This is the diary of Charles Owen who was pilot of TW909 and took the AOC-in-C Bomber Command Air Marshal Sir Norman Bottomley on the Goodwill trip.
Crew
S/L R Richards DFC (Navigator)
F/L T Shepherd (Navigator)
F/L W Bolsover (Air Bomber and PA)
F/L C Dear DFC (Wireless Operator)
F/L W Robinson DFC DFM (Engineer)
Lancaster TW909
20 July 1946
Northolt - Lagens (Azores)
7 hours 40 mins
Took off in the dark in good weather, and went straight up to ten
thousand. Cruised along in the moonlight above cloud, and once the Old
Man had gone to bed everything was very quiet and straightforward.
Weather was perfect all the way, and we landed at Lagens in time for
breakfast. Tried to sleep all day but the temperature was up in the
nineties and so we weren't very successful.
21 July 1946
Lagens - Gander (Newfoundland)
8 hours 15 mins
Intended to take off after dark so as to reach Gander in daylight, but
decided to take off in the late afternoon as there was a chance of fog
over Gander at dawn. Cruised all the way at ten thousand and, except
for passing through a front about half-way, the weather was good.
Landing at Gander was a bit tricky as the VHF was more or less u/s and
all three runways were lit up simultaneously. However managed to pick
the right one, and so to an enormous breakfast at 3.30am. First
unrationed food since 1939, and we all made pigs of ourselves. The Old
Man seemed to enjoy it as much as we did.
22 July 1946
Gander - Harmon Field
1 hour 5 mins
Gander looked a little bleak in the morning, so the Old Man decided to
nip over to the Yank base on the west coast of Newfoundland. Trip over
was very straightforward, but was struck by the wildness of the
country. Precious few roads and very few houses. Saw a pranged Hudson
in the woods and went beetling down in some rather splitarse turns to
have a look, thus inviting, and getting, some rather pointed remarks
from the cabin. "C-in-C to Pilot. Just what was the purpose of that
manoeuvre?"
Landed at Harmon and saw our first American reception committee, three
staff cars and a lorry.
25 July 1946
Harmon - Mitchell Field (New York)
5 hours
Very straightforward trip down the coast to New York, punctuated by
frequent and unsuccessful attempts to contact Canadian and American
radio stations and pass position reports. Eventually contacted
Westover and passed an ETA for Mitchell. On arrival was instructed to
let down on the Range, but as we had no radio capable of picking it
up, and I wouldn't have known what to do with it in any case, this was
a bit tricky. Compromised by letting down straight ahead and then
circling the field looking hopeful, thereby getting immediate
permission to land and cutting out four Yanks who were flying on the
range. Hard luck. Reception committee of one general, one W/C, one
S/L, numerous colonels, four staff cars and a bus. Also the gentlemen
of the Press. Many photographs and the Old Man tickled pink.
26 July 1946
Mitchell - Patterson Field (Dayton)
2 hours 50 mins
Very bumpy leaving New York, with low cloud and blistering heat, not
helped by the fact that we all had shocking hangovers, including the
Old Man, who was distinctly rude on the intercomm about the
conditions. Circled over the city before leaving and admired the
skyscrapers. Cloud broke up about halfway, so climbed up to ten thou
and cooled down a bit. Feeling better by the time we reached Dayton,
and the Old Man a little more affable. Reception committee a good
average with two colonels and four cars.
27 July 1946
Patterson - Randolph Field (San Antonio)
5 hours 30 mins
Airborne at 08.30 after a shocking thrash which lasted all night.
Temperature was terrific, and Dicky passed out after ten minutes, and
was laid to rest in the nose, so thereafter I mapread all the way.
Conversation brightened a lot by Bill remarking that Dayton was the
only town where he had seen a girl's arsehole on the stage. Got to San
Antonio at last and landed at Kelly Field, only to find that plans had
been changed, so that we had to climb back in again and fly over to
Randolph. Reception was terrific, including the cadets lined up along
the runway to see us land. Committee of one general, hosts of lesser
fry and no less than eight staff and two lorries, thus establishing a
record for the trip.
