RAF Bardney
The airfield at Bardney was located ten miles to the east of Lincoln and four miles south of Wragby. As the bombing campaign over occupied Europe developed and became more intense, Bomber Command required more airfields to sustain its ever strengthening power.
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Bardney was first surveyed in 1941 and with the land being flat and workable, it was decided to construct an airfield as a satellite to nearby RAF Waddington under the control of No 5 Group.
In 1942 construction commenced of a Class A airfield at Bardney, with opening delayed until April 1943 due to a shortage of materials. Three runways were laid 07-25 at 2,000 yards, 02-20 and 12-30 at 1,400 yards. Originally thirty six hardstandings were connected to the perimeter track with one being lost with the construction of a B.1 hangar at the head of runway 30. Two T.2 hangars were also erected with the bomb dump located to the north east side between runway heads 07 and 12. Seven domestic, two WAAF, two communal sites, and a sick quarters were dispersed to the south between New Park Wood and Birt Hill with accommodation provided for 1,947 male and 401 females. |
In April 1943 No 9 Squadron arrived at Bardney from RAF Waddington to begin the units association with the airfield that was to last until the end of hostilities.
No 9 Squadron had long been at war by the time it arrived at Bardney. From the earliest days of the conflict the Squadron had been in action and suffered some of the first losses of the war. Flying from RAF Honington on 4 September 1939, Vickers Wellington MK.1s L4268 and L4275 were shot down whilst taking part in a raid on two German battleships anchored in Brunsbuttel, with the loss of ten crew members.
In August 1942 No 9 transferred to No 5 Group and moved to Waddington where the Squadron converted onto the less than successful Avro Manchester before re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. Leaving Waddington on the evening of 13th April 1943 the Squadron took part in a raid on the port of La Spezia in Northern Italy. Returning to England on 14th April the Squadron landed at Bardney to be greeted by their ground crews who had moved overnight from Waddington. In this instance all the aircrew that left Waddington for the raid on La Spezia landed safely back at Bardney.
No 9 Squadron had long been at war by the time it arrived at Bardney. From the earliest days of the conflict the Squadron had been in action and suffered some of the first losses of the war. Flying from RAF Honington on 4 September 1939, Vickers Wellington MK.1s L4268 and L4275 were shot down whilst taking part in a raid on two German battleships anchored in Brunsbuttel, with the loss of ten crew members.
In August 1942 No 9 transferred to No 5 Group and moved to Waddington where the Squadron converted onto the less than successful Avro Manchester before re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. Leaving Waddington on the evening of 13th April 1943 the Squadron took part in a raid on the port of La Spezia in Northern Italy. Returning to England on 14th April the Squadron landed at Bardney to be greeted by their ground crews who had moved overnight from Waddington. In this instance all the aircrew that left Waddington for the raid on La Spezia landed safely back at Bardney.
The Battle Of The Ruhr
By March 1943 Bomber Command's Commander In Chief Sir Arthur Harris, had built up his forces to the extent that he felt the time was now right to launch sustained major attacks on German industry in the Ruhr Valley.
Bomber Command did not solely concentrate on the Ruhr during this time, to have done so would have given the the Luftwaffe's nightfighters, flak defences and searchlights the chance to concentrate their efforts on defeating the attacking bombers. Roughly two thirds of the Command's efforts were targeted on the Ruhr with the remainder scattered all over Europe which helped disperse the defences.
The Ruhr was also in range of Mosquitos that carried the blind bombing device known as Oboe. This electronic aid gave a better target marking accuracy and made the Command's raids more effective and efficient.
The Battle of The Ruhr commenced on 5/6 March 1943 with a raid on Essen and continued until 31 July 1943 with an operation to Remscheid. No 9 Squadron's arrival at Bardney coincided with Bomber Command's increasing raids on the Ruhr and they were soon in action with operation to Stuttgart on 14 April 1943. Five crews took part in the raid which was a credit to the ground crews who had only arrived from Waddington overnight. Twenty five aircraft either failed to return from the raid or were lost for operational reasons, but on this date all 9 Squadron aircraft returned safely.
The first operational loss by 9 Squadron flying from Bardney occurred on 1 May 1943. Lancaster III ED838 WS-R was tasked to take part in a raid on Essen. The aircraft piloted by F/O Nunez, who came from St Joseph Trinidad, was lost without trace with the crew commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
By March 1943 Bomber Command's Commander In Chief Sir Arthur Harris, had built up his forces to the extent that he felt the time was now right to launch sustained major attacks on German industry in the Ruhr Valley.
Bomber Command did not solely concentrate on the Ruhr during this time, to have done so would have given the the Luftwaffe's nightfighters, flak defences and searchlights the chance to concentrate their efforts on defeating the attacking bombers. Roughly two thirds of the Command's efforts were targeted on the Ruhr with the remainder scattered all over Europe which helped disperse the defences.
The Ruhr was also in range of Mosquitos that carried the blind bombing device known as Oboe. This electronic aid gave a better target marking accuracy and made the Command's raids more effective and efficient.
The Battle of The Ruhr commenced on 5/6 March 1943 with a raid on Essen and continued until 31 July 1943 with an operation to Remscheid. No 9 Squadron's arrival at Bardney coincided with Bomber Command's increasing raids on the Ruhr and they were soon in action with operation to Stuttgart on 14 April 1943. Five crews took part in the raid which was a credit to the ground crews who had only arrived from Waddington overnight. Twenty five aircraft either failed to return from the raid or were lost for operational reasons, but on this date all 9 Squadron aircraft returned safely.
