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No. 17. 2.11.44. Target DUSSELDORF. Night operation.

Aircraft allocated AS-C. Bomb load 1 x 40001b Cookie and 9000 Ibs HE.
"C" Charlie was now to become our regular aircraft, for which we developed a great affection and a very special relationship with the ground crew.
992 aircraft attacked Dusseldorf of which 11 Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters were lost.

It was a very heavy and concentrated attack with extensive damage and loss of life.

This was the last major Bomber Command raid of the war on Dusseldorf.
At about his time friendships were struck up. In my case I was returning from leave and whilst waiting for my train at Lincoln Station to Barnetby (where I had left my bike) I met Amet-a Waaf, also returning from leave and who was, surprise, surprise stationed at Kirmington. I asked how she was getting from Barnetby to Kirmington and she said she was walking. No prizes for guessing that she got back to Kirmington on the crossbar of my bike. (No it was not a ladies bike}. We became good friends and she along with others, would be standing alongside the airfield controllers cabin at the end of the runway to wave us off on operations.

Also at about his time George and Gus acquired friends from the Waaf personnel, one of whom was a telephonist and the other a R/T operator in the control tower. When returning from operations George would call up base as soon as he was able, to get instructions to join the circuit. First to call would get the 1000' slot and first to land. The procedure then was to make a circuit of the airfield around the 'drem' system of lights, report on the downwind leg and again when turning into the funnels on the approach to the runway. We would then be given the OK to land or if there was a runway obstruction, go round again. I understand that word was passed to those who wished to know that "Knott's crew were in the circuit..

No. 18. 4.11.44. Target BOCHUM. Night operation.

"C" Charlie. Bomb load. 1 x 40001b Cookie plus 90001bs HE.
749 aircraft attacked this target. Unusually Halifaxes of 4 Group slightly out
numbered Lancasters. 23 Halifaxes and 5 Lancasters were lost. No.346 (Free
French) Squadron, based at Elvington, lost 5 out of its 16 Halifaxes on the raid.
Severe damage was caused to the centre of Bochum, particularly the important
steelworks.

This was the last major raid by Bomber Command on this target
It was about at this on return from an operation, I felt the need of a stimulant and so,instead of giving my tot of rum to Jock, I put it into my ovaltine, which curdled and I ended up with something resembling soup and a chastising from Jock for wasting 'valuable rum'.

No. 19. 11.11.44. Target DORTMUND Oil Plant. Night Operation.

"C" Charlie. Bomb load, 1 x 40001b Cookie plus 90001b HE.
.209 Lancasters, all 1 Group, plus 19 Mosquitoes from 8 Group (Pathfinders)
attacked this target. The aiming point was a synthetic oil plant. A local report
confirmed that the plant was severely damaged. No aircraft were lost.

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No.20 21.11.44. Minelaying Operations in OSLO FJORD Norway..

Aircraft AS-E. Bomb load. 6x1800 Ib Accoustic and Magnetic Mines. Six Lancasters from 166 Squadron and 6 from 103 Squadron detailed to plant vegetables in Oslo Fjord. AS-E to mine a channel half a mile wide, between an island and the mainland.
This was to catch U Boats based in the harbour at MANNS. The attack was carried out at low level and required a very accurate bombing run.. It was a major sin to drop mines on land as they were classified Secret
This was a highly successful operation with no opposition and no aircraft lost. Tune airborne 6hrs 45mins

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No.21. 27.11.44. Target "FREIBURG" S.W.Germany. Night operation.

"C" Charlie. Bomb load 1 x 40001b Cookie plus incendiaries.
Freiburg was not an industrial town and had not been bombed by the RAF before.
However. No.l Group 341 Lancasters, which was maximum effort for the Group,
plus 10 Mosquitoes from 8 Group, were called upon to support the French Army in the Strasbourg sector. It was believed that Freiburg was full of German troops. The target was accurately marked using the 'OBOE' technique from caravans based in France. 1900 tons of bombs were dropped on the target from 12000 ft in the space of 25 minutes. Casualties on the ground were extremely high. There was little opposition and only one aircraft was lost...

On this operation we carried a second pilot as a prelude to his first operation. He was Charles Martin, a New Zealander and he and his crew were to claim "C" Charlie as their own when Knott's crew had finished their tour. Martin's wireless operator was Jim Wright, who now runs 166 Squadron Association and is the author of "On Wings of War", the history of 166 Squadron.
This crew completed their tour on "C" Charlie and the aircraft survived the war.
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No.22. 29.11.44. Target DORTMUND.

Daylight operation, "C" Charlie. 1 x 40001b Cookie plus 9000 Ibs HE.

This was no ordinary operation, 294 Lancasters from 1 Group plus the usual quota of Mosquitoes from 8 Group. At briefing we were told that as Bomber Command had been venturing into Germany and particularly Happy Valley in daylight, and, unlike the Americans, had not been attacked by large numbers of fighters, there was concern that because of our techniques in Bomber Command, each aircraft making its own way to the target in the Bomber stream, we might be very vulnerable to fighter attack.
We could not possibly adopt the American system of flying in mass formations and so some boffin somewhere had come up with the 'brilliant' idea that we should indulge in gaggle flying. No practice, mind, just - this what you do chaps - get on with it.. The idea was that 3 Lancasters would have their tail fins painted bright yellow and would be the leading 'Vie' formation. All other aircraft would take off, find another squadron aircraft and formate on it. Each pair would then pack in together behind the leading 'vie' and the lead Navigator would do the navigating with the rest of the force following. .
The route on the flight plan took us across Belgium crossed the Rhine between Duisburg and Dusseldorf then passing Wuppertal and North East into the target area.
All went well until we were approaching the Rhine when the lead navigator realised we were two minutes early. It was important not to be early or we would arrive on target before the pathfinders had done their job. The technique for losing two minutes was to do a two minute 'dog-leg'. When ordered by the lead nav, this involved doing a 45 degrees starboard turn, two minutes flying, 90 degree port turn, 2 minutes flying, 45 degree starboard turn and we were then back on track.

Unfortunately the apex of the dog-leg took us directly over Dusseldorf, a town which was very heavily defended. All the flak in the world came up, especially among the three lead aircraft and suddenly there were Lanes going in all directions. I actually saw a collision between two aircraft which both spiralled earthwards. Once clear of this shambles we found we were now in the lead and so we continued to the target and there being no markers down, apparently due to bad weather, I followed standard instructions and bombed what I could see.
We had suffered slight flak damage but nothing to affect "C" Charlies flying capabilities and we arrived back at base 5 hours 35 mins after take-off. Six Lancasters were lost. This was our one and only experience of 'gaggle flying'.

'This story was submitted to the People's War site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of John Derek Bailey and has been added to the site with his / permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

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