Gallery 8

Flight Sergeant Lawrence Joseph Bull

Flight Sergeant Bull, an Australian, was the rear gunner in the crew of Flying Officer Cottman. All of the crew were killed when their aircraft failed to return from an attack on an oil refinery at Bohlen on 21st March 1945. They had completed 20 operations with 97 Squadron (and two with 106 Squadron prior to joining 97).

Flight Sergeant Bull was aged only 20 and dies along way from his hometown of Metung, Victoria.

Flight Sergeant Jack Anderson

Above is another Australian, Flight Sergeant Jack Anderson, who originated from Newcastle, New South Wales. He enlisted at the age of 38 in 1940 and this photo would have been taken quite early in his service (as no aircrew brevet is visible on his tunic).

F/Sgt Anderson was the flight engineer in Sqn Ldr Garlick's crew and he completed 26 operations before being shot down on 2nd December 1943. He was captured and spent the rest of the war as POW before being repatriated and eventually returning to Australia.

See Gallery 10 for a letter sent to F/Sgt Anderson's wife.

Below are the photos of F/Sgt Anderson taken by the Germans at Dulag Luft interrogation centre (near Frankfurt). All captured Allied aircrew were brought to this place where they were photographed, interrogated, given a POW number, and then dispersed to various POW camps.

Sergeant Terry Twomey DFM

These items (above) are the memorial scroll and a photograph of Sergeant Terry Twomey DFM from Bethnal Green in East London. He flew with Wing Commander " Ted " Porter DFC & Bar on the night of 16th/17th August 1944 when their aircraft was lost during a daring low level attack on Stettin Bay. Sgt Twomey (an air gunner) had to do one more operation to complete his double tour of 45 trips and volunteered to take part on this fateful night. He was aged just 21 when he lost his life.

Flying Officer "Ben" Kirkwood-Hackett DFC

(Above) Here is Flying Officer Walter Kirkwood-Hackett DFC, known as "Ben" who served with 97 Squadron as Gunnery Leader at Woodhall Spa in 1942-43. This photo was taken at the Petwood Hotel which was requisitioned as the Officers Mess.

Sergeant Edmund Goodwin

Photo of Sgt Edmund Goodwin (Wireless Op/Air Gunner) with his wife and child. Sgt Goodwin flew 22 operations with 97 Squadron. He joined the Squadron in July 1941 and with his pilot (F/Sgt Davies) and the rest of the crew was killed in action on 1st/2nd June 1942 attacking Essen. It was also the 4th anniversary of his wedding.

Flight Lieutenant George Borthwick DFC

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F/Lt Borthwick DFC (a navigator) came to 97 Squadron on 4th August 1943 from 1664 Conversion Unit. He flew 26 operations, his last being on 28/29th January 1944 when he was killed in action.

Flight Lieutenant Horace Daniels DFC

Below is another decorated 97 Squadron navigator - Flight Lieutenant Horace Daniels DFC, pictured with his family after receiving his DFC from the King at Buckingham Palace in July 1945.

Horace Daniels enlisted in 1940 at the age of 18 and volunteered for aircrew duties. After training in South Africa and Rhodesia he qualified as a navigator and joined Bomber Command in December 1942. He served with 207 and 57 Squadrons before joining 97 Squadron and the Pathfinder Force. He completed a total of 45 operations.

Squadron Leader Rodney James DFC

Above is Sqn Ldr Rodney James DFC who was a Bomb Aimer with 106 and 97 Squadrons.

Flight Sergeant (later Flight Lieutenant) Ewart Preston DFM AFM

Above is a photo of the man who completed the most operations with 97 Squadron during the Second World War, Flight Lieutenant Ron Swetman DFC DFM. He was posted to 97 Squadron in September 1942 as a Sergeant flight engineer. When he left the Squadron in December 1943, he had completed 61 operations, been commissioned and promoted to Flight Lieutenant, and awarded both the DFC and the DFM.

This photo was taken soon after Ron was commissioned, with the DFM ribbon and the prized Pathfinder Force Badge visible beneath his flight engineer's aircrew brevet. (See also Gallery 6)

Sergeant Henry James Cooper

Sergeant Cooper was a navigator and he served with 97 Squadron in 1945.

