Lancasters and Halifaxes of 6 Group Bomber Command

[oldgit]

Chaps,

Having just purchased the new Airfix Lancaster B.II and having been given another display cabinet, by SWMBO, I’m all set to get another few dioramas going.

The first I have in mind is a Bomber Command scenario.

My late father worked on Hampdens and later various sub variants of the Halifax B.II, the B.III, B.VI and B.VII at English Electric during WW2. 60 hours a week and one weekend a month off, plus firewatching duty, plus night school! Hard graft indeed.

He was rightly proud of the production achievement of EE, and that the air & ground crews generally considered EE built Halibags to be the best of the bunch, for build quality. To the end of his days, he always insisted that the later Halifaxes were better than Lancasters. The Lanc DID NOT impress him!

I wonder how many people realise that HP had a workable scheme to enable a Halifax to carry a Grand Slam with the minimum of modification? I digress however, so best get back on track…

So… I thought I’d try to take the plunge and include a Halifax and the Lanc II in the same diorama. I had a dig around and discovered that 408 Squadron RCAF, 6 Group RAF Bomber Command changed from Halifax B.IIs to Lanc B.IIs in October 1943 while at Linton-on-Ouse.

A bit more digging via the electronic thingy found that Lanc B.II DS724 EQ-X was abandoned over Yorkshire by its crew on 7th October, while DS769 EQ-J was lost over Hannover on 18th October, DS725 EQ-B missing over Leipzig 20th October and DS778 EQ-U went missing over Kassel on 22nd/23rd October.

This suggest that the change over from Halifaxes to Lancs likely took place at the end of September 43 and into the first week of October, with DS724 looking like it might have been lost on a familiarisation/training sortie. Can anyone please elaborate?

What I am also still trying to find out is what sub variant of the Halifax B.II were 408 flying at the time of the change over? I have been able to cross check a list of serial numbers of 408 Squadron Halifaxes lost, against the Halifax production batch serials, out on the internet, but all that has told me is that 408 flew Halifax B.II Series 1’s and B.II Series 1A’s before the change to Lanc B.II’s. I have been unable, as yet to confirm dates, or individual identities for each sub type.

As for individual aircraft to feature in the diorama, I could do Lanc DS724 EQ-X, in lieu of any other info, but which Halifax? Which B.II sub variant? I’ve asked John Adams of Aeroclub for one of his Revell Halifax correction kits so I need to know which specific beast I’m taming!

Which radiators? Which exhausts? Which fins? Which turrets? What markings?

If anyone could kindly assist with any further information that would enable me to tie down two 408 Squadron airframes – a Lanc B.II and a Halifax that were likely to have been at Linton-on Ouse at the same time, I’d be very grateful.

Finally, was 408 the only resident flying unit at Linton in October 43?

Thanks everyone, as always,

Tim

[Atom.uk]

According to W.R. Chorley "Bomber Command Losses - 1943" the switch took place in august 1943. 408 Squadron lost 42 Halifax IIs and 11 Lacaster IIs that year (plus 2 operational losses). The last Halifax loss was JD365 EQ-J on 30/31 July 1943. (Chorley notes that in 1944 the Squadron changed back to Halifax VIIs)

DS724 EQ-X was actually on an operation (Stuttgart) and was recorded as having taken off at 2059 then abandoned at 2108 by it's crew, crashing 7 miles WNW of Pickering and fatally injuring a local farmer.

408 sqn moved to Linton in august 1943, joining 426 sqn who had been there since June. Both appear to have been equipped with Lancaster IIs at Linton.

Looking at 1944, 426 re-equipped with Halifax IIIs in April 1944, then VIIs in June 1944. 408 recieved it's Halifax VIIs in July 1944, so if you wish to do a Halifax / Lacaster II diorama the period April - July 1944 looks better.

Hope this helps. All information from the W.R. Chorley books.

[Test Graham]

The first series 1a were only issued to the squadrons in May, so I suspect few will have reached 408 but JD365 will have been one of them. As a series 1a, the fit will have been late standard as presented by the kit in the Coastal version (but not the multi exhausts, if they are recommended), with a Vickers in the nose not the 0.5 Browning, and probably(?) without H2S. It would perhaps be a more difficult problem to determine the appearance of one of their Mk.II ser 1(Spec) like DS724 - they will not have had any Mk.II ser 1 by this stage. The appearance of these can probably be estimated from the serial (hence production date) but not guaranteed without a photo.

I recommend the book Handley Page Halifax: In Canadian Service by Stachiw and Tattersall, published by Vanwell. This includes a history of 408 Sq with representative codes and serials for each variant; Mk.I EQ.S L9524: Mk.V DG231 (no code given): MK.II EQ.D DS858: Mk.III EQ.S NR124: Mk.VII EQ.V PN230 Vicky the Vicious Virgin: Mk.VII EQ.A NP761 in colour ptofile. Other serials and codes should be available in Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and probably in Vanwell's RCAF Squadrons too - I can dig them out if you are interested.

By far the best book on the Halifax is Ken Merrick's recent tome, second best his earlier work, but neither have much particularly helpful on 408 Sq in particular.

There are a few other other things that could be improved on the Revell Halifax, but most of them should be obvious enough from a study, if you are that bothered.

[Atom.uk]

I thought I had posted this yesterday but clearly i forgot to press "Post" !

ref your diorama idea, there was a period when 426 operated Halifax IIIs & VIIs, and 408 were still with Lancaster IIs. On the morning of 1/6/44, Halfax III LK880 OW-C was written off when the main u/c collapsed on landing. No injuries, but a/c finished up near the bomb dump -

There were occasions when both squadrons lost a/c on operations, and also 408 operated both Hlaifax VIIs and Lancaster IIs for a short time.

[At Sea]

My grandfathers log book from 433 shows he was navigating Halifax III's up to feb 45.