Lancaster ED749

Hi,
I realise that his is a very old posting on Lancaster ED749, which I happened across it by chance last week. I was amazed to see a reference to my father D. Harkin who is Irish, but was posted to 300 Polish Squadron during the war. According to the records provided my father was on ED749s first operation with 300 Squadron. I had a look at his log book and indeed there is an entry for an operation to Caen on 7th July 1944. On the 24th July he was shot down on an operation to Stuttgart, the entire crew survived. He spent the rest of the war as POW in Stalag Luft 1. I showed this information to my father and while he can’t provide any details about the final fate of this aircraft, he was delighted to see it and in particular the comment about the ‘very accurate bombing’.
Thanks to all.

This probably will not help a great deal, but might add a little. I have a log book for a chap who was a bomb aimer. He flew ED749 on the 22nd of May 1945 while at 1660
Conversion Unit (his pilot was F/O Claringbull).

He then moved to 617 Squadron.

Johnnie

Well it has taken nearly three months for the Public Records Office to send me a copy of 300 Squadron’s ORB but finally it has arrived. But first what is on ED749’s Form 78 (Aircraft Movement Card).

100 Squadron 22/04/43
Cat AC ROS 11/08/43 CRO
100 Squadron 26/09/43
Cat AC ROS 20/11/43
100 Squadron
Cat AC ROS 21/02/43 CRO
100 Squadron 24/03/44
300 Squadron 15/06/44
1 LFS 24/10/44
1667 CU 24/11/44
1656 CU 27/11/44
1660 HCU 2/2
Cat AC 4/02/45
ROS 58 MU 8/02/45 CRO
1660 CU
Cat AC/GA 7/06/45
ROS CAT AC 58 MU 21/06/45 CRO
Ex ROS 26/09/45 CRO
1660 HCU 26/9/45
SOC Tollerton L td 19/10/45

If you have been following the progress of this Lancaster in Britain at War Magazine you may have noticed that ED749 joined 1 Lancaster Finishing School on the 25th October 1944 and wonder how it could appear in 300 Squadron’s ORB in February 1945. It doesn’t. It is written quite clearly I the ORB that Lancaster ‘S’ on those dates is PD739. Also Lindholme is of course in Yorkshire (five miles from Doncaster) not Lincolnshire. Faldingworth was first a decoy base for Toft Grange before it was satellite of Lindholme but this was all before 300 (Polish) Squadron took up residence. On 16th December 1943 it became a satellite of Ludford Magna. On 6th January 1944 it was incorporated in No 14 Base of No 1 Group as its 4th airfield. (There was a reorganisation of Bomber Command in December 1943.) 300 Squadron were based at Ingham which was the only airfield left in 1 Group with grass runways. Concrete runways were required for Lancaster operations so presumably Faldingworth was chosen as 300 Squadron’s new home as it was close to Ingham. On 6th April 1944 a new Anglo-Polish agreement was signed and, in line with its sprit, in May the same year, the Air Ministry issued directives that Faldingworth Station should be staffed by PAF personnel and should eventually become an all-Polish station. In time almost all British staff were replaced by Poles.

It is obvious that the photograph they published was not taken in 1944. The Lancasters have highly visible white codes and there are no machine guns fitted. Therefore the photograph must have been taken post war and cannot include ED749. The photograph above is the only genuine one that I know of.

I cannot understand the magazine’s obsession with the mystery of ED749’s final fate. The Form 78 states that it was SOC 19th October Tollerton Ltd. Tollerton Ltd was Tollerton Aircraft Services, aka Field Consolidated Aircraft Services and Field Aircraft Services, one of the companies engaged in scrapping Lancasters after the war.

Because of the much larger crews needed to man the Lancaster and severe losses, when 300 Squadron commenced Lancaster operations it could was operating below full strength. Crew availability allowed for a maximum of eight Lancasters. To resolve the problem a decision was taken to temporarily raise numbers with the addition of British and Commonwealth crews taken from other units in 1 Group. On 12th June 1944 all Polish crews became A Flight and a new ‘British’ B Flight was formed under command of S/Ldr T.D. Misselbrook. By the end of August 1944 sufficient Polish crews had been trained to an operational standard and on 2nd September S/Ldr Misselbrook and the remaining RAF crews were posted from B Flight to 550 Squadron.

It appears that ED749 was allocated to B Flight as during its time with 300 Squadron it was flown almost exclusively by non-Polish crews. Its first operation was 7th July 1944 followed by another on the 12th/13th. Then there is a long gap of over a month before it appears again in the ORB. It then appears regularly with the same crew until the end of August. After another gap there are three entries at the end of October beginning of November with Polish crews. However, according to Form 78, ED749 went to 1 Lancaster Finishing School on the 25th October. Perhaps the date is wrong and ED749 remained with 300 Squadron a little longer or the person writing the ORB wrote down the serial number of Lancaster S predecessor by mistake. On 6th November Lancaster S is finally listed as PD379.

