CREW MEMBER PROFILE

Surname:

ANDERSON

First Name/s:

Richard Raymond

No Image

Service No/s:

R262227 J43549

Service:

RCAF

Branch:

Air Bomber

Awards:

Return

SERVICE RECORDS

Date

Event

Aircraft Flown

27 May 1944

Commissioned as Pilot Officer

05 Apr 1945

No.576 Squadron, 'C' Flight, Fiskerton

Lancaster

18 Apr 1945

Set Rank from Flight Record

18 Apr 1945

Set Rank from Flight Record

18 Apr 1945

Set Rank from Flight Record

20 Apr 1945

Set Rank from Flight Record

576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS

Date

Aircraft

Code

Flight Details

T/O

Land

Flt Time

Crew

13 Apr 1945

NX576

UL-K

Training

1440

1735

2h55

P1   Flt Off B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE   Plt Off R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG  Sgt A.J.W. George RCAF
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Day low-level map-reading cross-country navigation exercise. Haakstad's place taken by Anderson.

14 Apr 1945

RA562

UL-B

CUXHAVEN

1955

0025

4h30

P1   Fg Off B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE   Plt Off R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG  Sgt A.J.W. George RCAF
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Target: Harbour area. This was flown as a diversion to the main Bomber Command attack on Potsdam. Haakstad replaced by Anderson. Described by O'Neill as 'Rotten weather. Shakey trip. Flak over Heligoland. Poor show'.

18 Apr 1945

RA562

UL-B

HELIGOLAND

0955

1450

4h55

P1    B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE    R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG   J.J. Hiscocks
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Target: Naval base, submarine repair yards, airfield & built-up area. Load: 12x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Engine failure on the way out; the crew continued to the target and bombed from 12,000 ft. Haakstad (injured) and George were absent for this trip and were replaced by Anderson and Hiscocks. Described by O'Neill as 'Engine packed up 1 hr before target. Bombed from 12.000ft. Good prang'.

20 Apr 1945

UL-B

Training

1435

1725

2h50

P1   Fg Off B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE   Plt Off R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG  Sgt A.J.W. George RCAF
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Low-level map-reading cross-country navigation exercise.

22 Apr 1945

RA562

UL-B

BREMEN

1535

2015

4h40

P1   Fg Off B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE   Plt Off R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG  Sgt A.J.W. George RCAF
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Target: The Focke-Wulf aircraft factory and enemy troop concentrations. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 6x 1000lb, 8x 500lb bombs. Flown in support of the British XXX Corps attacking the city. The Master Bomber cancelled the mission due to cloud cover over the target and instructed crews to bring their bombs back. The less experienced crews jettisoned their bombload at sea. Described by O'Neill as 'Troop assistance. Bombs brought back. Target obscured by cloud'.

23 Apr 1945

NX576

UL-K

Training

1515

1540

0h25

P1   Fg Off B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE   Plt Off R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG  Sgt A.J.W. George RCAF
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Practice sack dropping in preparation for Operation MANNA.

25 Apr 1945

RA562

UL-B

BERCHTESGARTEN

0515

1315

8h00

P1   Flt Lt B.H. O'Neill RCAF
P2   
FE   Plt Off R.J. Durran
AB   Fg Off R.R. Anderson RCAF
NAV  Sgt J.G. Ogilvie
WOp  Sgt F.C. Smith
MUG  Sgt A.J.W. George RCAF
RG   Flt Sgt D. Ranchuk RCAF

NOTES:

Target: Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ complex & SS barracks. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 4x 1000lb, 1x 500lb bombs. The aircraft was hit by flak and suffered slight damage to the mainplane. Described by O'Neill as 'Best trip yet!! Wonderful scenery. Very accurate bombing. Moderate accurate flak'.

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