by John Nichol
Heavy Conversion Unit 32
humour, black 50, 58, 86
Jewish recruits 30, 39
LMF (Lack of Moral Fibre) 47–50, 86, 98, 239–40
luck factor in xvii, 19, 89–91, 140, 165, 185, 202, 240
Memorial, Green Park, London xv, xviii–xix, 269
morale 16, 35, 47, 76, 110, 119, 185
number of battles fought in WWII xiii
Operational Research Section 272–3
Operational Training Units 32, 229
OTU instructors 35
Pathfinders 56, 77, 89, 95, 99, 117, 136–7, 143, 144, 152, 155, 157, 158, 160, 161, 190, 206–7, 271, 275
POWs 27, 203–4, 208–9, 216, 224–6, 240–1, 245, 246–8
psychological effects of life in 47–50, 86, 98, 239–40
rate of raids per week 21
recruitment 27–30
‘second dickie’ 40, 41, 132, 149–50
social life and female company in 33, 43–7
Special Duties Operators 62–3, 102, 104
squadron life 38–40
training 30–5, 40, 76
volunteers xvii, 4, 27, 29, 32
see also Harris, Sir Arthur and Royal Air Force (RAF)
Bond, Liz 85
Booth, Peter 85
Bourne, Section Officer Patricia 84, 155, 165
Brice, Freddie 99, 146, 147, 148, 170, 171, 192, 194, 196, 213
Brinkhurst, Don 226, 243–4
Brooks, Oliver 64, 238–9
Browning machine-guns 59, 60
Brunswick, Germany 23, 79
Burn, North Yorkshire, RAF base 2, 69, 71, 99, 227
Burns, Wendell 265
Butcher, Ron 86
Berlin raids 75–6
childhood 29
Nuremberg raid, 1944 76–7, 77, 101–2, 138–9, 155, 158–9, 160–1, 188, 202–3, 205, 251
volunteers for RAF 29
Canadian troops xv, xix, 8, 29, 30, 32, 33, 39, 70, 75, 76, 116, 158, 180, 203, 233, 251, 265–8
Chadderton, John 116, 144, 145–6
Chandler, Chick 15, 25, 43–4, 47, 64–5, 64, 81, 90, 137, 138, 188–9, 238–40
Charles, Prince xx
Charlesworth, Pilot Officer Trevor 89, 183
Chemnitz, Germany xviii
‘chop girl’ 90
Churchill, Winston xvii, 12, 51, 68, 208, 209, 273
Clarkson, Sandy 33
Coblenz, Germany 117
‘cold hole’ 24
Cologne, Germany 56, 78, 112, 116, 260
Colquhon, Frank 224
Combined Bomber Offensive 22, 23, 273–4
Comète line 242
Committee of Adjustment 40, 42, 65, 242, 252
‘coned’ 20, 105, 164
Coningsby, RAF 96–7, 189
‘cookie’ bomb 13, 95, 143, 153
Cooper, Harry 150, 265–7
corkscrew evasion tactics 105–6, 120, 121, 127, 136, 138, 146, 147, 150, 174, 186
Coventry xvi, 12, 57
Coverley, Roger 35, 42–3, 86, 127, 127, 128–9, 177–8, 221, 224–5
Cowan, Alec xvi, 78, 102, 141, 142
Coxon, Jack 193
Crate, Wally 70, 149, 171, 218
‘creep back’ 56
Cresswell, Squadron Leader Keith 174
Cromarty, Les 189
Curly 84, 98
East Kirkby, RAF 7, 9, 10, 94, 203, 269
Eckert, Hans 112
Elbe, River 56
Elizabeth II, Queen xviii, xx
Elsham Wolds 37, 39–40, 57, 58, 73, 179, 201, 253
Eschenau, Germany 113, 160
Essen, Germany 70, 75, 226
Evans, Harry xvi, 19, 115, 183
Berlin raids 18–20, 74
Nuremberg raid, 1944 75, 93, 105, 115, 116, 157–8, 189–90, 202
on those unable to cope with life in RAF 49
training 32, 33
volunteers for RAF 28–9, 30–1
