83 Squadron in June 1942.

The bombers also flew over Germany at night, but dropped only propaganda leaflets.Pictured here are Vickers Wellingtons of No. Assignment to a squadron was simply a process of making good recent losses and a squadron which had lost three or four crews in the previous week would expect the "feeder" OTUs to have replacement crews (known as freshmen or sprog crews)During mid-wartime many crews trained using "tired" At the outbreak of war in September 1939 operational Bomber Command aircrew "trades" flying operationally in the early stages of the war were:Typically when flying operationally the following aircraft were crewed as below:

Enemy production was massively disrupted, and in some places ceased. The aircrews of RAF Bomber Command during World War II operated a fleet of bomber aircraft carried strategic bombing operations from September 1939 to May 1945, on behalf of the Allied powers. Controversially, locations so far untouched were razed to the ground as they rose to the top of the target list. On joining the squadron their pilot would often be assigned to fly one or two operational missions as second pilot with an experienced crew in order to gain operational experience before taking his own crew into action. German night-fighters and anti-aircraft guns were becoming more effective.

9 Squadron shortly before the outbreak of war. Details.

While the majority of Bomber Command personnel were members of the RAF, many belonged to other air forces … On arrival back at base, the bombers were granted permission to land based on their fuel reserves, wounded crewmen and battle damage.In the late spring of 1944, when operations were being flown to less distant targets, often in preparation for The Pathfinder crews in turn released their target indicators on different marker flares laid for them by their leader, who flew minutes ahead in a de Havilland Mosquito light bomber to identify the precise target buildings at very low level. In this situation he would be referred to as a Second Dickie (second pilot).Typically when flying operationally the following aircraft carried seven aircrew while operating in the main force heavy bomber role, the exception being the At the outbreak of war in Europe, all ranks of the At the outbreak of war bomber aircrew were almost completely Several Polish squadrons were formed in England after the One of RAF Bomber Command's oldest casualties in action was Possibly the youngest member of aircrew to be killed serving with an operational bomber squadron is A number of seventeen-year-olds were lost flying operationally with A "Main Force" heavy bomber squadron was commanded by an officer holding the rank Trade group leadership within a squadron included a navigation leader who was responsible for the training, efficiency and any special pre-operation briefing requirements of the navigators. Their bombs were scattered far and wide.

(For more details, see In total 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 8,325 aircraft lost in action. Over the course of the war, it developed from a limited and relatively ineffective force into a weapon of immense destructive power. Some of the cases amount to what is now recognised as The process was considered extremely harsh and was deeply resented by the aircrews themselves, who rarely spoke of "LMF" situations; even decades after the war, few memoirs give more than an occasional mention of the issue. Bomber Command lacked the strength at this stage to do any serious damage.Pictured here is a Bristol Blenheims of No. 87 Squadron (RAF) BEF, France: 1939-May 1940; Fighter … In a similar vein there was a bombing leader heading the bomb aimers, an engineer leader for the flight engineers, a signals leader for the wireless operators and a gunnery leader for the air gunners accomplishing the same tasks and results. Bird's eye photographs of the fateful day in NormandyThe RAF's victory over the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 made a German invasion of Britain all but impossible.

Aircrew had to become accustomed very quickly to the casualty rate suffered by Squadrons would normally be given the task of dispatching 12–25 aircraft on a night operation, and at least one of their crews would be expected to be lost every two night operations. Aircrew walking to their RCAF No.

Any of the airmen who had served over 3 years on the Home Front would also have earned a Defence Medal.Commonwealth aircrew received additional medals as the Canadian government awarded their personnel the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal 1939–47 with a silver maple leaf clasp for service overseas, the Australian government awarded their personnel the Australia Service Medal 1939–45, the New Zealand government awarded their personnel the New Zealand War Service Medal 1939–45, the South Africans, South Rhodesians and Newfoundlanders all received their own service medals also.Many biographies and auto-biographies of aircrew record that, facing a very limited life expectancy, airmen frequently adopted mascots and superstitions, holding to a belief that if they adhered to a particular custom or carried a specific talisman with them, then they would "get home in time for breakfast".Either flying as a "spare bod" to cover for sickness in another crew or having a "spare bod" fly in their own crew was not popular.The "LMF" label could be applied equally to a young man who, after completing training, did not have the courage to fly on his very first operation or to a highly experienced member of aircrew who had flown almost enough "ops" to complete his tour but had been wounded in action and after recovery did not wish to fly again.

Bombers also flew in support of D-Day, softening up coastal defences and hitting railways to block German reinforcements. The Stirling was the first of the RAF's four-engine bombers to enter service. Airspeed Horsa (Royal Air Force) General Aircraft Hamilcar (Royal Air Force) General … Aircrew walking to their RCAF …