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578 Squadron Burn — Part 1 (Operations 1 — 14)

578 Squadron was formed at Snaith on 14th January 1944. Moved to Burn 16th February 1944. 2 flights - A and B. C Flight formed 8th April 1922. Reduced to two flights again on 16th December 1944.

I arrived at Burn 578 squadron as Flight Engineer with my crew of:

Flight Sergeant Stan Sparkes Pilot
Sergeant Stan Kelly Navigator
Pilot Officer Bill Matthews Bomb Aimer
Sergeant Len Haley Wireless Operator
Sergeant Taff Williams Mid-upper Gunner
Sergeant Les Palmer Rear Gunner

After 9 operations I was taken ill and my crew were detailed to take part in a operation to bomb Dusseldorf on 22nd April 1944. Unfortunately they were shot down - all survived. I spent the rest of my operational flying career as a spare engineer to various other crews.
Aircraft flown was Halifax Mk 111 with four Hercules engines and a crew of seven - Pilot, Navigator, Wireless Operator, Bomb Aimer, Flight Engineer and two Gunners - mid-upper and rear.

The following are extracts taken from official records about some of the operations I flew on during the period 19th February 1944 to 25th October 1944.
Operations 9 - 10 - 11 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 and 33 were all V1 or V2 rocket sites.

1) Squadron Target No 7: Stuttgart - 20th / 21st March 1944
Ten aircraft were detailed but LK D and LK R had to abandon the operation. 'R' with an unserviceable rear turret and with a mid upper turret and compass unserviceable. Wing Commander Wilkerson flew LK Z on this raid and on return reported a big explosion which he thought to be a large gasometer blowing up. This was also reported by Flight Sergeant Sparkes in LK P who noted a pillar of smoke up to 24,000 feet, visible 30 miles away.
Seven of the attacking aircraft returned to base. Flying Officer Hope-Robinson in LK Y landed at Husbands Bosworth due to fuel shortage. Flying Officer Starkoff in LK D having abandoned the operation, unloaded his bombs onto a flak position and noted that the flak ceased after the bombs exploded. The weather was cloudy, some wintry showers, but visibility good. 578 Squadron were carrying some incendiaries and most reports agreed that the attack was well concentrated. There was little opposition, though fighters were active on the return trip. The Squadron stood down for the rest of the 21st.
Squadron Target No 8: Scheinfurt - 24th / 25th March 1944
Fourteen aircraft were detailed between 18.29 to 18.49 hours. Two abandoned the operation. LK Y due to unserviceable instruments and LK H. Flight Sergeant Sparkes who returned by 18.48 hours. We returned early W.T. unserviceable. Two aircraft were lost - LK P Flight Lieutenant Love and LK Z Sergeant Kennyon-Ormond. The Navigator of LK P survived and in LK Z the Flight Engineer Sergeant T McCall was killed and the other six became prisoners of war.

2) Squadron Target No 9: Augsburg - 25th / 27th February 1944
Nine aircraft airborne by 21.42 hours. Eight attacked the target. Flying Officer Allen in LK W abandoned the operation. LK W would not climb and too much time was lost. All 578 aircraft returned safely by 05.30 hours. The Messersmitt factory and the M.A.N. works which produced the U boat and other diesel engines were in Augsburg.
578 aircraft included LK H Flight Sergeant Sparkes. On arrival over the target our crews found fires had taken a strong hold. The sky was cloudless and smoke rose to 15,000 feet, obscuring the centre of the target area. The flak barrage was of moderate intensity. Searchlights were aimless and ineffective and there was little fighter activity. Everything went according to plan and the attack was considered a success. The attack brought an end an intense RAF/USA week aimed at German fighter aircraft production.

3) Squadron Target No 10: Stuttgart - 1st / 2nd March 1944
Thirteen aircraft detailed but only ten got away. Two aircraft abandoned the mission. LK U with a sick Navigator and LK V with engine trouble. The attack was planned to commence at 13.00 hours and of the six hundred aircraft, only four were lost. The aircraft component works were the main target. Few fighters were reported by the force as a whole and none by 578 crews. Route markers were clearly seen. The target was bombed on sky marking due to 9/10 cloud cover. Ground defences were stronger than previously experienced, heavy flak in barrage form up to 20,000 feet. On the whole it was reported as an uneventful trip, but apparently a success, with fires visible 100 miles away. All 578 aircraft returned safely.