Farrant, Colin ‘Ginger’ 34, 35
Fenwick, Maurice 221, 222, 233
Fink, Fritz 113, 160–1, 166–7, 199
firestorms 17
First World War, 1914–18 4, 8, 12, 27, 29, 61
flak 20, 30, 41, 42, 49, 58, 60, 69, 78, 92, 102, 105, 113, 115, 116, 117, 119, 129, 145, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 163, 164–5, 166, 167, 170, 187, 192, 202, 238, 240, 272
Fleet Air Arm 174
Focke Wulf 190 74, 108
Fogaty, Tom 129–30
Forrest, Pilot Officer J.A. 178
Francis, Ray 40, 41, 87, 90, 135, 137, 161, 162, 186
Frankfurt, Germany 25, 56, 70, 78, 87, 103, 112, 162, 191, 216, 260, 272
Frazer Nash turret 59
Fripp, Alfie xvi
Gerbhardt, Gerd 112
German morale 12, 18, 22–3, 200, 273
Germany see under individual area or place name
Goebbels, Josef 18
Goering, Hermann 111, 215
Gomorrah, Operation, 1943 17
Gotha, Germany 23
Grabmann, Generalmajor Walter 111, 112
Grand Slam bomb 13
Grayling, Operation 55–6 see also Nuremberg raid, Bomber Command, 30/31 March, 1944
ground crews 58, 88–9, 94, 95, 165, 179, 180, 183–4, 202
Ground Electronics Engineering (GEE) system 14, 15, 17, 20, 98, 171, 173
H2S radar set 17
Halifax, Handley Page xix
bomb bay 14
Fred Panton attempts to buy 252, 268
German fighters attack 128, 133
ground crews and 88
Harris and 13
losses in Nuremberg raid 117, 191–2, 271
mechanical failure 8, 70, 86
number of in Nuremberg raid 95
Nuremberg raid, 1944 93–4, 95, 99, 107, 117, 127, 128, 131, 133, 135, 145–51, 169, 170, 173–4, 176, 177, 191, 193, 194, 217, 218, 225, 226, 233, 252, 268
‘spoof’ raids 56
training and 32, 35
Hamburg, Germany 17, 56, 103, 110, 111, 199
Harris, Sir Arthur 13, 103, 265
alcohol, attitude towards use of in Bomber Command 43
area bombing, belief in xviii, 11–13, 21, 22–3, 25
Bennett and 17
daughter and 52–3
driven 52
first marriage 52
letter to Barton family 231–2
meteorological reports and 67–8
Nuremberg raid plan 53–4
Nuremberg raid, comments on 273, 274–5, 277
Nuremberg raid, on day of 52–5, 67
Nuremberg raid, reaction to outcome of 274
on number of battles fought by Bomber Command xiii, 274–5
Pathfinders and 16
‘Reactions of German Morale to the Bomber Offensive as described in official documents and the Press’ 22–3
Harris, Jackie 52–3
Harris, Sam 51
affiliation exercise after Nuremberg raid 218
drills 57–8, 60
Elsham Woods, first arrives at 37, 39–40
Elsham Woods, post-war visit to 253–6
last ops 229, 230
Nuremberg raid, 1944 72, 73–4, 84, 85, 93, 95, 102, 119, 120, 151–2, 153, 172–3, 179, 184, 185, 201
social life in RAF 43
training, RAF 31–2, 33–4
volunteers for RAF 31
Heads, George 212
Heidenrich, Walter 133–4
Heinkel 103
III 28–9, 109
219 110
Heligoland Bight 56, 111
Herget, Major Wilhelm 134
High Wycombe, RAF 52–5, 274
Hiscock, Tony 143, 143, 144, 206–7
History of the Second World War (Churchill) 273
Hitler Youth 156
