Operation Lancaster

Operation Lancaster ~ 1946
35 ‘Pathfinder’ Squadron, Goodwill Tour of USA

Both Public & Private Money was utilised to Fund the War Effort and Appeals for Private Funding were made in the UK and in the British Commonwealth.  A “Price List” for the various Aircraft Types was drawn up which showed that Donations of a particular sum would entitle the Donor to have their name inscribed on a randomly selected production Aircraft of that Type.  During WW2, this concept was taken one step further, with larger Gifts resulting in an entire Squadron being linked to the relevant Donor.

TL-D – TW872 – F/L Clarine – Aircraft in the Background in the Squadron Group Picture with W/C Craig Centre Front

Also known as the XXXV Madras Presidency Squadron, 35 Squadron Benefited from Donations from the Madras Presidency (an administrative subdivision of British India) and was formally named “35 (Madras Presidency) Squadron” in June 1942.  It is understood that 35 Squadron was presented with at least 3-Handley Page Halifax by the Madras Presidency and the following markings were shown on the side of these Aircraft (serial numbers unknown):

• Madras Presidency Coimbatore
• Madras Presidency Kistna
• Madras Presidency West Godavari

The term “Madras Presidency” was formally dropped from the Squadron’s title in June 1952.  Madras Presidency included the districts of Coimbatore, West Godavari & Kistna (now Krishna) in the present-day states of Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh. The latter 2 Districts were named after the Rivers that flow through them.

Ira Eaker

Concept & Planning: No.35 Squadron ~ ‘We Act With One Accord’
The idea of a ‘Goodwill Tour’ of the USA seems to have been Born in February 1946 after discussions with USAAF General Ira Eaker, who had Organised & Commanded the US 8th Air Force in the UK during WW2.  General Ira Clarence Eaker (13th April 1896 – 6th August 1987) was a General of the United States Army Air Forces during WW2.  Eaker, as 2nd-in-Command of the prospective 8th Air Force, was sent to Britain to Form & Organise its Bomber Command Collaboration.  However, while he struggled to Build up his Air Power in Britain, the Organisation of the Army Air Forces kept evolving and he was named Commander of the 8^th Air Force on 1st December 1942.  Group Captain Richard C M Collard was then placed in charge of ‘Operation Lancaster’ which would involve 16-Lancaster’s of 35 Squadron plus an Avro York (for the Special Advance Party and also Loaded with Aircraft Spares).

On 27th May 1946 it was Aannounced that 35 Squadron would take part in a Goodwill visit to the USA during July & August 1946.  The Briefing included the following:
“The RAF has accepted an Invitation from the United States Army Air Force to send 35 Squadron of RAF Bomber Command to visit the USA to take part in Air Forces Day on 1st August.  The Officer in Charge of the Operation will be Group Captain Collard, Station Commander of Graveley and the Squadron will be Commanded by Wing Commander Craig.  The Lancaster’s will leave Graveley during the 1st week in July and will Fly in Flights of 4 to New York. The Route will be via St Mawgan (Cornwall), Lagens (Azores) & Gander (Newfoundland).  Ground Crews will Travel by Air in an Avro York Aircraft.  35 Squadron was Operational during the greater part of the War and was the only Heavy Bomber Squadron to take part in the RAF massed Flypast over London on Victory Europe Day on 8th June 1946”

TW909 with Trevor Wainright leaning on the Stabiliser at RAF Markham

C in C Sir Norman Bottomley was also to Attend at the Long Beach Celebration in California.  It was planned for July & August 1946 to coincide with US Air Force Day celebrations in the USA.  Pathfinder Charles Owen DSO who was the Pilot of a specially Modified Lancaster TW909 Ferried the AOC-in-C Bomber Command Air Marshal Sir Norman Bottomley (The Old Man) on the 1946 Goodwill Trip in a VIP Soundproofed Cabin for the Highlight of the Tour at Long Beach, Ca) and Set out from RAF Marham, (Nr Kings Lynn) Norfolk & Returning via Prestwick to Abingdon.

