As far as the crew’s Nav John Crabb recalls, ‘guns were never fitted’ and he has no recollection of any internal fittings that impeded progress along the fuselage.
Victor was lost on her 16th operation and all but three ops had been with the Millar crew. there are no records to show she had served with any other unit. at Sibsey Northlands in January 1943 killing all members of the crew. Crews destined for Lancaster-equipped units did a very short course at a. The only information I have on this very unusual appendage is as follows ED726 flew her first op with 49 Sqn on. Explore the legendary Lancaster bomber, from the bomb aimer to the rear gunner. This theory was soon proved false as great numbers of RAF bombers were lost in. Keen Lancaster buffs will have spotted the unarmed, un-painted ventral turret under V-Victor’s belly. The number of escape exits was vital See Lancaster Bomber emergency exits. he was sadly killed along with rest of the Greig crew failing to return from Frankfurt on 22/23 March 1944. It could be fatal to be shot down, but some airmen survived.
Leslie eventually settled as bomb aimer in F/S Ron Greig’s crew and was on his 28th op and near to finishing his tour when fate intervened…. John navigated for Sgt Edy’s crew and finished his tour of 30 ops in October 1943. Tragically their crew failed to return leaving them to find other crews in order to complete their tours. John Crabb and Leslie Phillips were grounded on the night of 12/13 July 1943 due to heavy colds, and as such missed the trip to Turin. Pilot married to Betty, came from Coulsdon, Surrey KIA Leslie Phillips B/A KIA Don Bettinson M/U KIA. Front row l to r Reg Burnett R/G KIA John Guy Millar AFM. L7537 was shot down on an operation to bomb Dusseldorf on 31st July 1942 with the deaths of all 7 crew members on board.Above: In doorway l to r John Crabb NAV Paul Goodyear F/E from Purley, Surrey KIA. L7538 was written off in a landing accident in February 1942 fortunately the crew escaped safely. Of those first three Lancasters delivered, only L7541 survived the war (it was struck off charge in June 1945). In terms of casualties, the Squadron suffered the third highest number for all RAF units during the war. 44 Sqn Lancaster B1 L7578 ‘KM-B’ low flying in 1942.ĭuring the remainder of the war in Europe, No 44 Squadron was to fly 4,362 Lancaster sorties, in the course of which it lost 149 aircraft with another 22 destroyed in crashes, the heaviest Lancaster losses in Bomber Command. Some one hundred others crashed on British soil. The Lancaster’s performance, its ruggedness, reliability and to many its sheer charisma, endeared it to its crews who were proud to fly this famous thoroughbred. During its short life, 6 Group flew 40,822 missions in all 814 crews never made it back, a 1.9 ratio.
#Lancaster bomber crew numbers full
It could carry a maximum bomb load of 22,000 lb, its maximum level speed with a full load at 15,000. With a full bomb load the aircraft had a range in excess of 1,500 miles. The performance of the Lancaster was simply outstanding. Crew: 7: pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless operator, mid-upper and rear gunners Length: 69 ft 5 in (21.18 m) Wingspan: 102 ft (31.09 m). It could carry a maximum bomb load of 22,000 lb, its maximum level speed with a full load at 15,000 feet was 275 mph and it could cruise routinely at altitudes above 20,000ft at a range speed of 200 mph. The performance of the Lancaster was simply outstanding. Concrete runways were not laid until 1943.
No 44 Sqn Lancaster B1 R5740 taxies at Waddington. To 44 Squadron fell the honour of being the first unit to convert to the Lancaster (quickly followed by No 97 Squadron at Coningsby), the first to bring the heavy bomber into service and the first to fly operational missions in the new aircraft in March 1942. Now the Squadron had the first three operational Lancasters to be delivered to the RAF, L7537,L7538 and L7541. The first prototype Lancaster, BT308, a converted Manchester, which had flown for the first time on 9th January that year, had already been resident at Waddington since 9th September for air and ground crew training. Seventy-five years ago, on Christmas Eve 1941, No 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, which had been operating Handley Page Hampden twin-engine bombers since February 1939, received the best Christmas present its crews could ask for, when the first three production Avro Lancaster B1s were delivered to them at Waddington.
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