 18 Jan 1943	Enlisted at the Air Crew Selection Board, Doncaster as AC2.
19 Jan 1943 19 Jan 1943	Transferred to the Reserve pending a training slot.
12 Apr 1943 12 Apr 1943	Called up and sent to No.1 Air Crew Receiving Centre, St John's Wood, London.
01 May 1943 01 May 1943	No.19 Initial Training Wing, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
08 Jul 1943 08 Jul 1943	No.2 Radio School, Yatesbury, Wiltshire for Wireless Operator Training. Was probably promoted to LAC on completion of ITW, although this is not indicated in his Service Record.
29 Oct 1943 29 Oct 1943	Air Crew Allocation Centre, Eastchurch, Kent, for re-mustering
11 Nov 1943 11 Nov 1943	Recommended for training as an Air Gunner
17 Nov 1943 17 Nov 1943	Elementary Air Gunner's School, Bridlington, Yorkshire, for Air Gunner training (theory).
28 Jan 1944 28 Jan 1944	No.11 Air Gunnery School, Andreas, Isle of Man, re-mustering as an Air Gunner and undergoing flying training.	Anson
23 Mar 1944 23 Mar 1944	Awarded Air Gunner (AG) Badge and promoted to Sergeant.
11 Apr 1944 11 Apr 1944	No.28 Operational Training Unit., Wymeswold, Leicestershire. It would be here that he joined a crew, but it is uncertain whose crew he joined.	Wellington
26 Jun 1944 26 Jun 1944	No.11 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire, for onward posting to a Heavy Conversion Unit (probably 1656, 1662 or 1667 HCUs) and possibly Lancaster Finishing School (also tbc).
25 Aug 1944 25 Aug 1944	No.576 Squadron, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire. Presumably he arrived with a crew but which one cannot be ascertained.	Lancaster
12 Sep 1944 12 Sep 1944	Lost in operations over Frankfurt, aged 20	Lancaster

Date	Aircraft	Code	Flight Details	T/O	Land	Flt Time	Crew
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS
12 Sep 1944	ME854	UL-D²	FRANKFURT	1835	FTR	nk	P1 Fg Off A.J. Aldridge P2 FE Sgt A.R. Lewendon AB Sgt A.R. Giles RAAF NAV WO2 R.B. Rennie RCAF WOp Sgt S. Ormondroyd MUG Sgt J. Wilkinson RG Sgt M.F. Nelson RCAF
NOTES:	Target: Marshalling Yards. Load: 10x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs. UL-D2 opened attack as Supporter with UL-A2, one of two aircraft from 576 Squadron briefed to act as Pathfinder Assistants. ME854 was probably shot down by an enemy nightfighter on it's way to the target, however there is still uncertainty as to the cause. There are two possibilities for the fate of the aircraft, however it does seem probable that the aircraft was hit by flak some time before it was downed. This comes from the report of a German flak battery. Originally, it was believed that the aircraft had collided with another Lancaster, PD262 of 218 Squadron. This is based on an eyewitness account and the fact that the wreckage of both aircraft and their crews were found in exactly the same location in Gundersheim. It later became apparent from Luftwaffe records that Hptm. Martin Becker, flying a Bf-110, claimed two Lancasters shot down at 2245 and 2253 that night. There appear to be only two aircraft lost in that area so it can be assumed that the two aircraft claimed by Becker were ME854 and PD262. His second claim for that night stated that the Lancaster had been 'coned' and already damaged with numerous holes in the fuselage and tail empennage, however it remains uncertain whether this aircraft was ME854 or PD262.

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