Formation Flying

Operation Lancaster a Goodwill Tour to the USA was to show the Americans some of the ‘British Flyer Boys‘ of Bomber Command that had helped win the War.  The 16 Aircraft detailed for the Goodwill Tour were painted in Tiger Force white with black undersides and wore the ‘Squadron Crest’. The Tiger Force colours FE (Far East) were already there for the Japan Theatre in earlier Ppictures but the Flying Horse Crest was added, on Both sides of the Cockpit, just before their Departure for the US.

The paint scheme, White & Black, was originally meant for Tiger Force, (also known as the Very Long Range Bomber Force) the proposed RAF Aerial Attack on Japan at the end of WW2.  No.7 Squadron, like No. 35 Squadron, was earmarked for that Operation and so, presumably, was also painted in those Colours. Tiger Force was to have been Based on Okinawa and would have used Avro Lancasters, Avro Lincolns (the latest Development of the Lancaster) & Consolidated Liberators.  The 16-Lancaster’s of 35 Squadron that went on the Goodwill Tour were the Squadron’s own Aircraft with a couple of late Additions from other Squadrons.  In preparation for the Trip, all Airmen were fitted out with 3-Sets of Made to Measure Saville Row Dress Uniforms. See News Comment

35 Squadron –  Lancaster B.Mk.I FE Sqdn Code TL-F – TW880 W/C A J L Craig, DSO, DFC.
In WW2 its Halifax’s & Lancaster’s were Coded “TL ” and the Codes “TL ” remained in use until 1951 or thereabouts.
During the early months of the ‘Washington Period’ used the Codes “FB“. (American post-War Military Assistance Programs Loaned the RAF enough Superfortresses to equip several RAF Bomber Command Squadrons. The Aircraft were known as the Washington B.1 in RAF Service and served from March 1950 until the last Bombers were returned in early 1954) 35 Squadron FE’s was Equipped for Fighting against the Japanese alongside the USAAF.

B.I(FE) In anticipation of the needs of the Tiger Force Operations against the Japanese in the Far East (FE), a Tropicalised Variant was Based on late Production Aircraft. The B.I(FE) had modified Radio, Radar, Navigation Aids, and a 400-gal (1,818L) Tank installed in the Bomb Bay.  Most were painted with White Upper-Surfaces developed to reflect Sunlight and thus Lower the internal Temperatures in the Tropical Sun (This gave little comfort when Flying across the USA), and Black Undersides with a Low Demarcation between the Colours, completely Emitting any Red Colours on the National Insignia in all cases to avoid confusion with the Hinomaru Insignia of the Japanese.

The RAF accepted the Invitation from the USAAF to send 35 Squadron of RAF Bomber Command to Visit the USA to take part in Air Force Day on 1st August 1946 at Long Beach, California.  The Squadron is equipped with Lancaster Aircraft of the Type which was used in Massed Assaults against Germany and was to have formed part of the ‘Tiger Force’ which had been organised by the RAF for the Air Offensive against Japan from Okinawa.

The Officer in Charge will be Group Captain R C M (Dickie) Collard DSO DFC Station Commander of RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire.  Collard then 35-yrs old he was Shot down over Germany in 1942 one of his Engines was out of Action but he still tenaciously Bombed his Target.  He remained a PoW until Liberated by the Russians.

The Squadron was to be Commanded by Wing Commander Alan John Laird Craig, DSO DFC.  The Lancaster’s would leave from Graveley about the end of the 1st week in July.  They would Fly 2-Flights of 8 to New York.  The Route would be via St Mawgan (Cornwall), Lagens (Azores) & Gander Newfoundland.  Collard and a party of Ground Crew would Travel by Air in an Avro York C-1 Aircraft Piloted by S/L Anthony B J Pearson.
35 Squadron was Operational during the greater part of the War and was engaged in many of the Major Attacks on the German War Industry.

