ME735

Lancaster Mk. I

Initial record to be updated when first event found

UL-R²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

U²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

U²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-P²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-B²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-B²

Change of Sqn Code based on Flight Record created

UL-B²

AACHEN

Flt Lt G.A.J. Wood

Target: Marshalling Yards

ROUEN

Flt Lt G.A.J. Wood

Target: marshalling yards (two Aiming Points). Attacked by enemy intruder whilst in the circuit to land. Aircraft damaged and put on Cat AC. Crew were uninjured

CALAIS

Plt Off W.R. Ireland

Target: Coastal Railway Battery. Bombed; arrived 50 miles ahead of the Main Force. 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. Most aircraft could not bomb due to cloud cover and brought their bombs back. Load: 11 x 1000lb & 4x 500lb bombs.

WIMEREUX

Fg Off W.A. Rainey

Target: Coastal gun battery. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 15x 500lb bombs.

ST MARTIN DE VARREVILLE AND CRISBECQ

Fg Off W.A. Rainey

Target: Coastal gun batteries at St Martin de Varreville. The bombing of coastal guns to soften up the enemy defences prior to the D-Day landings. Load: 18x 5000lb bombs.

VIRE

Fg Off W.A. Rainey

Target: Two aiming points one on the Viaduc de Martilly road/rail bridge (western AP) and the other on the town's marshalling yards. Load: 18x 500lb bombs.

FLERS

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Luftwaffe airfield. Load: 18x 500lb bombs.

SAINTES

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Marshalling yards. Loads: H2S aircraft: 10x 1000lb, 2x 500lb bombs. All other aircraft 10x 1000lb, 3x 500lb bombs.

FLERS

Flt Off C. Sawyer

Target: V1 flying bomb launch site. Bombed at 0320 from 15,000 ft. Pickup: 'S/L & flak. Fighters G/C (ground controlled?). Uneventful'.

DOMLEGER

Flt Off C. Sawyer

Target: V1 flying bomb storage and supply depot. Bombed at 1332 from 12,000 ft. Pickup: 'Sporadic heavy flak, otherwise uneventful'.

OISEMONT / NEUVILLE AU BOIS

Flt Off C. Sawyer

Target: V1 flying bomb site. Bombed at 0758 from 13,000 ft. Pickup: '10/10ths cloud. Uneventful. Slight heavy flak'.

DOMLEGER

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: V1 'flying bomb' storage and supply depot. Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The crew's usual rear gunner, Sgt Schofield, was replaced by Sgt Porter RCAF for an unknown reason.

ORLEANS

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 18x 500lb bombs. 'Successful. Clear photo' - Rainey.

DIJON

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Marshalling yards. Load: H2S equipped aircraft: 8x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. All aircraft were diverted to Coningsby due to low cloud at Elsham on return. 'Successful. Clear photo' - Rainey.

CAEN

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Enemy armour strongpoint on the Northern outskirts of Caen. Flown in support of the Anglo-Canadian ground forces attack on the town (Operation Charnwood). Load: 9x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. 'Successful. Clear photo' - Rainey.

REVIGNY

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Marshalling yards. The Deputy Master Bomber instructed all aircraft to return to base with their bombs (‘Lysol’) as cloud was obscuring the target. Special Duties Flight (1 Group's 'pathfinders') carried out target marking. Load: 7x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. On return the crew diverted to Sandtoft due to the weather at Elsham. 'Marking late and inaccurate. Bombed spot fire at 2,400 ft' - Rainey.

SANNERVILLE

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Area 'H' - fortified positions occupied by Panzer regiments. Load: 9x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Flown in support of the British Second Army involved in Operation GOODWOOD. The bombers were given a strong fighter escort. Rainey records, '...on German troop concentrations prior to breakthrough from the beachhead. Successful'. NOTE: Aircraft was UL-P2 not UL-R2, as indicated.

SCHOLVEN / BUER

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Synthetic oil plant. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 16x 500lb bombs. Rainey notes, 'Excellent prang. Good photo of aiming point.' NOTE: Aircraft was UL-P2, not UL-R2, as indicated.

WIZERNES

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Construction site for a V2 rocket site and bunker complex ‘La Coupole’. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. 'Clear photo' - Rainey.

KIEL

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: German Navy base, canal, and harbour. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 8x 500lb bombs, 5x 500lb ‘J’ Type incendiary cluster. The aircraft was followed by an enemy single-engined fighter for four minutes before combat was engaged. The fighter was claimed as destroyed by the gunners. No copy of the combat report has been found yet but Rainey's logbook carried a typed report which is shown below. Rainey's logbook also states; '10/10 cloud over target. Fighter shot down by rear gunner. Confirmed & allowed'.

STUTTGART

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 2000lb bomb, 12x 3010 'J'-Type incendiary cluster bombs. Bombed at 15,000 ft. Rainey: '10/10 cloud over target. Photo of Wanganui flares'.

