CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
ABBOTT |
First Name/s: |
R C |
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Service No/s: |
R282776 |
Service: |
RCAF |
Branch: |
Air Gunner |
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Awards: |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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Enlisted as AC2 |
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No.10 Bombing & Gunnery School, Mount Pleasant, PEI |
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Embarked Canada |
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Disembarked UK |
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No.3 (RCAF) Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth (tbc) |
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No.85 Operational Training Unit, Husbands Bosworth |
Wellington |
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No.1668 Heavy Conversion Unit, Bottesford |
Lancaster |
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Embarked UK |
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Disembarked Canada |
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01 Feb 1945 |
No.576 Squadron ‘B’ Flight, Fiskerton. Date tbc |
Lancaster |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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07 Feb 1945 |
RA516 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
7h55 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Loaded night cross-country navigation |
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09 Feb 1945 |
ME801 |
UL-N2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h00 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation; bombing |
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16 Feb 1945 |
ME671 |
UL-V2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h35 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) runs |
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17 Feb 1945 |
NN806 |
UL-M2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h45 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation |
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20 Feb 1945 |
PD271 |
UL-T2 |
DORTMUND |
2145 |
0410 |
6h25 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Rhenania Ossag oil refinery, Reisholz district. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 1604x4lb incendiaries. Attacked by an unidentified aircraft; the pilot took corkscrew evasive action and the attack was broken off. No damage or injuries sustained. |
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21 Feb 1945 |
NG273 |
UL-Y2 |
DUISBERG |
1945 |
0135 |
5h50 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area and docks. Sighted four jet fighters but not attacked. |
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23 Feb 1945 |
NG273 |
UL-Y2 |
PFORZHEIM |
1555 |
2355 |
8h00 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation THUNDERCLAP. Target: Built-up area and ball bearing factory around 4852N 00842E |
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26 Feb 1945 |
RA514 |
UL-R2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
4h30 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation |
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27 Feb 1945 |
LM294 |
UL-P2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h45 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation; bombing; air-to-sea firing |
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28 Feb 1945 |
LM294 |
UL-P2 |
NEUSS |
0855 |
1150 |
3h55 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy ground positions. All aircraft were recalled at 0945 as enemy forces were too close to our own Army or had already been captured by the Allies. 4000 lb ‘Cookie’ jettisoned at sea. |
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01 Mar 1945 |
LM294 |
UL-D2 |
MANNHEIM |
1200 |
1815 |
6h15 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Described as 'quiet' by Haywood. |
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05 Mar 1945 |
PD271 |
UL-T2 |
CHEMNITZ |
1655 |
0200 |
9h05 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation THUNDERCLAP. Target: Built-up area. Haywood described the raid; 'Flak - holed in several places - thru bomb bay near nav with full load'. |
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07 Mar 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
DESSAU |
1715 |
0225 |
9h10 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. 'Very heavy flak in Ruhr'. |
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07 Mar 1945 |
ME671 |
UL-Z2 |
Air Test |
nk |
nk |
0h55 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Pre-op air test |
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08 Mar 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
KASSEL |
1715 |
0045 |
7h30 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. 'Quiet trip'. |
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11 Mar 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
ESSEN |
1135 |
1700 |
6h25 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Flown in support of advancing Allied ground forces. Described by Haywood as a 'Gift - good prang'. |
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23 Mar 1945 |
LM294 |
UL-P2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h05 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
High-level bombing; 'Y' (H2S runs); air-to-sea firing. |
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24 Mar 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
DORTMUND |
1310 |
1820 |
5h10 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Harpenerweg oil refinery. |
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27 Mar 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
PADERBORN |
1455 |
1940 |
5h45 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built up area and enemy troop positions. Flown in support of the US Army surrounding the ‘Ruhr Pocket’. Described as 'another gift' by Haywood. |
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31 Mar 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
HAMBURG |
0625 |
1130 |
5h05 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Blohm & Voss U-Boat building & engineering yards. 'Flak' |
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03 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
NORDHAUSEN |
1315 |
1935 |
6h20 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: SS Barracks, bridges, and V2 rocket factory. Haywood described the trip as, 'Bombing a shambles. Very bad icing'. |
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05 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
LUTZKENDORF |
2120 |
0520 |
8h00 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Wintershall AG synthetic oil refinery. |
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09 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q2 |
KIEL |
1905 |
0125 |
6h20 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Shipping, Deutsche-Werke U-boat yards & industrial centre on E side of Kiel Harbour. The heavy cruiser ‘Admiral Scheer’ was sunk in dock. Haywood noted, 'Searchlights and heavy flak'. |
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11 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h15 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Air test and high-level bombing. |
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14 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
CUXHAVEN |
1935 |
0015 |
4h40 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Harbour area. Flown as a diversion to the main BC attack on Potsdam. |
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18 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
HELIGOLAND |
0955 |
1420 |
5h25 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Naval base, submarine repair yards, airfield & built-up area. 'Good prang' |
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20 Apr 1945 |
RA594 |
UL-V |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h50 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Low-level map-reading cross-country navigation |
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22 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
BREMEN |
1525 |
2010 |
5h45 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Focke-Wulf aircraft factory and enemy troop concentrations. Flown in support of the British XXX Corps attacking the city. The Master Bomber cancelled mission due to cloud cover over target and instructed crews to bring bombs back. |
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23 Apr 1945 |
PD271 |
UL-T |
Training |
nk |
nk |
0h40 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Sack dropping from 300 ft in preparation for Operation MANNA. |
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25 Apr 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
BERCHTESGARTEN |
0520 |
1305 |
8h45 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ complex & SS barracks. Squadron’s final bombing raid of the War. Described by Haywood as a 'shambles' but 'nice scenery'. |
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04 May 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
VALKENBURG AIRFIELD |
1130 |
1415 |
3h45 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. Dropping food supplies for the starving Dutch civilians. |
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07 May 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
ROTTERDAM |
1200 |
1520 |
3h20 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation MANNA. Dropping food supplies for the starving Dutch civilians. |
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11 May 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
FISKERTON – BRUSSELS B58 |
1115 |
nk |
nk |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation EXODUS: bringing Allied POWs home. On EXODUS flights, the crews carried only one Air Gunner, normally the rear gunner, who occupied the mid-upper turret and was responsible for the safe loading of the 20+ passengers. Positioning flight to Brussels Melsbroek (B58) Airport. |
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11 May 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
BRUSSELS - FORD |
nk |
nk |
uk |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation EXODUS. Bringing Allied POWs back to the UK. Take-off delayed due to engine problem. |
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11 May 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
FORD - FISKERTON |
nk |
2050 |
nk |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Operation EXODUS. Return to base. Total flight time for all three legs was 3h50. |
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15 May 1945 |
RA563 |
UL-Q |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h25 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) runs; high-level bombing. |
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19 May 1945 |
LM294 |
UL-P |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h05 |
P1 Fg Off G. Haywood RCAF |
NOTES: |
Formation flying (three aircraft). Wireless Operator not confirmed - possibly Sgt A Milward |
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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 |