4) Squadron Target No 12: Le Mans Marshalling Yards - 7th March 1944
Twelve aircraft finally airborne leaving behind LK B and LK F with magneto drops and LK E with hydraulic trouble. Target time was 00.05 hours. Target indicators were seen going down accurately on time, the railway trucks and buildings showing up well. Average bombing height about 13,000 feet. Out of the 213 Halifax's and 9 Mosquitoes only 21 aircraft were lost. Large fires were reported and a heavy explosion of about six seconds duration. Defences were negligible and searchlights were seen.

5) Le Mans : 13th March 1944: 4 hours 55min, Uneventful, 14 bombers detailed.

6) Squadron Target No 14: Stuttgart - 15th March 1944
Sixteen aircraft away by 19.24 hours for a target time of 23.21 hours. This was the squadrons full strength at this time. The raid was not satisfactory, the marking and therefore the bombing was scattered. The aircraft concentration was good and there was more fighter activity than on previous raids. Ground defences were also heavier, particularly from the target to the first turning point, but not many searchlights were reported. LK Y abandoned the operation with engine trouble. LK T abandoned due to the rear gunner being ill. LK W was attacked by FA 190 in the target area and eventually crash landed at Tangmere, nobody was injured. LK C crashed near Selby on return, only the navigator survived. LK X crashed near Biggin Hill and four survived. LK S was posted as missing, eventually three survivors returned from POW camps.

7) Squadron Target No 16: Frankfurt - 22nd March 1944
Sixteen aircraft away, but LK Q returned with rear gun turret unserviceable, Jettisoned bombs on to a flak position. Defences on an increased scale, large concentration of search light massed in the target area. All aircraft had returned by 01.33 hours on the 23rd March, except LK R. The crew of this aircraft included the Station Commander, Group Captain Marwood Elton, but all survived as prisoners of war and returned to the UK. It is interesting to point out here that the Group Captain and I both originated from the village of Offwell in East Devon. It was a strange coincidence that we were both serving with the same Squadron and flew on this operation albeit with different crews. We rode out together to dispersal in the same crew bus.
Squadron Target No 17: Berlin - 24th March 1944
Fifteen aircraft away by 19.08 hours for a target time of 22.30 hours. Three aircraft were lost and three made early returns.
Missing aircraft were LK H Bomber aimer and wireless operator survived
LK C Navigator and one air gunner survived
LK Y No survivors
Early returns were LK V Equipment le feet behind
LK D Starboard outer engine unserviceable
LK X Petrol shortage
The Berlin was quite exciting night even though we did not reach our objective of bombing Berlin. Our aircraft LK X was fitted as an experiment with a wing bomb bay overload petrol tanks instead of the usual overload tanks for long haul missions which were normally fitted to the main bomb bays. Our route to target was across the North Sea to Denmark across the peninsular and a long flight over the Baltic Sea until we were to turn to starboard for our run to the city of Berlin.
After we had cross the peninsular, I as Engineer requested the Captain's permission to commence pumping the petrol from the over load tanks (we were unable to feed this fuel direct to the motors) into the two main petrol tanks. After a short period it was apparent that although the overload tank petrol gauges were slowly dropping, the main tank gauges were not showing an increase in their holding of petrol. This situation was reported to the Captain and after a discussion on possible reasons for this problem we could only assume that the fuel was being pumped out into the atmosphere. It was decided that the pumping should proceed. Once the pumping was completed, the Captain requested a situation report from the navigator and myself as to the possible flight duration with the fuel available. We came up with the report that we would only make the Low Countries on our return trip.
The decision was made to abort the operation and we turned for home. The next decision was the disposal of our bomb load. After a crew discussion we decided to attack Kiel on the way home. We ran off to the correct heading and attacked the city from about 20,000 feet as the flak was so intense. We dived to 2,000 feet and made for home across the North Sea.
It appeared after investigation that two valves in the new lines to the wing bomb bay overload tanks had been fitted incorrectly. Unfortunately the Air Ministry would not allow us to count our attack on Kiel towards our number of operations required before a rest period was granted.

