426 Thunderbird Squadron (On Wings of Fire) RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Lancaster BII aircraft DS 837 OQ-Q, returning from an operation to bomb targets in Berlin, Germany when, back over England, they encountered poor weather conditions and fog. Descending through cloud, the Lancaster flew into high ground near Yearsley, Yorkshire
There was only one survivor from the crew
Squadron Leader TM Kneale (RCAF), Flying Officer J MacKay (RCAF), Pilot Officer MM Prill (RCAF), Pilot Officer GM Jones (RCAF), Pilot Officer AA Johnston (RCAF), and Pilot Officer RP Marks (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Sergeant GC Fortier (RCAF) survived with injuries
There were four 426 Squadron Lancaster II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Jamieson, DS for information on Lancaster DS 779 OW-C, Davies, AC for information on Lancaster DS 762 OW-V and Lachance, JLRR for information on Lancaster DS 846 OW-X
Squadron Leader Kneale (then F/L) and Flying Officer MacKay had previously survived the crash of 6 Group RCAF Communications Flight BA Eagle DP847 (ex G-ADVT) while landing from an air test when the wheels folded, wrecking the aircraft, Squadron Leader Kneale and Flying Officer J MacKay survived, safe (R Allenby)
Research on this accident by R Allenby and Yearsley resident David Smith can be found on Allenby's www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk website below
Mr. Smith is responsible for a memorial to the crew in the church at Yearsley, Yorkshire
Avro Lancaster Mk. X RCAF Serial FM 213 Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.
The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use". Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines. It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling. Wikipedia
History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington III, Lancaster II, Halifax III, VII, Liberator VI, VIII:)
426 Squadron was formed at Dishforth, Yorkshire, UK on October 15, 1942 as the 24th RCAF squadron and seventh bomber squadron to be formed overseas in WWII. Originally it was a member of No 4 Group, RAF Bomber Command, flying Vickers Wellington Mk III aircraft with the squadron code OW as part of the strategic bombing of Germany. On January 1, 1943 it became part of No 6 (RCAF) Group, while remaining at Dishforth until June 1943. On June 17, 1943 it moved to Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. , as part of No 62 (RCAF) Base, at the same time re-equipping with Avro Lancaster Mk II aircraft. In April/May of 1944 , it again re-equipped, this time with Handley Page Halifax Mk III and VII aircraft, which it flew until the end of hostilities in Europe. At that time, to meet a need for long range transport in support of the proposed Tiger Force to attack Japan, it was re-designated as a Transport squadron in May 1945 and converted to Consolidated Liberator C Mk VI and VIII. After the surrender of Japan before the Tiger Force became operational, between October and December 1945 the squadron ferried troops from and around Egypt, India and the Far East. The squadron was disbanded at Tempsford, Bedfordshire, UK on January 1, 1946.
Overall, the squadron flew 268 bombing missions involving 3233 individual sorties, for the loss of 88 aircraft. 8997 tons of bombs were dropped. There were 242 Transport sorties. The squadron members were awarded 2 DSO's, 130 DFC's and 2 Bars to DFC, 1 CGM, 25 DFM's1 DFC(USA) and 13 MiD's. [Possibly, the most heroic act realized by a member of the squadron during the war took place on October 20, 1943, when Flight Sergeant Stuart (the pilot) and his crew were sent to bomb Leipzig. During the mission he was engaged by enemy fighters, Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Junkers Ju 88, initially managing to shake them off but not before having his aircraft rendered almost unfit to fly, leaving it with shattered cockpits and gun turrets; holes in the fuel tanks, damaged hydraulics and no navigation instruments. Against all odds Stuart decided to continue the mission and successfully bombed his target before guiding his crippled aircraft home. He was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.] Battle Honours were: English Channel and North Sea 1943, Baltic 1943, Fortress Europe 1943-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1943-44, Ruhr 1943-45, Berlin 1943-44, German Ports 1943-45, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943. Wikipedia, Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin
MAP 1: 426 Squadron Movements 1942-46 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab)
MAP 2: 426 Squadron Movements 1942-45 (detail of Map 1)
MAP 3: 6 Group Bomber Bases 1943-1945
426 Squadron History Summary 1942-46
426 Squadron History Summary 1942-46 Page 2
History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Dakota, North Star, Yukon, Hercules)
The squadron was re-formed as a Transport unit at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on 1 August 1946 from the Dartmouth portion of No. 164 (Transport) Squadron. It moved to Dorval (Montreal), Quebec in March 1947 and was re-equipped from Dakota to four-engine North Star aircraft for long-range transport duty. From July 1950 to June 1954 the squadron was detached to McChord Air Force Base in Washington, USA , from where it was employed on the Korean airlift (Operation “Hawkâ€) and made 600 round trips across the North Pacific between Vancouver and Tokyo, logging 34,000 flying hours and carrying 13,000 personnel and 7,000,000 pounds of freight and mail without mishap. A typical Korean Air Lift route for 426 Squadron aeroplanes was a physically and mentally demanding fifty-hour round trip flight from McChord to Japan and back with stops at Elmendorf Air Force Base (Alaska), Shemya (Aleutian Islands), Handed and Misawa Air Base (Japan). In 1956 it airlifted United Nations Emergency Force personnel and equipment to the Middle East and, in 1960-62, to the Belgian Congo. The unit moved to Trenton, Ontario in September 1959, and in January 1962 to St Hubert (Montreal) Quebec . The squadron was disbanded on 1 September 1962.
