JB555

Lancaster Mk. I

Initial record to be updated when first event found

UL-R²

DOMLEGER

Flt Lt G.A.J. Wood

Target: V1 flying bomb storage & supply depot. Bombed at 14,000 ft, heading 154°, at 1329 hrs

ORLEANS

Flt Off R.J. Sarvis

Target: Marshalling yards.

DIJON

Flt Off R.J. Sarvis

Target: Marshalling yards. Diverted to Coningsby due to low cloud at Elsham Wolds.

CAEN

Flt Off C. Sawyer

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).

STUTTGART

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Built-up area Load: 1x 2000lb bomb and 12x cluster bombs each containing 14x 30lb ‘J’-Type incendiaries

BOIS DES JARDINS

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: V1 'flying bomb' launch site Load: 18x 500lb bombs

CAHAGNES

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Enemy troop concentrations Load: 20x 500lb bombs Given a fighter escort (Spitfires and possibly Typhoons). Diverted to Methwold due to weather at Elsham Wolds. The Flight Engineer is not known; Cawston is listed in the ORB but the operation is not in his logbook.

LE HAVRE

Plt Off J.E. Brown

Harbour installations, shipping & U-Boat pens Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs Engine failure. Diverted Lindholme due weather. E R James: ‘1st daylight raid. Target: port installations and U-Boat pens. Bags of predicted flak; saw kite in front shot down in flames – that shook me. No fighters. Afterwards learned that two destroyers were sunk in the harbour. Actually saw bombs raining down on the target. We suffered no damage at all; starboard outer had to be feathered going out. We were diverted to Lindholme because of bad weather. Trip lasted 4:30.’

LE HAVRE

Plt Off J.E. Brown

Harbour installations, shipping & U-Boat pens Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs Engine failure. Diverted Lindholme due weather. E R James: ‘1st daylight raid. Target: port installations and U-Boat pens. Bags of predicted flak; saw kite in front shot down in flames – that shook me. No fighters. Afterwards learned that two destroyers were sunk in the harbour. Actually saw bombs raining down on the target. We suffered no damage at all; starboard outer had to be feathered going out. We were diverted to Lindholme because of bad weather. Trip lasted 4:30.’

BELLE CROIX LES BRUYERES (BAUDRINGHEM)

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: V1 flying bomb launch site Load: 12x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs The Master Bomber abandoned the attack and ordered the aircraft to return to base with their loads due to cloud cover obscuring the target area. The Flight Engineer still remains a mystery; Cawston is again listed in the ORB but the operation is not in his logbook.

TROSSY ST MAXIMIN

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: V1 'flying bomb' supply depot Load: 11x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs

TROSSY ST MAXIMIN

Plt Off J.E. Brown

V1 flying bomb supply depot Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x500lb bombs E R James: ‘2nd daylight raid. Flying bomb main depot. Bags of predicted flak. Saw two kites shot down. No fighters. Had Spitfires escorting us. Had good view of France; went quite a way in, just North of Paris actually. BA saw one kite knocked out of the air with someone else’s bombs. Not a very good prang. It took 4:40 hrs, Kite was R2. (Smith also records the aircraft as R2)’ Operational Record Book lists aircraft as UL-G2 LM594.

PAUILLAC

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Oil storage depot Load: 9x 1000lb and 3x 500lb bombs. Flight Engineer unknown: Cawston is listed in the ORB, but the operation is not in his logbook.

FONTENAY-LE-MARMION

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Concentration of enemy armour in battle area near Caen Load: 11x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs

PARIS (DUGNY)

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Aviation fuel storage depot Load: 13x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs Spitfire escort

DOUAI

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Marshalling yards Load: 13x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs

FONTAINE LE PIN

Fg Off E.A. Cartwright

Target: Enemy positions in the battle area Load: 20x 500lb bombs

LE CULOT (BEAUVECHAIN)

Flt Lt R. Bibby

Luftwaffe night fighter base

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