This Squadron was the only Heavy Bomber Squadron to take part in the RAF’s Massed Flypast of London on VE-Day on the 8^th June 1946.  35 Squadron’s S/L M J Beetham had Daily Telegraph Reporter Mr Townsend aboard his Aircraft (TL-A – SW315)

Scheduled for July & August 1946, 35 Squadron Pathfinders Force RAF were due to carry out a Goodwill Tour of the USA with 16 Lancaster Bombers and an Avro York in Support.   The 1st Visit of Foreign Aircraft to the US since the Italian Aircraft visited the World Fair in 1933.  Craig developed Formation Flying in initially 3-Lancasters and built up from that to 6, 9 & finally 12 Aircraft. The 1st 12-Formation Flypast was Abroad on 4th May 1946 on the 1st Anniversary of the Liberation of Holland a much appreciative Nation after Operation Manna.  The nightly sounds of Raiding Bombers Flying over Holland during the War gave them ongoing hope of Liberation during the German Occupation.

My father Flt Lt Ron Thompson went on a Goodwill Tour of the USA with 35 Squadron just after the War (USAAF Day at Long Beach, California was the reason), and was also part of the 1st Fly-past over London to commemorate the end of the War (VE-Day). I have a photograph of all the Aircrew of 35 Squadron in front of a Lancaster and his Album of the Trip to the States.  He died in 1996.

The 18 Aircraft Air Crews & Ground Crew Passengers involved are Identified as follows:-
‘A’ Flight ~
TL-A – SW315 – F/Lt M J Beetham, Group Captain (Pilot), B D Monks (Navigator)
W A Saxby (Navigator II), J F Scott (Signaller), R A Versey (Gunner), S G Cliffe (Gunner), G S Scutt (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew, G C Holt, Bennett, Blackburn, Hale, Hayward, Lockerbie.

Lancaster, SW313 TL-B (F/O Barker) Aircraft was signed by Hollywood Celebrity ‘Dorothy Lamour’
(above Merl Oberon with Officers & Crew)

TL-B – SW313 – F/O S W Barker (Pilot), W Haigh (Pilot), W F Philpot (Navigator),W R Stewart (Navigator), G A Wilkes (Navigator II), J K Woodward (Signaller), T H Blanchard (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Cragg, Mott, Owen, Pinnell, Planter.

Tender Loving Care from both Air and the Ground Crew

Avro Lancaster TW657 TL-C Ron W Mathers (Pilot), S E L Sturgeon (Navigator), H M Smith (Navigator II), J E Wright (Signaller), C C C Wanbon (Gunner), J Thompson (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – C W Martin, Sgt Ashpool (Densbury, York), Barnes, Cook, Thomas,  York.

TL-C – TW657 – F/Lt Ron W Mathers (Pilot 143 Maybury Road, Woking), Stuart Edmund Lucas Sturgeon (Navigator), H M Smith (Navigator II), J E Wright (Signaller), C C C Wanbon (Gunner), J Thompson (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – C W Martin, Barnes, Cook, Thomas, York,  Sgt   William ‘Bill’ Ashpool of Dewsbury, Yorks – was based at Graveley and went on the Goodwill Tour. Part of the Ground Crew, working on the Maintenance of Radar Equipment onboard the 16-Lancasters.

A 42″ Span FE-Tiger Force Model Lancaster TL-C (Goodwill Tour of USA) in 1946

TL-D – TW872  – Aircraft Employed as the Background in the full Squadron Picture. F/L  Ken Clarine (Pilot), R C Weeden (Navigator), G D Munroe (Navigator II), K Simmonds (Signaller), A T Pearce (Gunner), W C Phelps (Gunner), R J S Bruce (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Harris, Iveson, Lee, McGarry, Orme
TL-E – TW979 – F/O G B Hampson (Pilot), E E Bowry (Navigator) P D Saville (Navigator II), P N D Skingley (Signaller), A S W Orchard (Gunner), F G Boulter (Gunner). L J Carr (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Audley, Davies, Jeffrey, Jenkinson, Tampling, Twining