It reformed again as 426 Transport Training Squadron on May 3, 1971, at Uplands, Ontario . The squadron moved to Trenton in August 1971 where it remains today, conducting training on the CC-130 Hercules.The squadron has carried out many tasks since the end of Korean War, including casualty evacuations, Royal tours and other VIP transport, and United Nations air lift operations. Thunderbird has worked in many places: the Arctic, the Middle East and Europe, the Congo and Japan.
426 Transport Training Squadron carries out classes of different courses every year to generate operationally effective air mobility aircrew and technicians in support of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations. The squadron also has dedicated personnel assigned to provide operational test and evaluation and system support to Air Mobility fleets. In 1995, the Squadron’s school underwent extensive renovations and acquired state-of-the-art computerized training aids. In spring 2000, the Squadron completed an upgrade to its OFS-130H flight simulator. The changes included a new motion base, new visual system and upgraded avionics equipment. The Squadron also opened a new building housing the Cargo Compartment Trainer for the CC-130H Hercules. Anticipating the future needs of the Air Mobility community and the newly procured CC-130J Hercules, the school expanded its facilities in 2012. The Air Mobility Training Centre (AMTC) was designed and built to accommodate the latest in aircrew and technician simulation, making it one of the most advanced training facilities in the world. The building serves as the home of 426 Squadron staff, whose job it is to train and prepare aircrew, technicians and aeromedical personnel for employment on the CC-130J, CC-130H, and CC-150 Polaris aircraft. Wikipedia, Kostenuk & Griffin, and www.canada.ca/en/air-force/corporate/squadrons/426-squadron.html
Previous Events
1943-October-19 Flight Lieutenant Survived
Eagle Mk. ll
426 B Sqn RCAF
426 Thunderbird Squadron (On Wings of Fire) RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Squadron Leader (then F/Lt) TM Kneale (RCAF) and Flying Officer J MacKay (RCAF) were involved in the crash of a rare aircraft 1943-10-19 while stationed at Linton on Ouse. They were air-testing British Aircraft Eagle 2 DP847, which belonged to No 6 Group Communications Flight. The flight lasted thirty minutes and on landing back at Linton on Ouse at 15:10 hrs the aircraft was damaged when the port undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft was not repaired and was struck off
Squadron Leader Kneale and Flying Officer MacKay survived the crash, safe but would both be killed in action 1943-12-16 on 426 Squadron Lancaster II aircraft DS 837 OW-Q that crashed in poor weather conditions returning from an operation to Berlin, Germany
There would be only one survivor from that crash
The Eagle had been requisitioned by the RAF from the Marquess of Donegal where it carried the civilian serial of G-ADVT, 1941-03-14. After a period of storage it was released to No 6 Group 1942-12-09 for use as a run-about and taxi aircraft
4 x Rolls-Royce, Packard or Ford UK built Merlin XX, 22, 24, 28, 85 or 224 liquid-cooled V-12 piston engines with power output between 1,280 hp (954 kW) and 1,635 hp (1,219 kW) each
Lancaster Mk.II:
4 x Bristol Hercules Mk.VI or XVI air-cooled 14-cylinder radial piston engines with power output of 1,615 hp (1,204 kW) each
Propellers:
Lancaster Mk.I, III, VI, VII & X:
3-bladed de Havilland, Hamilton Standard or Nash Kelvinator Hydromatic constant-speed fully feathering metal bladed propellers, 13 ft (3.96 m) diameter
Lancaster Mk.II:
Rotol electric constant-speed fully feathering wooden bladed propellers, 13 ft (3.96 m) diameter
Performance:
Maximum speed:
Lancaster Mk.I, II, III, VII & X: 287 mph (461 km/h)
Lancaster Mk.VI: 315 mph (507 km/h)
Cruising speed: 207 mph (333 km/h)
Range: 2,530 mi (4,073 km)
Service ceiling: 23,500 ft (7,162 m)
Armament:
Standard:
Two 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mark II machine guns in:
Nash and Thompson FN5 nose and
FN50/150 mid-upper turrets,
four 0.303-inch Browning Mark II machine guns in Nash and Thompson FN20/120/121 rear turret
Alternative/additional:
Nash and Thompson FN64 ventral turret with two 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mark II machine guns
Glenn Martin 250CE electrically operated mid-upper turret with two 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns (Lancaster Mk.VII and late production Lancaster Mk. X only)
Nash and Thompson FN82 rear turret with two 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns (Lancaster Mk.VII &late production Lancaster Mk.I only)
Rose Brothers Type R rear turret with two 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns (late production Lancaster Mk.I & III only)
Ventral 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mk.II machine gun in a free mount (Lancaster Type 464 only)
