Bomb and "ice-cream" markings on Phantom of the Ruhr

[cambioso]

Hi Chaps,
My wife gave me a wonderful blown up photo on canvas of my dear old Dad (passed away last Christmas) in the cockpit of the BBMF Lanc- I managed to get him in and around her a couple of years ago (thanks Ben!) as she came out of maintenance at Coventry with the new colour scheme.
Dad completed a tour as a pilot on Lancs in 1944 and then went on to Yorks.
Anyway.......................... I couldn't help but notice the mission markings under the cockpit. Some are red "bombs", others are yellow "bombs", and (most peculiar of all) some were ice-cream cones (or at least looked like them!).
Please can somebody explain what these symbols represented?
Many thanks,
Jez Cooke

[Dave Clarke Fife]

Bombs for ops over Germany and ice cream cones for ops over Italy. 'Red' bombs I think indicate poppy drops

[cambioso]

Thanks for the reply Dave.
That explains the ice-cream cornets, but the yellow and red bombs.........??
Not sure about the poppy idea as I guess this was how the original "Phantom" would have appeared before poppy drops were invented?
Anyone else out there enlightened?
I'm going to try and upload the photo..........But don't hold your breath!!
Jez

[cambioso]

OK, here's the offending article.............I hope!
Any ideas?
Regards,
Jez

http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd387/cambioso/087.jpg

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Lovely story about your Dad, Jez, and marvellous you could fix that treat for him. Bet it made his eyes water.

Take care and Happy and Healthy 2011...

Bren

[TEEEJ]

See following

Aviation Classics: An insight into historic aircraft - The Avro Lancaster (http://www.aviationclassics.co.uk/issues/1-lancaster/feature.html)

'Operational sorties were represented with yellow bombs, while a red bomb signified a trip to the ‘Big City’ – Berlin. ‘Ops’ to Italy were recorded with an ice-cream cornet, an unofficial marking used by Bomber Command to signify a raid on Italian targets. Ron and his crew were responsible for two of the four cornets on Phantom, including an 11-hour epic to Turin, and took the bomber to Berlin on three occasions. Few of their ‘ops’ with Phantom of the Ruhr were without incident, but it was their last trip in it, to Mannheim on 23/24 September 1943, when they came closest to disaster.'

Link to BBMF Lancaster current markings.

Phantom of the Ruhr | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/si558/1426408969/)

TJ

[Dave Clarke Fife]

TEEEJ has the more definitive explanation with regards red and yellow bombs. My mention of the red for poppies was based on info that the aircraft has red markings to represent poppy drops the aircraft has completed at rememberence events. I put two and two together and came up with nine!!!!

[Pom Pax]

How many bombs per row?

Funny I knew the answer when I was six.

Did mine laying have a different symbol? Was there a standard for these symbols?

[cambioso]

Thanks very much for the explanation TEEEJ - much appreciated!
Yes Bren it was a fantastic trip for Dad and I.
I knew Ben one of the engineers on the Coventry refurb. and he arranged for the Lanc to be made available.
I didn't mention it to Dad, and instead bored him with a trip round our Falcon (then based at Cov). Usual mutterings about "all computer games these days" and "Watch and compass didn't do us much harm" etc etc.......
Then I took him around the corner of the hangar where Ben and crew had pulled "Phantom" out of the hangar especially.
It was extremely emotional on all sides as the guys lined up and shook his hand, then pulled the stairs up so he could stump about inside.
He was in and over the main-spar like a gazelle and into "his" seat before you could blink (actually there was a lot of blinking all round as you could imagine.......)
When he was eventually prised out of the cockpit, and back to earth, he wondered round the aircraft looking up at her lost in thought (we cannot begin to imagine his thoughts then)
He remarked "Big isn't it?" thanked everyone, and walked away without a backward glance.
An un-forgetable day and I will always be indebted to Ben and his crew for letting it happen.
Thanks again Chaps,
Jez

[TEEEJ]

No problem, Jez. Lovely story about your Dad!

TJ