TL-F – TW 880 – W/C A J L Craig, DSO, DFC Flight Crew, F/Lt Hardy?, F/Lt B W G Folgate (Gunner), F/L L T Walton (Gunner), F/L T Kennedy (Navigator), F/L G R Hawes (Navigator ll),   F/L J E Davidson, F/L J G Cooper (Gunner),
Ground Crew Sgt Tompkins, LAC Punt, F/S Blake & LAC Trainer, R Walne (Admin)

TL-G – TW869 – F/L L G Greig (Pilot) H J Scull (Navigator), W A Jenkins (Navigator II), M G Roberts (Signaller), R H Luffman (Signaller), P P P Bentley (Gunner), R J C Ford (Gunner), R W Francis (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Barrington, Bennett, Murphy, O’Flynn, Sharples
Replaced by No.115 Squadron’s PA436 due to Undercarriage Retraction problems at the Start of the Tour.

TL-H – TW878 –  F/O Timothy D Lamb (Pilot from London), L Fawcett (Navigator), T B Gourlay (Navigator II), D A Baker (Signaller), D C Dunkley (Gunner), J A Hannafin (Gunner), H R Ward (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew, Bateman, Bennett, Card, Robins, Sayers

‘B’ Flight ~

TW892 On Charge 22nd May 1946 – Off Charge 10th October 1946

TL-L – TW892 – F/O Frank (Francis) J Cheshire RAF No.1474273 (aged 25 yrs) of Fagley, Bradford
(Awarded American Silver Star (DFC ) for Gallant support of  American Ground Force Troops in Normandy)  Frank received his Training at 1663 HCU at 7-Group Training Command RAF Rufforth from c.1944  Bombing/Fighter Co-op – Circuits & Bumps, Familiarisation, 3 & 2 Engine Landings, Bombing Practice, Local & Cross Country Flying.   He was Operational as Fl/Sgt with 158 Squadron from 26th October 1944 during the War flying the Halifax B Mk.III from RAF Lissett South West of Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire c.1943 to August 1945.   Lisset was less than, 2-miles from the North Sea and made it the closest Airbase to Northern Europe.  Among its Halifax’s (and a great many passed through its hands) were 2 particularly distinguished specimens – Halifax IIIs LV907 “NP-F-Freddy”, or Friday the 13th, as it was named, and LV917 NP-C, Clueless, which was successively designated “NP-T-Tare“, “NP-H-Harry” and “NP-C-Charlie“.  These Aircraft both joined the Squadron in March 1944, and between then and VE-Day flew 128 & 99 (at least) Operational Sorties, respectively. Both of them participated in No.158 Squadron’s final Wartime Operation – an Attack on Wangerooge on 25th April 1945.

Air Crew – A J Simpson (Navigator), F/O K C Juckes (Navigator II from Bradford), J Wyer (Signaller), E A Gardner (Gunner), F Hulbert (Gunner F/O Hulbert of Middlesborough, Yorks) N Bevan (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Borg, Cpl Hanley, Juffs, Royce, Shirley, Wilkinson.

TL-M – TW659 – F/Lt J O Pennington (Pilot), L E McKenzie (Navigator), R Jenden (Navigator II), Ron Thompson (Signaller), C Davies (Gunner), C A Giles (Gunner)
C J Colvill (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Baxter, Butcher, Dawson, Elliott, Mason, Watkinson
TL-N – TW660 – F/O Carradine?, W H Cornelius? Jack? (Pilot), R Forsyth (Navigator), W C Murray (Navigator II), J W Redmond (Gunner), Flt/Lt P A Oxtoby (Gunner from Knaresborough), R E English (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Boyazis, Chappell, W/O Dickinson from Leeds, Johnson, Manning, Thorpe