Pilot Officer Wally Layne DFC

Pilot Officer Layne DFC was the wireless operator in the crew of Flight Lieutenant Bob Fletcher DFC DFM. They were shot down on the night of 23rd/24th September 1943. Pilot Officer Layne became a prisoner of war. This photo was taken after his repatriation to the UK at the end of the war.

Squadron Leader Leslie Henson DFC & Bar

Below is a photograph (sent in by Simon Muggleston) of Sqn Ldr Leslie Henson DFC & Bar who came to 97 Squadron in December 1943. He completed 10 Operations with 97 before being transferred to 635 Squadron with the rest of " C " Flight in March 1944. He was awarded the DFC & Bar for his service with 635 Squadron and completed two operational tours. He remained in the RAF until around 1950. (See also Gallery 6)

Sergeant Anthony Reilly

This is Sergeant Anthony Reilly from Bootle in Lancashire, pictured here with his Mother. The baby is Michael Home who is a great nephew of Sgt Reilly. The photo was sent in by Tony Peake.

Sergeant Reilly was killed, aged 25, on the morning of 5th May 1943 when his Lancaster collided with a parked Stirling bomber on landing at Waterbeach airfield.

Sergeant Ralph Franks RACF

This photo shows Sgt Ralph Franks (right) shaking hands with an unidentified comrade.

Flight Lieutenant Leonard Webb DFC

(Above) Flight Lieutenant Leonard Webb DFC, a bomb aimer with 97 Squadron, who was killed on operations on the night of 4th/5th October 1943.

(Above) Lieutenant Charles McGregor of the South African Air Force who served with 97 Squadron during 1944-45. He was killed on the night of 7th/8th February 1945 when his Lancaster collided with an 83 Squadron aircraft whilst participating in an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal at Ladbergen.

Flight Lieutenant Cliff Chatten DSO DFC

(Above) This photo is of Flt Lt Cliff Chatten DSO DFC looking out of the cockpit of his Lancaster at Coningsby in 1944. Unfortunately the picture quality is not the best but we are delighted, at last, to have acquired a photo of one of 97 Squadron's most distinguished pilots. Cliff Chatten was with 97 Sqn for almost a year, having been posted in June 1943 as a Sergeant pilot.  He spent quite some time recuperating from the injuries he sustained when his aircraft was shot down over Norfolk by an intruding German fighter in August 1943, but he was awarded an immediate DSO for his actions on 23rd/24th May 1944 during an attack on Brunswick. Below is an extract from "Achieve Your Aim" by Kevin Bending, which describes the action for which Chatten received his DSO:-

After a two-day stand down, operations were detailed for the night of 22nd/23rd May, but owing to the poor weather over France, the target was the German city of Brunswick for the fifteen 97 Squadron Lancasters that took part.  Although the weather forecast had indicated that the sky would be clear over Brunswick at the time of the attack, the crews that arrived there found thick cloud.  Illuminating flares were dropped by the 97 Squadron aircraft, but these were not very effective, and the situation was made worse when neither the Controller nor his deputy could make radio contact with the marker aircraft.  Eventually, the second deputy managed to instruct the markers to carry out the “Wanganui” sky marking, and the Main Force bombed on these, but the attack was a failure with most of the bombs falling in open country.

Flight Lieutenant Chatten, who was flying his 28th operation, was engaged by a JU88 just north of Hanover on the outward trip.  His Lancaster sustained many hits by cannon fire, the perspex nose was shot away completely, and the bomb aimer’s compartment was wrecked.  Despite the intense cold, and the damage to the aircraft, Chatten decided to press on, and called upon his navigator, Flight Lieutenant Campbell, for a course to the target.  Campbell had difficulties of his own, with all of his maps and charts having been blown away, but with admirable coolness, he navigated the damaged Lancaster by visual bearings on the stars.

On arrival at Brunswick, the stricken Lancaster was hit by flak several times, to the extent that every one of Chatten’s instruments was either destroyed or put out of action, but nevertheless, the bombs were dropped on the “Wanganui” markers, before Campbell plotted a course for the homeward flight.  The flight engineer, Flight Sergeant Cyril Baumber, was badly injured in the face by shell splinters, but he remained at his post to assist Chatten in nursing the aircraft back home.

By this time, Chatten and his crew could have been forgiven for thinking that they had suffered enough on this operation, but their troubles were far from over, as they were attacked by another fighter on the return trip.  Chatten sent the Lancaster into a dive, and Flight Sergeant Lennon, in the mid upper turret, returned fire by shooting over his own plane’s wing, seeing several hits on the enemy aircraft, which was not seen again.  Further damage was caused to the Lancaster when it was fired at by the coastal batteries as it flew over the English coast; the damage to the aircraft had made it impossible for the crew to identify their aircraft as friendly.

