The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make sure the other bastard dies for his!    Quote from an Aussie skipper

626 Squadron crewmen after their return from the April 22/23rd 1944 Dusseldorf raid

The only crewman identified  in this photo so far is New Zealand  skipper, Pilot Officer Welford, on the extreme left. Can anyone help with the others?

Düsseldorf: 22/23rd of April 1944.   596 aircraft - 323 Lancasters, 254 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitos - of all groups except No 5. 29 aircraft - 16 Halifaxes and 13 Lancasters - lost,  4.9 percent of the force.   2,150 tons of bombs were dropped in this old-style heavy attack on a German city which caused much destruction but also allowed the German night-fighter force to penetrate the bomber stream. The attack fell mostly in the northern districts of Düsseldorf. Widespread damage was caused.  "Bomber Command War Diaries"

Bomber aircrews were a superstitious lot. Some preferred a particular seat on the crew bus or carried a girlfriend or wife's stockings about them. Many carried good luck tokens or wore 'lucky' items of clothing.
For crews to relieve themselves on the tail wheel of their aircraft before take-off 'for luck' was also a common practice. 

By midnight the still Lincolnshire air was shattered by straining starter motors and Merlin engines bursting into life as one by one the Lancaster's captains and flight engineers brought the temperatures and pressures of the engines to take off and flight readiness. When ready, the ground crew removed the starter trolleys and wheel chocks, then marshalled the aircraft out of their dispersals to the taxiway track. 

Once again 626 Squadron was operational."         'To Strive and not to Yield' by Dennis West

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he. 

He called for his kites in the middle of the night, and he called for his rear-gunners three. 

Every rear-gunner was a fine type, and a very fine type was he: 

'Jesus Christ, it's cold' said the rear-gunner, '

Corkscrew port like hell' said the midupper, 

'Dah-di-di-dah di-di-dah' said the wirelessop, 

'We are bang on track' said the navigator, 

'Left, left, steady - dummy run' said the bomb-aimer, 

'I want four pounds boost' said the engineer, 

'I don't give a f. .. ' said the pilot, 

'merry, merry men are we, 

There's none so rare as can compare with the boys of Wickenby.' 

A song regularly sung at Wickenby's Officer's Mess - from Jack Currie's book 'Lancaster Target'.

F/Sgt  Robert Alexander Smith (R217366) - Distinguished Flying Medal -No.626 Squadron - Noted in Squadron diary August 1944.  Award effective 22 September 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 2274/44 dated 20 October 1944.  

Born Toronto, 1923; home there (former assembly worker on flying instruments); enlisted there 20 January 1943.  

Trained at No.3 BGS (graduated 29 October 1943).  Cited with F/Lt William L. Foote (RCAF, awarded DSO).  

Award presented 18 October 1947.   

This officer and airman were captain and mid-upper gunner respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack Stuttgart.  En route the aircraft was attacked by a fighter and sustained much damage.  The rear gunner was killed and Flight Sergeant Smith was blown out of his turret into the fuselage.  He was, however, uninjured and returned to his turret.  A fire started in the rear of the fuselage which betrayed the position of the bomber to the enemy and the aircraft was subjected to five successive attacks.  Nevertheless, Flight Lieutenant Foote skillfully maneouvered the aircraft and enabled Flight Sergeant Smith to engage the fighter which was seen to fall away in flames.  Flight Lieutenant Foote then continued to the target and completed his mission.  This officer and airman have taken part in many sorties and have displayed a high standard of courage and devotion to duty.

F/O Robert Marshall Smith (J36983) RCAF - Mentioned in Despatches - 

626 Squadron (deceased) - Award effective 13 June 1946 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 726/46 dated 26 July 1946.    Killed in action 7 January 1945 (Lancaster LL961).    

Born 8 July 1916 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Educated in Winnipeg.  Enlisted in Toronto, 22 August 1942.  Trained at No.1 ITS (graduated 30 April 1943), No. 20 EFTS (graduated 25 June 1943) and No.1 SFTS (graduated 15 October 1943).  Overseas, October 1943.  Completed 24 missions before his death.  

Commanding officer wrote that in a raid on Munich his aircraft was hit by another friendly bomber - tail end almost ripped off.  He stayed at the controls, not only to permit his crew to bale out but to avoid crashing in Allied-occupied territory where a U.S. Army field hospital was located - and thus lost his own chance to survive.

LL961 Munich  7th January 1945 

Sgt C.J. Lane, F/O J.K. Yeaman RCAF, F/O D. Rymer, F/S G.M. Magee RAAF, F/S D.F. Crowe RCAF, Sgt W. McLean 

Airborne 18.44 7th January 1944 from Wickenby. Outbound, collided with a 150 Sqdn Lancaster and abandoned just to the south of Laon (Aisne). F/O Smith is now buried in the Canadian War Cemetery at Dieppe, while Sgt McLean is buried in Clichy New Communal Cemetery. 

The other Lancaster, PB781, flown by F/Lt  R. Rose RCAF of 150 Sqdn, returned safely to Hemswell and was little damaged.  

A British Icon - the Rolls Royce Merlin Engine

Many people believe that Britain could not have won the war without the Spitfire to defend us and the Lancaster to strike back. Both aircraft would not have been possible without the Merlin engine.

The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after birds of prey.

The PV-12 first ran in 1933 and, after several modifications, the first production variants were built in 1936. The first operational aircraft to enter service using the Merlin were the Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. 