8) Squadron Target No 48: Douai - 14th / 15th June 1944
Nineteen aircraft away between 12.50 to 00.17 hours and all attacked Douai between 01.59 and 02.10 hours. Heights varied from 6.500 feet to 11,500 feet. LK A was attacked by an ME 210 and LK K fired on by unseen aircraft. All 578 aircraft returned safely between 03.32 to 04.02 hours. The operation was a success, bombing conditions were reported as good.
Squadron Target No 50: St Martin L'Hortier - 17th June 1944
Twenty three aircraft airborne from 22.58 to 23.26 hours. Twenty two aircraft attacked the target. LK N abandoned the operation their intercom was unserviceable. They jettisoned their 18 x 500 bombs.

9) Squadron Target No 51: Siracourt - 22nd June 1944
Twenty four aircraft away between 13.19 to 13.46 hours. Twenty three returned to base. LK N landed at Harrington with flak damage and port inner engine feathered. LK F was unable to identify the target, so bombed and airfield to starboard. The Master bomber was not heard and bombing was therefore scattered. Some heavy flak encountered. No enemy aircraft were seen, but one Halifax was seen to go down over Arras, parachutes were seen. Operation was not successful.

10) Oisemont 23rd June 1944 - 3 hours 55min 14 bombers detailed. All returned safely.

11) Squadron Target No 53: Le Grand Rossignol - 25th June 1944
Twenty three aircraft away between 01.09 to 01.41 hours and all bombed the target between 03.06 to 03.13 hours from heights between 15,500 to 17,500 feet. Bombing was well concentrated, no opposition, but plenty of searchlights which were not effective. All 578 aircraft returned between 04.15 to 05.16 hours. This operation was very successful.

12) Squadron Target No 54: Marquise Mimoyecques - 27th June 1944
Twenty five aircraft were away between 11.18 to 11.46 hours and all attacked the target between 13.13 to 13.20 hours. Bombing conditions were not good. 5/10 to 7/10 cloud. Eight aircraft bombed on Gee radar as target was obscured. The bombing was scattered though there was negligible opposition and no enemy aircraft were seen. All aircraft returned to base, our aircraft LK S landed without any brake pressure, the engines were cut on landing, but we overshot the end of the runway and finished up in a ditch. The aircraft was written off, but none of our crew were injured.

13) Squadron Target No 55: Wizernes - 28th June 1944
Twenty five aircraft detailed and twenty four away by 05.20 to 05.48 hours. Fourteen carried 5 x 1000 lb bombs and six x 500 lb bombs. Eventually twenty two bombed 07.17 to 07.21 hours. LK J abandoned the mission due to engine failure. LK A abandoned due to flak damage, the navigator being injured, both J and A landed at Manston. The target was flying bomb installations in a quarry which was distinctly seen. The operation was considered very successful. There was no cloud and bright sunshine, opposition only came from heavy flak near Calais, St Omer and Granvelines. A few aircraft were hit including LK Y which landed at Carnaby with Bomb aimer injured. Carnaby was an emergency landing strip near Bridlington, about two miles long and a very wide runway. I flew with Pilot Officer Parfitt, he and his crew were later killed when they crashed near Nottingham. A memorial has recently been erected in their memory near the crash area.

14) Squadron Target No 56: Bolage - 30th June 1944
Twenty four aircraft away by 17.50 hours. The target was attacked 19.57 to 20.02 hours from heights of 4.500 to 15,000 feet in perfect bombing conditions. All bomb aimers identified the target visually as well as by Pathfinder markers. Flak was negligible and no enemy aircraft seen, though one Lancaster and one Halifax were seen to go down in the target area. It was reported by all 578 crews as 'Burns' best operation yet. Visibility was bad on return but all landed safely. LK Q was found to have sustained flak damage to starboard fin.

(continued, please see Park 2)

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