I have a form I received from the RAF Hendon library with regards to a Lancaster I’m researching (100 Squadron Lancaster III ED559 JA-D – lost March 1943).
The form indicated the S.O.C details, Disposal and Date. Various Lancasters have either an E or M.
I am assuming that M refers to Missing but need to verify this. I looked up ED 554 (207 Sqn Lancaster I ED554 EM-Q) which has an E and this was lost on a raid to Duisburg so not entirely sure what’s going on here.
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By: Sabrejet - 2nd June 2016 at 18:34
I’d be wary of citing books (no matter how respected the author) over the primary source data in Post 1.
By: QuePee - 2nd June 2016 at 12:38
From my researches the relevant parts of the system in place from 1941 to 1952 was as follows
Cat E Aircraft is a write off.
Cat E1 Aircraft is a write off but is suitable for component recovery.
Cat E2 Aircraft is a write off and suitable only for scrap.
Cat E3 Aircraft is burnt out.
Cat Em Aircraft is missing from an operational sortie.
So it would appear that an element of short hand was used (as was common) in completing the form. If indeed the E and M do refer to disposal categories then they should be recorded as either Cat E or Cat Em.
Hope this helps.
QP
By: pogno - 1st June 2016 at 07:55
From the Harleyford Lancaster book the individual aircraft records show the following.
Those annotated with an M appear to be aircraft lost outside of the UK with the reasons recorded as missing/lost or abandoned and the location being the target of raid it was on.
Those shown with an E are down as crashed or salvaged which may mean they were lost due to none combat reasons before leaving our shores.
That theory works apart from 554 which is down as E but recorded as lost!
Richard
By: brewerjerry - 1st June 2016 at 03:32
Hi
maybe a bit simplistic view by me, and could be totally wrong 🙂
but
M = missing
E = enemy (action)
cheers
jerry
By: TonyT - 31st May 2016 at 14:33
Oddly enough this
http://www.cnapg.net/lancaster1.htm
ED559
ED559
HW-D
04/05Mar1943 The aircraft was lost while on a minelaying sortie.
gives a different code for it.
Did you underline it and add the crosses? if not, maybe it was an attempt to show in the log an error had been made?
By: TonyT - 31st May 2016 at 14:24
Sounds about right, odd one of them was sold, so I take it that was post war.
By: papajuliet - 31st May 2016 at 13:35
Perhaps 554 is a clerical error. Checking [ in Francis Mason’s book on the Lancaster ] the record of all those shown in the card, the E is against aircraft which crashed in known circumstances. The M is against those missing.
Until 1950 damage was assessed on an A to E scale. Since that date it’s been 1 to 5. Cat 5 means beyond repair. It must follow that E meant the same.
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May 30, 2016 at 5:44 pm