Cold War reconnaissance mission

[BIG MACH]

I was listening to Radio Wales this afternoon when a lady came on saying that her father had been a Navigator on a secret mission over the Soviet Union. He had been given a medal but he had always refused to tell anyone what the medal was for. The lady has been in touch with MOD, to ask what the citation to his medal said, but she said no-one seems to know anything about the incident. She believes that MOD have lost the file.

I remember reading about the mission led by Sqn Ldr Crampton, which appeared on pprune some months ago and phoned BBC Wales to tell them that I would seek out the information for them, which they could then pass on to this lady.

This lady mentioned b-29s, but I suspect that they were a smokescreen for the real thing.

Would someone mind pointing me to the posting in pprune which detailed the exploits of John Crampton and his crews.

John Crampton died on June 12th of this year

[Wholigan]

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...old-war-5.html

[BIG MACH]

You are most kind, Wholigan. Thank-you for your prompt reply.

[Heimdall]

Op Ju Jitsu

The file, or whats left of it, is available in the National Archives. You might the following article of interest: Op Ju Jitsu

Heimdall

[XV277]

Whilst it probably is the RB-45 missions, 192 Squadron operated Washngtons (B-29s) on ELINT missions around the borders of the USSR.

192 Squadron Washingtons by Dave Forster

[VIProds]

BIG MACH

Have you got this Gentleman's name ? In the mean time, I will go through my documents & the list of names that John Crampton gave me.

[VIProds]

Operation Ju Jitsu

RB-45C CREWS

Southern Route

Sqd Ldr John Crampton
Flt Lt Rex Saunders
Sgt Bill Lindsay (April 1952 Mission)
Flt Lt McAlistar-Furze (April 1954 Mission)


Moscow Route

Flt Lt Gordon Cremer
Flt Sgt Bob Anstee
Sgt Don Greenslade


Baltic Route

Flt Lt Bill Blair (April 1952 Mission)
Flt Lt Harry Currell (April 1954 Mission)
Flt Lt John Hill
Flt Sgt Joe Acklam


Sqd Ldr Mick Martin, who was the last surviving "Dam Busters" pilot was selected to lead the flight but failed his "Explosive Decompression Test.

Flt Lt H.W. Cafferata, Flt Lt Slade & Flt Lt Wightman were trained on the RB-45C but did not take part in the missions. In 1953, The Special Duties Flight was brought up to readiness again, but at the eleventh hour, Chrchill cancelled the operation.

[Wander00]

I guess that is the R McA Furze who in 1963/64 was "A" Sqn Cdr at the RAF College. Wish we had known his "history"

[Warmtoast]

Moscow Route

Flt Lt Gordon Cremer
Flt Sgt Bob Anstee
Sgt Don Greenslade

Re Flt Sgt Bob Anstee.

Was he the Flight Engineer who was on 511 when they flew Britannias?

He was involved in a famous (at the time) engine failure of a Brit engine that couldn't be feathered.

As recounted elsewhere:

... a prop that couldn't be feathered. This event took place on 16th December 1962 (Britannia XM519) whilst en-route from Aden to Gan with 3 pax and a load of Sea Slug missiles.

Having passed the PNR and having descended from 17,500ft to 1,500 ft and flying at 120 knots to save the engine from disintegrating, Norman [Rose] declared a full emergency and he and his crew nursed the aircraft towards Gan. 315 miles out the resident Gan SAR Shackleton met the incoming Britannia and escorted it into Gan for a safe landing. For this in the June 1963 Birthday Honours List Norman was awarded a Bar to his Air Force Cross, whilst his Flight Engineer Master Engineer Bob Anstee received the Air Force Cross to add to his Air Force Medal.

Could his earlier AFM have been as a result of his Ju Jitsu mission perhaps?

I was on 99 at the time and don't recall having ever met him so can't add any more.

[VIProds]

Bob Anstee

I understand that Bob went on to be Sqd Ldr Bob Anstee.

[A2QFI]

Sqn Ldr Cafferata was OC C Sqn at Cranwell in 1958

[Jester01]

Flt Lt Gordon Cremer

Do you guys have any more information on Flt Lt Gordon Cremer? I saw his name in one of the posts above. He is my grandfather, and though I never actually met him (he died before I was born), I inherited all of his flight logbooks, medals, photos, etc... I have many photos of flight squadron members, but no names to put the the faces. Any idea where I can get that info?

[Pontius Navigator]

Jester, if the photos are like official groups, a crew posing together etc it is possible that copies were filed with the Sqn History - RAF Form 540. You may be able to get a researcher to look for you at PRO Kew.

If he had a copy of your original he could quickly match with one in the records. The records should show names as well.

[vc10617]

I just found out that Bill Lindsay AFM died at the weekend. He and his wife were a friends of my mum and dads,they were on the same Lincoln Sqn at Lindholme. We used to go to their house as kids.Later he was a Flt Eng for BOAC on VC-10's. Because of the secrecy of the RB45 missions not even my dad knew about it until the C4 programme in the 90's. He was amazed it was on TV but said he still couldn't talk about it. My dad thought his AFM was for the B-29 crash at Marham (I think) where he was the only survivor still sat in his Flt Eng rear facing seat on the runway with wreckage all round him.It was probably for the RB45 missions.
Back to his BOAC days he was featured on a BOAC tv ad i968 ish sat at the flt eng panel.That vid is on youtube link....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npn7QMxwZNY

RIP Bill Lindsay AFM,"Uncle Bill"

[VIProds]

vc10617 Sad news about Bill Lindsay AFM. A very brave man. Bill was on John Crampton's crew as Co-pilot/Flt engineer on the 1952 Ju Jitsu mission & would have received his AFM for that. Because of his B-29 Washington crash, his place was taken by Flt Lt McAlistar Furze on the 1954 mission. USAF B-29 Tankers were used to "top up" the B-45C aircraft before they entered Soviet airspace. The B-29 Tankers were so unreliable, that the American planners assigned TWO B-29's for every B-45C to be refuelled !! Because John Crampton's 1954 mission was supposed to go as far as Stalingrad, he had to also be refuelled on his return leg.