CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
BRADLEY |
First Name/s: |
Robert James "Bob" |
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Service No/s: |
R220868 |
Service: |
RCAF |
Branch: |
Air Gunner |
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Awards: |
1939-1945 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Voluntary Service Medal and Clasp, War Medal, Legion d'Honneur (awarded 2015) |
SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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Set Rank from Flight Record |
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01 Jan 1942 |
Enlisted at XXX, aged just 17, with two friends, lying about his age. (Exact date and location not yet known) |
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05 Sep 1943 |
No.9 Bombing & Gunnery School, Mont Joli, PQ |
Battle |
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14 Oct 1943 |
Awarded AG Flying Badge and promoted to Sgt |
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20 Oct 1943 |
No.1 'Y' Depot, Halifax, NS; for embarkation. (To be confirmed) |
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30 Oct 1943 |
Embarked Halifax, NS. (Port, date and vessel tbc) |
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07 Nov 1943 |
Disembarked UK (Date and port tbc) |
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08 Nov 1943 |
No.3 (RCAF) Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth (all tbc) |
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22 Nov 1943 |
No.28 Operational Training Unit, Wymeswold. Joined the Sawyer crew. (Exact date tbc) |
Wellington |
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15 Apr 1944 |
No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit, Lindholme (Exact date tbc) |
Halifax |
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13 May 1944 |
No.1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell (Exact date tbc) |
Lancaster |
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26 May 1944 |
No.576 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Elsham Wolds |
Lancaster |
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03 Sep 1944 |
Screened from operations |
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08 Sep 1944 |
No.86 Operational Training Unit, Gamston; gunnery instructor (exact date tbc) |
Wellington |
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09 Sep 1944 |
No.28 Operational Training Unit, Wymeswold; instructor (exact date tbc) |
Wellington |
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10 Sep 1944 |
No.1481 (Bomber) Gunnery Unit, Worksop (unit and date tbc) |
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01 Nov 1944 |
No.3 (RCAF) Personnel Reception Centre), Bournemouth (unit and date tbc) |
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01 May 1945 |
Embarked UK (exact date, port and vessel tbc) |
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31 May 1945 |
Disembarked Canada (exact date and port tbc). He was back in Canada after a full tour and was still only 19 years old. |
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
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LL799 |
UL-N2 |
AULNOYE |
2350 |
0420 |
4h30 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
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NOTES: |
Target: Road and rail bridge near the marshalling yards at Aulnoye-Aymeries. Low cloud obscured the Target Indicators however this crew successfully bombed at 0148 from 8,000 ft. Pickup: 'Uneventful'. |
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04 Jun 1944 |
ME811 |
UL-S2 |
Training |
2250 |
0225 |
3h35 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Night cross-country navigation |
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07 Jun 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
Training |
1605 |
2000 |
3h55 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Cross-country navigation. |
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09 Jun 1944 |
LL799 |
UL-N2 |
FLERS |
0105 |
0630 |
5h25 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy airfield. Bombed at 0325 from 3,000 ft. Pickup described the raid as 'Uneventful' |
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11 Jun 1944 |
LL799 |
UL-N2 |
Training |
1900 |
2105 |
2h05 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Air-to-sea firing; high-level bombing on the Lea Marsh Range. |
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12 Jun 1944 |
LL799 |
UL-N2 |
GELSENKIRCHEN |
2300 |
0400 |
5h00 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Gelsenberg AG synthetic oil plant at Nordstern . Bombed at 0106 from 19,000 ft. Pickup: 'Medium & heavy flak. Bags of S/Ls (searchlights). No fighters seen. Good show!' |
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16 Jun 1944 |
LL799 |
UL-N2 |
STERKRADE |
2325 |
0155 |
2h30 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Ruhr-Chemie AG synthetic oil plant at Holten. Abortive and returned early nav equipment u/s. |
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17 Jun 1944 |
LL799 |
UL-N2 |
AULNOYE |
2350 |
0420 |
4h30 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Road and rail bridge near the marshalling yards at Aulnoye-Aymeries. Most crews returned with their bombs due to low cloud obscuring the Target Indicators, however this crew bombed successfully at 0148 from 8,000 ft. Pickup: 'Uneventful'. |
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22 Jun 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
MIMOYECQUES |
1410 |
1730 |
3h20 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V3 cannon construction site. Bombed at 1548 from 19,000 ft. Pickup: 'Bags of flak. No fighters. Otherwise uneventful'. |
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25 Jun 1944 |
ME735 |
UL-P2 |
FLERS |
0145 |
0535 |
3h50 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb launch site. Bombed at 0320 from 15,000 ft. Pickup: 'S/L & flak. Fighters G/C (ground controlled?). Uneventful'. |
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27 Jun 1944 |
ME800 |
UL-W2 |
CHATEAU DE BERNAPRE |
0140 |
0540 |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb launch site. Bombed at 0335 from 8,000 ft. Pickup: 'S/L & slight flak. 2 fighters evaded - unidentified twin engines'. |