The first operational loss by 9 Squadron flying from Bardney occurred on 1 May 1943. Lancaster III ED838 WS-R was tasked to take part in a raid on Essen. The aircraft piloted by F/O Nunez, who came from St Joseph Trinidad, was lost without trace with the crew commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Image - Imperial War Museum
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The photo on the left has been obtained from the Imperial War Museum and shows a crew and Lancaster involved in the Battle Of The Ruhr whilst flying with 9 Squadron from Bardney.
In the photo the crew of Lancaster III ED831 WS-H are seen boarding their aircraft on 20 June 1943 for an operation to the Zeppelin Works at Friedrichshafen. The bomber is captained by Squadron Leader A M Hobbs DFC RNZAF and was one of sixty Lancasters that were to take part in the raid. The Zeppelin works made Wurzburg radars an integral link in the Luftwaffe's control of nighfighters, which were causing continuing losses to Bomber Command. |
The raid itself was one of the first to use what was to become known as the Master Bomber technique. This was where the raid was controlled by the pilot of a one of the Lancasters, in this instance from No 97 Squadron. The Master Bomber acted as Pathfinder and dropped target markers at which the first bombs were aimed. The attack then proceeded with a time and distance run commenced on the shores of lake Constance to the estimated position of the works. Post raid reconnaissance showed that ten per cent of the bombs hit the factory with substantial damage caused.
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The raid was also the first of what was known as a "Shuttle Raid" where instead of returning to their home bases the bombers flew onto and landed at Blida in North Africa.
This caused confusion to the Luftwaffe's nightfighters who were waiting for the bombers return over France. On this raid no aircraft were lost and all reached North Africa safely. The photo on the right shows Lancaster III ED831 departing Bardney for the raid on Friedrichshafen. Raiding Spezia in Italy on the return journey from North Africa ED831 arrived back at its home airfield on 24 June 1943. |
Image - Imperial War Museum
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The Loss Of A Lancaster
Over the night of 24/25 June 1943 Lancaster III ED831 took part in an operation to Elberfeld this time flown by Sgt G E Hall. Arriving back at Bardney at 04.20 hrs the aircraft was rostered for a further operation to Gelsenkirchen over the night of 25/26 June.
Taking off at 22.30 hrs ED831 was again piloted by Squadron Leader A M Hobbs but this time with an eighth crew member. F/O John Hamilton Sams had been posted to Bardney from 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit on the same day as the operation to Gelsenkirchen. He was flying as "Second Dickie" to gain experience on an operational sortie with the crew of ED831.
Bardney's Operational Record Book shows ED831 as aircraft missing, no signals received. Thirty aircraft were lost on this raid to nightfighters including thirteen Lancasters, ED831 being one of them, with none of the crew surviving.
F/O Sams, a graduate from Oxford University, would have gone through a rigorous selection process where only the best would succeed. He would have likely flown Tiger Moths in the UK, progressed to more advanced types such as the Boeing Stearman in the USA or maybe Cornells & Ansons in Canada where he would have gained his wings. He would have returned to England to learn how to fly and convert to four engine heavy bombers. Once this was completed successfully he would have been posted to an operational squadron in this case, 9 at Bardney.
To give him an idea of what to expect from operational flying, he would fly with an experienced crew over Germany on the night of 25/26 June 1943. Second Dickies were not always welcome as many bombers were lost whilst they were on board and they were considered a jinx, superstition being high in the minds of alot of bomber crew members. All the same to go through all the selection, training and the human emotions that would have gone with it; to be lost as a Second Dickie is a tragic waste of a young life.
Over the night of 24/25 June 1943 Lancaster III ED831 took part in an operation to Elberfeld this time flown by Sgt G E Hall. Arriving back at Bardney at 04.20 hrs the aircraft was rostered for a further operation to Gelsenkirchen over the night of 25/26 June.
Taking off at 22.30 hrs ED831 was again piloted by Squadron Leader A M Hobbs but this time with an eighth crew member. F/O John Hamilton Sams had been posted to Bardney from 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit on the same day as the operation to Gelsenkirchen. He was flying as "Second Dickie" to gain experience on an operational sortie with the crew of ED831.
Bardney's Operational Record Book shows ED831 as aircraft missing, no signals received. Thirty aircraft were lost on this raid to nightfighters including thirteen Lancasters, ED831 being one of them, with none of the crew surviving.
F/O Sams, a graduate from Oxford University, would have gone through a rigorous selection process where only the best would succeed. He would have likely flown Tiger Moths in the UK, progressed to more advanced types such as the Boeing Stearman in the USA or maybe Cornells & Ansons in Canada where he would have gained his wings. He would have returned to England to learn how to fly and convert to four engine heavy bombers. Once this was completed successfully he would have been posted to an operational squadron in this case, 9 at Bardney.
To give him an idea of what to expect from operational flying, he would fly with an experienced crew over Germany on the night of 25/26 June 1943. Second Dickies were not always welcome as many bombers were lost whilst they were on board and they were considered a jinx, superstition being high in the minds of alot of bomber crew members. All the same to go through all the selection, training and the human emotions that would have gone with it; to be lost as a Second Dickie is a tragic waste of a young life.