BOIS DES JARDINS

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: V1 'flying bomb' launch site. Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Rainey: 'Successful. Clear photos'.

CAHAGNES

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Enemy troop concentrations. The bomber force were given a fighter escort of Spitfires and (possibly) Typhoons. Load: 20x 500lb bombs. Rainey: 'Battle target. Low cloud. Three runs before bombing'. Diverted to Horham due to 'haze and mist' at Elsham.

PARIS (DUGNY)

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Aviation fuel storage depot. Spitfire escort. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Rainey: 'Successful. Camera failure'.

DOUAI

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Marshalling yards. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Rainey: 'Successful. Clear photo'.

BORDEAUX

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Oil storage facilities & U-Boat pens. Mosquito and Spitfire escort. Load: 2x 2000lb armour-piercing bombs. Rainey: 'Oil storage for U-boats. Successful. Clear photo of aim point'.

FALAISE

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Enemy ground positions, Load: 11x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Rainey: 'Battle target. Successful. (No cameras carried)'.

LE COULOT (BEAUVECHAIN)

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Luftwaffe night fighter airfield. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. 'Second Dickie' trip for Plt Off Button. Rainey: 'Successful. Clear photo'.

POMERANIAN BAY (STETTIN)

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Gardening 'Geraniums'. Load: 6x 1500lb mines. Mines dropped at 11,000 ft. Rainey: 'Mine-laying in Pomerania Bay. Successful. No camera carried'.

ERTVELDE RIEME

Flt Lt W.A. Rainey

Target: Motor Transport oil depot and storage tanks near Ghent on the Ghent-Terneuzen canal. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. Rainey: '(Oil dump in Belgium). Successful. (Photo target)'. The Rainey crew were screened from operations after this mission.

CALAIS

Fg Off D.C. Smith

Target: Enemy troop and gun positions. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. The Master Bomber abandoned the attack due to cloud cover over the target and ordered the crews to return to base with their bombloads intact. The crews usual Air Bomber was replaced by Fg Off Campbell, RAAF from the S D Thompson crew on this one operation - reason not known.

CAP GRIZ-NEZ

Fg Off D.C. Smith

Target: Enemy 6 inch coastal gun battery. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs.

CALAIS

Fg Off D.C. Smith

Target: Enemy fortifications between marshalling yards and the Canal de Calais. Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs

WANNE-EICKEL

Fg Off H.F. Benson

Target: Krupps synthetic oil plant. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie' and 16x 500lb bombs.

URFT DAM

Flt Lt J.W. Acheson

Target: Walled masonry dam. Load: 14x 1000lb bombs. The Master Bomber called off the attack due low cloud over target and the proximity of Allied troops. All aircraft returned with their bombloads.

MERSEBURG/LEUNA

Fg Off O.R. Herbert

Target: IG Farbenindustrie synthetic oil refinery

ESSEN

Fg Off I.R. Carter

Krupp munitions factory; Rail centre 5126.5N 00701E Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs

MERSEBURG – LEUNA

Flt Lt J.W. Acheson

Target: IG Farbenindustrie synthetic oil refinery. Load: 1x 4000lb ‘cookie’, 12x 500lb bombs.

ZEITZ / TROGLITZ

Fg Off D.E. Till

Braunkohle Benzin synthetic oil plant (low grade MT fuel). Load: All aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 12x 500lb bombs. Navigator passed out due to hypoxia as a result of a disconnected O2 pipe. Derek Till: 'A long flight to Zeitz, almost 8 hours, is perhaps one of my most vivid recollections. We were coming up to an abrupt turning point prior to a long run-in to the target, but I did not get the new course from Charlie as I had expected and had glimpsed other aircraft turning. I called him up and he said, not to worry, we're doing OK. About 10 minutes went by and I called him up again, and again he responded that we were on the right track. Suddenly the Wireless Operator yelled that Charlie has passed out - his oxygen had become disconnected. Geoff plugged him in again, Charlie revived and I told him how long I estimated we had overshot the turning point. He gave me a new course to the target, which fortunately we could soon see in the distance because it was thoroughly lit up. We arrived after everybody else had left - as we judged by the absence of bombs bursting on the target - and felt very lonely trundling across by ourselves. Charlie later showed us what he had written in his log when he thought he was being perfectly sensible - it was a lot of nonsense, typical of what happens when one suffers from oxygen lack. About this time, we were told that the "tour" of ops had been increased from 30 to 35, much to our dismay. I felt cheated- just as the end of the tour seemed in sight, we were faced with more trips and the strain was beginning to take its toll on our nerves.'

DORTMUND

Fg Off D.E. Till

Rhenania Ossag oil refinery, Reisholz district RUHR Load: M, N, O, P, Q, R, T, V: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 1604x 4lb incendiaries. X: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 2220x 4lb incendiaries. J, K, L: 1x 2000lb bomb and 2100x 4lb incendiaries. B, C, D, F, H: 1x 2000lb bomb and 1846x 4lb incendiaries.

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