L7538 was written off in a landing accident in February 1942 fortunately the crew escaped safely. Of those first three Lancasters delivered, only L7541 survived the war (it was struck off charge in June 1945). In terms of casualties, the Squadron suffered the third highest number for all RAF units during the war. 44 Sqn Lancaster B1 L7578 ‘KM-B’ low flying in 1942.ĭuring the remainder of the war in Europe, No 44 Squadron was to fly 4,362 Lancaster sorties, in the course of which it lost 149 aircraft with another 22 destroyed in crashes, the heaviest Lancaster losses in Bomber Command. The Lancaster’s performance, its ruggedness, reliability and to many its sheer charisma, endeared it to its crews who were proud to fly this famous thoroughbred.
Lancaster bomber crew numbers full#
With a full bomb load the aircraft had a range in excess of 1,500 miles. It could carry a maximum bomb load of 22,000 lb, its maximum level speed with a full load at 15,000 feet was 275 mph and it could cruise routinely at altitudes above 20,000ft at a range speed of 200 mph. The performance of the Lancaster was simply outstanding. Concrete runways were not laid until 1943. No 44 Sqn Lancaster B1 R5740 taxies at Waddington. To 44 Squadron fell the honour of being the first unit to convert to the Lancaster (quickly followed by No 97 Squadron at Coningsby), the first to bring the heavy bomber into service and the first to fly operational missions in the new aircraft in March 1942. Now the Squadron had the first three operational Lancasters to be delivered to the RAF, L7537,L7538 and L7541. The first prototype Lancaster, BT308, a converted Manchester, which had flown for the first time on 9th January that year, had already been resident at Waddington since 9th September for air and ground crew training. A memorial in Green Park in London was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 June 2012 to highlight the heavy casualties suffered by the aircrews during the war.Seventy-five years ago, on Christmas Eve 1941, No 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, which had been operating Handley Page Hampden twin-engine bombers since February 1939, received the best Christmas present its crews could ask for, when the first three production Avro Lancaster B1s were delivered to them at Waddington. Therefore, a total of 75,446 airmen (60 percent of operational airmen) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Bomber Command aircrews suffered a high casualty rate: of a total of 125,000 aircrew, 57,205 were killed (a 46 percent death rate), a further 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war. In total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft lost in action.
(For more details, see "Aircrew Ages" section below.) Most aircrew were aged between 19 and 25, although some were as young as 16, and at least one was in his sixties.
Of these, 32 were officially non-British units: 15 RCAF squadrons, eight RAAF squadrons, four Polish squadrons, two French squadrons, two RNZAF/"New Zealand" squadrons, and one Czechoslovakian squadron. 460 Squadron RAAF.ġ939–1941: Battle, Blenheim, Hampden, Wellington, Whitley.ġ941 onwards: Manchester, Ventura, Stirling, Halifax, Lancaster, Mosquito.Ĭlose ▲ RAF recruitment poster featuring the Handley Page Halifax.Ī total of 126 squadrons served with Bomber Command. The crew of "G" for George, a celebrated Lancaster bomber operated by No. Likewise many RAF personnel served in Article XV squadrons. While it was intended that RCAF, RAAF, and RNZAF personnel would serve only with their respective " Article XV squadrons", in practice many were posted to units of the RAF or other air forces. Under Article XV of the 1939 Air Training Agreement, squadrons belonging officially to the RCAF, RAAF, and RNZAF were formed, equipped and financed by the RAF, for service in Europe. While the majority of Bomber Command personnel were members of the RAF, many belonged to other air forces – especially the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). The crews were men from the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and occupied Europe, especially Poland, France, Czechoslovakia and Norway, as well as other foreign volunteers. The aircrews of RAF Bomber Command during World War II operated a fleet of bomber aircraft carried strategic bombing operations from September 1939 to May 1945, on behalf of the Allied powers.
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