Mancunian airman Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I was given this photo of a crewman's Lancaster. He flew with 100 Squadron and his skipper was Canadian F/O Bruce Roden. From the photo one can see the letter 'W' on the nose. HW-W during the time that the Roden crew were with 100 was LL952. LL952 also transferred to Elsham with the Squadron from Waltham (Grimsby) Even on the photo i have I cannot positively confirm the number of bomb symbols but I known that LL952 only completed 52 Ops. this aircraft has more than that. It also has a No1 Group gas patch. 'Ginger' Stevens always referred to the aircraft as 'Blondie' and the motif is taken from the September 1944 calendar . . . a clearer image of 'Blondie' I am not convinced that this is LL952 and I am hoping some detective work may actually give me the aircraft serial number ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Have you checked with the 100 Sq Association? They may have more photos of 100 Sq Lancasters which might just correspond. I wish I could help! These sort of questions are soooo frustrating because you feel that you should have enough to start searching with (like tracking down ground crew or even non-casualty NCO aircrew). Most 100 Sq pictures I've seen have been earlier and of 'needle blade' prop aircraft, this is one of the few exceptions http://www.fiskertonairfield.org.uk/images/pd_235,_a_100_op_veteran,_576_sqn_fiskerton_april_1945.jpg By no means my 'chosen specialised subject though'. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 I formed the association back in 1982 so have quite a collection of photos but this one is the one that I cant be certain about unless any surviving aircrew come forward with perhaps another photo taken at a slightly different time but the chances of that are rather slim . . . Perhaps a member from Canada can throw some light on it as I have been pleasantly surprised by some photos that have come from there to previous request on numerous forums. One just doesn't know but, an enthusiast from another sphere may have some details. There are scores of people that make such a life study of aircraft from all aspects of the war so who knows, hence the appeal. I shall just wait a little longer thanks for looking in Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Ooooops! Then if you don't know, who might? I have also found that some unexpected and quite extensive information still emerges from Canada so fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Looks like the W may have been painted on an overpainted patch, over a previous letter, so it may have been B-Blondie at some stage perhaps? I've had a look through Clarence Simonsen's book on RAF and RCAF nose art, and not found a match, and can't see antything on the Lancaster Archive's nose art collection either. Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stein Meum Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I was given this photo of a crewman's Lancaster. He flew with 100 Squadron and his skipper was Canadian F/O Bruce Roden. From the photo one can see the letter 'W' on the nose. HW-W during the time that the Roden crew were with 100 was LL952. LL952 also transferred to Elsham with the Squadron from Waltham (Grimsby) Even on the photo i have I cannot positively confirm the number of bomb symbols but I known that LL952 only completed 52 Ops. this aircraft has more than that. It also has a No1 Group gas patch. 'Ginger' Stevens always referred to the aircraft as 'Blondie' and the motif is taken from the September 1944 calendar . . . a clearer image of 'Blondie' I am not convinced that this is LL952 and I am hoping some detective work may actually give me the aircraft serial number ???? Looking at the nose, I see the little perspex blister just behind the nose blister. this indicates a Lanc used by Pathfinder squadrons to allow the bomb aimer to look rearwards and comment on the accuracy of the flares/markers drop. I have only seen this small blister on Lancs in the PB-Serial range. Stein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted March 12, 2016 Author Share Posted March 12, 2016 Stein That blister was quite common on our Squadron, 100, and the serial range was across the board. They certainly appeared late in the war (guess at after summer 1944) and research shows that a few other squadron aircraft carried them. The TRUE reason for such a blister is not 100% defined but believe it was for one one the following reasons:- To dispense 'Window' (not myself convinced) To ensure that there wasn't an aircraft below that would 'interfere' with the dropping of the bombs I have heard that it was used to spot N/F attacks from below (Again not convinced due to visibility ) You can make up your own mind on that one . . . Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 (edited) Just a quick note. I came across this photo on the AWM website of a 460 (RAAF) Sqn Lancaster: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P02604.032 Seems very similar...though she's lost her bomb! Regards Simon EDIT - LL952 was with 460 Sqn before joining 100 Sqn on August 15th 1944. I posted a query on the RAFCommands Forum: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?20004-Lancaster-with-nose-art-aircraft-ID-anyone Not 100% proof positive, but... Edited March 27, 2016 by Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 (edited) Simon many thanks for posting the inquiry. I know Greg as we are both 100 Sqdn researchers. I am almost convinced that the 460 photo is LL952 but really would like to know the total of Ops flown with 460 from Binbrook. This may enable me to tally approx from the photo, the overall number of Ops flown. Bottom lot of bombs total 12, possibly a block of 15 above them. Can somebody Identify the individual letter carried on 460 please? May account for the over paint on the nose letter ?? By viewing both photos I think I can state that when she arrived at Waltham the 'bomb' upon which she sits was painted out. Cross checking the position of numerous things such as her hat, the reach of her toes, the position of her bottom over the external floor strengthener has certainly now got me thinking "this is LL952 surely" Ian Edited March 30, 2016 by Mancunian airman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 You may be able to find LL952's code letter in the 460 Squadron ORB. If you know the period when it was at 460 Sqn, you can download the records for a particular month from the National Archives for £3.45 each. The Record of Events form 541s are usually the best: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_srt=1&_col=200&_cr1=AIR+27&_sd=1944&_ed=1944&_hb=tna&_dt=SQ&_no=640 Obviously this wouldn't give you the number of Ops, unless you download the whole lot for the time it as at 460 Sqn...! LL952 does get a mention here, July 6th 1944: http://www.ozatwar.com/roberts.htm Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Ian Check the latest post on RAFCommands for some details of the missions LL952 flew with 460 Sqn: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?20004-Lancaster-with-nose-art-aircraft-ID-anyone&p=117440#post117440 Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted April 2, 2016 Author Share Posted April 2, 2016 (edited) Having now looked VERY closely to the photo I can determine that the bomb symbols are two differing sizes. The bottom six rows are larger and they tally to 42 ! (As flown with 100 Squadron) The top 3 rows are some what smaller and tally to 30. (30 + 42 = 72) (first 16 seen in the Australian War photos) If the 460 records are correct, they state 28, plus my research into her time at 100 gives a total of 80. Problem is that 2 Ops were 'Duty Not Carried Out' giving a total of 78 ??? Records somewhere dont tally with Ops. Ground-crews usually painted bombs each time the aircraft returned although sometimes days after the events so maybe not 100%. I also know that if certain targets were aborted over the target, it would count Despite the difficulties in determining the actual Operational tally, I am convinced enough that this is indeed LL952 of 100 Squadron, formerly of 460 and suspect that the photo was taken ten short of her final tally. Also as the aircraft doesn't show 'W2' also indicates to me that the photo wasn't taken at Elsham. The Squadron moved there for last month of the war, April, and from Elsham she carried out six OPs bringing her total with 100 to 52. In fact if the number of bomb symbols shown are correct then the photo is dated around 22/23rd March. Many thanks for those who attempted to point me in the right direction Ian Edited April 2, 2016 by Mancunian airman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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