What is actually in the ORB for ED749.

7th July 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Caen.

P/O. D.R. Harkin
Sgt. Palmer S.A.
Sgt. Collis M.A.
F/S. Harrison E.L.
Sgt Werrie D.
Sgt Philpot J.A.
Sgt. Couchman W.V.

Primary attacked in very good visibility at 21.57 hours from 7.500 feet. Target identified visually and T.I.s Red on approach. 11 x 1,000 lb M.C. T.D. and 4 x 500 lb G.P. U.S.A. were released on the two red T.I’s into smoke. Very accurate bombing. Target one mass of smoke. Two medium fires. One near the markers. The second fire a few hundred yards.

12th/13th July 1944. To cause maximum damage to marshalling yards at Tours.

P/O. R.N. Hansell
Sgt. Letts J.
Sgt Taylor A.N.
Sgt. Hayden A.R.J.
Sgt Slater W.H.
Sgt Lowbridge H.C.
Sgt Peters P.

Primary attacked from 6,000 feet at 00.47 hours in perfect visibility. No clouds Target identified by Red T.I.s and then visually. 11 x 1,000 lb. G.P. U.S.A. T.D. 2 x 500 lb 2 x 500 lb. G.P. U.S.A. T.D. and 2 x 500 lb. G.P. L.D. were released on centre of T.I. Red. No Master Bomber heard. P.F.F. accurate. Excellent concentration of bombing. Two large explosions seen at 00.43 hours. Good trip. Some aircraft approached target on different headings than ordered. Very silent spasmodic flak encountered.

15th August 1944. To cause maximum damage to airfield at Le Culot.

W/O. Barton. D.C.
F/S. Ashby R.C.G.
F/S. Ingham W.G.
F/O. W.H. Twitchell
F/S. Sulley S.
Sgt. Reeve S.G.
Sgt Coleman K.

Primary attacked from 16,000 feet at 12.05 hours in very good visibility. Target identified by Red T.I.s and visually. 11 x 1,000 lb. G.P. U.S.A. T.D. and 4 x 500 lb. G.P. T.D. were released on concentration of Red T.I.’s on the western part of the airfield. Bombed to the left on the Master Bomber’s orders. Airfield partly covered by smoke.

18th August 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Ghent-Ternheuzen.

W/O. Barton. D.C.
F/S. Ashby R.C.G.
F/S. Ingham W.G.
F/O. W.H. Twitchell
F/S. Sulley S.
Sgt. Reeve S.G.
Sgt Coleman K.

Primary attacked from 4,000 feet at 13.56 hours in good visibility. Target identyified by T.I.’s Red on the ground and visually. 11 x 1,000 lb. M.C. T.D. and 4 x 500 lb. G.P. U.S.A. T.D. were releases visually on the NNE edge of smoke as ordered by the Master Bomber. West part of the target covered by smoke. M/B. ordered ‘bomb down below cloud at 4,000 feet’ ‘is no opposition ‘ ‘bomb 100 yards starboard. T.I. Red and slightly overshoot.

25th/26th August 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Russelsheim.

W/O. Barton. D.C.
F/S. Ashby R.C.G.
F/S. Ingham W.G.
F/O. W.H. Twitchell
F/S. Sulley S.
Sgt. Reeve S.G.
Sgt Coleman K.

Primary attacked from 15,500 feet at 01.03 hours in good visibility. Target identified by flares and Red T.I.’s. 1 X 4000 lb. H.C., 13 x 4 lb. Clusters were released on centre of large concentration of T.I. Red first cascading at 00.57 hours. Concentrated bombing. Glow of fires almost obscured by smoke to 15,000 feet.

26th/27th August 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Keil.

W/O. Barton. D.C.
F/S. Ashby R.C.G.
F/S. Ingham W.G.
F/O. W.H. Twitchell
F/S. Sulley S.
Sgt. Reeve S.G.
Sgt Coleman K.

Primary attacked from 15,500 feet at 23.19 hours in good visibility. Target identified by Red T.I.s and R/P Flares Red with Yellow Stars. 1 x 400 lb. H.C., 108 x 30 lb., 1045 x 4 lb., 125 x 4 lb. “X” were released on centre of Red T.I.s obscured by smoke. Large fire around T.I.s few more smaller fires forming a long strip to South-west to North-east. Red glow seen from well over sea on return.

29th/30th August 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Stettin.