Hitler, Adolf 7, 17, 29, 30, 51–2, 54, 113, 133, 156
Howell, Eric 88, 89, 183, 184
Hudson, Harry 123
humour, black 50, 58, 86
Ida beac
on 112, 117, 118, 276
Irving, David 276
Jackson, Philip xviii
Jewish recruits 30, 39, 54
Junkers Ju 88 108, 112, 123, 127, 133, 134, 138, 146, 147, 272
Just Jane (Lancaster) 269–70
Kassel, Germany 56
Kay, Jack 149, 218
King, Group Captain 201
Kleingeschaidt, Germany 112, 156, 166
Köberich, Oberleutnant Günther 133
Kutzner, Otto 128
Laird, Squadron Leader ‘Turkey’ 180
Lambert, Len 69–70, 99, 147–8, 149, 170, 176–7, 209–10, 217–18
Lancaster, Avro xvi
Airborne Cigar (ABC) and 62
auto pilot 58
bailing out of 24
Berlin raid losses 18
bomb bay 13
bomb load 13, 14, 143, 153
cold and 58
corkscrew evasion tactic and 105–6, 120–1, 174
design 13
difficulty in getting out of 106
direct hit on 21
flak and 20
Fred Panton buys 268–9
friendly fire and 226
German fighters attack 107, 108, 110, 116–17, 118–19, 120–3, 129, 132–4, 174, 175
ground crew and 85
Harris increases production of 13
last surviving airworthy xx
lightning strike on 178
looping a 164
losses in Nuremberg raid 117
mechanical failure 96–7, 166
mid-air collisions 237–8
number of in Nuremberg raid 95, 271
Pathfinders and 16, 17
reliability 14, 59
target indicators and 56
training and 32, 35
Lau, Fritz 165
Lauf, Germany 155, 156, 157
Lawther, Les 193, 194, 196, 197
Leconfield, RAF 39, 71, 185, 219
Leipzig, Germany xviii, 21–2, 23, 59, 87, 107, 110, 120, 133
Leverkusen, Germany 69
Lidell, Alvar 205
Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre 269
Linton-on-Ouse 75–6, 86
Liverpool 12
LMF (Lack of Moral Fibre) 47–50, 86, 98, 239–40
London Gazette 231
Lord Haw-Haw (William Joyce) 245
Lord’s Cricket Ground, Pavilion 30–1, 44–5
Luckenwald, Germany 241, 246
Ludford Magna 38, 62, 78, 97–8, 155, 165, 187, 200, 218–19, 238
Luffman, Roland (‘Luff’) 60, 152, 153, 230, 254, 255, 256
Luftwaffe 12, 28, 41, 53, 57, 78, 103–13
1 Fighter Corps 111, 21 5
1st Fighter Division 107
3rd Fighter Division 111
accidents 109
‘Battle Opera Houses’ 104, 110
‘blind-flying’ school 109
fighter aces 108–10, 132–4, 215
fighters attack bombers on Nuremberg raid 73, 78, 92, 98, 99, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106–7, 108, 110, 111, 112, 115, 116, 117–19, 120, 121, 123, 127–8, 129, 131, 132–4, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 144, 145, 146–7, 148–9, 152, 153, 158, 159, 162, 164–5, 166, 170, 172, 173–4, 175, 179, 186–7, 190, 191, 192, 215, 226, 272, 273, 276
high death toll among new recruits 109, 110
methods of attack 105–8, 116–17, 118, 132, 133, 137, 165
reaction to Nuremberg raid 110–11
Schräge Musik 106–8, 116–17, 118, 132, 133, 137, 165
SN-2 radar 110
Tame Boar 104, 112, 145, 158
training 209
upward-firing guns 106, 107, 110, 128, 273
Wild Boar 103–4
