I suppose the question is why should I, someone born several years after the events, wish to produce a book about a World War Two Bomber Squadron? I readily admit to being totally unqualified to accurately describe 'what it was like' to be a member of a wartime bomber crew... for I am of the succeeding generation... part of that future for whom the war had been fought.
My small part in this story began in the early 1960's, when my family moved out of Lincoln to live in the tiny but rapidly expanding village of Cherry Willingham. I attended primary school in the neighbouring village of Fiskerton where the school buildings were very different from the modern ones I had experienced in Lincoln. I was later to learn that Fiskerton School was actually housed in a former RAF Officers' Mess and that our assembly/dining hall had been in the Sgts' Mess.
At weekends and school holidays, in the company of friends, we walked across the fields adjoining Cherry and the old Fiskerton airfield, where many happy, adventurous, youthful hours were spent amongst the slowly decaying RAF buildings. Dares were always made as to who would enter the dark cavernous hangars alone... where daylight penetrated through only the merest of cracks. We would climb the steeply inclined iron steps in order to venture precariously out onto the roof of the old control tower... where the wind always blew strongest. A favourite haunt was the static water tank; here many species of newts had established their homes... in fact I remember our class going there once for a nature lesson.
Tramping back home across the fields for tea... the tops of our Wellington boots chaffing bare legs, with socks having disappeared to toe ends for the hundredth time. It was then that the conversation would often be of Lancasters... those huge black bombers, with engines on fire, its valiant crew desperately trying to make base... such were childhood images.
At such an early age, my imagination and naive curiosity must have been fired. Endlessly I sought facts and knowledge from various sources. My parents, their friends, relatives... anyone who was old enough to remember the war received a deluge of questions. I listened intently to their memories of long summer evenings with scores of bombers visible, slowly circling the city, gradually gaining height before heading out for Germany. They spoke of Lincoln High Street bustling with uniforms of every nation... airmen on push bikes... airmen in buses and lorries and airmen on foot, walking back to base.
Lincolnshire folk had listened from the sanctuary of a warm bed to the heart wrenching sound of a damaged aircraft limping back in the early hours. Morning’s first light would reveal the harrowing sight in a farmer’s field of a burnt out wreckage, marking where one more crew didn't quite make it.
Gradually it became clear to me what the significance of Fiskerton airfield (and the many other such airfields) meant from the human perspective. At 12 years of age, the Christmas present I received from my parents was 'Bomber Squadrons of the RAF' by Philip Moyes.
That first book, now very worn from use, takes pride of place amongst my collection of Bomber Command related books. Over the years, I have read and researched extensively on the subject but 49 Squadron... Fiskerton's squadron, always retained a very special place in my heart.
It wasn't until 1987, when the 49 Squadron Association was invited to a reunion at Fiskerton, that I would at last have direct contact with the unit. Unfortunately the reunion was by invitation only and having no bona fide reason for access, my contact with the squadron was from the fringe only. My extreme frustration was relieved by a fortuitous chance meeting with Eddy and Pat Coward; Eddy's elder brother had been killed on ops from Fiskerton. He in turn introduced me to former 49 Squadron pilot Ernie Webb, with whom I immediately felt a rapport. The following year, Ernie invited me along to the squadron reunion at the Pathfinder Club in London. I was overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception I received. After being introduced to secretary, Tom Gatfield and Chairman 'Uncle Will', I chatted for hours with 'my heroes'... for me the night could have lasted a week. Perhaps I was intoxicated by the atmosphere but at some point during the evening, I asked the Association if they would like me to compile a book about 49 Squadron wartime activities. The enthusiasm shown was extremely encouraging... I was committed!
I decided to use a chronological diary format for ease of reference by veterans, historians and the casual reader. In the text I have referred to a crew by the pilot's name, this is for reasons of brevity and there is certainly no lack of respect implied towards the other crew members. Where a crew is shown to have 'Failed to return', they have been listed as either killed, P.o.W., evader or missing. Whilst the first two categories are self explanatory, the other two may need some clarification. Evader means an airman who managed to avoid being captured by the enemy and gained sanctuary in a neutral country or returned back to Britain. Sadly, the official term 'missing' means an airman whose body has never been found but is now acknowledged as dead, has no known grave, but is remembered for evermore, by name, on the Runnymede Memorial.
Of the 'failed to return' Lancaster crews; I have recorded how many operations each crew (pilot's surname) had flown on their current 49 Squadron tour before meeting its demise. This figure is only a guide and should be treated with a certain amount of tolerance. Several factors could effect the make up of each crew on an individual operation. For example, winter colds would often ground a crew member, and his place would be taken by a 'spare bod', he would therefore lag behind his crew on the amount of ops completed towards his tour. Also, some airmen could be on their second tour; the figure shown refers to their current tour only.
For the purists, I have tried to include as many aircraft serial numbers as possible; these are correct to the best of my knowledge. Unfortunately not all aircraft code letters were recorded; those shown were collected from various sources including personal logbooks.
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