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29 Jun 1944 |
ME735 |
UL-P2 |
DOMLEGER |
1140 |
1515 |
3h35 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb storage and supply depot. Bombed at 1332 from 12,000 ft. Pickup: 'Sporadic heavy flak, otherwise uneventful'. |
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30 Jun 1944 |
ME735 |
UL-P2 |
OISEMONT / NEUVILLE AU BOIS |
0605 |
1015 |
4h10 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb site. Bombed at 0758 from 13,000 ft. Pickup: '10/10ths cloud. Uneventful. Slight heavy flak'. |
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02 Jul 1944 |
LM133 |
UL-H2 |
DOMLEGER |
1225 |
1605 |
3h40 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: V1 flying bomb storage & supply depot. Bombed at 1418 from 14,000 ft. Pickup: 'Cloudy trip. Spasmodic heavy flak. Otherwise uneventful'. |
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04 Jul 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
ORLEANS |
2205 |
0430 |
6h25 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Bombed at 0136 from 11,000 ft. Pickup: 'Brilliant moon - clear sky over target. Light & heavy flak - S/Ls. No fighters seen'. |
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05 Jul 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
DIJON |
2100 |
0550 |
8h50 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. Pickup: 'Brilliant moon. Heavy flak over target. No fighters seen. Uneventful'. Diverted to Coningsby due to low cloud at base. Although Sgt Martin is listed in the ORB as the FE for this operation; there is evidence to suggest that it was not him and probably was Sgt Butterfield (tbc) |
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06 Jul 1944 |
ME792 |
UL-Q2 |
Coningsby to Elsham Wolds |
0915 |
nk |
0h20 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. Although Sgt Martin is listed in the ORB as the FE for this flight; there is evidence to suggest that it was not him and probably was Sgt Butterfield (tbc) |
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07 Jul 1944 |
JB555 |
UL-R2 |
CAEN |
1920 |
2355 |
4h35 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy armour strongpoint on the Northern outskirts of the town. Flown in support of the Anglo-Canadian ground forces attack on the town (Operation Charnwood). Bombed at 2157 from 2,500 ft. Hit by flak. Pickup: 'Intense heavy and light flak. Hit by heavy flak: hydraulics u/s, flaps u/s, R/T u/s. Wizard prang - Jolly good show (glad back)'. The aircraft is listed in Pickup and Bradley's logbook as JA576 but no such Lancaster was built. Although Sgt Martin is listed in the ORB as the FE for this flight; there is evidence to suggest that it was not him and probably was Sgt Butterfield (tbc). |
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10 Jul 1944 |
JB555 |
UL-R2 |
Training |
1450 |
1520 |
0h30 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Fighter affiliation. There is evidence to suggest that Sgt Martin (FE) was probably replaced by Sgt Butterfield (tbc) |
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11 Jul 1944 |
ED888 |
UL-M2 |
Training |
1440 |
1610 |
1h30 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Air-to-air firing and practice bombing. There is evidence to suggest that Sgt Martin (FE) was probably replaced by Sgt Butterfield (tbc) |
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12 Jul 1944 |
PB128 |
UL-S2 |
REVIGNY |
2120 |
0620 |
9h00 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards. The deputy Master Bomber instructed aircraft to return to base with their bombs ('Lysol') as cloud was obscuring the target.. Aircraft diverted to Lindholme due to poor weather at base. Pickup: 'Overhead target at 0155. Jettisoned bombs'. Bradley: 'A mix-up in general'. There is evidence to suggest that Sgt Martin (FE) was probably replaced by Sgt Butterfield (tbc). |
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13 Jul 1944 |
PB128 |
UL-S2 |
Lindholme to Elsham Wolds |
1345 |
1400 |
0h15 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion. There is evidence to suggest that Sgt Martin (FE) was probably replaced by Sgt Butterfield (tbc). |
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16 Jul 1944 |
PB128 |
UL-S2 |
Air Test |
1400 |
1430 |
0h30 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Air test on PB128. |
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18 Jul 1944 |
PB128 |
UL-S2 |
SANNERVILLE |
0325 |
0720 |
3h55 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Area ‘H’ - Fortified positions occupied by Panzer regiments. Flown in support of the British Second Army involved in Operation GOODWOOD. Bombed at 0550 from 7,000 ft. Pickup: 'Intense flak all calibre. Wizard prang. Compares well with (the raid on) Caen'. There is evidence to suggest that Sgt Martin (FE) was probably replaced by Sgt Butterfield (tbc). |
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18 Jul 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-Z2 |
SCHOLVEN / BUER |
2310 |
0310 |
4h00 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Synthetic oil plant. Bombed at 0131 from 20,000 ft. Rear gunner (Sgt Simpson) hit by flak and badly wounded. Pickup: 'Very intense heavy flak. R/G shot up in upper left arm. Spent time over target giving him morphine injections etc. Glad back'. There is evidence to suggest that Sgt Martin (FE) was probably replaced by Sgt Butterfield (tbc). |
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19 Jul 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-D2 |
AIR TEST |
1430 |
1455 |
0h25 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Air test on LM651. Rear gunner not known. |
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20 Jul 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-Z2 |
WIZERNES |
1905 |
2230 |
3h25 |
P1 Flt Off C. Sawyer USAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Construction site for a V2 rocket and bunker complex known as ‘La Coupole’ Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Bombed from 13,000 ft at 2004 hrs. Described as, 'Spasmodic heavy flak - piece of cake.' Either Sgt L B Martin or Sgt C Butterfield flew as Flight Engineer tbc PD: ‘Spasmodic heavy flak – piece of cake’ |
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 |