CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
||||||
Surname: |
WOODFINE |
First Name/s: |
Wilfred |
|||
|
||||||
Service No/s: |
1430570 138081 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Navigator |
|
|
||||||
Awards: |
1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star (France & Germany clasp), Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal |
SERVICE RECORDS |
|||
Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
|
---|---|---|---|
21 Apr 1941 |
Enlisted at No.2 Recruiting Centre (RC), Cardington, Bedfordshire, as AC2 and mustering as Air Crew Hand (ACH) Pilot/Wireless Operator /Air Gunner |
||
22 Apr 1941 |
Recommended for training as Pilot, Wireless Operator, or Air Gunner at No.9 Air Crew Selection Board. (ACSB) and transferred to the Reserve pending call-up. |
||
11 Aug 1941 |
Called up and reported to No.1 Air Crew Reception Centre (ACRC), 19 Flight, St John's Wood, London |
||
06 Sep 1941 |
No.3 Initial Training Wing (ITW), 4 Squadron, 'C' Flight, Torquay, Devon |
||
07 Nov 1941 |
Remustered as Pilot Under Training (U/T) (2) and promoted to LAC on his completion of ITW. |
||
08 Nov 1941 |
No.50 Group Pool (administrative posting) |
||
09 Nov 1941 |
No.1 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), run by the De Haviland School of Flying, Hatfield, Hertfordshire |
Tiger Moth |
|
22 Dec 1941 |
Placed under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), later known as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), in Canada |
||
23 Dec 1941 |
Embarked from the UK (port and vessel n/k). Precise date n/k |
||
01 Jan 1942 |
No.1 Manning (M) Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
||
31 Mar 1942 |
No.2 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), 48 Course, Fort William (now known as Thunder Bay), Ontario |
Tiger Moth |
|
11 Apr 1942 |
No.12 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Brandon, Manitoba |
Crane |
|
22 Jul 1942 |
Pilot training discontinued |
||
25 Jul 1942 |
No.1 Composite Training School (curiously officially known as 'K.T.S.'), Trenton, Ontario, pending re-muster from pilot under training |
||
11 Aug 1942 |
Re-mustered as Air Navigator (2) |
||
12 Sep 1942 |
No.5 Air Observers School (AOS), Stevenson Field, Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Anson |
|
23 Oct 1942 |
Re-mustered as Air Navigator |
||
29 Dec 1942 |
Discharged on appointment to a Commission |
||
30 Dec 1942 |
Awarded Navigators Flying Badge and appointed to a Commission as Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) (London Gazette 30 Mar 43, p1471) |
||
27 Jan 1943 |
Embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia (vessel n/k) |
||
04 Feb 1943 |
Disembarked in the UK (port n/k - probably Gouroch, Greenock, Paisley, Scotland) |
||
05 Feb 1943 |
No.7 Personnel Reception Centre (PRC), Harrogate, Yorkshire |
||
27 Feb 1943 |
Attached to No.7 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), Desford, Leicestershire, probably for further navigation training. Returned to No.7 PRC, Harrogate on 25 March 1943 |
Tiger Moth |
|
25 May 1943 |
No.10 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit ((O) AFU), Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland |
Anson |
|
30 Jun 1943 |
Promoted to Flying Officer (war substantive) (London Gazette 06 Aug 43, p3538). |
||
15 Jul 1943 |
No.30 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Hixon, Staffordshire; joining the C A B Johnson crew |
Wellington |
|
06 Oct 1943 |
No.1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Faldingworth, Lincolnshire |
Halifax & Lancaster |
|
29 Dec 1943 |
No.576 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire (precise date tbc) |
Lancaster |
|
07 Mar 1944 |
Joined the W A Scheerboom crew |
||
15 Jul 1944 |
No.28 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Wymeswold, Leicestershire, as staff Navigator |
Wellington |
|
01 Nov 1944 |
No.1382 Transport Conversion Unit (TCU), Wymeswold, Leicestershire |
Dakota |
|
30 Dec 1944 |
Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (war substantive) (London Gazette 26 Jan 45, p594). |
||
14 May 1945 |
Headquarters No.245 Wing, No.216 Ferry and Air Transport Group, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF), Caserta, Italy, and attached to No.61 Staging Post at Udine |
Dakota |
|
25 Aug 1945 |
No.1382 Transport Conversion Unit (TCU), Wymeswold, Leicestershire (precise date tbc) |
Dakota |
|
31 Jan 1946 |
Attached to No.525 Squadron, Abingdon, Oxfordshire |
Dakota |
|
25 Feb 1946 |
Returned to No.1382 Transport Conversion Unit (TCU), Wymeswold, Leicestershire |
Dakota |
|
13 May 1946 |
Attached to 1510 Beam Approach Beacon System (BABS) Training Flight, Melbourne, Yorkshire, attending the BABS radar operator's course |
Anson |
|
19 May 1946 |
Returned to No.1382 Transport Conversion Unit (TCU), Wymeswold, Leicestershire |
Dakota |
|
10 Jul 1946 |
No.100 Personnel Disposal Centre (PDC), Uxbridge, Middlesex for Class 'A' release from the service |
||
19 Sep 1946 |
Recorded as last day of Service. |
||
01 Jul 1959 |
Commission relinquished, retaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant (London Gazette 28 Jul 59) |
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
|||||||
Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
05 Jan 1944 |
ED888 |
UL-V2 |
STETTIN |
0000 |
0930 |
9h30 |
P1 Flt Lt C.A.B. Johnson |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 56x 30lb and 1122x 4lb incendiaries |
||||||
14 Jan 1944 |
ME583 |
UL-F2 |
BRUNSWICK |
1620 |
2030 |
4h10 |
P1 Flt Lt C.A.B. Johnson |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 56x 30lb and 1122x 4lb incendiaries. Experienced engine trouble and could not make Brunswick so bombed Texel Island as last resort. |
||||||
30 Jan 1944 |
ND402 |
UL-R2 |
BERLIN |
1655 |
2355 |
7h00 |
P1 Flt Lt C.A.B. Johnson |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 56x 30lb and 762x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