Eventually, Coningsby was reached, and Chatten managed to make a good landing, no doubt to the great relief of the entire crew, who had shown considerable fortitude in sticking to their task in the most adverse circumstances.  Chatten received an immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order, the citation for which appeared in the London Gazette on 16th June 1944.  It reads as follows: -

“One night in May 1944 this officer was the pilot of an aircraft detailed to attack Brunswick.  On the outward flight the aircraft was intercepted by a fighter but it was cleverly evaded.  When nearing the target area, however, another fighter was encountered.  As a result, the bomber was severely damaged.  The nose part was smashed.  The air pressure thus caused blew out the windows at the side and most of the windscreen around the pilot’s cupola.  The navigation equipment, the wireless apparatus, and the mid upper turret were rendered useless, while two members of the crew were wounded.  The cold was intense.  Nevertheless, Flight Lieutenant Chatten was determined to complete the task for which he had flown so far.  In the face of much anti-aircraft fire, and an attack by yet another fighter, he executed a successful bombing run and afterwards flew the damaged aircraft to this country.  This officer displayed skill, gallantry and devotion to duty of the highest order.”

(Below) This is another photo of Cliff Chatten, who is standing on the right. On the left is Cyril Baumber DFM, who flew 34 trips as Chatten's flight engineer, including the one to Brunswick, during which Baumber sustained facial injuries that precluded him from flying operationally again.

Warrant Officer Cyril Baumber DFM

(Below) Cyril Baumber pictured with his young son. Baumber's eventful tour of operations with 97 Squadron was described in the recommendation for his award of the DFM - "Flight Sergeant Baumber is the flight engineer in the crew captained by Flt Lt Chatten. He has now completed 34 successful operations and has attacked such targets as Berlin (9), Frankfurt (2), Schweinfurt (2), Brunswick (2), Stuttgart and Nuremburg. On the night of 22nd/23rd May 1944, the aircraft in which F/Sgt Baumber was flying was detailed for an attack against Brunswick. En route to the target, the aircraft was attacked by three fighters. These enemy were driven off but only after our bomber had sustained severe damage to all the navigational equipment. On the return flight the aircraft was badly damaged by flak when flying over Hanover, and F/Sgt Baumber was badly injured in the face. In spite of his wounds, F/Sgt Baumber bravely remained at his post and gave his captain every assistance in nursing the crippled aircraft to base. Throughout the operation, this NCO displayed great skill, courage and determination. For his unswerving devotion to duty, his skill and gallantry, he is recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal."

Sergeant Christopher Nordhoff

(Above) This is 20-year-old air gunner Sergeant Christopher Nordhoff from Liverpool. He was posted to 97 Squadron on 21st July 1943 as the rear gunner in the crew of Flying Officer Riches. On the night of 3rd/4th September 1943 the crew took part in their 8th operation - an attack against the German capital, Berlin.

Flying Officer Riches was over the target area, and had just closed the bomb doors after releasing his bombs, when he received instructions over the intercom from Sergeant Nordhoff to “Go to port skipper!”  Immediately, the mid upper gunner, Sergeant Lowe, swung his turret to the port quarter, and saw a short burst of tracer coming towards the Lancaster from the port side.  Riches had started to do a very slight diving turn to port when the burst of enemy fire entered the rear turret and fuselage of the bomber; he turned around and saw explosions on the port side of the aircraft, while the bomb aimer, Sergeant Pack, saw tracer passing over the top of the starboard wing.

No further attack was made by the night fighter, which was believed to have broken away underneath the Lancaster and was not seen again, but its sole attack had been devastating enough.  Tragically, Sergeant Nordhoff, whose vigilance and early warning had saved the lives of his crew, was killed by the fighter’s opening burst of fire.

The aircraft and the rest of the crew returned safely to their base and Sergeant Nordhoff's body was laid to rest in his home city at Anfield Cemetery.

Flight Sergeant Lionel Boyton

(Above) Flight Sergeant Lionel Boyton who served with 97 Squadron as the rear gunner in Sergeant Brown's crew from December 1942 to May 1943. Born in Johannesburg and brought up in Southern Rhodesia, he enlisted in the Royal Rhodesian Air Force, aged 19, on 6th January 1942.

