Fleet Air Arm personnel in Bomber Command WWII
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Fleet Air Arm personnel in Bomber Command WWII
Hello all.
My grandfather (WWII FAA Observer - but never flew on operations as the war finished before he went frontline) died a while back and while my old man and myself were clearing out his attic we found his diary.
He says that when training in Trinidad one of the observers and one of the pilots had both survived tours on Lancasters with Bomber Command.
I can find details of 6 Observers being seconded to lancasters, including Lieutenant-Commander Edgar Lee of channel dash fame, of which 3 were killed. But nothing about FAA Pilots flying for Bomber Command.
Can anyone shed light on this?
My grandfather (WWII FAA Observer - but never flew on operations as the war finished before he went frontline) died a while back and while my old man and myself were clearing out his attic we found his diary.
He says that when training in Trinidad one of the observers and one of the pilots had both survived tours on Lancasters with Bomber Command.
I can find details of 6 Observers being seconded to lancasters, including Lieutenant-Commander Edgar Lee of channel dash fame, of which 3 were killed. But nothing about FAA Pilots flying for Bomber Command.
Can anyone shed light on this?
Ouch! Was that really neccessary?
Added: FED, removing a post does not atone for your it, apologies do.
Added: FED, removing a post does not atone for your it, apologies do.
Last edited by Sloppy Link; 4th Apr 2011 at 06:01. Reason: Amendment
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Fareastdriver
You could at least quote the correct year for the "Battle of Britain". 1940
I expect you will tell us next that there were no United States Pilots in the "Battle of Britain".
You could at least quote the correct year for the "Battle of Britain". 1940
I expect you will tell us next that there were no United States Pilots in the "Battle of Britain".
They were probably former RAF who transferred to the FAA in the closing months of the war. If they wanted to keep flying there was more chance in the FAA which needed aircrew for the Pacific war.
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Fleet Air Arm personnel in Bomber Command WW11
HI I think my father might fall into this category having completed his flying training in Canada with the RAF in 42/43 he returned to the UK and whilst awaiting his next course which was to go to Bostons he transferred to the FAA and flew, Hellcats, Wildcats, Corsairs etc etc and stayed in the FAA until 1970 and continued flying for he RN up to his retirement in 1992
Gordon
Gordon
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Might be worth a looksee Fleet Air Arm Archive (FAA) 1939-1945 Contents Page
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A few years ago following a dicussion in the pub with what appeared to be a confused old man who told me he had worked on FAA lancaters in 1945 I looked into this and he was right.
780 NAS flew 3 Mk1 lancasters from 1945 - 1947
other more unusual types inlcude:
Ansons
Beaufighters
Blenheims
Dakotas
Lysanders
Wellingtons
Whitleys
and a solitary Typhoon
I believe the FAA flew over 100 different types during the war, more types than there are airframes now I would hazard a guess.
780 NAS flew 3 Mk1 lancasters from 1945 - 1947
other more unusual types inlcude:
Ansons
Beaufighters
Blenheims
Dakotas
Lysanders
Wellingtons
Whitleys
and a solitary Typhoon
I believe the FAA flew over 100 different types during the war, more types than there are airframes now I would hazard a guess.
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In his account of his wartime experiences, (‘Nine Lives’, ISBN 0 907579 82 5, and a good read, BTW) Al Deere says this on page 93, regarding the situation in early July at the very start of the battle:
The pilot situation was more unfavourable. Despite the invaluable intake into the Command of fifty-two pilots from the Fleet Air Arm – and what good pilots they were too – the squadrons were still under strength and embarrassingly short of experienced leaders.