W/O. Barton. D.C.
F/S. Ashby R.C.G.
F/S. Ingham W.G.
F/O. W.H. Twitchell
F/S. Sulley S.
Sgt. Reeve S.G.
Sgt Coleman K.

Primary attacked from 16,000 feet at 01.2 hours in good visibility. Target identified by Red T.I.’s and water land marks. 1 x 4,000 lb. H.C. 1,050 X 4 lb. I.B.’s and 84 x 30 lb. I.B.’s were released on Red T.I.’s. cascading into large fire. Many scattered fires seen. Glow see to almost the Swedish coast. Moderate heavy flak with many searchlights in action in the the target area.

31st August 1944. To cause maximum damage to dump at St. Riquier.

W/O. Barton. D.C.
F/S. Ashby R.C.G.
F/S. Ingham W.G.
F/O. W.H. Twitchell
F/S. Sulley S.
Sgt. Reeve S.G.
Sgt Coleman K.

Primary attacked from 11,000 feet at 15.38 hours in good visibility. 11 x 1,000 lb. N.C., 2 x 500 lb. G.P. L.D. were released visually. Accurate bombing. Master Bomber “Undershoot 200 Yards” Some smoke. Results difficult to estimate due to cloud. About 10 bursts of heavy flak were seen after bombing. No enemy fighters were seen.

28th October 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Cologne.

Most of this entry is eligible (looks like the typewriter needed a new ribbon).

Crew names eligible.

Primary attacked from 20,000 feet at 10.45 hours in good visibility. Target identified by ? red R.P. flares. 1 x 4,000 ?.?.? x 1,000 M.C.T.D. ? x 1,000 S.?.? 4 x 500 ? P.T. D. 2 x 500 C.P.L.D. released T.I.R. on ground. Next sentence eligible. Smoke and fires were seen 55 miles on the homeward route. M.B. heard but not ? H/F mainly loose barrage, bursting 20,000 feet.

30th October 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Cologne.

P/O. Z. Kapciuk
Sgt. Wilk M.
P/O. J. Branszted.
Sgt Redder R.
Sgt. Jbrewicz F.
Sgt Pieklowski K.
Sgt. Masiorski J.

Primary attacked from 16,500 feet at 21.02 hours in good visibility. Target identified Red, Green and White Flares. 1 x 4,000 lb. H.C. 4 x 1,000 lb M.C. T.D. 2 x 1,000 lb SAP. T.D. 4 x 500 lb. G.P. T.D. and 2 x 500 lb. G.P. L.D. were released on five red flares. Many flares close to-gether. No results observed. Moderate to intense heavy flal encountered over the target mainly in barrage form. No searchlights seen.

2nd November 1944. To cause maximum damage to aiming point at Dusseldorf.

P/O. Z. Kapciuk
Sgt. Wilk M.
P/O. J. Branszted.
Sgt Reder R.
Sgt. Piotrowski M..
Sgt Pieklowski K.
Sgt. Masiorski J.

Primary attacked from 19,000 feet at 19.18 hours in very good visibility. Target identified by red T.I.’s on the ground. 1 x 4,000 H.C. 2 x 1000 S.A.P.T.D. 4 x 1000 M.C.T.D. 4 x 500 G.P.T.D. 2 x 500 G.P.T.D. were released on red T.I. PFF very accurate markers concentrated specially T.I. red were on A.P.T.I. green slightly SW from A.P. Bombing concentrated specially on T.I. red. Moderate H/F losso barriage from bursting 17/21,000 feet.

ED749 joined 300 Squadron at the end of June 1944 but can anyone tell me when it left 300 Squadron?

Lancaster ED749

Hello
Thank you both for your detailed answers.Why I was asking was because the magazine Britain at War issue 11 March 2008 asks on page 66 under a picture of the plane in Manchesters city centre in 1945 the history of this plane.

According to Cynk ED749’s first operation with 300 Squadron was on the 7th June 1944 to Caen. However, on the 13th June JA683 BH-S was shot down by a night fighter. According to Cynk on the night 6th June six Lancasters bombed a rail junction at Acheres and on the 9th seven Lancasters bombed German troops in the Caen assault zone. He does not mention an operation on the 7th June. On 7th July 13 Lancasters took part in a massive RAF raid on German positions north of Caen. So, as the information above says it joined 300 Squadron after the 14th June, perhaps the date should be 7th July and ED749 was a replacement for JA683.

ED749 joined 100 Squadron as FZ:B 12/5/43 to 28/6/43. It flew 41 ops with 100 Squadron and was re-coded frequently HW:S/K/J/B. It was flown by P/O Shaw alot and flew it’s last No 100 Squadron op on 14/6/44, It was coded BH:S at No 300 Squadron.(Lancaster Operations by Ian Reid ,an excellent source of info on No100 Squadron Lancaster’s)