Achieve Your Aim
As part of Group 5 PFF Target marking
As part of Group 5 PFF Target marking
Lancaster I R5513 OF-P Op:
Augsburg. T/O 1500 Woodhall Spa. Hit by flak and
exploded over the target area. All are buried in Durnbach War
Cemetery.
F/S Donoghue was an American
from Glen Head in New York State, serving in the RCAF.
W/O T.J.Mycock DFC(+), Sgt N.C.Hayes MiD(+), W/O L.Harrison
MiD(+), F/S S.E.Eades MiD(+), Sgt D.Macdonald(+),
F/S.W.Shelley(+),
F/S J.G.Donoghue RCAF(+).
In all, 97 Squadron lost 123 aircraft on operations in the course of completing 4066 sorties. Personnel from the Squadron won 18 DSOs, one OBE, 228 DFCs, 41 Bars to the DFC, one BEM, 163 DFMs, 2 Bars to the DFM, 2 United States of America DFCs, 2 Belgian Croix de Guerres and one Russian Medal of Valour. Recently the French Government has bestowed the la legion d'honneur to members of 97 Squadron
In 1955 the contract from the United States Government for the development of an IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic missile) system went to the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, which by prodigious feats of design and engineering delivered the first SM - 75 Thor in October 1956 and despite an inauspicious start in the flight test programme - the first 4 launches ended in failure - the system was declared operational in 1959 and place under the control of bomber Command.
The squadron continues today through the 97 (straits settlements) Squadron Association. The Association is for all those who have served with 97 Squadron and is open to their relatives and friends as well.
This is the location for our Memory Page, where we remember those who survived the war but have since sadly departed us. It also contains news items and photo galleries from previous reunion events. This is continually being updated.