More Merlins were made for the four-engined Avro Lancaster heavy bomber than for any other aircraft; however, the engine is most closely associated with the Spitfire, starting with the Spitfire's maiden flight in 1936. A series of rapidly applied developments, brought about by wartime needs, markedly improved the engine's performance and durability.

Considered a British icon, the Merlin was one of the most successful aircraft engines of the World War II era, and many variants were built by Rolls-Royce in Derby, Crewe and Glasgow, as well as by Ford of Britain at their Trafford Park factory, near Manchester. The Packard V-1650 was a version of the Merlin built in the United States. 

Production ceased in 1950 after a total of almost 150,000 engines had been delivered, the later variants being used for airliners and military transport aircraft.

In military use the Merlin was superseded by its larger capacity stablemate, the Rolls-Royce Griffon. Merlin engines remain in Royal Air Force service today with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and power many restored aircraft in private ownership worldwide.

Aircraft which were powered by the Merlin engine include the Lancaster, Spitfire, Halifax, Hurricane, Battle, Defiant, Whitley, Mosquito, Hornet, York, Lincoln and North American Mustang.

F/O George Price and LL918  UM-C2    by Tom Docherty

George joined 626 Sqn at Wickenby in Lincolnshire flying Lancaster Mks I and III and on the night of 25/26 July 1944 he flew a mission  which resulted in the award of the DFC.  The Lancaster George and his crew flew that night was Lancaster Mk I LL918 coded ‘C2’ and George described it as “The Squadron bedstead” – ‘C2’ was one of the oldest on the squadron.  The bomb load was one 2000lb HC bomb and 12 Type J incendiary clusters.  Unlike most of the new Lancasters on the squadron ‘C2’ was not equipped with ‘Fishpond’  - radar warning of enemy fighters attacking from the rear.  

The official recommendation for the DFC reads as follows:

“Flying  Officer Price, as Captain and Pilot has now carried out 24 operations against the enemy.

He has proved himself to be a most skilful Pilot, and as a Captain he has made his crew an efficient fighting unit.  At all times he has displayed an aggressive spirit which has inspired each member of his crew to determined and efficient action in the face of all opposition.

On one occasion on the night of 25/26 July 1944 his aircraft was subjected to a succession of attacks by a DO 217 night fighter, for approximately 30 minutes.  On each occasion these attacks were met with such skill and determination on the part of Flying Officer Price and his Rear Gunner that damage to his aircraft was avoided, and the enemy finally fell away with flames coming from its starboard wing and engine, after the Rear Gunner had fired a long burst during the last attack.  The enemy aircraft was claimed as destroyed.

Throughout his operational career, Flying Officer Price has been a most efficient and gallant leader to his crew, and has proved himself an asset and an example to the Squadron.

I strongly recommend that Flying officer Price be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of his outstanding leadership, skill and gallantry.

Signed Wing Commander, Commanding, 626 Squadron RAF” 

The Station Commander added his remarks:

“Flying Officer Price has displayed a fine offensive spirit throughout his tour of operations. Regardless of the strength of the enemy opposition, this captain can always be relied upon to press home his attacks. I have no hesitation in recommending that this officer’s dogged determination and fighting skill merit the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Signed, Group Captain, Commanding, RAF Station Wickenby”  

Jim Barton once asked George how his award came about and, in a quiet, laid back manner George responded:

“On the return trip we were being attacked by a night fighter who was firing at our exhaust glow.  I got rid of the bugger and told the boys to hang on as I pulled back on the stick and stood the old girl on her tail.  I cut the engines and just let her slide back down – it did the trick and we lost the bastard. "

Post war George worked for Leeds City Transport as a bus inspector and continued to fly light aircraft from Sherburn-in-Elmet.   

(by Tom Docherty - Aviation Historian)

From Wickenby Station Diary for 25/26th July 1944

626/C2                 P/O G. P. Price

00.41hrs 16,000’ 4736N/0320E Outward
The rear gunner Sgt. J. Lee sighted a ME109 approaching from the Starboard quarter level at 250yds range. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Starboard, at the same time be and the M.U.G. Sgt. V.A. Lane opened fire with short bursts. The enemy aircraft immediately returned fire with a fairly long burst, hitting our bomber on the Port side of the fuselage and rendering the hydraulic system, the undercart, and the bomb doors unserviceable. The fighter broke at 200yds on the Port quarter down and was lost to view.

626/C2                 P/O G. P. Price

02.55hrs 14,000’ 4830N/0600E Homeward
The rear gunner Sgt. J. Lee sighted a D0217 approaching from the Port quarter up at 350yds range. He instructed the pilot to corkscrew Port at the same time opening up with a long burst. The enemy aircraft broke away on the Starboard quarter down at 150yds, and a few seconds later reappeared on the Port quarter.  For approximately 20 mins (50 miles) it continued to make a succession of attacks on our bomber.  The rear gunner on each occasion opened fire with short bursts.  The fighter at no time returned fire. When we reached 4825N/0525E the enemy aircraft from the Starboard quarter level at 250yds and again the rear gunner opened fire with a long burst.  The fighter burst in to flames, which came from the Starboard wing and engine.  It then plunged through the clouds and was lost to view.  The enemy aircraft is claimed as destroyed.

My brief sweet life is over,
My eyes no longer see,
No Christmas trees,
No summer walks
No pretty girls for me,
I've got the chop, I've had it
My nightly Ops are done,
Yet in another hundred years
I'll still be twenty one.

R.W Gilbert