TL-O Flying in Formation with TL-C in Foreground

TL-O – TW 882 – F/Lt J R Dawson (Pilot), (Wilf Haig? Pilot) R A W Brooks (Navigator II), WO G Tipper (Signaller), WO R L Reeve (Signaller), R B Benton (Gunner), WO G E Stevens (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Appleyard, Dunn, O’Sullivan, Parkinson, Pollitt

TL-O (Oboe) TW 882 – Aircrew, remained with this Unserviceable Aircraft when  at Long Beach

TL-P  – PA411   – S/L T S Harris DFC (Shorty) (Pilot), S Douglas (Navigator), J G Stratton (Navigator II), R H Leonard (Signaller), B J G Farmer (Gunner), E Wardle (Gunner), STG Price (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Diaper, Johnstone, Taverner, Wood, Wright, LAC Colin Earnshaw working on the Maintenance of H2S Radar Equipment on board the 16 Lancasters – Flying on both TL-L & TL-P
TL-Q  – PA414  – F/Lt N (Pete?) Stockwell, of Robin Hood Bay, Yorks (Pilot), R H Hardy (Pilot), A Barnes (Navigator), H Whittaker (Navigator II), D W Lambert (Signaller), J G Tait (Signaller), P T Freeman (Flight Engineer),
Ground Crew – Blake, Fallon, Mellor, Smith

TL-R TW870 John Edward Robinson’s Crew: W/O P H Sparling, F/O A Wilson, F/S N W Angel, F/O J E Robinson, F/L H G Bullen, F/S R Watson, W/O F Vaughan

TL-R – TW870 – F/O John Edward Robinson: Earlestown, Lancs, d.1988 (Pilot), F/O A Wilson (Navigator), F/L H G Bullen (Navigator II), WO P H Sparling (Signaller), W/O F Vaughan (Gunner), F/S R Watson (Gunner), F/S N W Angel (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Fitchett, Harnody, Lewis, McNicol, Sturman.

TL-S – PA835 (Later to be the ill-fated Aircraft Piloted by F/Lt Stockwell of the Gander Incident)

TL-S – PA835 – F/O Francis P (Paddy) Leadon – Francis b.1923 was still enjoying an active life at 96-yrs of age  (Pilot), A Brundritt (Navigator), D Thompson (Navigator), RD Butterell (Navigator II), L Rippon (Signaller), D Collins (Gunner), R Watson (Gunner) A Taylor (Flight Engineer)
Ground Crew – Bullock, Duncan, Instone, Mason, Ogston.

Avro York C Mk1 – MW234 Left Graveley on Friday 5th July 1946 with the Advance Party of Aircrew Piloted by S/L Anthony B J Pearson & Ground Crews and also included Group Capt Richard C M (‘Dickie’) Collard DSO DFC, as Officer in Charge of Operation Lancaster.

TL-M W/Op Fl/Lt Ron W Thompson, of Acomb, Yorks (WAG)
Log Entries for May 1946 reflect Formation Practice on 2nd/3rd May, a Formation Fly-past in Holland 4th May, Formation Practice 6th, 8th & 9th May, Formation Flypast 25th May in Aid of St Dunstan’s Church (Fleet St) and Formation Practice for the VE-Day London Flypast in Lancaster TL-M on 28th May 1946

W/Op R W Thompson Log Book Entry for May 1946

Other Squadron Personnel Members Gleaned from Articles to date – please advise if you have any corrections or additions

F/O Syd Barker
W/C Arthur Bernard? or Brenard
F/O Benton
F/L Jack Cornelius
Flt/Lt Gerry Dawson
F/O Fawcett of Sheffield
F/O W A Forsythe late of 2/4 Cockspur Street London, SW1
F/O Gardiner
F/L Gardner
F/O Gourlay
F/O Wilf Haig
F/O Wilf Jenkins
F/L Leonard
F/L Lewis
F/Sgt R E Lewis
F/L McKenzie
F/L Martin
F/O Stan Page
F/O Bill Philpot
F/O Redmond
F/O Seville
F/L Simpson
F/L Skingley
F/O Jack Smith
F/O Thompson
F/O Wilson
F/L Walmer
F/L R C Weedon