12 Feb 1944 |
ND385 |
UL-W2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h40 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Gee navigation exercise. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
20 Feb 1944 |
LL830 |
UL-R2 |
Air Test |
nk |
nk |
1h40 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Air test. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
20 Feb 1944 |
LL830 |
UL-R2 |
Exercise BULLSEYE |
nk |
nk |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Night Exercise BULLSEYE. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
21 Feb 1944 |
ED888 |
UL-V2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
5h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise with bombing at Missen Range. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
02 Mar 1944 |
ED888 |
UL-V2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
5h15 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation exercise with bombing. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
03 Mar 1944 |
ED888 |
UL-V2 |
Exercise BULLSEYE |
nk |
nk |
6h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Night Exercise BULLSEYE. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
05 Mar 1944 |
JA868 |
UL-Y2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Practice bombing; simulated bombing attacks (SBA), 3-engine instrument flying. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
07 Mar 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation exercise. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
09 Mar 1944 |
LL830 |
UL-R2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h05 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Air-to-sea firing; simulated bombing attacks and instrument flying. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
11 Mar 1944 |
LL800 |
UL-S2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h50 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Air-to-air firing, intermediate landing at Binbrook, and local flying. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
13 Mar 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h45 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
14 Mar 1944 |
LL800 |
UL-S2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Simulated bombing attacks and 2- and 3-engine flying. Crew to be confirmed except Scheerboom and De La Mothe. |
||||||
15 Mar 1944 |
LL830 |
UL-R2 |
STUTTGART |
1910 |
0300 |
7h50 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 96x 30lb and 750x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
17 Mar 1944 |
LL800 |
UL-S2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
2h50 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation and local flying. |
||||||
18 Mar 1944 |
ED888 |
UL-V2 |
FRANKFURT |
1910 |
0125 |
6h15 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1062x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
22 Mar 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
FRANKFURT |
1910 |
0110 |
6h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie'; 108x 30lb and 1062x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
24 Mar 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
BERLIN |
1905 |
0305 |
8h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 924x 4lb incendiaries. Attacked by a single-engined enemy fighter at approximately 2243 hrs at 22,000 ft, position 5205N 01313E. Sgt Hannah in the mid-upper turret ordered evasive action, and both gunners opened fire, but no hits were observed on the enemy aircraft which broke off the attack without returning fire. The Combat Report can be found on Sgts Hannah and De la Mothe's profiles. On their return to England, the crew were diverted to Enstone due to poor visibility at base. |
||||||
26 Mar 1944 |
JA715 |
*UL-D2 |
Enstone to Elsham Wolds |
nk |
nk |
1h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. Annotated as 26 March in De la Mothe's logbook but possibly flown on 25 March - tbc. |
||||||
26 Mar 1944 |
JA715 |
*UL-D2 |
ESSEN |
2010 |
0115 |
5h05 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
30 Mar 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
NUREMBURG |
2000 |
0615 |
10h15 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1020x 4lb incendiaries. Attacked by a Ju-88 at approximately 0029 hrs at 20,000 ft, position 5028N 00813E. Sgt De la Mothe (rear) ordered evasive action and both he and Sgt Hannah (mid-upper) opened fire, claiming hits on the enemy fighter, which broke away after one attack and was not seen again. No hits were sustained by the Lancaster. The Combat Report can be found in Sgts Hannah and De la Mothe's profiles. |
||||||
01 Apr 1944 |
LL796 |
UL-T2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h45 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Visual Monica training. |
||||||
11 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
AACHEN |
2025 |
0025 |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 12x 1000lb bombs, 300x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
13 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
Air Test |
nk |
nk |
0h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Air test. Sgt D Hannah to be confirmed (possibly Sgt S I Bott) |
||||||
16 Apr 1944 |
ND362 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h40 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Local flying. |
||||||
19 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
0h30 |
P1 W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. |
||||||
20 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
COLOGNE |
2340 |
0420 |
4h40 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up areas to the north and west of the city centre. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
22 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
DUSSELDORF |
nk |
nk |