28 July 1946
Randolph - Long Beach Airport (California)
5 hours 50 mins
Usual early take off, with hangovers even worse than usual after a
cocktail party (6 - 9.30) and a mess dance (9.30 - 4.00? or maybe
5.00?). Put up my first major black by over-sleeping and only waking
up 30 mins before proposed ETD. Very quiet trip at ten thou all the
way, but temperature over the desert very high, and I was thankful for
a Texas cowboy hat which I had somehow acquired the night before (Owen kept this hat for the rest of his life). Very pleasant flight rations consisting of chicken sandwiches, bananas, peaches and iced milk, which was quite a thing. Long Beach was a
amazing sight from the air, due to oil derricks clustered like trees
among the houses. Reception committee up to standard, including G/C
Collard and the advance trip from 35 Squadron.
2 August 1946
Long Beach - Scott Field (St Louis)
7 hours 25 mins
Very boring stooge across the States, not helped by the fact that the
strain of five days jag in Hollywood and Long Beach was beginning to
tell. Landed at Scott just as it was getting dark. Had intended to
refuel and press on, but the rain started to come down in sheets and
as I wasn't keen on landing at Washington at night in bad weather, we
decided to stay the night and press on in the morning.
3 August 1946
Scott - Bolling Field (Washington)
3 hous 20 mins
Still pouring with rain the next morning, but Met was pretty hopeful
so off we went. Found we had a dead cut on one mag on the stbd outer
just before take-off but decided to press on regardless as Scott Field
was pretty dreary. This nearly caused mutiny down the back, but we
ignored the frantic pleas of the sergeant fitter and took off without
incident. Weather at Washington was good, and we dropped the Old Man
off at the National Airport, where Gen Spaatz and his boys were there
to greet him. We then nipped off smartly and went across the river to
Bolling.
7 August 1946
Bolling - Harmon Field (Newfoundland)
5 hours 40 mins
Night take-off from Washington in shocking weather. Cloud base at 300'
and pouring with rain. Stooged along in cloud until somewhere near
Westover when it started to clear up. The Met forecast for Harmon was
good, but got there to find low cloud and fog with vis down to about
500 yards. Luckily they had GCA (Ground Controlled Approach) on the line so in we went. The Old Man
was most impressed, as apparently he'd never seen GCA in action
before.
8 August 1946
Harmon - Lagens
7 hours 45 mins
Weather at take-off time was distinctly duff. In fact it stank, but
once the Old Man had seen some lunatic take off in a civilian DC-4 he
seemed to think the honour of the RAF was at stake, so off we had to
go. Weather was lousy for the first two hours, but after that it
cleared up nicely and we had a quiet trip. Dawn broke abou an hour
before we reached the Azores, and we could see Pico sticking up
through the clouds when we were 50 miles out. Landed in time for
breakfast.
9 August 1946
Lagens - Prestwick
7 hours 40 mins
Took off about 22.00 intending to make Bovingdon in the early dawn and
so catch Customs with their pants down. However as we approached
Land's End we were directed to St Mawgan. We duly arrived there, and
could see the aerodrome from 6,000', but for some peculiar reason we
were diverted to Prestwick. I got a bit annoyed about this, but when I
tried to argue they got a little rude, so off to Prestwick we went to
be greeted by Customs who had just finished Prestwick and were right
on top of their form.
9 August 1946
Prestwick to Abingdon
3 hours
The Old Man very keen to get home, so pressed on from Prestwick as
soon as we had refuelled. Weather was not so hot and Gee was u/s, so
decided to crawl down the Irish Sea and up the Bristol Channel and so
in to Abingdon. The crew by now were just about all in and by the time
we reached the Bristol Channel everyone was asleep except for me and
the Old Man, who appeared in the cockpit and gallantly mapread us into
Abingdon. Very tired when we got there and so proceeded to do a
shocking landing, but the Old Man didn't complain and told us to take
14 days leave, which we thought a good show.
Kindly shown to me by Charles Owen's son Oliver, who has also written an article on his father in The Observer:
Oliver Owen discovered his father was a wartime RAF hero | Life and style | The Observer