‘Mac’ Mackenzie 57–9, 60, 93, 96, 119, 151–2, 172, 179, 229, 254, 255, 256
Maidment (née Barton), Cynthia 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 211, 224, 227, 234–5, 256–7
Manners, Special Duties Operator Ted 62–3, 98, 102, 104, 111, 141, 186–7
Mannheim, Germany 15, 173
Marburg, Germany 123
Marham, RAF 207
Marks, Adrian 166
Maxwell, Thomas 23–5, 207–8, 242–3
McLauchlan, Jack 233, 265, 267–8
McLaughlan, John 149–50
Mclean, Harry P. 51
Merlin engines xx, 7, 88, 121, 123, 130, 255, 269
Messerschmitt: 110 103, 107, 108, 110, 118, 128, 165, 210 146
Met Office 22, 52, 53, 55, 80, 274
MI9 242
Middlebrook, Martin 68, 275
Milburn, Arthur 194–5
Mildenhall 15, 41, 64–5, 87, 137, 186, 188, 242, 243
Mitcheson, Alan 151, 193, 194, 196, 256
Moffat, John 180
Moore, Don 106
Mosquito, de Havilland 16, 17, 49, 50, 56, 67, 95, 117, 230, 271
Motts, Sergeant 225
Muirhead, Campbell 48
Munich, Germany 56, 263
Murray, Ken 40, 254, 255
crew, first meets 33–4, 38
crew reunion, absence from 256
death 256
drills 58, 60
Nuremberg raid, 1944 73, 74, 96, 102, 119, 120, 152, 153, 172, 179, 180, 185
post-Nuremberg ops 229, 230
Mynarski, Charles xix
Nash & Thompson 4
New Zealand xv
Nielsen, Christian 8, 150, 233
Norden bombsight 53
Norfolk, Jocelyn 72, 163, 216, 245–6
Nugent, Lesley ‘Souse’ 80–1, 87, 96, 123–5
Nunn, Harry ‘Tiger’ 61, 62, 63–4
Nuremberg disaster, The (Taylor) 274
Nuremberg raid, Bomber Command, 30/31 March 1944:
abandoned aircraft/bailing out 108, 117, 122–5, 128–32, 147–8, 149, 150, 162–3, 170, 171, 174, 175–6, 178–9, 189, 207, 209, 217, 218, 240, 243
accidents on take-off 96–7
aftershock of 200–7
Aiming Point 56–7, 78, 157
atmosphere among crews after raid 200–1, 218–19
B-Beer 186
‘banking search’ 120
‘Blind Backer-Up’ 143, 144
bombing run 121, 142, 145, 149, 152–3, 155–65, 188
briefings 72–5, 76, 77, 78–9, 80–1, 90
C-Charlie 89, 183, 184
civilian experience of, German 112–13, 156–7, 166–7
cloud cover, lack of on journey to Nuremberg 53, 56, 67–8, 73, 76, 78–9, 80–1, 83, 90, 98, 99, 101, 102, 111, 116, 117, 120, 132, 135, 144, 145, 164, 191, 201, 214, 215, 271, 272, 273, 275, 276
cloud cover over Nuremberg during bombing 144, 145, 271–2
cold/temperatures 84–5, 98, 102, 162, 187
collisions 97, 152, 180, 237–8
corkscrew evasion tactics 105–6, 120, 121, 127, 136, 138, 146, 147, 150, 174, 186
debriefing 184–5, 187–91, 200
destruction of city 199–201
dispersal 85, 86, 87, 88
emergency landings 178, 185–6, 191–7
fire, danger of 85
first skirmish 116–17
flak (anti-aircraft fire) 102, 104–5, 115, 119, 129, 145, 153, 162, 164, 166, 167, 179, 187, 192, 202, 238, 272
flying height 97, 115, 120, 135, 136, 161, 169
G-George 58–9, 85, 95, 96, 179, 218, 255
German casualty numbers 199
German reaction to 215
ground crews 58, 88–9, 94, 95, 165, 179, 180, 183–4, 202
