A smaller minority, thinking that it was foolish to push their luck, would quietly ask that they finish at the proper number of trips. Most would volunteer to do a few extra so that the crew's unity was preserved this was rarely spoken of, but illustrates the bond between such men. Such was the comradeship of aircrew that many of the men, doing a second tour with a different crew to their first, would find that they had finished a tour before the rest of the crew. The latter were termed a "bash" and usually involved considerable quantities of alcohol and the companionship of the opposite gender. Others teamed up with friends and went on expeditions to London or York. Most airmen went "home" to wives or parents and it was nothing unusual for a son or husband to turn up at little or no notice with a crewmate or two along, especially if such were Canadians or Australians, sampling British home life. In many squadrons the rule was "no leave until 5 operations are complete" but normally, aircrew received one week's leave every six weeks, and would be issued with a return rail pass to a destination of his choice, and temporary ration cards. Having survived 15 ops, the odds were reckoned to be even. If they survived this, they could volunteer for more but if they chose not to, they remained as instructors unless promoted to higher things.ĭuring the first five operations the new crew ran ten times the risk of the more experienced men, simply because they did not know the ropes. Yet about 35 per cent of crews survived a first tour, after which they were classed as "tour expired" or "screened", trained as instructors and sent to HCUs and OTUs to train more crews.Īfter a six month rest, they came back for another tour of 20 operations. The loss rate was around the 4 to 5 per cent mark, so mathematically it was impossible to survive. Once trained, aircrew flew operations until a tour of duty was complete - or they were regarded by officialdom as a coward - or they were killed or taken prisoner.Ī Tour of Duty and Losses Once on an operational Squadron, a tour of duty was 30 completed operations.Īn "op" was a successfully completed flight or sortie, where the primary or secondary target had been attacked.Ĭrews turning back early through technical problems did not count as having successfully operated. At HCU instructors converted the crew onto the four-engined bombers, Halifaxes or Stirlings, and after a short course the crew was posted to an operational Squadron. After this, those destined for four-engined aircraft - which by late 1941 was almost every one of them - were sent to a Heavy Conversion Unit where the crew was joined by the flight engineer and a second air-gunner. Here they flew mainly Wellingtons and acquired team skills and did a lot of training, sometimes with an "easy" operation (dropping mines or leaflets) thrown in. Many Poles and Czechs also flew on "Special Duties" flights, dropping arms and agents into occupied territory.Īfter completion of flying training, the individual airmen were posted to an Operational Training Unit, where the new intake was paraded in a hangar and told to form themselves into 5-man crews of pilot, navigator, wireless-operator, bomb aimer, and one air gunner. 346 and 347 Sqdns and the Poles operated with great determination in such Squadrons as 300, 301 and 302. Many French, Poles and Czechs joined the RAF and similar bomber units to the RCAF / RAAF / RNZAF existed. Having said that, a great number of such men also served in RAF units, the Australians soon earning a reputation for assertiveness and aggressiveness - as much on the ground as in the air! Specific units were formed to accommodate Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders, and such units as 460 Sqdn RAAF, 428 Sqdn RCAF F, and 75 Sqdn RNZA sprang into existence. Even before the USA's involvement after Pearl Harbour () many United States nationals also swelled the ranks, usually by the simple expedient of crossing into Canada and joining the RCAF. A vast number of airmen from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other parts of the British Empire and its Dominions (such as South Africa, Rhodesia and so on) served in the RAF, RCAF, RAAF, or RNZAF. Most of those who fought and died for their country were not old enough to vote.Ī typical Bomber Command crew could readily consist of a spectrum of nationalities an Australian pilot, English bomb aimer, and flight engineer, Canadian gunners and New Zealander wireless operator. The fact that anyone over the age of 30 was known as ‘Dad’ (and those over 40 as ‘Grandad’) illustrates the fact that air crew were young men. The Bomber Crew In Britain all healthy males between 18 and 40 had to be in either uniform or reserved occupation during the war.
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