Ground Crew – 1946 Goodwill Tour
[-] Andrews
WO  John Stephen Appleyard – of Scarborough
William Herbert Ashpool
Alfred James Audley
Leonard Arthur Barrington
Cpl   George Barnes – Sowerby, Yorks
Gordon John Charles Pinkstone Bateman
David Etheringham Baxter
WO Dennis Baker
Ernest William Bennett
George Bennett
George Edward Bennett
W/O Peter Bentley – Liverpool
Ernest William Bennett
George Bennett
George Edward Bennett
James Forsyth Blackburn
Alan Joseph Blake
George Robert Blake
Nicholas Anthony Vincent Boyazis
Alan Brundritt
W/O Brooks
Ellis Bullock
Edward Eric Butcher
Idris John Charles Card
[-] Chappell
[-] Colyer
John Thomas Cook
John Crawford Cragg
W/O George Davis – of Kidderminster
[-] Davies
Leonard George Dawson
Geoffrey Roland Diaper
Frank Dickinson
WO Dickinson of Leeds
LAC Dunnicliffe of Doncaster
Victor Roy Duncan
[-] Dunn
[-] Dunnercliffe
[-] Earnshaw
Robert Elliott
[-] Fallon
Norman Robert Fitchett
[-] Goddard
Sgt Grayston
Cpl Guinbrill
Leonard Hale
[-] Hall
William Francis Hanley
[-] Harnody
Leonard Harris
[-] Harrison
LAC T F Harnaday
Cpl   Hanley of York
LAC Norman Alfred George Hayward of Plymouth
GC Holt
LAC  James Hunter – of Donegal, Ireland
[-] Ibbotson
[-] Inchmore
[-] Instone
[-] Iveson
[-] Jarrett
[-] Jeffrey
Leslie Louis Jenkinson
Michael Gordon Dixon Johnson
Arthur Beresford Johnston
Rodney Desmond Juffs
W/O Lambert of Sheffield
PA Lee
Flt Sgt Robert Hedley Lewis
William Lockerbie
[-] Lumsden
Cpl   McDuff
[-] MacIlwaine
[-] Manning
Cecil William Martin
Edward Mason
G Mason
[-] McDuff
Hugh McGarry
Daniel McNicol
Gerald Patrick Mellor
Francis Richard Mott
Wesley Thompson Murphy
James Francis O’Flynn
Stanley Ogston
Ronald Orme
[-] O’Sullivan
[-] Owen
Bernard Jack England Parkinson
[-] Paterson
[-] Paul
Ronald Victor Pinnell
[-] Planter
[-] Pollitt
LAC John James Punt
[-] Randall
WO Montague Roberts
[-] Robbins
[-] Robins
LAC  Jack Rollit
WO Reeve
Norman Harry Royce
[-] Sayers
William Sharples
WO Scull
[-] Shepheard
[-] Shirley
WO Smith of Leeds
[-] Smith
WO Sparling of York
WO Stevens
Cpl Dennis Charles Sturman
WO J T Tait Born in Helena, Montana~
Henry James Tampling
WH Tavener
[-] Thomas
Raymond Thorpe
LAC Thomes of Barnoldswick, Yorks
Sgt   Tompkins
LAC William Henderson Trainer
[-] Twining
LAC Upsher
WO Vaughan
Richard Walne
George Victor Watkinson
George Henry Watson
[-] Wilkinson
[-] Williams
[-] Wood
[-] Wooff
Christoper Wright
David Alan York

Tiger Force Cockpit Fore-Turret & Blister

RAF Marham Tiger Force DF-E (RF383)

TW909 at RAF Marham

TW909 with Trevor Wainright at the Rear Gun Cupola RAF Marham

RAF Marham Tiger Force Undercarriage