Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock, page 259
Cade, Arthur Sidney (Flying Officer)
Prisoner of War 1943-October-09
Birth Date: unkown date
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAFVR
Unit
115 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Despite The Elements
Base
RAF Little Snoring
Rank
Flying Officer
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
117001
PoW: 3008
Target
Hanover Germany
Crew or Other Personnel
Lancaster DS691
Mission
Lancaster Mk.II DS691
Bombing Hanover Germany 1943-October-08 to 1943-October-09
115 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Little Snoring
115 Squadron RAF (Despite the Elements) RAF Little Snoring. Lancaster II aircraft DS 691 KO-B was shot down from 20000 feet by a combination of flak and night fighter (probably Hauptman Hans-Wolfgang von Niebelschutz of Stab IV/NJG5) during an operation against targets in Hanover Germany. The Lancaster crashed at 01:32 3 km South of Fuhrberg, Germany 22 km NNE of Hanover
Flight Sergeant William Frederick Nethersole (RAAF) and Flight Sergeant Herbert John Willis DFM (RAFVR) were killed in action
Flight Lieutenant Wilfred Collins Blewett (RCAF), Flying Officer William Pryde (RCAF), Flying Officer Arthur Sidney Cade(RAFVR), Sergeant Daryl Eugene Davis (RAFVR) and Sergeant Walter Thomas Mitchell (RAFVR) all survived and were captured to become Prisoners of War.
This was the only aircraft lost by 428 Squadron RCAF lost on this operation
115 Squadron
Lancaster serial: DS691
Avro Lancaster Mk. X RCAF Serial FM 213
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
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
Lancaster Bomber
WikipediaUnit Desciption
115 (B) Sqn Despite The Elements ()
No. 115 Sqn was originally formed on Dec 1, 1917 as a heavy bomber squadron and joined the Independent Air Force of the RAF in August 1918. It was disbanded in 1919, then re-formed in June 1937. It formed part of RAF Bomber Command No. 3 Group in WWII. Starting with Handley Page Harrow aircraft, it transferred to Vickers Wellingtons in 1939, which it flew until March 1943, when it transferred to Avro Lancaster B. Mk. II and later B. Mks I and III. Between April 1940 and September 1942 the squadron was seconded to Coastal Command and based at Kinloss, Scotland. It rejoined Bomber Command and flew from Mildenhall, East Wretham and Little Snoring in 1942 and 1943 before settling at Witchford, Cambridgeshire from November 1943 until the end of hostilities.
In April 1940 the squadron made the RAF's first bombing attack on the mainland of Europe, at Stavanger in Norway. In August of 1941 it participated in the service trials of the new navigational aid, GEE, and as a result of its report the device was put into mass production. Overall, in WWII the squadron flew 5392 sorties and dropped about 23,000 tons of bombs. This was the second-highest tonnage of bombs in Bomber Command. The squadron was 3rd in the number of raids in the course of the war. Since it was active over the whole span of WWI, it lost the greatest number of aircraft of any squadron in Bomber Command: it was the only squadron to lose more than 200 aircraft.
Lancaster DS691 Mk.II - Bombing Hanover Germany - 1943-10-08 to 1943-10-09
Squadron: 115 (B) Sqn (RAF)
Start Date: 1943-10-08
Completion Date: 1943-10-09
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Hanover Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Little Snoring
Take Off Time: 23:40:00
Squadron Code: KO-B
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Germany
Crash Specifics: 3 km South of Fuhrberg, Germany 22 km NNE of Hanover
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: flakfighter
Flak Battery: unspecified
Enemy Claim: Hauptman Hans-Wolfgang von Niebelschutz of Stab IV/NJG5
War Diary Unavailable
6 Bomber Group October 8/9, 1943
16 Lancasters from 408 and 426 squadrons were joined by 70 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, 429, 431, and 434 squadrons and 14 Wellingtons from 432 squadron on an attack at Hannover. The crews were over the target at between 18,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 272,000 lbs of high explosives and 294,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the sky was clear and an accurate attack was made with severe damage being caused. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
115 Squadron RAF (Despite the Elements) RAF Little Snoring. Lancaster II aircraft DS 691 KO-B was shot down from 20000 feet by a combination of flak and night fighter (probably Hauptman Hans-Wolfgang von Niebelschutz of Stab IV/NJG5) during an operation against targets in Hanover Germany. The Lancaster crashed at 01:32 3 km South of Fuhrberg, Germany 22 km NNE of Hanover
Flight Sergeant William Frederick Nethersole (RAAF) and Flight Sergeant Herbert John Willis DFM (RAFVR) were killed in action
Flight Lieutenant Wilfred Collins Blewett (RCAF), Flying Officer William Pryde (RCAF), Flying Officer Arthur Sidney Cade(RAFVR), Sergeant Daryl Eugene Davis (RAFVR) and Sergeant Walter Thomas Mitchell (RAFVR) all survived and were captured to become Prisoners of War.
This was the only aircraft lost by 428 Squadron RCAF lost on this operation
115 Squadron
Specifications
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Avro Type 683 Lancaster
| General Characteristics | ||
| Crew: | 7 (typical) | |
| Length: | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) | |
| Wingspan: | 102 ft 0 in (31.09 m) | |
| Height: | 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) | |
| Wing area: | 1,300 sq ft (120 m2) | |
| Aerofoil: | Root: NACA 23018. Tip: NACA 23012 | |
| Empty weight: | 36,900 lb (16,738 kg) | |
| Max takeoff weight: | 72,000 lb (32,657 kg) | |
| Fuel capacity: | 2,154 imp gal (9,792 L) | |
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Coming Soon!
Ventral Turrets
Orginal Ventral Turret. Discontinued
early.
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.
Note: 50 cal gun pointing at 45°
Original Drawings. Right click for larger view.
W4766 from 61 Squadron
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.
75 Squadron ORB March 1945
Notice on these aircraft the extra position in the eight person crew of Mid-Under-Gunner.