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Bomber Command units that took part in the first Berlin raid - 25 August 1940


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All, 

Just trying to work out which units (and hence) individual aircraft took part in Bomber Command’s first Berlin Air Raid on the night of 25/26 August 1940.? I’ve got small bits of information collected, however just wondering if there is a concise reference out there and possible photographs specifically tied to this particular mission. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Cheers and thanks.. Dave

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Hello Dave

Probably old news to you, but still ... In his book Before the storm (Cassell) Robert Jackson mentions that Squadrons from 3rd, 4th and 5th Group took part in the raid. However, he does not lists all participating squadrons, just those with bombers actually bombing (or their crews claiming to bomb) Berlin: ˝Aircraft claiming successful attacks are from 44, 49, 50, 58, 61, 83 and 99 Squadron.˝. Cheers

Jure

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I appreciate that Jure. That’s a good start and from that list I see five Hampden squadrons and one each for the Whitley and Wellington. 
Cheers.. Dave 

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Hi Dave.

A book that you may wish to borrow from your library is "The Bomber Command War Diaries" by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt, ISBN 0-670-80137-2.  This is quite a weighty tome of over 800 pages and gives an almost day by day record of RAF bomber sorties between 1939 and 1945.    Robin.

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From "The Bomber Command War Diaries" by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

25/26 August 1940

"103 aircraft were dispatched on operations and aproximately half of these, mostly Hampdens and Wellingtons, were sent to Berlin."

 

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Hi Dave, do you have access to:

 

THE OTHER FEW BY LARRY DONNELY DFM

 

Published by Red Kite.

 

The following are listed as lost/missing from the Berlin raid:

 

Hampden P4416 - 49 sqd - lost with out trace

 

Hampden P2070 - 50 sqd - Forced landed Lautersheim Germany

 

Hampden P2124 - 50 sqn - Ditched of Scarborough

 

Hampden P1354 - 83 sqn - Ditched in the wash

 

Hampden P4380 - 83 sqn - Ditched off Grimsby

 

Hampden X2895 - 83 sqn - Crashed at Bolden Co Durham.

 

Hope this may be of use/help.

 

I can recommend this book it's a look at the work of Bomber and Coastal Commands during the Battle of Britain.

 

Regards

 

Paul

:poppy:

 

 

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Aah! I was just about to lift my tukkus off this chair and go downstairs and look through my Bomber Command War Diaries, but I guess I don't have to now.

 

 

 

Chris

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Hello

According to 99 Sqn. ORB nine Wellingtons flew on a Berlin mission. Six of them could not find or identify their targets and they brought bombs back or jettisoned them in a sea with only three aircraft bombing their targets. I understand two of them were Wellingtons Mk.Ic R3289 and P9243. The third aircraft is given as P4242, but this must be a typo as this serial belongs to a batch assigned to Swordfishes. Cheers

Jure

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Thanks for all the latest comments gents, much appreciated. @paul bardell, that ‘Other Few’ book is certainly one I’ve had my eye on and is something I’d like to obtain one of these days. It’s a shame that due to this pandemic, international postage is not as reliable as it once was, so I might wait until things settle a bit. 
Cheers.. Dave 

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