Originally Posted by
stevef
Somewhere amongst my book collection there's a reference to double navigators (Pathfinder Force?) sometimes being carried on Lancaster trips, maybe to operate the electronic apparatus. Also recall something about an eighth German-speaking crew member, presumably on board to confuse the German night fighter pilots and plotters.
This was 101 Sqn. They suffered the most unit casualties of any because of the nature of their work. They would often take off singly and fit into the bomber stream at various intervals in order to provide coverage for the full straem. Along with the eighth crew member, they also carried jamming equipmet particularly one that had a microphone in one of the engine compartments and whenever they discovered a night fighter frequency that was being used they would transmit engine noise to block it.