DNTO |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area to the north of the city centre. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiaries. Mission abandoned as the aircraft was unable to take off due to the runway being obstructed by the ground collision of UL-G2 and UL-Q2. By the time the runway was cleared it was too late to accomplish the mission. |
||||||
24 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
KARLSRUHE |
2205 |
0420 |
6h15 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1st wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 96x 30lb and 1170 x 4lb incendiaries. 2nd wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 84x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiaries. 3rd wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 96x 30lb and 1050x 4lb incendiaries. Supporters: 6x 2000lb bombs. It has not been determined in which wave JA715 flew. |
||||||
26 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
ESSEN |
2300 |
0330 |
4h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area and Krupps works. Loads: 1st Wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 108x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiaries. 2nd Wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 60x 30lb and 660x 4lb incendiaries. 3rd Wave: 1x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs, 84x 30lb and 1050x 4lb incendiaries. 4th Wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 60x 30lb and 600x 4lb incendiaries. 5th Wave: 1x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs, 84x 30lb and 960x 4lb incendiaries. It has not been determined in which wave JA715 flew. |
||||||
27 Apr 1944 |
JA715 |
UL-W2 |
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN |
2130 |
0600 |
8h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Loads: 1st Wave: 1x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs, 84x 30lb and 1050x 4lb incendiaries 2nd Wave: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 30x 30lb and 600x 4lb incendiaries 3rd Wave: 1x 1000lb, 1x500lb bombs, 84x 30lb and 960x 4lb incendiaries. It is not known in which wave JA715 flew. |
||||||
30 Apr 1944 |
ME703 |
UL-S2 |
MAINTENON |
2130 |
0230 |
5h00 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Ammunition dump. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
01 May 1944 |
ME703 |
UL-S2 |
LYON |
2125 |
0445 |
7h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Soc. Berliet motor works. Load: 11x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
11 May 1944 |
ND903 |
UL-R2 |
HASSELT |
2135 |
0135 |
4h00 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The Master Bomber was unable to identify the target visually and instructed all aircraft to return to base with their bombs. |
||||||
14 May 1944 |
ME687 |
UL-S2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h15 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. |
||||||
15 May 1944 |
ND903 |
UL-R2 |
Training |
1430 |
1645 |
2h15 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. |
||||||
17 May 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
1h45 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. |
||||||
19 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
ORLEANS |
2145 |
0300 |
5h15 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: The marshalling yards at Fleury-les-Aubrais. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
21 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
DUISBERG |
2215 |
0315 |
5h00 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-ip area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 204x 30lb incendiaries. |
||||||
22 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
DORTMUND |
2215 |
0315 |
5h00 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 108x 30lb and 1170x 4lb incendiaries. |
||||||
24 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
AACHEN |
2320 |
0440 |
5h20 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: The marshalling yards at Aachen West and Rothe-Erde. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
26 May 1944 |
ND994 |
UL-F2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
0h50 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. |
||||||
27 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
AACHEN |
2345 |
0415 |
4h30 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: The marshalling yards at Aachen East and Rothe-Erde. Load 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
||||||
28 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
3h30 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. Flight Engineer tbc but probably Piper. If not, possibly Sgt L Roberts. |
||||||
31 May 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
Training |
nk |
nk |
0h30 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
'Y' (H2S) cross-country navigation exercise. Because of the short flight time, this flight was probably aborted for some reason tbc. |
||||||
02 Jun 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
CALAIS |
2235 |
0135 |
3h00 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Coastal gun battery. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The attacks against gun batteries in the Pas de Calais was part of a plan to deceive the Germans that the forthcoming invasion was to be in this area, and not Normandy. |
||||||
03 Jun 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
WIMEREUX (BOULOGNE) |
2305 |
0220 |
3h15 |
P1 Plt Off W.A. Scheerboom |
NOTES: |
Target: Coastal gun battery. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 15 or 16x 500lb bombs. The attack was part of the plan to deceive the Germans that the forthcoming invasion was to be in this area, and not Normandy. |
PERSONAL INFORMATION |
|
Details |
|
There are no items in the list |
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
|
Details |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Source not known |
|
Matthew Wood private collection |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |
|
Woodfine Family |