Ventral 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine gun in a free mount
ARI 5559 A.G.L.T. 'Village Inn' Mk.I: Radar guided gun laying system (incorporating Infrared IFF recognition system) fitted to FN121 rear turret with four 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mark II machine guns
Bomb loads:
Typical:
14,000 lb (6,350 kg) consisting of varying combinations of 2,000 lb AP, 2,000 lb HC, 4,000 lb HC, 8,000 lb HC, 250 lb, 500 lb, 1,000 lb bombs, or various sizes of incendiary bombs installed in Small Bomb Containers or Cluster Projectiles
1 x 12,000lb (5,443 kg) HC bomb
6 x 1,850 lb (839 kg) Parachute Anti-Shipping Mines
Specialized:
1 x 5,500 lb (2,494 kg) Capital Ship Bomb
12 x 500 lb (226 kg) JW 'Johnny Walker' Oscillating Mine
1 x 9,250 lb (4,195 kg) Vickers-Armstrongs Type 464 'Upkeep' revolving depth charge
1 x 12,000lb (5,443 kg) MC Vickers-Armstrongs 'Tallboy' deep penetration bomb
1 x 22,000 lb (9,979 kg) MC Vickers-Armstrongs 'Grand Slam' deep penetration bomb
Communication and navigation equipment:
TR9F: HF R/T radio transceiver
TR1196: HF R/T radio transceiver
TR1143/SCR522: VHF R/T radio transceiver
T1154: Medium and High frequency W/T transmitter
R1155: Medium and High frequency W/T & direction finding receiver
ARI 5033/5083 GEE Mk.I/II: Radio navigation system
ARI 5560/5564 H2S Mk.II/III: Radar navigation/target finding system
TR3190/3160 Lucero Mk.I & II: H2S adapter to permit interrogation of radar navigation beacons, Eureka beacons & IFF
ARI 5525/5597 GEE-H Mk.I/II: Radio navigation/target finding system
AN/APN-4 LORAN: Long range radio navigation system
ARI 5148/5514/5582 Oboe Mk.I & II: Radar bomb aiming system
AN/AP1 (AYD): Low range radar altimeter
SCR-718-C: High range radar altimeter
Lorenz Standard Beam Approach: Runway blind approach system
Radio Countermeasures:
ARI 5000/5025/5640 IFF Mk.II & III: Friend or Foe radar identification system
ARI 5171/5625/5672/5769 Mandrel: Freya and Wurzburg radar jamming system
ARI 5538/5557 Boozer Mk.I & II: Passive radar warning receiver
ARI 5122/5281 Monica Mk.I, III & V ('Lulu'): Active tail warning radar
Tinsel/Special Tinsel: Night fighter radio control jamming system
TR3549 Airborne Cigar (ABC): Night fighter radio control jamming system
ARI 5549 Carpet II: Wurzburg radar jamming system
Coming Soon!
Ventral Turrets
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As originally designed the Lancaster was provided with ventral defence in the form of a Nash and Thompson FN64 turret, which was fitted to some early production aircraft. However, in common with all other periscope sighted ventral turrets, the narrow viewing angle made it almost impossible for gunners to acquire and track targets, and the few turrets which were installed were soon removed from service.
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The ventral .50 inch (50 calib) was approved as Lanc Mod.925 during February 1944, and was one of a number of unsuccessful measures taken to counter night fighter attacks from below.
The growth of the Luftwaffe night fighter force was followed by an increase in the in the number of attacks from below, exacerbated from August 1943 onward by the introduction of aircraft equipped with Schrage Musik upward firing 20mm cannon. A number of responses were considered by Bomber Command including a free mounted ventral .50 calibre Browning machine gun, which was approved on the Lancaster as Modification 925 during February 1944.
The modification was very basic, consisting of little more than an enlarged bicycle seat for the gunner and a simple free mounted gun with open sights which fired through the ventral turret/H2S aperture. On aircraft with bulged bomb doors the mounting (often unpainted) was incorporated into the fairing at the rear of the doors.
Non-H2S fitted aircraft were sporadically equipped with the gun from February 1944 onward, although a clear plan for installation appears to have been lacking. The quantity of aircraft which actually had the gun installed is unknown and photos of the mounting with a Browning actually installed are very rare.
Serious problems quickly became apparent, as noted in the following V Group monthly newsletter for April 1944:- "With the gunner strapped in his seat it is difficult to follow the gun round on the beam; it is difficult for the gunner to get his head down behind the sight as it tends to push the oxygen mask upwards on the gunners face; and also considerable vibration is experienced on the sight when the gun is fired."
These problems, plus the gradually more widespread introduction of H2S saw the gun fall out of use quite quickly, although it does appear to have been retained on some aircraft until war's end (most notably in 3 Group).
The quantity of aircraft which actually had the gun installed is unknown and photos of the mounting with a Browning actually installed are very rare.
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Notice on these aircraft the extra position in the eight person crew of Mid-Under-Gunner.