History (Page 2/3)

CONVERSION FROM WELLINGTON - HALIFAX - LANCASTER

The squadron was officially withdrawn temporarily from operations in September, 1942, and many genuinely regretted having to part with their faithful " Wimpies". During August "A" Flight had actually trained  at Home-on-Spalding Moor and came back as instructors for the new four-engined bombers. There is no doubt that September, 1942 was the blackest period of the squadron's history. The crews took a strong dislike to their new Halifaxes, after the crew friendly and predictable Wellington. The first concern was their tendency to develop rudder stall and spin in, and secondly the gunners disliked the Boulton Paul turrets, mainly because they were difficult to get out of in a hurry. Flight Lieutenant Falkiner, and Sergeant Soloman, both spun in whilst training, killing all aboard. This did little to bolster confidence in the morale or the liking of the Halifax.

Two members of the squadron Pilot Officer G. D. "Bluey" Graham later Squadron Leader, and Flight Sergeant F. F. Fahey were specially selected and were trained and qualified as instructors on conversion to Lancasters. They were off in a Halifax doing a cross country when their Halifax suddenly dived away in a spin and Graham as captain gave the order to bale-out. Favey dived out of the escape hatch with almost indecent haste, whereupon the bomber righted itself, whilst Fahey floated down giving himself some useful parachute practise. Needless to say he was subjected to a goodly amount of good-natured bantering in the mess for some time after.

Consequently Graham and Fahey formed the nucleus of a conversion flight for No. 12 squadron RAF which task they completed in the record time of five weeks and for which they were both awarded the unusual decoration of A.F.C. to Graham  and A.F.M. to Fahey.


Transfer to Binbrook

The squadrons heavy operational commitments were not in any way disrupted by its transfer to Binbrook on the 14th May, 1943, the aircrews and ground staff flying over in Lancasters, whilst the main body were transported in Horsa gliders. The last raid of this phase of the Ruhr campaign was on Essen on 25th July, 1943 when 599 bombers, including 23 from the squadron, again inflicted heavy damage. This was the heaviest attack yet mounted on that city. Thus ended a particularly important phase of Bomber Command's campaign which created much physical disorganisation on the centres contained in the Ruhr and Rhineland. The squadron operated on 46 nights and despatched 597 Lancasters against main targets in Germany and Italy and another 20 on mine laying from which 29 crews did not return.

Bomber Command now opened its spring offensive against the more scattered but equally important war industries throughout Germany. This begun with a series of three devastating raids against Hamburg on 24-27-29 July 1943, the first one of which created a firestorm of unprecedented intensity, causing enormous alarm among German authorities. A force of 740 aircraft, including 26 from the squadron participated in this attack which was followed by similar forces in the subsequent raids, the squadron losing three crews including Fuhrmann's.

These were followed by heavy attacks Remcheid, Turin, Mannheim, Nuremburg and three on Milan, during which the squadron became the first in Bomber Command to complete 1000 sorties in Lancasters, a great tribute to its spirit and efficiency. On 17 August 1943, Bomber Command undertook one of its most critical operations when it successfully attacked and destroyed the German Research centre at Peenemunde. The squadron despatched 24 crews on this raid with no losses and from which Flight Sergeant D. Rees earned the CGM., for beating off repeated fighter attacks and also his great skill in the previous raid on Milan when he flew through the alps on three engines and lost another over the target before making the long return flight.

Wing Commander C.R. Martin completed his second tour of operations in September 1943 and was succeeded by Wing Commander R.A. Norman DFC., who was shot down on the first operation of his second tour on 8 October in an attack on Hanover. He in turn was replaced by Wing Commander F.A. Arthur DFC., who had completed his first tour and had the distinction of being only the first Australian and second navigator in Bomber Command to lead a squadron.

The spring offensive finished with a successful attack on Kassel on 22 October, 1943 with 22 crews from the squadron. During this period, the squadron operated on 28 nights for the loss of another 18 crews, including three in raids on Berlin on 3 September and 8 October, 1943.

To this stage of the war, Bomber Command had devastated the Ruhr and other industrial targets throughout Germany but yet the capital, Berlin, though attacked on numerous occasions had not suffered to the same extent as other centres of Germany's war potential.

The campaign to cripple Berlin commenced in earnest on 18 November when over 300 bombers attacked the capital accompanied by elaborate diversionary raids to disperse German night fighters, including a major operation by 395 aircraft on Mannheim. In the period 18 November, 1943 to 30 March, 1944, Bomber Command attacked Berlin on 16 occasions as well as 14 other major targets including Nuremburg. On the last night a total of 608 bombers were despatched, 95 being shot down, including 3 from the squadron. It was Bomber Command's most devastating period in six years of war when 1117 aircraft were lost, including 36 from the squadron, among them were the crews of three flight commanders. Squadron Leaders E.G.M. Corser, DFC., L.J. Simpson DFC., and E.A.G. Utz, DFC., In the Berlin attack on the night of the 2 December, 1943, five squadron crews were lost, including two war correspondents. Three others came back on three engines. On the night of 16 December, four crews crashed on their return from Berlin because of the appalling weather conditions that covered the base.

