Bomb Aimer Over Berlin

Bomb Aimer Over Berlin
Author: Peter Jacobs
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2007-09-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 184415596X

Les Bartlett has become one of the great characters of World War II history. He flew as bomb aimer with the then Flying Officer Michael Beetham, who later became Marshal of the Royal Air Force. At that time he was a sergeant but gained his commission in April 1944 and flew his tour, including 27 raids over Germany and France between November 1943 and May 1944. On his second operation his aircraft was attacked by a Ju 88, leaving it with no flaps or brakes - a crash landing at Wittering ensued. At the end of his third mission they found the whole of Lincolnshire fogbound and eventually landed at RAF Melbourne in Yorkshire just before that airfield was closed also because of the fog. His aircraft was hit in the wing by a 30lb incendiary bomb dropped by another Lancaster flying above them on his sixth operation - but they survived. On his twelfth operation to Leipzig he used the nose guns to destroy a Ju 88 night fighter, for which he was awarded the DFM. In February 1944 the port outer engine caught fire and the crew baled out. Les was then posted as Assistant Adjutant to RAF Thornaby.

The Crew

The Crew
Author: David Price
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 446
Release: 2020-01-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 1789542693

A moving tribute to the sacrifice and bravery of the fliers of RAF Bomber Command. ****************************** The Crew, based on interviews with Ken Cook, the crew's sole surviving member, recounts the wartime exploits of the members of an Avro Lancaster crew between 1942 and the war's end. Gloucestershire-born bomb aimer Ken Cook, hard-bitten Australian pilot Jim Comans, Navigator Don Bowes, Upper Gunner George Widdis, Tail Gunner 'Jock' Bolland, Flight Engineer Ken Randle and Radio Operator Roy Woollford were seven ordinary young men living in extraordinary times, risking their lives in freedom's cause in the dark skies above Hitler's Reich. From their earliest beginnings – in places as far apart as a Cotswold village and the suburbs of Sydney – through the adventure of training in North America and the dread and danger of the forty-five bombing raids they flew with 97 Squadron, David Price describes the crew's wartime experiences with human sympathy allied to a secure technical understanding of one of the RAF's most iconic aircraft. The drama and anxiety of individual missions – to Kassel, Munich and Augsburg as well as Berlin – is evoked with thrilling immediacy; while the military events and strategic decisions that drove the RAF's area bombing campaign against Nazi Germany are interwoven deftly with the narrative of the crew's operational careers. ****************************** Reviews: 'A sensitive account of the bomber's life... Price has given the bomber offensive a human face. This book [...] has a heart and soul' The Times. 'A fascinating and fast-paced account of the exploits of an Avro Lancaster bomber crew from 97 Squadron RAF' The Herald. 'A remarkable insight into the bravery, determination and skill of British Bomber Command crews during WWII' Waterstones.

The Eighth Passenger

The Eighth Passenger
Author: Miles Tripp
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2002
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781840222524

Seven men, brought together by chance from the four corners of the earth, wake up day after day aware that the odds on them seeing another sunrise are dramatically shortening. This is the story of a bomber crew in World War II, always accompanied by an eighth passenger - fear.

Bomber Offensive

Bomber Offensive
Author: Arthur Harris
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2005-03-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1844152103

Sir Arthur Harris - Bomber Harris - remains the target of criticism and vilification by many, while others believe the contribution he and his men made to victory is grossly undervalued. He led the men of Bomber Command in the face of appalling casualties, had fierce disagreements with higher authority and enjoyed a complicated relationship with Winston Churchill. Written soon after the close of World War 2, this collection of Sir Arthur Harris's memoirs reveals the man behind the Allied bombing offensive that culminated in the destruction of the Nazi war machine but also many beautiful cities, including Dresden.

LIFE

LIFE
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 84
Release: 1940-08-19
Genre:
ISBN:

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

Life and Death in Bomber Command

Life and Death in Bomber Command
Author: Tony Redding
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Total Pages: 631
Release: 2014-03-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 1781553815

Life and Death in Bomber Command is an intimate account of the human cost of the bombing offensive against Nazi Germany and targets in occupied Europe. The story of Lancaster rear gunner W/O Sidney Knott, DFC, unfolds within a detailed assessment of the bomber war by author Tony Redding. Sidney Knott survived sixty-four operations. The first tour, beginning in January 1943, included many 'Battle of the Ruhr' targets. His aircraft attacked Duisburg five times and Essen on three occasions. They also participated in three raids on Berlin. In April 1944, Knott began a second tour as a Pathfinder. Another thirty-five operations included attacks on German cities, but the focus was the assault on V1 and V2 sites and French rail targets prior to D-Day and the Normandy landings. This unique combination of dramatic narrative and strategic overview includes controversial views about post-war perspectives on the morality of area bombing and its contribution to victory in Europe. It is a moving account of squadron life and describes how every individual lived with unspoken fears. The story is complete as it also portrays how former aircrew struggled to set aside traumatic wartime experiences and adjust to life on 'civvy street'.

Cockpit Commander: A Navigator's Life

Cockpit Commander: A Navigator's Life
Author: Bruce Gibson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2013-06-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473822440

Previously self-published by the author, this book charts the course of a dramatic career as a Wing Commander. Living through one of the most dynamic periods in military and Aviation development history, Bruce Gibson saw events play out from his elevated aerial position. His fascinating story will appeal to a wide audience, focussing as it does not only upon Aviation concerns. From life as a mischievous child living in the East End of London, to realising his true direction and joining the RAF Air Volunteer Reserves in 1937, and then the Royal Air Force, and beyond into Aviation ventures in a Civilian capacity. His amusing observations and anecdotes provide the most colourful insight into life during the monochromatic blackout years of World War II, and beyond.Many historical records and operational logs are available on the market to those looking for cold facts and statistical analyses of events; this account features the human tales, the anecdotes and spirit of camaraderie which characterised Gibson's experiences.

LIFE

LIFE
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 84
Release: 1940-08-19
Genre:
ISBN:

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

Arming for Accuracy

Arming for Accuracy
Author: Colin Pateman
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2021-03-13
Genre: History
ISBN:

During the First World War fledgling crews in basic aircraft experimented with dropping grenades and small bombs. The need for elements of accuracy became obvious and evolved from that point onwards. The various light bombers that flew during the inter war period developed procedures which carried on into the early years of the Second World War. Bomber Command eventually witnessed the large 4-engined Heavy Bombers , namely the Handley Page Halifax, Shorts Stirling and Avro Lancaster develop into significant bomb carrying aerial platforms. This book will provide the reader with an explanation of the origin of Bomb Aimers, the training of these men and the complexity of dropping many types of bomb ordinance is an enthralling story. Technical and scientific developments are examined to provide an understanding of the trade that enabled the Bomb Aimers wing to be awarded to the men who volunteered at this time. Many gallantry medals were won by Bomb Aimers. Accounts of dangerous operational flying will be revealed by Bomb Aimers in numerous aircraft. This book will examine true accounts that took place; many will be based upon personal flying logbooks and other unique material originating from the aircrew themselves.