Having qualified as an air gunner at Moffat on 1st May 1942, he came to the UK and attended refresher training at No 3 Air Gunnery School in July and August 1942. Subsequently he joined up with Sergeant Brown's crew at No 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit before the crew was posted to 97 Squadron.

After leaving 97 Squadron, Flight Sergeant Boyton was deployed as an aircraft recognition instructor at Cranborne before being discharged from the Southern Rhodesian forces on 27th September 1945. 

After the war he trained as a mining engineer and worked for 22 years at various gold mines near Johannesburg.  He was forced to retire at the age of 48 through ill health and in 1972 he came back to England with his English wife.  They made their home in Devon and that is where he died on 28th April 1987 at the age of sixty four.

A brave man who travelled across the world to fight for the cause of freedom.

Flight Lieutenant Bill Benton DFC

This photo of pilot, Bill Benton, was taken early in his service when he was a Sergeant Pilot. He and his crew originally joined 207 Squadron at Langar in July 1943. Moving with 207 to Spilsby in October 1943 the crew had completed 15 operational sorties when they were selected for Pathfinders and transferred to 97 Squadron on 19th December 1943. After completing a double tour of 45 operations Bill Benton was awarded the DFC. "Flight Lieutenant Benton was as solid as they come, and I could not have wished for a better skipper", recalled a member of his crew.

(Photo courtesy of 207 Squadron Archives)

Flight Lieutenant Peter Drane DFC

(Above) Peter Drane was another pilot who joined 97 Squadron from 207 Squadron. Drane and his crew had completed 18 sorties when they were posted to 97 Squadron on 26th January 1944. Thay went on to complete their double Pathfinders tour of 45 operations in August 1944.

Drane need not have flown operationally again but he volunteered to fly Mosquitos with 139 Squadron, where his navigator was another ex-97 Squadron man - Flt Lt Ken Swale DFC. Sadly, both men were killed on 15th January 1945, when their aircraft, which was returning from a sortie to Berlin, crashed in appalling weather conditions whilst trying to land at Thurleigh in Bedfordshire. Drane was aged 22 and Swale 21.

(Photo courtesy of 207 Squadron Archives)

Flight Lieutenant John Carswell

(Above) Canadian John Carswell had an interesting war, which included flying on operations with 97 Squadron in 1942.  His service life began as a motorcycle dispatch rider, and an officer's lorry driver, in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in Montreal before war was declared. Later he was mobilised into the Canadian Army Signal Corps. He arrived in Scotland with the first contingent of the Canadian Armed Service Force, having set sail from Canada in January 1940. Over the years that followed, he was a pilot, a flight commander, a qualified navigator, a navigations instructor, a member of the Navigator Selection Board and later the Pilot Selection Board. He was also in command of an Elementary Flying Training School.

He held the rank of Flight Lieutenant in the RAF from 1941 to 1944 before being commissioned into the RCAF in April 1944.  In June 1944 Flight Lieutenant Carswell was posted back to Canada, where he continued to serve until July 1945.

Pilot Officer Aubrey Burnell

(Above) This is Pilot Officer Aubrey Burnell who served with 97 Squadron as a wireless operator during 1944. The photo was taken prior to him being commissioned and before he joined the Squadron. Originally from Streatham in South London, he joined the RAF in 1940 and completed a total of 54 operations before failing to return from an attack against a railway target in Belgium in July 1944. Aged only 24 at the time of his death, Pilot Officer Burnell had turned down the offer of a non-operational job, choosing instead to join 97 Squadron at Coningsby. A very brave man who paid the ultimate price for his gallantry.

Warrant Officer (Engineer II) William Allison

(Above) Warrant Officer (Engineer II) William Allison from Argyllshire in Scotland served with 97 Squadron in the immediate post-Second World War period. He had flown on operations during the war, for which he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, The France & Germany Star, The Defence Medal and the 1939-1945 War Medal, as well as the coveted Pathfinders Badge. Tragically, he lost his life on 24th September 1947 when the Lincoln bomber, in which he was the flight engineer, was struck by lightning and crashed in Norfolk. All nine men on board were killed and they all rest in Caister Cemetery. Thanks to Jennie Gray for supplying the photo - you can visit her excellent website at www.97squadron.co.uk