incendiaries 57, 95, 135, 166, 271
journey home 160–1, 167, 169–82
landing in England 179–80, 183–7, 191–7
landing in enemy territory 175–8, 180–2, 203–4, 207–9, 216, 224–5
level of destruction 119–20, 127, 134–5, 137, 142, 187–8, 189–91, 271
logs 173, 218
losses/casualties 116–17, 141, 142, 187–91, 200, 205, 214, 225–6, 230,
256–7, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276
luck and 89–91, 1
40, 165, 185
M-Mother 89
mechanical failures 96–7, 98–9
media reports of 214, 216
men responsible for 273–7
moon, brightness of/lack of cloud cover on journey to Nuremberg 53, 56, 67–8, 73, 76, 78–9, 80–1, 83, 90, 98, 99, 101, 102, 111, 116, 117, 120, 132, 135, 144, 145, 164, 191, 201, 214, 215, 271, 272, 273, 275, 276
morale in city after raid 200
Nuremberg chosen as target of raid 54–5
‘Openers’ 143, 144
‘spoof’ raids 56, 111, 117
Operation Grayling codename 55
parachutes, use of 85, 106, 122, 125, 128, 130, 139, 140, 147, 163, 175–6, 178
Pathfinders 56, 77, 89, 95, 99, 117, 136–7, 143, 144, 152, 155, 157, 158, 160, 161, 190, 206–7, 271, 275
plan 56–7
post-mortem into, Bomber Command Operational Research Section 272–3
psychological effects of 248, 250–2
POWs 203–4, 208–9, 216, 221, 224–6, 240–1, 245, 246–8
radar and 73, 102, 103–4, 105, 107, 109, 110, 116, 118, 132, 133, 163, 164
rations 85
religious faith of crew members 70–1, 92, 131, 159
reunions 255–6
route 56, 80, 83, 97, 99, 102, 116, 271–2
searchlights 73, 78, 102, 105, 117, 131, 132, 145, 158, 161, 163, 164, 167, 169, 170, 185, 191, 192, 240, 272
spy, possibility of German awareness of plan and involvement of 276
statistics 271
take-off 88–90, 93–7
target indicators 143, 144, 158, 160, 161, 271, 272
timing of 56–7
tonnage of bombing 57, 214, 271
tracer fire 117, 120, 121, 127, 128, 131, 133, 135, 136, 139, 141, 146, 149, 174, 175
turning point 55, 102, 116, 142, 143–53, 272
vapour trails 98, 115, 116, 148, 191, 214, 273, 276
weather and 55, 61, 67–8, 101–2, 272
winds and 101, 102, 116, 117, 129, 144, 145, 152, 158, 159, 161, 169, 171, 172, 188, 189, 214, 255, 272
‘W’ ‘A Wing and a Prayer’ 97, 157–8, 187, 237–8
Zero Hour 56, 57, 77, 144, 157
O’Connor, Liam xviii
Official History of the Royal Air Force, Volume III, The 275
Otto beacon 112, 117, 132, 134, 276
Overlord, Operation, 1944 68, 274
Page, Eric 57–60, 93, 119, 254, 255, 256
Panton, Pilot Officer Chris:
brother’s project to commemorate wartime role 252–3, 259–64, 265–9
death 233–4
family 7–9, 94–5, 221–2, 232–4, 252–3, 259–64, 265–9
flight engineer 8
made a Pilot Officer 232–4
missing 221–2, 232–3
Nuremberg raid, 1944 149–51
Panton, Fred 7–9, 94, 151, 221, 222, 232, 233, 252–3, 259–64, 265–9
Panton, Harold 7–9, 94, 232, 269
Parnall’s 4
Payne, Alan 9–10, 42, 48, 83, 83, 90, 203
Payne, Reg 38–9, 90, 105–6, 109, 134–5
