Last updates February 29, 2004
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This page is dedicated to the crews of the Lancasters of 44 and those of
207 Squadron who failed to return from operations at Spilsby and its other bases. |
44 Squadron Crew and Aircraft Losses, 1939-45
Dates, Names, Aircraft Nos, A/c Letters, Place of Loss.
Extracted from "ROYAL AIR FORCE BOMBER COMMAND LOSSES 1939-1945" Volumes 1-6
Midland Counties Publications
with kind permission of the author, W.R Chorley.
Names in alphabetical order:
A Lancaster KM-C, PA 256, early 1945. "The OR's Story - Bomber Command other ranks in WW11"
by Eric Howell, Pub 1998 RAF Spilsby lies 3
miles east of Spilsby town and a few miles west of Skegness, in "Bomber County"
- Lincolnshire, at Ordnance Survey National Grid reference TF 450645, Lat.53 09 45N / Long 00 10 15E,
and at a height ASL of 33 feet. The station was opened on 20 September 1943 as a
satellite to East Kirkby in 5 Group, Bomber Command. Its first
Commanding Officer was Group Captain W.G. Cheshire.
13/9/43 "Arr. Spilsby. Accomodation available,
no water, messing or rations. All meals consequently had to be
purchased outside station"!
19/9/43 "Officer and 35 ranks of RAFR arrived
but no bedding; East Kirkby couldn't supply at 1900; one lorry
arrived with enough beds! 3 cooks loaned from EK. 20/9/43 "no electricity, no boilers."
Not a very auspicious start to life at the station! While 207 flew its first operational flights on 18 October, the
airfield was upgraded from satellite to Station status from 24th.
2751 Squadron RAF Regiment was deployed to airfield defence. 44 Squadron arrived from Dunholme Lodge near Lincoln
on 30 September 1944, commanded by Wing Commander F.W.Thompson,
DSO, DFC, AFC. "Bomber Dawn" The
Sqdn was a part of 5 Group Bomber Command, (Aircraft code letters KM) and
flew Hampdens at the outbreak of war, but was the first operational squadron
to convert to Lancasters, as from December 1941. At that time 129 of 490 ground crews were Rhodesians, commanded by W/Cdr R.A.B.Learoyd.,
VC., being stationed at Waddington, their first operational Lancasters being
L7537, L7538, and L7541. The intention being to convert them to 24 Lancasters
by the end of the year, with their Hampdens being transferred to 420 R.C.A.F.
Squadron. All manufacturing output of Lancasters were directed to 44 Squadron.
and struck a pile of concrete posts. Undercarriage collapsed, aircraft became
a major repair. It is interesting to note that 44 Squadron at that time (1941)
were taking off at three minutes interval, whilst in 1944, from Waddington,
463, and 467 were taking off and landing, at 30 second intervals. It moved
to Dunholme Lodge Then Spilsby on 30th September 1944; Mepal on 21st July
1945; Mildenhall 25th August 1945. Here it took over the aircraft of No 622
Squadron and converted to Lincolns in October 1945.
(Extracts from PRO Squadron Records) No. A/C Av. Hrs per A/C Tons dropped Sorties Sorties per a/c Tons per a/c Early returns Missing FLYING HOURS Avoidable Accidents 18.4 62.40 611.50 153 8.3 33.2 2 5 - 669 286 83 0 INTERNAL LINKS EXTERNAL LINKS In the links below are modern map locations of 44 Squadron airfield sites
Eric Howell, front row, middle
BJ & M Promotions (A Division of Newton Publishing Group)
PO Box 966, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 7TN
ISBN 1 901405 12 5
His book contains a list of the Lancasters, with Pilots names, of all 146 aircraft of 44 Squadron
that were lost.
Its
first operational unit was 207 Squadron who moved in from Langar,
the main body arriving on 12 October 1943. Equipped with Lancasters,
it was commanded by Wing Commander P. N. Jennings. The Station
ORB records the following comments:
Empty sea and
sky
Merge as one in morning mist
Ever the same year after year
Deserted beach waits for little hands
To build a Camelot in the sands
With knights of old
In make believe world of castle and moat
Tourists come and tourists go
Early morning risers jog and stroll
As dogs race in the surf
While some sit and ponder rising tide
And watch footprints wash away.
How many have passed this way
To gaze at rising sun?
Funcoast World teems with bodies
Bright coloured shirts and bermuda shorts
Gulping beer, playing the bandits
Little red planes trundle overhead
Ten pounds a ride down the coast
While grey jets scream overhead
Ensuring freedom for young and old.
People gaze and think of dashing young men,
Knights of the air on chariots of fire
Guardians of the skies.
Old folks stop and stare
Memories dimmed by years gone by
Waiting, Watching, Listening.
Engines throbbed in distant haze
Heralding twentieth century Merlins
Returning home with knights of moonlit skies
With jagged holes in bucking mounts
Ensuring freedom for young and old
So little hands can play again
And build a Camelot in the sand.
©Richard Caville, Skegness, 1991
A brief history of 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron
The Group Commander was A.V.M. J.C.Slessor, C.B., D.S.O., M.C.
The first mishap was with S/L Nettleton, who later won the V.C. This was caused
by snow and ice , when his tail wheel was broken off. Next was a major crash,
with P/O Maudslay trying an emergency landing at Chedderton,
No. 5 Group
"War Effort" - May 1944
Table of statistics for 44 Squadron
(average)on charge
Ops / Training /
Day / Night
POW CAMPS MAP
"The War Illustrated" Jan,1941""HOW SAD"
POEM by Eric Howell
PILOT TRAINING
- RULES OF THE AIR!12 SQDN MEMORIAL STONE
CRASH SITEMONKSTHORPE
BAPTIST CHAPEL
Note: The Spilsby northern perimeter
track lies above the name "Monksthorpe";
the main runway was just north of the yellow road,
almost E-W and roughly parallel
to the blue drainage ditch;
the southern perimeter skirted Kelsey Hall.
The small cross on the north side is the site of Monksthorpe Chapel.