The squadron's magnificent reputation was enhanced even further when, for the winter months November - February, it flew 501 sorties, a record for any Bomber Squadron and on the night of 22 March, 1944, it dropped a record of 131 tons of bombs in an attack on Frankfurt. The squadron's 316 sorties on the German capital, during this period, was also the most of any in Bomber Command. Two crews also created memorable records. Warrant Officer R.A.N. Douglas, DFC., completed 14 of the 16 attacks on Berlin, the most for any crew doing their first tour and Flight Lieutenant A. Wales DFC., DFM., completed a similar number, the greatest for a second tour crew.

And so with the Nuremburg fiasco and the end of March coinciding, the winter offensive against Germany, the prime objective of which had been Berlin, drew to a close. The liberation of Europe was now at hand and Bomber Command's campaign was largely diverted to targets associated with the impending invasion.

The squadron played its part in successful attacks on marshalling the yards at Villeneuve-St Georges, Aulnoye, Aachen, Louen, Lyons and Tregnier during April-May, 1944 when losses declined. In addition to these attacks on railway centres, heavy raids were carried out on gun emplacements and ammunition dumps.

Although on these operations losses were lighter, a mining operation in Danzig Bay on 4 April cost the squadron four crews from the twelve despatched, whilst three crews including another Flight Commander, Squadron Leader E.G.D. Jarman, DFC., were missing on Friederickshafen on 27 April and five crews were lost in the attack on the Panzer Corps camp at Mailly-le-Camp on 3 May which was sufficient cause for the crews not to become over complacent.

The invasion of Europe on the 6 June, 1944 was supported by widespread raids on Foret du Core, Ardouval, Coquereaux, Bois des Jardinio and Foret de Nieppe with several heavy attacks on German positions around Caen in support of the British and Canadian armies. Another record was achieved in August, 1944 when the squadron dropped 1867 tons.

Another phase of Bomber Commands strategic bombing came into force in October, 1944, when it turned its attention to German Synthetic oil plants as well as a return to industrial targets in the Ruhr.

Group Captain H.I. Edwards left Binbrook as Station Commander in November, 1944 to take up a senior staff appointment on Mountbatten's SEAC staff. His passing from the squadron was a matter of great moment because of his enormous influence on its operational performance.

Squadron Leader Jack Clark DFC., who had assumed command of the squadron, was shot down on 12 December in an attack on Essen and this popular officer, who had done his first tour on 460, was greatly missed.

The squadron maintained its heavy operational commitments on a wide variety of German targets as 1944 drew to a close then right through to the end of the war. Another Flight Commander, Squadron Leader J.C. Holmes was lost in the attack on Chemnitz on 5 March, 1945. The squadron's Bomber Command record for the number of sorties flown in the last winter of the war, broke its its previous record and on 7 March, 1945, in the attack on Dessau, it became the first to complete 5000 sorties in Lancasters.

Its last attack was on Hitler's Eagles Nest at Berchtesgaden on 25 April, 1945 when 20 aircraft took off into a clear sky for the daylight raid. Flying Officer H.C. Payne showed typical 460 fortitude when, after being seriously damaged by flack which destroyed three of his motors, he courageously stayed with the aircraft when he heard that one of his crew had snagged his parachute. He miraculously crash landed safely, so saving two lives.

In May, 1945 the squadron participated in "Operation Manna" which involved dropping food on the starving Dutch people in Holland and after peace came on 8 May, 1945, it was engaged in "Exodus", the repatriation of British Commonwealth prisoners of war from Brussels. However the war against Japan still continued and the squadron was selected to join "Tiger Force", which was to be Bomber Command's contribution to the strategic bombing of Japan. Wing Commander P.H. Swan, DSO., DFC., a distinguished Australian Pathfinder, was appointed to command the squadron which was transferred to East Kirkby. However the dropping of the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August, 1945, forced the surrender of Japan on 14 August. Tiger Force had no part to play and 460 Squadron flew its last flight when Wing Commander Swan took off in Lancaster RF191 to salute the Australian World War 1 Memorial at Amiens.

The Lancaster "G" George, after 15 years of neglect is presently an exhibit in the Australian War Memorial, completed 90 operations on 460 Squadron and in October, 1944, was flown home by Flight Lieutenant E. Hudson DFC., who had completed two tours of operations on the squadron.

460 Squadron suffered higher casualties than any other unit of the Australian Army, Navy or Air Force in World War II. Its record during three and a half years of war was phenomenal.

Author’s note: “there were 110,000 aircrew who flew on operations in Bomber Command and 51% (55,564) were killed, many of them with no known graves.                                     The US 8th Air Force lost 26,000 killed.